Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A simplified method for deriving shunt and reduced VA/Q in infants

Background: Right to left shunt and regional hypoventilation (reduced ventilation/perfusion ratio (VA/Q)) have different effects on the curve relating inspired oxygen (PIO2) to oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) and can be derived non-invasively from measurements of SpO2 and inspired oxygen pressure (PIO2) using complex models of gas exchange. We developed a simpler computerised “slide-rule” method of making these derivations. Aims: To describe the slide-rule method and determine agreement between measurements derived with this and a more complex algorithm. Methods: Series of PIO2 versus SpO2 data points obtained during 43 studies in 16 preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia were analysed. Percentage shunt and the degree of right shift (kPa) of the PIO2 versus SpO2 curve compared with the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve (a measure of VA/Q) were determined for each dataset with both methods, and the results were compared using the method of Bland and Altman. Results: The computer slide-rule method produced results for all 43 datasets. The more complex model could derive results for 40/43 datasets. The mean differences (95% limits of agreement) between the two methods for measurements of shunt were −1.7% (−6.5 to +3.5%) and for measurements of right shift were 0.3 kPa (−2.9 to +3.6 kPa). Conclusion: The slide-rule method was reliable for deriving shunt and right shift (reduced VA/Q) of the PIO2 versus SpO2 curve when compared with the more complex algorithm. The new method should enable wider clinical application of these measurements of oxygen exchange.
Export innovation: The role of new imported inputs and multinationality

This paper focuses on the determinants of export innovation, that is innovation in a firm’s export product portfolio. We argue that this novel measure is an important proxy of the overall competitiveness of exporters. We identify two main factors that contribute to the introduction of export innovations at the firm level: importing new inputs and being part of a multinational group. Based on a sample of more than 14,000 Swedish manufacturing firms over the period 2001-2012, we show that importing new inputs is a key determinant of innovation in exported products, even after controlling for multinationality and a number of other firm characteristics. The effect of new imports is particularly strong for small firms and is mainly due to the import of new intermediate inputs. Being part of a multinational group has instead an ambivalent effect on export innovations of Swedish firms: while small firms acquired by foreign MNEs show a short term reduction in export innovation, this is not true for large firms, which instead increase their export innovation when they establish subsidiaries abroad or become part of a Swedish-owned multinational group.
Electric trucks: wishful thinking or the real deal?: The potential of electric tractor-trailers as a means of CO2,eq reduction in the Netherlands by 2030

In this thesis a simplified vehicle model was developed using linear correlations between incidental power demand and energy usage at four different stages: 1) propulsion, 2) propulsion during braking, 3) regenerative braking, and 4) maximum regenerative power. In the model the efficiencies of: charging and discharging of the battery, the generating and motoring modes of the electric motor, transmission losses and the charging station were included. Furthermore also other Life-Cycle emissions were taken into account, namely: production and maintenance related emissions. The model and life-cycle emissions were used in combination with different missions profiles characterizing the Dutch tractor-trailer market. This led to the conclusion that the implementation of electric tractor-trailers in the Dutch transportation sector could lead to significant reductions compared to the BAU scenario. A Total Cost of Ownership was also done. This resulted in a small TCO gap in the disadvantage of the electric tractor-trailer compared to the conventional version.
Traumatic vascular injuries of the lower extremity: report of the Iranian National Trauma Project.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to determine the pattern of traumatic lower extremity vascular injuries in Iran. METHODS Patients with vascular injury of the lower extremity were selected from the Iranian National Trauma Project. This project was conducted in eight major cities during 2000-2004 and consisted of more than 17000 patients. RESULTS Sixty-three subjects (54 men) with a total of 92 vascular injuries of the lower extremity were identified. Mean age of the patients was 25.87 +/- 13.37 years. Blunt trauma was more frequent than penetrating (62% vs. 38%). In 36 cases (57%), road traffic crash (RTC) was the cause of injury. In 21% of the patients (n=24), vascular injury resulted from occupational trauma. Workers (n=23, 20%) were the most frequently affected group. Three patients (5%) died due to severity of the associated injuries. CONCLUSION Our results revealed that RTC is the most frequent cause of lower extremity vascular injuries in Iran. Our findings also showed that occupational injuries have considerable prevalence. Establishment of preventive strategies to reduce the frequency of these injuries is recommended.
The effect of leader-member exchange on job performance of academic staff: An empirical evidence from higher education institutions

Recently, the relationship between leader-member exchange and job performance has become more interesting subject among researchers. However, the literature has a paucity of empirical studies conducted in the higher education institutions; therefore, the relationship between these two variables is not clear. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of leader-member exchange on the job performance of academic staff in higher educational institutions. The data for the study were collected from the academic staff (n=174) of five faculties of sport sciences in Turkey. The LMX-7 scale developed by Scandura and Graen (1984) was used to determine the quality of the interactions between leaders (i.e., administrators) and members (i.e., academic staff). Sigler and Pearson’s (2000) job performance scale, which is a modified version of Kirkman and Rosen’s (1999) team productivity scale, was used to measure job performance. The findings exposed a statistically significant positive effect of leader-member exchange on job performance (p<0.05).
Project Heterogeneity and Growth: The Impact of Financial Selection on Firm Entry

In the classical literature of innovation-based endogenous growth, the engine of long-run economic growth is firm entry. Nevertheless, when projects are heterogeneous, and good ideas are scarce, a mass-composition trade-off emerges in this link: larger cohorts have lower average quality. As one of the roles of the financial system is to screen the quality of projects, the ability of financial intermediaries to detect promising projects shapes the strength of this trade-off. We build a general equilibrium endogenous growth model with project heterogeneity and financial screening to study this relationship. We use two quantitative experiments to illustrate the relevance of our analytic results. First, we show that accounting for heterogeneity and selection allows the model to conciliate two well-known and apparently contradictory effects of corporate taxation. Corporate taxation has a strong detrimental effect on firm entry while affecting the long-run growth only mildly. A second illustration studies the effects of financial development on growth. This experiment shows that size-based measures of financial development (e.g. domestic credit over GDP) are not good proxies for the ability of the financial system to select the most promising projects. Finally, we propose a novel firm-level measure to assess the accuracy of financial selection across countries.
SMAD3 Regulates Follicle-stimulating Hormone Synthesis by Pituitary Gonadotrope Cells in Vivo*

Pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is an essential regulator of fertility in females and of quantitatively normal spermatogenesis in males. Pituitary-derived activins are thought to act as major stimulators of FSH synthesis by gonadotrope cells. In vitro, activins signal via SMAD3, SMAD4, and forkhead box L2 (FOXL2) to regulate transcription of the FSHβ subunit gene (Fshb). Consistent with this model, gonadotrope-specific Smad4 or Foxl2 knock-out mice have greatly reduced FSH and are subfertile. The role of SMAD3 in vivo is unresolved; however, residual FSH production in Smad4 conditional knock-out mice may derive from partial compensation by SMAD3 and its ability to bind DNA in the absence of SMAD4. To test this hypothesis and determine the role of SMAD3 in FSH biosynthesis, we generated mice lacking both the SMAD3 DNA binding domain and SMAD4 specifically in gonadotropes. Conditional knock-out females were hypogonadal, acyclic, and sterile and had thread-like uteri; their ovaries lacked antral follicles and corpora lutea. Knock-out males were fertile but had reduced testis weights and epididymal sperm counts. These phenotypes were consistent with those of Fshb knock-out mice. Indeed, pituitary Fshb mRNA levels were nearly undetectable in both male and female knock-outs. In contrast, gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor mRNA levels were significantly elevated in knock-outs in both sexes. Interestingly, luteinizing hormone production was altered in a sex-specific fashion. Overall, our analyses demonstrate that SMAD3 is required for FSH synthesis in vivo.
Distribution of Three Cariogenic Bacteria in Secondary Carious Lesions around Amalgam Restorations

Secondary dental caries remains an unresolved problem in dentistry and little is known of its microbial etiology. The purpose of this study was to compare the distribution of the three most suspected cariogenic groups of bacteria, mutans streptococci. Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 2 and lactobacilli, in natural secondary caries around amalgam restorations. Extracted teeth with secondary caries were sectioned to obtain three samples that were randomly distributed to three different groups. Each group was immunolabeled with antibodies to either Streptococcus mutans, A. naeslundii genospecies 2 or Lactobacillus casei and subsequently labeled with secondary fluorescent antibodies. All samples were analyzed three–dimensionally using confocal microscopy. The results indicated that the three different bacteria were widely present and could have an important role in the development of secondary caries around amalgam restorations.
Comparative adsorption and catalytic properties of CDSE-CDTE system components in carbon oxide (II) oxidation reaction

Comparative adsorption and catalytic CdSe, CdTe and (CdSe)x(CdTe)1-x solid solutions properties are examined on the example of the CO and its participants-reactants (CO, O2) oxidation. Similarities and differences in their behavior are revealed. Adsorption and catalytic studies results full correspondence is shown. Individual and joint mechanisms of the CO catalytic oxidation reactants adsorption is proposed. The most active catalyst, CdTe, working effectively at ambient temperature, is discovered which allows to recommend it for CO neutralization at greatly reduced energy costs.
Mediating Effect of Service Quality on the Relationship Between Customer Relationship Management and Satisfaction of Commercial Banks’ Account Holders In Nairobi City County, Kenya

The objective of this study was to establish the mediating effect of service quality on the relationship between CRM and satisfaction of commercial banks account holders in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design involving descriptive and explanatory research techniques. The target population was 34,649,583 account holders out of which a sample of 400 respondents was selected using mixed sampling techniques. Data was collected using a semi structured questionnaire and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Simple and multiple linear regression were conducted to assess the relationships between the variables. The study was limited to a few constructs, cross sectional data, localized population and self reporting. The study established that service quality had a statistically significant mediating effect on the relationship between CRM and satisfaction of commercial banks account holders. The study recommends that commercial banks management should consider service quality dimensions when developing strategies because they have a significant effect on account holder satisfaction with commercial banking services. Commercial banks in Kenya and the central bank can use the findings of this study to formulate CRM related policies that enhance service quality and satisfaction of account holders. To increase the level of generalizability and objectivity, future studies should be carried out in microfinance banks, Savings and Credit Organizations using additional variables and a different methodology. Keywords: Customer relationship management, Service quality, Account holder satisfaction, Commercial banks DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-9-07 Publication date :March 31 st 2019
THE REFORM PROCESS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN VIETNAM: PERFORMANCE EFFICIENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY TRANSPARENCY

After more than three decades of implementing the Doi Moi policy, Vietnam’s higher education has achieved significant progress, in terms of policies of national reform and strategies of international cooperation. However, the role and position of higher education institutions in the world’s education market are still blurry. Although a number of researchers have highlighted a range of impediments to its development, realistic solutions have not been devised to help Vietnam accelerate its progress in education. The main objectives of this paper are to review reform in government policies pertaining to the development of the higher education sector, discuss the performance efficiency of higher education institutions using statistical analyses based on the findings from recent studies, and propose possible solutions for enhancing performance efficiency and accountability transparency of higher education institutions in the process of the comprehensive renovation of the Vietnamese higher education system
Metal-organic frameworks from edible natural products.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) represent an extensive class of porous crystals in which organic struts link metalcontaining clusters. The success in controlling the functionality and structure of MOFs has led to numerous applications, most notably gas adsorption, storage of clean gas fuels, catalysis, separations, and drug delivery. However, the vast majority of MOFs described to date are composed of organic struts derived from non-renewable petrochemical feedstocks and transition metals. The challenge in preparing MOFs from natural products lies in the inherent asymmetry of the building units, which are not amenable to crystallization in the form of highly porous frameworks. Herein, we report a strategy to overcome this problem using g-cyclodextrin (g-CD), a symmetrical cyclic oligosaccharide that is mass-produced enzymatically from starch and comprised of eight asymmetric a-1,4-linked dglucopyranosyl residues. These g-CD building units are then linked by potassium ions, in aqueous media at ambient temperature and pressure, to form a body-centered cubic structure, termed CD-MOF-1, which has the empirical formula [(C48H80O40)(KOH)2]n. CD-MOFs can be prepared entirely from edible ingredients: combining food-grade g-CD with salt substitute (KCl) or potassium benzoate (food additive E212) in bottled water and Everclear grain spirit (EtOH) yields porous frameworks which constitute edible MOFs. While there have been a few reports of MOFs assembled from amino acids, nucleobases, peptides, magnesium formates, and metal glutarates, examples of these materials are not common despite the rapidly growing desire to fabricate MOFs from naturally available building blocks. We suspect that the key to our success in assembling CD-MOFs lies in the symmetric arrangement (C8) within the g-CD torus of eight asymmetric (C1) a-1,4-linked d-glucopyranosyl residues and the ready availability of g-CD as a chiral molecular building block (Figure 1). CD-MOF-1 was prepared by combining 1.0 equiv of g-CD with 8.0 equiv of KOH in aqueous solution, followed by vapor diffusion of MeOH into the solution during 2–7 days, resulting in colorless, cubic, single crystals, suitable for X-ray crystallography, in approximately 70% yield. Other CD-MOFs were readily obtained using salts of Na, Rb, and Cs, giving rise to an extensive new family of porous materials. A complete list of metal salts employed to form CD-MOFs and the full synthesis of CDMOFs are provided in Section S2 of the Supporting Information. The X-ray crystal structure of CD-MOF-1 reveals that eight-coordinate K ions not only assist in the assembly of (gCD)6 cubes (Figure 2a,b), wherein six g-CD units occupy the faces of a cube, but they also serve to link these cubes together in a three-dimensional array which extends throughout the crystal (Figure 2c). The (g-CD)6 repeating motifs adopt a body-centered cubic packing arrangement wherein each symmetrically equivalent K ion links two contiguous g-CD
IT innovation theory and practice : a multi-case study investigation of organisational approaches and experiences in IT innovation

This thesis presents a multi-case study investigation of organisational approaches and experiences in information technology (IT) innovation. Building on an empirically grounded model of IT innovation based on these case studies, the research generates a knowledge framework that aims to enhance IT innovation theory and practice. Innovation involving the production and/or use of IT has been shown to be important for economic growth. Organisation level studies suggest that IT enables innovation and that the probability of innovation increases with the intensity of IT use (OECD 2009). IT is inherently configurable and programmable and is routinely adapted and modified for use in a variety of applications across a range of domains. The general-purpose nature of IT provides significant opportunity for it to be directly involved in innovation activity (Brynjolfsson & Saunders 2010). Innovation involving either the application or production of IT is also very pervasive, extending beyond the IT producing sectors to most non-IT producing (IT user) sectors of the economy. But what is IT innovation? How is IT innovation achieved? How can IT innovation be analysed effectively?
The Impact of Substance Abuse in Construction: Examples from Bloemfontein, South Africa

Alcohol and drugs are used in construction, especially by workers. The risk profile of alcohol and drugs on project sites varies, from catastrophic incidents resulting in great injury and or loss of lives to minor incidents. This paper is based on a study conducted to explore the effects of substance abuse among construction site workers in Bloemfontein, South Africa. A qualitative research method was utilized to obtain information concerning the issues, which engender substance abuse by construction workers. The study reveals that many construction workers use drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism for financial strains. In addition, these challenges also affect the families of the workers and then, create an enabling environment for ‘vicious cycle’. The findings highlight the need to eradicate substance abuse in the sector through its associated socio-economic impact on construction workers and the society.
Title Two cases of Schizophyllum asthma : Is this a new clinical entity or aprecursor of ABPM ?

Background) There is a close link between fungal sensitization and asthma severity. Though Schizophillum commune (S. commune, called“suehirotake”in Japanese), one of the basidiomycetous (BM) fungi, is a fungus that can cause allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis (ABPM) and allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS), whether the fungus causes or sensitizes the asthma is unclear. (Methods) The bronchial provocation test using S. commune antigen was performed in two asthmatics who had demonstrated positive skin reaction to S. commune antigen, and low dose of itraconazole (50 mg/day) for 2 weeks was prescribed as an adjunctive therapy. The allergological features and clinical manifestations of them were herein evaluated and discussed. (Results) Case 1 was a 71-year-old female. And case 2 was a 69-year-old male. Both patients demonstrated positive reaction to the inhalation test. A diagnosis of AFS or ABPM was excluded in both patients because of the lack of a history of pulmonary infiltrates, central bronchiectasis, a history of expectoration of brown plugs or flecks, or sinusoidal findings. Though the efficacy of itraconazole in our cases was unclear, the elevated titer of the specific IgG for S. commune in case 2 gradually decreased during the period of antifungal therapy. (Conclusions) The two patients described here were diagnosed to have bronchial asthma caused by S. commune; so-called Schizophillum asthma. S. commune may be a causative fungal antigen of bronchial asthma.
SERK and APOSTART. Candidate Genes for Apomixis in Poa pratensis1[w]

Seed production generally requires the mating of opposite sex gametes. Apomixis, an asexual mode of reproduction, avoids both meiotic reduction and egg fertilization. The essential feature of apomixis is that an embryo is formed autonomously by parthenogenesis from an unreduced egg of an embryo sac generated through apomeiosis. If apomixis were well understood and harnessed, it could be exploited to indefinitely propagate superior hybrids or specific genotypes bearing complex gene sets. A more profound knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate reproductive events would contribute fundamentally to understanding the genetic control of the apomictic pathway. In Poa pratensis, we isolated and characterized two genes, PpSERK (SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASE) and APOSTART. These full-length genes were recovered by rapid amplification of cDNA ends and their temporal and spatial expression patterns were assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization, respectively. The expression of PpSERK and APOSTART differed in apomictic and sexual genotypes. Their putative role in cell-signaling transduction cascades and trafficking events required during sporogenesis, gametogenesis, and embryogenesis in plants is reported and discussed. We propose that, in nucellar cells of apomictic genotypes, PpSERK is the switch that channels embryo sac development and that it may also redirect signaling gene products to compartments other than their typical ones. The involvement of APOSTART in meiosis and programmed cell death is also discussed.
A Study on Prediction of Cavitation for Centrifugal Pump

In this study, to accurately predict cavitation of a centrifugal pump, numerical analysis was compared with experimental results modeled on a small industrial centrifugal pump. In this study, numerical analysis was compared with experimental results modeled on a small industrial centrifugal pump for reliable prediction on cavitation of a centrifugal pump. To improve validity of the numerical analysis, transient analysis was conducted on the calculated domain of full-type geometry, such as an experimental apparatus. The numerical analysis from the results was considered to be a reliable prediction of cavitaion. Keywords—Centrifugal Pump, Cavitation, NPSH, CFD.