Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A controlled clinical study on the new topical dosage form of DHEP plasters in patients suffering from localized inflammatory diseases.

In this clinical study the efficacy and the tolerability of a new topical formulation, DHEP plaster, have been evaluated. The plaster consists of an auto-adhesive medicated gauze pad of standard dimensions (10 x 15 cm) containing 180 mg DHEP. The reference drug was a well-known topical drug, diclofenac diethylammonium (DDA) emulgel at 1.16%. Treatments were applied to the affected area for 14 days: DHEP plaster b.i. d. and DDA emulgel q.i. d. A total of 190 patients, affected by various inflammatory diseases, participated in this clinical study. In both treatment groups (DHEP n = 96 patients, DDA n = 94 patients) a clear improvement in the disease and a rapid reduction in pain were observed. The statistical comparison between the two treatments showed a significant difference in favour of DHEP. However a comparison of the results, according to the different diagnoses, did not reveal any statistical significance. Both treatments were well tolerated, although five (DHEP n = 2, DDA n = 3) out of the 190 patients (2.6%) showed transient side effects (pruritus or erythema, both of light intensity).
The Hypothalamic Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Is Sufficient but Not Necessary for the Regulation of Energy Balance and Glucose Homeostasis in Mice

Pharmacological activation of the hypothalamic glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor (GLP-1R) promotes weight loss and improves glucose tolerance. This demonstrates that the hypothalamic GLP-1R is sufficient but does not show whether it is necessary for the effects of exogenous GLP-1R agonists (GLP-1RA) or endogenous GLP-1 on these parameters. To address this, we crossed mice harboring floxed Glp1r alleles to mice expressing Nkx2.1-Cre to knock down Glp1r expression throughout the hypothalamus (GLP-1RKDΔNkx2.1cre). We also generated mice lacking Glp1r expression specifically in two GLP-1RA–responsive hypothalamic feeding nuclei/cell types, the paraventricular nucleus (GLP-1RKDΔSim1cre) and proopiomelanocortin neurons (GLP-1RKDΔPOMCcre). Chow-fed GLP-1RKDΔNkx2.1cre mice exhibited increased food intake and energy expenditure with no net effect on body weight. When fed a high-fat diet, these mice exhibited normal food intake but elevated energy expenditure, yielding reduced weight gain. None of these phenotypes were observed in GLP-1RKDΔSim1cre and GLP-1RKDΔPOMCcre mice. The acute anorectic and glucose tolerance effects of peripherally dosed GLP-1RA exendin-4 and liraglutide were preserved in all mouse lines. Chronic liraglutide treatment reduced body weight in chow-fed GLP-1RKDΔNkx2.1cre mice, but this effect was attenuated with high-fat diet feeding. In sum, classic homeostatic control regions are sufficient but not individually necessary for the effects of GLP-1RA on nutrient homeostasis.
The influence of environmental issues in strategic analysis and choice

Many corporations across the world are experiencing growing pressure to incorporate environmental issues into their strategic decision‐making process. This pressure characterizes the increased global significance of the environment. Examines the extent to which the issue is recognized by UK corporations, and how the environment affects corporate business planning. Additionally, reflects on the key motivational factors leading to the adoption of environmental policies, and comments on the nature of those influences. The key findings show that UK companies recognize the environment is an issue, but that the degree of importance attached is based on a variety of factors, resulting from unique corporate perceptions of opportunity and threat. Companies are generally concerned with meeting legal compliance levels and obtaining cost saving, without undertaking high levels of investment. Some companies are, however, seeking to become “environmental managers”, having identified the existence of opportunities for a.
Fitness map: a classification of internal strategic fit in service organisations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between internal strategic fit and business performance, propose six classifications of internal fit using the “strategic map” managerial framework and identify how firms should best move from one classification to another and the impact that these changes will have on business performance. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical research was conducted in 12 service organisations. Based on these findings, two fit-performance relationships were identified and the “fitness map” framework was developed showing six classifications of fit. Findings – The alignment of operations strategy within an organisation is significantly and positively related to market share, whereas, the alignment of the service delivery system is significantly and positively related to return on sales. However, neither the alignment of the operations strategy nor the service delivery system appears to have a relationship with return on investment. Six classifications of internal strategic fit emerged: poorly aligned organisations are either “understanding processes” or “understanding markets”, medium-fit companies are “managing processes” or “developing service offerings” and well-aligned firms are “leveraging services and process capabilities” or “leveraging markets and design capabilities”. Practical implications – The fit-performance relationships show how changes in the alignment of operations strategy and delivery system impact business performance differently. Using this knowledge, practitioners can use the “strategic map” framework to identify their classification of fit and understand how it has been created, benchmark their level of fit against other businesses, understand how to move from one level of fit to another and how these decisions will impact business performance. Originality/value – The paper's findings start to address the gap in the literature on internal strategic fit within service organisations and meet the need for more management tools to help businesses develop strategies, understand the level of fit they create and how they can impact business performance.
A taxonomy of manufacturing strategies in Spanish companies

Purpose – The literature on manufacturing strategy has focused on analysis of content and process. Limited attention has been given to the concept of manufacturing strategy in taxonomical terms. The purpose of this study is to highlight a taxonomy of manufacturing strategies in Spanish industrial companies.Design/methodology/approach – A cluster analysis was performed. The classification variable used was based on competitive priorities relating to cost, quality, flexibility, delivery, service and environmental protection. The sample group consisted of 353 companies, belonging to different sectors.Findings – Empirical analysis results demonstrate the existence of two manufacturing strategies and significant differences in structure and infrastructure policies but not in performance.Research limitations/implications – The results of the study are not generalizable, given the nature of the sample. Future studies should consider larger samples, including more countries and contexts.Practical implications – A.
Mass spectrometry analysis of the excretory-secretory (E-S) products of the model cestode Hymenolepis diminuta reveals their immunogenic properties and the presence of new E-S proteins in cestodes

Hymenolepis diminuta is an important model species in studies of therapeutics, biochemical processes, immune responses and other aspects of cestodiasis. The parasite produces numerous excretory-secretory (E-S) proteins and a glycocalyx covering its body. Our study focused on the mass spectrometry analysis of the E-S material with an objective to determine if E-S contains any new proteins, in particular those that can be identified as: antigens, vaccine candidates and drug targets. These proteins might engage directly in host-parasite interactions. Adult parasites collected from experimentally infected rats were cultured in vitro for 5 and 18h. Immunoblotting was used to verify which E-S protein bands separated in SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) react with specific antibodies from sera of infected rats. We identified thirty-nine proteins by LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography mass spectrometry). Results indicated the presence of proteins that have never been identified in cestode E-S material. Immunoblotting showed the immunogenicity of E-S products of H. diminuta, most probably associated with the presence of proteins known as antigens in other flatworm species. Among identified proteins are those engaged in immunomodulatory processes (eg. HSP), in response to oxidative stress (peroxidasin) or metabolism (eg. GAPDH). The predominant functions are associated with metabolism and catalytic activity. This is the first study identifying E-S-proteins in adult tapeworms, thus providing information for better understanding host-parasite interrelationships, and may point out potential targets for vaccines or drug discovery studies, as among the proteins observed in our study are those known to be antigens.
Reconsidering the Regional Economic Development Impacts of Higher Education Institutions in the United States

Drucker J. Reconsidering the regional economic development impacts of higher education institutions in the United States, Regional Studies. This study models relationships between US higher education activities and regional economic performance, 2001–11. Advances include incorporating all degree-granting institutions; estimating spatial spillovers; and comparing multiple economic outcomes, including production and entrepreneurship. Higher education impacts vary by outcome measure but are less influential than in previous studies. Spillovers are substantial up to 60 miles (97 kilometres), reflecting considerable influence across space. More advanced degrees, science and engineering education, and population educational attainment are positively associated with entrepreneurial activity. These findings encourage the traditional university missions of research and teaching, and general policies promoting entrepreneurship, to support economic performance.
Evidence of sticky costs in banks of Argentina, Brazil and Canada

An assumption made in traditional cost accounting books is that variable costs move proportionately with revenues. Recent studies on sticky costs challenged this assumption. This study shows that sticky costs were observed in banks of Argentina, Brazil and Canada in 2004-2009. Total costs are sticky because the magnitude of the increase associated with an increase in the volume of activity (Argentina 0.60%, Brazil 0.82% and Canada 0.94%) is larger than the magnitude of the fall associated with a decrease of the volume (Argentina 0.38%, Brazil 0.48% and Canada 0.55%, respectively). These results suggest that cost structure and macroeconomic climate might be valid explanations for cost behaviour. Banks with higher proportions of fixed costs show lower reductions of costs when demand declines. Banks that operate in an uncertain economic environment show the lowest change of costs levels when demand changes.
The effects of cross-regional free trade agreements under a vertical industry structure

This paper examines the effects of a cross-regional free trade agreement (FTA) on tariffs, welfare, and the incentives for multilateral free trade in a three-country model with a vertical industry structure. We show that the FTA induces member countries to reduce their tariffs on nonmember countries. On the other hand, a nonmember country lowers its tariff on final-good imports, but raises its tariff on intermediate-good imports. Also, the FTA makes member and nonmember countries better off. After the FTA is enacted, member and nonmember countries have an incentive to support multilateral free trade, so an FTA acts as a building block for multilateral trade liberalization.
Evaluating the greenhouse gas reduction benefits of compact housing development

Regional land use and transportation planning influences energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a number of ways, such as through its effect on vehicle miles travelled and the extension of municipal infrastructure to serve newly developed areas. Planning regulations also help to shape the density and form of residential development, which creates opportunities for energy savings, as more compact housing types (attached homes and apartments) use less energy, on average, than single-family detached units. This study uses micro-data from the US Department of Energy's Residential Energy Consumption survey to estimate future residential energy use for space heating and cooling in Virginia's 10 Census-designated metropolitan regions. It then calculates the effect of four residential development scenarios on that energy demand and resulting GHG emissions. Potential GHG emission reductions of approximately 23% are found between the most conservative and aggressive scenarios. The greatest potential energy savings are found in regions that currently have a relatively low share of compact housing types, particularly those that also have relatively cold winters compared to the state's other regions. These factors, along with the distribution of home heating fuels used (electric vs. natural gas), influence the extent of potential GHG emissions reductions.
Lipoic acid supplementation prevents angiotensin II-induced renal injury.

BACKGROUND Angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced renal injury is associated with perivascular inflammation, cell proliferation, and increased superoxide production in the vascular wall. We tested whether lipoic acid, an endogenous antioxidant, protects against the Ang II-induced inflammatory response and end-organ damage. METHODS Light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, Northern blots, and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used in kidneys from double transgenic rats (dTGR) harboring human renin and angiotensinogen genes and normotensive Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. The effects of lipoic acid supplementation for three weeks were examined in dTGR and SD rats. RESULTS Lipoic acid effectively prevented Ang II-induced glomerular and vascular damage in the kidneys and completely prevented the development of albuminuria. Ang II-induced leukocyte infiltration and cell proliferation in the kidney were attenuated. The redox-sensitive transcription factors nuclear factor (kappa) B (NF-kappa B) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) in the kidneys were increased in dTGR compared with SD, and were effectively reduced. Renal glutathione levels were much higher in dTGR than in SD, while the opposite was true for cysteine levels. These results suggested increased renal glutathione oxidation in dTGR, leading to cysteine shortage. Lipoic acid partly prevented renal cysteine depletion and increased hepatic cysteine and glutathione concentrations. This effect was accompanied by increased hepatic gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase mRNA expression. CONCLUSION Our in vivo results suggest that lipoic acid protects against Ang II-induced renal injury through anti-inflammatory/antioxidative mechanisms. The effects are associated with decreased NF-kappa B and AP-1 activation, as well as improved thiol homeostasis.
JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS January 1973 ON THE PRICING OF UNSEASONED EQUITY ISSUES: 1965-1969

Recent research focused on the market for first public offerings of common stock has indicated that investors who purchase new issues at the offering price will quickly achieve relatively large systematic profits. This is attributable to either the inability or the reluctance of investment bankers to reoffer the shares in which they deal at market-clearing prices. This paper examines factors that influence investment bankers in their pricing decisions and subsequently determine the short-run performance of new issues. Reilly and Hatfield [9] studied a small sample of issues offered in 1964-65 and found evidence of significant underpricing. The SEC's Institutional Investor Study [13, chapter 14] reached a similar conclusion by looking at shortrun performance of issues offered in late 1968 and early 1969. McDonald and Fisher [8] examined a sample of 142 issues offered in the first quarter of 1969 and presented evidence of underpricing along with data relating to longer term performance which tended to support the efficient market model. None of these papers, however, makes any rigorous attempt to explain the amount of underpricing in terms of the attributes of the issue itself, contemporaneous market conditions, or qualities of the parties involved. In this work, such a model is presented and estimated for a sample of 250 new issues and for subsamples of issues handled by prestigious and nonprestigious underwriters.
Knowledge-exchange strategies between KIBS firms and their clients

Based on a survey of 1124 knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) firms, this paper explores the extent and determinants of knowledge exchange between KIBS and their clients. An ordered logistic regression was estimated. The results show that the propensity of KIBS firms to rely more on a commoditization strategy and less on a personalization strategy increases with the variety of research sources of information, the number of knowledge employees, the variety of knowledge management practices, the firm's size, the business age, and being a KIBS firm operating in a technology-based industry rather than a traditional professional industry, while it decreases with R&D investments, the variety of advanced technologies, and the strength of ties.
Nutrition treatment for HIV wasting: a prescription for food as Medicine.

BACKGROUND The optimal nutrition approach for the promotion of weight gain in HIV-infected adults with wasting remains unclear. Previous dietary interventions report minimal success and provide inadequate information regarding the counseling approach, contact time, session format, and issues addressed with the subject. The methods we report were incorporated in a 12-week intervention trial for the reversal of HIV-wasting. METHODS All subjects involved in the intervention trial for the reversal of HIV-wasting received weekly, customized, one-on-one counseling and an oral nutrition supplement (480 kcal/d with 30 g protein). The nutrition aims were to (1) increase caloric intake to surpass daily energy requirements by 500 kcal/d (suggested caloric intake: 40 to 50 kcal/kg current weight); (2) increase protein intake (1.6 to 1.8 g/kg current weight per day); and (3) identify foods that may exacerbate or curtail side effects associated with HIV. Also assessed were preconceptions, nutrition knowledge level and primary information source, and obstacles to healthy eating. Sessions, conducted by a nutritionist in an interactive, action-oriented learning approach, ranged from 30 to 60 minutes. RESULTS At baseline, subjects harbored many misconceptions, reported numerous HIV-related side effects, and lacked practical nutrition strategies, all of which interfered with weight maintenance and health. The protocol strategies were acceptable to the patients (87% subjects completed all visits), with marked improvements in dietary intake, weight, and body composition, both during and after intervention. CONCLUSIONS We describe a customized nutrition intervention that produces changes in energy intake, maintenance of appropriate protein intake, and the reversal of unintentional weight loss over 5 to 15 months. Sustained improvements occurred across a socioeconomically diverse population, despite persistent disease- and medication-associated side effects.
Generalized Risk Premia

This paper develops an optimal trading strategy explicitly linked to an agent's preferences and assessment of the distribution of asset returns. The price of this strategy is a portfolio of implied moments, and its expected excess returns naturally accommodate compensation for higher-order moment risk. Variance risk and the equity premium approximate it to first order and it nests cross-sectional asset pricing models such as the CAPM. An empirical study in the US index market compares the investment behavior of an agent with recursive long-run risk preferences to one who merely uses an i.i. d. time series model and takes market prices as given. The two agents exhibit very similar behavior during crises and can be distinguished mostly during calm periods.
Conventions for Selecting Among Conventions - An Evolutionary and Experimental Analysis

Conventions can be narrowly interpreted as coordinated ways of equilibrium play, i.e., a specific convention tells all players in a game with multiple strict equilibria which equilibrium to play. In our view, coordination often takes place before learning about the games. Thus, one has to coordinate on a prescribing principle of equilibrium selection. For the subclass of 2x2-bimatrix games with two strict equilibria we analyze the evolutionary stability of various such principles. In our experiment, we allow participants to first coordinate before playing various games. Based on between-subjects treatments, participants do this behind a complete (they know neither their role nor the game parameters), a partial (they know either their role or the game parameters) veil of ignorance, or with no ignorance (they know their role and the game parameters).
Service relationship, market area and the intrametropolitan location of business services

Drawing on the results of a survey conducted in the Lyon metropolitan area (France), this article shows that the localisation strategies of business services within a metropolitan area depend on the nature of the relationship between the service provider and the customer and the size of the market area. When face-to-face meetings with customers are required, those activities which sell their services within the metropolitan area attempt to locate near their market and those whose customers are essentially outside the metropolitan area choose the centre because of its easy access to motorways, the TGV station and the airport. Otherwise, an accessible peripheral site can be perfectly suitable, whatever the firm's market area.
Russia Transformed: Developing Popular Support for a New Regime

Introduction: transformation and its aftermath 1. Time matters: the dynamics of regime support 2. The supply of regimes: democratic and autocratic 3. A changing supply of Russian regimes 4. Uncertainties of transformation: a view from the bottom 5. Changing levels of regime support 6. Social structure and the evaluation of regimes 7. Influence of political performance and values 8. Finding the economic influences that matter 9. The impact of the passage of time 10. What could challenge the new equilibrium? Appendix A. New Russia Barometer samples Appendix B. Coding of variables.
Hemoglobin A1c levels among patients with diabetes receiving nonsurgical periodontal treatment.

The report by Dr Engebretson and colleagues1 explored the effect of nonsurgical periodontal therapy (scaling and root planing) on glycemic control in persons with type 2 diabetes and chronic periodontitis. Given the high global prevalence of both diseases, the adverse effect of periodontal infection on blood glucose levels and diabetes complications,2 and the improvements in levels of HbA1c following clinically effective periodontal therapy reported in meta-analyses,3 the results of this multicenter RCT require careful review to ensure that the conclusions drawn are supported by the data. We identified important problems with the study design, execution, data interpretation, and reporting that we think render the conclusions inappropriate.