Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Secondary follicle growth and oocyte maturation by culture in alginate hydrogel following cryopreservation of the ovary or individual follicles

An option for fertility preservation for women facing a cancer diagnosis involves the cryopreservation of ovarian tissue for later re‐transplantation or in vitro culture, with in vitro culture preferred to avoid reintroduction of the cancer. Small, immature follicles survive the freeze‐thaw process, and can be matured through in follicle maturation (IFM) that involves an initial growth of the follicle and subsequent maturation of the oocyte. The ovarian tissue can be cryopreserved in two forms: (i) cortical strips consisting of follicles and surrounding stroma (Cryo‐Ov) or (ii) individually isolated follicles (Cryo‐In). The aim of this study was to assess the follicle growth and oocyte maturation for follicles that were cryopreserved either as strips or individually using a slow‐freezing cryopreservation method. The two follicle groups, together with non‐cryopreserved control follicles, were grown in an alginate‐based three‐dimensional culture system for 12 days. The overall survival, size increase and antrum formation rates were comparable among the three groups. At day 12 of culture, Androstenedione levels were decreased in the Cryo‐Ov group relative to the other two, and the ratio of progesterone to estradiol was increased in the two cryopreserved groups relative to the control. Both Gja1 (known as connexin 43) and Gja4 (known as connexin 37) mRNA expression were decreased at day 6 in the cryopreserved groups relative to controls, and by day 12, Gja1 was similar for all three groups. Moreover, Cryo‐In resulted in lower GVBD rate indicating some impaired oocyte development. Overall, the present study demonstrated that mouse preantral follicles, either within ovarian tissues or individually isolated, could be successfully cryopreserved by the slow‐freezing method, as evidenced by post‐thaw follicle development and steroidgenesis, oocyte maturation and molecular markers for oocyte and/or granulosa cells connection. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;103: 378–386. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Public-Private Partnership in Cultural Heritage Sector

Over the past few decades public-private partnership or PPP has become a new way for delivering and fi nancing public sector projects. It may involve investment in fully economic infrastructure such as highways, railways, airports, seaports, etc. up to the investments in social infrastructure projects, such as schools, hospitals, museums and other signifi cant and historic buildings of public interest. The main objective of this article is to analyze the situation in Croatia, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia concerning the topic of public- private partnership (PPP) in order to provide grounds for possible future investments in cultural heritage in these countries. For this purpose, a comparative analysis of legal and institutional frameworks was carried out as well as structured interviews with key stakeholders (public and private sector representatives). Special attention has been paid to the use of PPP projects in the revitalization of cultural heritage. The results of the analysis showed the lack of PPP investments in the cultural sector, and also identifi ed possible obstacles in public sector administrative procedures. The results of the analysis may be further used to stimulate both public authorities to set strategic directions for heritage revitalization plans based on PPP schemes as well as private investors who may seek feasible business models complemented with social responsibility benefits.
Gene cloning, purification, and characterization of a heat-stable phytase from the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus

The finding of heat-stable enzymes or the engineering of moderately thermostable enzymes into more stable ones by random or site-directed mutagenesis has become a main priority of modern biotechnology. We report here for the first time a heat-stable phytase able to withstand temperatures up to 100 degrees C over a period of 20 min, with a loss of only 10% of the initial enzymatic activity. The gene (phyA) encoding this heat-stable enzyme has been cloned from Aspergillus fumigatus and overexpressed in Aspergillus niger. The enzyme showed high activity with 4-nitrophenyl phosphate at a pH range of 3 to 5 and with phytic acid at a pH range of 2.5 to 7.5.
Shared Leadership and Its Implications for Nonprofit Leadership

Shared leadership can provide a foundation for nonprofit organization sustainability. A culture of shared leadership can enhance an organization's resilience and adaptability and help ensure its ability to navigate turbulence and uncertainty. A literature review on key concepts and research on shared leadership is provided in this article. This background is then used to frame recent trends in the nonprofit sector and how shared leadership might enable nonprofit organizations to navigate current and future trends more effectively. Finally, specific suggestions for developing a culture of shared leadership are provided.
Identification of Mediterranean mutation in Egyptian favism patients.

OBJECTIVES Identify and screen the G6PD Mediterranean mutation in favism patients by applying a Amplification Refractory Mutation System Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS-PCR). PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 114 unrelated Egyptians patients were included in the present study; their ages ranged between (2-9) years with male to female ratio 4.5:1. G6PD activity was determined qualitatively from red cell hemolysate during attack. The G6PD Mediterranean mutation in patients has been identified by ARMS-PCR. RESULTS G6PD deficiency was detected in 87.7%, (n=100). The frequency of G6PD Mediterranean mutation was (94.7%), (n=108). The association between G6PD deficiency and Mediterranean mutation was a highly significant. CONCLUSIONS Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase Mediterranean mutation is one of the most common mutations causing G6PD deficiency among Egyptian children with favism.
Optical encoder based on a nondiffractive beam

Nowadays most industrial and laboratory motion measuring equipment makes use of optical encoders to measure rotation and linear displacements with sub-micrometrical resolution. In this work we introduce a new design of an optical encoder based on a non diffractive beam, a binary amplitude grating and a monolithic photodetector. Two theoretical models of the system are proposed and implemented to obtain numerical results. The performance of the design is also investigated through experimental measurements. Finally, the experimental results are compared with the models predictions.
Survival of Azotobacter spp. in Dry Soils

Dry soils stored in glass containers in the laboratory and protected from contamination for periods of 22 to 24 years yielded numerous colonies of Azotobacter chroococcum and other members of the family Azotobacteraceae. These results were compared with those reported in 1974, and the findings are uniformly consistent in terms of surviving populations. The data prove that these bacteria remain viable after prolonged periods of dormancy in much the same way as do the endospores of gram-positive bacteria.
The Influence of Lifestyle on the Incidence of Dental Caries among 3-Year-Old Japanese Children

The present cohort study examined how lifestyle, household environment, and caries activity test score of Japanese children at age 1.5 years affected their dental caries incidence at age 3. Inclusion criteria were 1.5-year-old children with no dental caries. Dental examinations were performed for 33,655 children who participated in routine dental examinations at 1.5 years of age, and the exam was repeated approximately 21 months later (at age 3) at the Kobe City Public Health Center in Japan. After excluding 622 children who had caries at age 1.5 and 1831 children with missing lifestyle and household environment data in the questionnaires, the final data analysis was performed on a total of 31,202 children (16,052 boys, 15,150 girls). The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated a strong association of the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages/snacks, less frequent tooth brushing by the parents, lack of fluoride varnish, family history of smoking, with the risk of developing dental caries. A child’s late bedtime is also one of the major risk factors for dental caries development. Further investigation is needed to examine whether the short duration or the irregularity of the sleep-wake cycle would affect early childhood oral health and whether there is a relationship between late bedtime and late night snack intake.
A New Approach to Nowcasting Indian Gross Value Added

In India, quarterly growth of Gross Value Added (GVA) is published with a large lag and nowcasts are exacerbated by data challenges typically faced by emerging market economies, such as big data revisions, mixed frequencies data publication, small sample size, non-synchronous nature of data releases, and data releases with varying lags. This paper presents a new framework to nowcast India’s GVA that incorporates information of mixed data frequencies and other data characteristics. In addition, evening-hour luminosity has been added as a crucial high-frequency indicator. Changes in nightlight intensity contain information about economic activity, especially in countries with a large informal sector and significant data challenges, including in India. The framework for the ‘trade, hotels, transport, communication and services related to broadcasting’ bloc of the Indian GVA has been illustrated in this paper.
Cohort study based on the seventh edition of the TNM classification for gastric cancer: proposal of a new staging system.

PURPOSE We investigated the effect of the new TNM classification on gastric cancer staging. PATIENTS AND METHODS From hospital records, information from patients with gastric cancer, who had undergone either total or partial gastrectomy for adenocarcinomas of the stomach or esophagogastric junction, was retrieved. The pathologic TNM stage was determined according to the sixth and seventh editions of the International Union Against Cancer guidelines and was based on surgical pathologic examination. RESULTS Five hundred fifty-four patients (338 men and 216 women; median age, 68 years) had undergone partial or complete gastrectomy for intestinal (n = 209) or diffuse (n = 249) adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction and stomach. Survival data and date of death were available for all patients. Patient death correlated significantly with age at diagnosis, tumor type, histologic grade, local tumor growth (T category), number of metastatic lymph nodes, lymph node ratio, lymph node status (N category), and tumor stage. No major difference was noted between the sixth and seventh editions of the TNM classification. On the basis of survival data, we revised the stage grouping system; stage I and II tumors were confined to nonmetastatic tumors, and stage III and IV tumors were confined to metastatic tumors. The Kaplan-Meier plots of this modified stage grouping showed statistically significant differences between individual stage subgroups without crossing curves and demonstrated improved survival of patients with stage II disease. CONCLUSION The seventh edition of the TNM classification is associated with a stage migration in 60% of patients with esophagogastric and stomach cancer. This change did not improve the assessment of patient prognosis, and therefore, a revised staging system is proposed.
EFFICIENCY OF CORPORATE INTERNATIONAL DIVERSIFICATION: EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA MANUFACTURING FIRMS OVER PERIOD 2009-2013

-In a more globalized world, especially because of liberalization of trade, business practices are experiencing international market expansion and diversification. However, when a company become more internationally diversified, the firm performance of the company also will be affected naturally. Therefore, a simple question arises: “Does greater internationalization in a company lead to a better performance? ”. This research is conducted to help in explaining the relationship between internationalization and current firm performance using residual income approach. Residual income is considered as an appropriate measure for strategic performance because it comprises the financial risk, measured by cost of capital, and company’s profitability. Moreover, In order to know the international diversification and long term firm performance relationship, this research uses Tobin’s Q as the representation of incorporating expectations measure. The model has been tested at the sample of Indonesian companies in manufacturing sector from 2009-2013. This research result indicated that the relationship between degree of internationalization and current firm performance follows a non-linear horizontal S-shape pattern, while the future performance, measured by Tobin’s Q follows an inverted U-curve pattern.
Myringoplasty in children: anatomical and functional results

To assess the results of myringoplasty in children and determine the factors influencing post-operative results a retrospective study of the anatomical and functional results of 41 myringoplasties in children was performed, considering only the cases of uncomplicated perforation that did not require ossiculoplasty or mastoidectomy. The overall success rate was 80.5 per cent after a mean follow-up of 39 months. The mean post-operative air conduction threshold significantly improved in the successful cases with a mean audiological improvement of 11 dB (p<0.05). No post-operative sensorineural hearing loss was observed. There was a significant statistical association between the presence of a dry ear at the time of surgery and good surgical results (p<0.01). Surgical outcome was not affected by the patient’s age, the site and size of the perforation, previous adenoidectomy, surgical technique (overlay vs underlay), or the status of the contralateral ear. Our findings suggest that myringoplasty is a valid procedure in the paediatric population that gives good anatomical and functional results. The status of the middle ear (i.e. the presence of a dry ear), significantly improves surgical outcome; and so careful inflammatory changes in the middle-ear mucosa should be evaluated and medical treatment considered before surgery.
Loss to follow-up among participants in the real talk study : a brief motivational interview intervention to reduce teen dating violence perpetration in

Loss to follow-up (LTF) is an important issue that can affect the validity of longitudinal studies. Further, LTF among adolescent study participants may be predicted by variables such as substance use, educational attainment, and demographic information. The purpose of this study was to determine if alcohol or marijuana use, high school completion, or demographic information was correlated with LTF among adolescent participants in the Real Talk Study. The Real Talk study is a randomized control trial that employs a brief motivational interview intervention in a clinical setting to reduce perpetration of teen dating violence (TDV) in Boston. Current participants of the Real Talk study who were eligible for follow up comprised the study sample (N=127). Baseline characteristics on age, gender, race/ethnicity, high school completion, alcohol use, and marijuana use were analyzed using Pearson’s Chi Square, and the level of significance set to p < 0.10. A post-hoc analysis was conducted on frequency of alcohol use using Pearson’s Chi Square. Of the total sample, 13% were LTF (n=17). The results of the analyses indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between those LTF and those retained for gender and drinking 6 or more drinks of alcohol per occasion. Females were
PENGARUH UKURAN PERUSAHAAN, HASIL INVESTASI, DAN PROFITABILITAS TERHADAP SOLVABILITAS ASURANSI SYARIAH DI INDONESIA PERIODE 2012-2016

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of partial and simultaneous Company Size, Investment Return, and Profitability on Solvency with proxy of RBC at Sharia Insurance in Indonesia period 2012-2016. This study uses a quantitative approach. Sampling technique is purposive sampling and there were 17 sharia general insurance and sharia life insurance company in Indonesia as subject of research. Analysis technique used is panel data regression by using Fixed Effect Model (FEM). The results of this study indicate that simultaneously company size, investment return, and profitability significantly influence the solvency of Takaful insurance in Indonesia. And partially variable of company size have positive and significant influence, variable investment return has no significant effect, and variable of profitability has no significant effect to solvency of sharia life insurance in Indonesia period 2012-2016.
Wet antenna effect on VSAT rain margin

The contribution of wet antennas to the antenna signal path losses in a VSAT environment is treated theoretically. The current commercial VSAT systems operating in either C-band or Ku-band generally have their remote terminal antenna reflectors and the antenna feed horn radomes coated with hydrophobic materials. The aim is to prevent the antenna and radome surfaces from becoming wet during a rainfall. This precaution relieves the burden of added rain margin necessary on the link budget. The magnitude of the propagation loss when the antenna reflector and the antenna feed horn radome surfaces are wet is determined. The results can indicate whether the expense of applying and maintaining the hydrophobic materials on the VSAT remote antennas and radomes is justified under specific loss conditions. >
Knowledge attitude and perception of dispensing doctors regarding generic medicines in Karachi, Pakistan: a qualitative study.

High expenditure and increasing health care costs are prime concerning factors in the health care system globally. In some of the developing countries WHO reported out-of-pocket payments as high as 80% of health care spending.1 At present Pakistan is spending only 1.2% of GDP on pharmaceuticals and despite more than 40000 registered brands in the country2 essential and life-saving drugs are missing from the market. Due to inaccessibility of drugs in the public hospitals, 77% of medicine expenditures are out of pocket and thus, access and affordability of medicines is a vital issue to tackle in Pakistan.3 In an attempt to struggle with the escalating drug cost in Pakistan generic prescribing and dispensing could be a solution to approximately one third of the population living below the poverty line. Although there is no ordinance or authoritative rule for generic prescribing or substitution in the public and private sector in Pakistan, recently the Government of Pakistan highlighted the use of generic medicines in order to check the prices of medicines. In Pakistan there is a need to sensitize patients, prescribers and pharmacists to improve the quality use of generic medicines.3 However, to gain a wider health professionals' support, it is vital to understand the issues surrounding generic medicines.4 Current study is aimed to explore the knowledge, perception and attitude of dispensing doctors towards generic medicines as well as to document the factors hindering and favouring generic medicine use by dispensing doctors of Karachi, Pakistan.
Funcionament psicosocial en el trastom bipolar: Factors implicats i seguiment als 4 anys

Esta tesis es un seguimiento a 4 anos de pacientes bipolares. Si bien se puede criticar que el tamano muestral sea limitado, el valor de este trabajo recae en su diseno longitudinal que lo hacen casi unico en su campo. Con esta tesis se demuestra el valor predictivo de las disfunciones neurocognitivas y los sintomas subclinicos depresivos en el funcionamento psicosocial de pacientes con trastorno bipolar.
Moxifloxacin distribution in the interstitial space of infected decubitus ulcer tissue of patients with spinal cord injury measured by in vivo microdialysis

We investigated the distribution of moxifloxacin in the interstitial space of normal and infected subcutaneous tissue in patients with spinal cord injury and decubitus ulcers using in vivo microdialysis. Drug concentrations achieved in serum, saliva, normal and infected tissues showed approximately parallel time profiles. The interstitial tissue fluids reached bactericidal levels for common bacteria found in infected skin lesions. Our findings suggest that moxifloxacin exhibits good and similar penetration into the interstitial space fluid in normal subcutaneous tissue and infected decubitus ulcers in patients with spinal cord injury.
Intensive Care Cost Analysis Of Patients With Acute Exacerbations Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases From Two University Hospitals

Objective: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death worldwide with a continued rising mortality rate, and it represents a major socioeconomic burden. The aim of this study was to examine the costs of acute exacerbation of COPD patients admitted to two different university hospital intensive care units. Material and Methods: We analyzed 156 patients (128 male and 28 female) who were admitted for treatment of acute exacerbations of COPD from January 1, 2005 to June 15, 2008. Results: The mean age of the patients was 68.2 years. The mean length of hospitalisation stay was 10.4 days. The costs were different between survivors and non-survivors. There was a statistically significant difference between survivors and non-survivors groups in all costs except bed costs, laboratory costs, radiology costs and consultation costs. Conclusion: These results suggest that the cost of patients with acute exacerbations of COPD represents a considerable economic burden for the health care system in Turkey. Turkish Baslik: Kronik Obstruktif Akciger Hastaligi Akut Alevlenmesi Olan Hastalarin Iki Universite Hastanesi Anahtar Kelimeler: Kronik obstruktif akciger hastaligi; akut alevlenme; maliyet analizleri Amac: Kronik obstruktif akciger hastaligi (KOAH) dunya capinda olumlerin ana nedeni olup, mortalite hizi surekli yukselmekte ve onemli sosyoekonomik yuk olusturmaktadir. Bu calismada iki farkli universite hastanesi yogun bakim unitesinde KOAH akut alevlenmesi olan hastalarin maliyetlerinin incelenmesi hedeflenmistir. Gerec ve Yontemler: 1 Ocak 2005 ile 15 Haziran 2008 tarihleri arasinda KOAH akut alevlenmesi nedeniyle tedavi olan 156 hasta (128 erkek ve 28 kadin) analiz edilmistir. Bulgular: Hastalarin ortalama yasi 68.2 olarak bulunmustur. Ortalama hastanede kalis suresi 10.4 gun olarak saptanmistir. Sag kalan ve olen hastalarin maliyetleri birbirlerinden farkli bulunmustur. Sag kalanlar ve olen hastalar arasinda yatak ucreti, laboratuar ucreti, radyoloji ucreti ve konsultasyon ucretleri disindaki diger tum tedavi maliyetlerinde istatistiksel farklilik saptanmistir. Sonuc: KOAH akut alevlenmesi olan hastalarin tedavi maliyetlerinin Turk saglik sistemi icinde hatiri sayilir yer olusturdugunu dusunmekteyiz.
Effect of strong scattering on the low-temperature penetration depth of a d-wave superconductor.

For a pure superconductor in a [ital d]-wave-like state at temperatures [ital T] well below the critical temperature [ital T][sub [ital c]], the deviation [Delta][lambda] of the penetration depth from its zero-temperature value [lambda](0) is proportional to [ital T]. When the concentration [ital n][sub [ital i]] of strongly scattering impurities is nonzero, [Delta][lambda][proportional to][ital T][sup [ital n]], where [ital n]=2 for [ital T][lt][ital T][sup *][much lt][ital T][sub [ital c]] and [ital n]=1 for [ital T][sup *][lt][ital T][much lt][ital T][sub [ital c]]. The crossover temperature [ital T][sup *] and the increase in [lambda](0) scale as [radical][ital n][sub [ital i]] up to logarithmic corrections when resonant scattering is dominant. We argue that this case is relevant to recent measurements on YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]] and present specific results for a model pairing state with [ital d][sub [ital x]][sup 2][minus][ital y][sup 2] symmetry.