Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of vehicles on diclofenac permeation across excised rat skin.

The in vitro percutaneous permeation of diclofenac from various vehicles was examined using rat abdominal skin as a model membrane. The oleaginous vehicles used in this study consisted of three components: i.e. fatty acid, fatty acid ester and nonpolar oil. The solubilities of sodium diclofenac in formulated vehicles were above 0.2 M. The effect of each oleaginous component in the vehicle on the permeation of diclofenac across the skin was in the following order: oleic acid > isostearic acid, diisopropyl adipate = diethyl sebacate > Panasate 875 and squalane > liquid paraffin. To clarify the reason for the differences in permeation among the fatty acid esters, the release of diclofenac through either porous or lipoidal membranes from these vehicles in vitro and the solubility of sodium diclofenac in the vehicles were studied. However, no relationship was observed between the release rate or solubility and skin permeability. The skin permeation of diclofenac increased following pretreatment with diisopropyl adipate or diethyl sebacate, but not with middle chain triglyceride (Panasate 875). These results suggested that the main reason may be the enhancement effect of fatty acid esters. Emulsions and creams containing 3% sodium diclofenac were prepared using the above oleaginous vehicles. A large flux and short lag time were observed in these preparations compared with an aqueous suspension of sodium diclofenac. The incorporation of urea significantly enhanced the permeation of diclofenac from these preparations. These results suggest that the emulsion and cream prepared in this study are useful for development for practical purposes.
The effects of Human Resource Management Practices on Supply Chain Flexibility Evidence from Tourist Hotels in Tanzania

This paper examined the effects of Human Resources Management practices on supply chain flexibility. Specifically paper determined the relationships between participation practices, selective hiring practices, compensation practices, job security practices and teamwork practices on supply chain flexibility of tourist hotels in Tanzania. The study adopted cross-sectional survey approach, where 228 respondents were involved in the study. Hypotheses linking Human Resources Management practices and supply chain flexibility were developed and tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The findings indicated that selective hiring practices, job security practices and teamwork practices have significant positive relationship with supply chain flexibility. The findings imply that employees with appropriate skills, knowledge, abilities and cultural fit, who are highly motivated through job security and compensation practices are important in ensuring supply chain flexibility in hotel settings. Therefore, policy makers, directors and managers in the hotel industry are urged to manipulate human resources management practices as strategies to increase supply chain flexibility as strategic measures to satisfy customers and win their loyalty. However, despite its importance, the study suffers from several limitations such as only five Human Resources Management practices were considered, use of cross-sectional survey strategy and self-reported data from hotel managers. The study calls future studies to examine Human Resources Management practices in relation to supply chain flexibility in other service industries such as banks, schools, etc to compare the results. Again future studies can use other Human Resources Management practices to bring more insight on the Human Resources Management /Supply Chain Management interface.
INFLUENTIAL FACTORS IN SELECTING A BACHELOR’S DEGREE FROM PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES IN SRI LANKA: A STUDY BASED ON UNDERGRADUATES OF INTERNATIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMMES

National University intake in Sri Lanka has become progressively competitive over the years and a small percentage of the student population is eligible for state-funded higher education. Therefore, a majority of the students who fail to enter National Universities and students who complete advanced level in British curriculum have been increasingly seeking alternative educational options in the domestic market due to the high cost in overseas education. As a result, international degree programmes (IDPs) have emerged through private higher educational institutes (PHEIs) to cater to the demand for university-level education in Sri Lanka. The main objective of this study is to uncover the influential factors in selecting a bachelor’s degree (BD) from IDPs which have emerged recently. Due to the flexibility and optionality in IDPs offered in Sri Lanka, the decision-making process in selecting a BD has become complex and multifactorial, which is evident through research studies carried out by critics including Sia (2011), Kusumawati, Yanamandram & Perera (2010) and Briggs (2006). Data for this study were collected from 420 first-year students of IDPs at randomly selected 7 PHEIs, where a questionnaire was administered with 59 predefined variables. Of those, 39 variables were identified as most influential variables by factor analysis and those were further grouped into 7 main factors namely, university characteristics, the source of information, programme evaluation, cost, marketing strategy, infrastructure facilities and peer influence. According to the research findings, the infrastructure facilities of the PHEIs have been rated as the most influential factor with 9 different variables. The contribution of the marketing strategy, university characteristics, costs, programme evaluation and source of information are also discovered and rated to be more influential than ‘peer’ influence. However, it was observed that the variables categorised under peer influence are with the highest factor loadings. The results of this study can be beneficial in optimising the enrolment strategies of PHEIs in Sri Lanka and in guiding prospective students on their choices in higher education.
Spinal anesthesia for transurethral resection operations: levobupivacaine with or without fentanyl.

BACKGROUND The objective ofthe present study was double fold; to compare the characteristics of spinal blocks produced by 0.5% levobupivacaine with and without fentanyl in transurethral resection and to test the hypothesis that, fentanyl added to levobupivacaine, may be used as an alternative to pure levobupivacaine solution, in spinal anesthesia. METHODS Forty males, aged >60 years, ASA I-III patients scheduled for elective transurethral resection were included in a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. Following a spinal tap, intrathecal injection in Group L (n=20), 2.5 mL of 0.5% levobupivacaine and in Group LF (n=20), 2.2 mL of 0.5% levobupivacaine with fentanyl 15 microg (0.3 mL) was performed. The characteristics of sensory and motor block, hemodynamic data, side effects, patient and surgeon satisfaction were recorded. Patients were observed until the level of sensory block was S1 and the Bromage score was 0. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the two groups forpatient demographic, intraoperative, hemodynamic parameters, side effects and satisfaction. The highest level of sensory block was T9 in the Group L, and T6 in the Group LF (p = 0.001). Duration of motor block was shorter in Group LF than in Group L (291.00 +/- 81.08 min in Group L; 213.75 +/- 59.49 min in Group LF) (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION Both regimes are effective, and the addition of fentanyl to levobupivacaine may offers the advantage of shorter duration of motor block and may be used as an alternative to pure levobupivacaine solution in spinal anesthesia, for transurethral resections.
Transportation of sputum samples in cetylpyridinium chloride for drug resistance studies from remote areas of Odisha, India.

INTRODUCTION Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is required for successful treatment of patients, mainly in retreatment cases which necessitate isolation of mycobacteria from sputum samples within 24-48 hours. In situations where transportation of sputum is required, the use of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) effectively sustains the viability of mycobacteria up to two weeks. METHODOLOGY Sputum samples were collected from pulmonary TB patients attending designated microscopy centres (DMC), stored in CPC solution and transported to a culture drug susceptibility testing laboratory using overnight bus transport facilities. For culture, the sputum specimens were processed and inoculated in Lowenstein- Jensen (LJ) medium. Growth on LJ was identified by colony morphology, growth rate and biochemical tests, and transit time was calculated as the time taken from the date of sample collection to the inoculation date. RESULTS Out of the 816 sputum samples collected in CPC, 691 (84.7%) yielded M. tuberculosis, 97 (11.9%) yielded no growth, 21(2.6%) grew contaminants and 7 (0.8%) were nontuberculous mycobacteria. CPC containing sputum samples processed within two weeks showed 88.6% culture positivity, while positivity was significantly affected beyond two weeks. CONCLUSIONS CPC is cheap, easy to use, inhibits the growth of other organisms and can effectively be used to transport sputum specimens within two weeks from hard to reach areas to central locations without compromising culture positivity. Bus transport services can also help in reducing delay and the cost of transportation from remote areas.
Phase I trial of the oral antiangiogenesis agent AG-013736 in patients with advanced solid tumors: pharmacokinetic and clinical results.

PURPOSE We studied the safety, clinical activity, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of AG-013736, an oral receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial cell growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and c-Kit, in patients with advanced cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients received fixed doses of AG-013736 orally in 28-day cycles. In the first cohort, patients initially received two single test doses of AG-013736 (10 and 30 mg); subsequent dosing was determined by individual PK parameters. Doses in subsequent cohorts were assigned by using a traditional dose-escalation/de-escalation rule based on observed toxicities in the current and previous cohorts. PK analysis included evaluation of the effect of food and antacid. RESULTS Thirty-six patients received AG-013736 at doses ranging from 5 to 30 mg by mouth twice daily. The dose-limiting toxicities observed included hypertension, hemoptysis, and stomatitis and were seen primarily at the higher dose levels. The observed hypertension was manageable with medication. Stomatitis was generally tolerable and managed by dose reduction or drug holidays. AG-013736 was absorbed rapidly, with peak plasma concentrations observed within 2 to 6 hours after dosing. The maximum-tolerated dose and recommended phase II dose of AG-013736 is 5 mg, twice daily, administered in the fasted state. No significant drug interaction with antacid was seen. There were three confirmed partial responses and other evidence of clinical activity. CONCLUSION In this study, we have demonstrated clinical activity and safety of AG-013736 in patients with advanced solid tumors and identified the dose for phase II testing. The unique phase I study design allowed early identification of important absorption and metabolic issues critical to phase II testing of this agent.
Determinants of procedural success and patency following subintimal angioplasty in patients with TASC C and D femoropopliteal arterial disease.

BACKGROUND Subintimal percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (SIA) is a treatment option for long segment occlusions in the lower limb arteries. In the present study the factors influencing success and patency following SIA in patients with TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) C and D peripheral arterial disease (PAD) were investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS The 63 consecutive SIAs were performed in 54 consecutive patients suffering from limb ischemia with TASC C and D lesions. Follow-up consisted of routine office visits with pulse examination, ankle-brachial index (ABI), and serial surveillance by color duplex ultrasound and scanning at 3- to 6-month intervals for 1 year. The morphology of lesions in all patients were type C (n=13, 20.6%) or type D (n=50, 79.4%). SIA was technically successful in 59 of 63 arterial occlusive lesions (93.6%). Post-procedural ABI was 0.89+/-0.16. The mean increase in ABI after SIA was 0.45 (range, 015-0.87). The primary patency rate at 12 months was 51.7%. Occlusion length, lesions involving the distal superficial femoral artery (SFA), and post-procedural distal run-off vessels (P=0.04, 0.006, 0.018, respectively) were independent patency determinants by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS The length of the occlusion, lesions involving the distal SFA, and post-procedural distal run-off vessels were strong independent predictors for 1-year patency in TASC C/D severe occlusive femoropopliteal artery disease treated by SIA.
Antecedents of servitization strategies in manufacturing firms and servitization's impact on firm performance : a theoretical and empirical analysis

Manufacturing firms have vigorously pursued opportunities for profitability and growth through service-led growth strategies. A major part of the existing literature has focused on such strategies and has shown that this phenomenon is prevalent and growing in most developed economies. However, very little systematic evidence regarding the extent or consequences of servitization, based on comprehensive survey research, yet exists. Furthermore, the current body of research presents contradictory findings regarding the impact of servitization on firm performance. Drawing on the theoretical framework of the resource-based view, this research seeks to shed some light on this question by exploring the effect of servitization on firm performance. Through a survey of 185 U.S. and European manufacturing firms, along with the use of secondary financial data, this thesis provides empirical evidence that servitization has a direct, positive effect on firm performance. The study also finds that for the vast majority of manufacturers, the development of learning capabilities has served as a significant driver of servitization. Furthermore, the relationship between servitization and firm performance is moderated by industry dynamism. The original contribution of this research to the field of knowledge is twofold, including a theoretical contribution through the validation of the theoretical model and its implications for the literature, and a pragmatic contribution through the managerial implications of the findings. The findings have significant managerial implications because achieving superior bottom-line results is contingent upon the integration of those learning-and service-specific capabilities that transform the nature of an offering. Such integration enables the manufacturing firm and its customers to achieve radically improved operation within their ecosystems.
Harvesting, processing and quality control of oil radish seeds

The oil radish siliques maturation occurs in a non-uniform way, which makes it difficult to define the ideal harvesting time in order to produce high quality seeds. In addition, the high lipid content of the seed may hamper its preservation. To evaluate the effect of the maturation stage at harvesting on the physiological quality and chemical composition of the oil radish seeds stored under different conditions, the siliques were harvested at three stages, according to three colors: green, beige and brown. Seeds from different siliques harvesting stages were stored at ambient conditions and in a cold chamber under dry conditions (10 oC and 46% RH) and evaluated as to their physiological and health quality and chemical composition before being stored and after 3, 6 and 9 months of storage. The siliques color is not the ideal indicator to define the oil radish seeds harvesting time due to the variation of the maturity and physiological quality of oil radish seeds within the siliques. The oil radish seeds storage in cold chamber preserves the physiological quality as assessed by the emergence test. There were no consistent changes in the centesimal composition of oil radish siliques harvested at different stages of maturation in relation to their color alteration.
Influence of Strategic Knowledge Management on Firm Innovativeness and Performance

This paper identifies the type and intensity of relationships that exist between strategic knowledge management (SKM) practices, innovation performance and organizational Performance. By doing so, it covers theoretical gaps about the analysis of these relationships in emerging countries. Data was collected from a sample composed by 127 Southern Brazilian firms and PLS-SEM was used for testing the hypotheses. The relevance of SKM practices for innovation and organizational performance is supported. The research has also shown the level of efficiency and use of each SKM practice. The findings allow Brazilian practitioners to identify those actions which stronger influence on innovativeness and performance. The results also have shown that Brazilian firms are focused on management of explicit knowledge, and there are some opportunities for improving performance if they focus more on tacit knowledge. The suggestions about priority practices and managing of tacit knowledge are relevant contributions to support managerial decisions for resource allocation oriented to improve innovation and performance.
Benefits and Constraints of Mobile Phone Use as an ICT Tool by Dairy Entrepreneurs

The present study was conducted in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra to identify and prioritize the benefits and constraints of mobile phone use as an ICT tool by dairy entrepreneurs. For this study, 120 dairy entrepreneurs were selected from six villages of three blocks namely Karveer, Kagal, Hath-kanangle who had at least two milch animal and also having 3-4 years of dairy experience at the time of investigation. The data was analysed with the help of Garret Ranking Technique. The study revealed that “use of mobile phone leads to easy access to veterinary expert” was the most important benefit followed by “mobile phone reduces time and distance barrier” as a second most important factor that determine the high use of android and non-android mobile phone or use of ICT by dairy entrepreneurs’. The reason for high use of mobile phone by dairy entrepreneurs was timely reliable information, easy access to marketing information, easy contact with customers, promote interpersonal relationship, update knowledge, and increase dairy efficiency. The result of study revealed that “high cost of mobile phone and internet services” was the most important perceived constraint followed by “low network connectivity as second most important factor that determine the low use of mobile phone or low use of ICT by dairy entrepreneurs. The reason for low use of mobile phone by dairy entrepreneurs was language barrier, lack of knowledge and confidence, unavailability and shortage electricity, complex technology.
The K1 Protein of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Activates the Akt Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has been implicated in Kaposi's sarcoma, as well as in primary effusion lymphoma and multicentric Castleman's disease. The K1 protein of KSHV has been shown to induce cellular transformation and focus formation and to deregulate B-lymphocyte signaling pathways by functionally mimicking the activated B-cell receptor complex. Here we show that expression of K1 in B lymphocytes targets the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase pathway, leading to the activation of the Akt kinase and the inhibition of the phosphatase PTEN. We also demonstrate that activation of Akt by the K1 protein leads to the phosphorylation and inhibition of members of the forkhead (FKHR) transcription factor family, which are key regulators of cell cycle progression and apoptosis. We demonstrate that K1 can inhibit apoptosis induced by the FKHR proteins and by stimulation of the Fas receptor. Our observations suggest that the K1 viral protein promotes cell survival pathways and may contribute to KSHV pathogenesis by preventing virally infected cells from undergoing apoptosis prematurely.
Cell Wall Composition in Relation to the Taxonomy of Some Actinoplanaceae

Hydrolytic residues of the cell walls of 48 strains of Actinoplanaceae, previously assigned to 10 species and the four genera, Actinoplanes, Ampullariella, Amorphosporangium, and Pilimelia, were examined by paper chromatography and column chromatography. Comparisons were made for taxonomic purposes between the groupings obtained, by use of chemical characters and the groupings currently recognized morphologically. Most of the species investigated had qualitatively distinct cell wall compositions. Often, however, the cell wall compositions of species in different genera were more similar, in some respects, than were those of species in the same genus. Quantification of the cell wall amino acids and amino sugars substantiated that cross-generic similarities existed. Based on these results and the morphological conclusions reached by other investigators, a single-genus concept is suggested for the Actinoplanaceae examined.
The kick with the kite: an analysis of kite surfing related off shore rescue missions in Cape Town, South Africa

Background: This study analyses kite surfing related off shore rescue missions in Cape Town, South Africa with the aim of providing more information on the frequency, pattern, and severity of kite surfing related injuries. Methods: The observation period for this study started on October 1, 2003 and ended on May 1, 2004 and included 30 air rescue missions. Data and information were collected prospectively. Results: The Air Mercy Service in Cape Town Province responded to 30 requests for help. Twenty five accidents were attributed to inability to detach the kite from the harness. Injuries occurred in five incidents and included fractures of the upper arm, ribs and ankle, and lacerations and contusions to the head and neck. Two patients suffered from hypothermia and one experienced severe exhaustion. All surfers were rescued successfully and there were no fatal accidents. Discussion: The risk potential of this new sport is unclear. Dangerous situations can occur despite proper training and safety precautions due to unpredictable conditions and difficulties with equipment. Safety should be stressed. Surfers should sailing with a fellow kiter and should wear a life vest. More efforts must be taken to make this booming new water sport safer.
EFFECT OF MONETARY VARIABLES ON CONVENTIONAL BANK PERFORMANCE AND SHARIA BANKS IN INDONESIA, 2010-2017

The purpose of this study to determine the influence of monetary, interest rate, rupiah exchange rate and money supply on conventional bank performance and performance of Sharia bank. Population in this research is all conventional banking and all Sharia banking in Indonesia for 2010-2017. The sample is conventional bank as much as 14 banks, and Sharia bank as much as 6 banks with time series data of 30. The method used is Partial Least Square Analysis. The results showed that the interest rate has no significant effect on the performance of conventional banks and Sharia banks. The exchange rate has a significant and positive effect on the performance of both conventional and Sharia banks. While the variable amount of money in circulation has a negative and real effect on the performance of conventional banks and Sharia.