Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Went in for Botox and left with a rhinoplasty

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how customer relationship marketing (CRM) activities are utilized by plastic surgery providers to encourage the sale of non-surgical cosmetic procedures (such as Botox). These procedures are considered to be an important gateway for future, more invasive (and profitable) services. As a result, the techniques used to build relationships with clients may be unethical, as they prioritize increased financial performance and profitability over customer well-being. Design/methodology/approach Conceptual models are presented that compare and contrast the CRM activities, mediators and expected outcomes for plastic surgery providers, motivated primarily by profit, with those primarily motivated by mutual betterment. Findings It is suggested that when accompanied by sales promotions, problem augmentation – an approach used by plastic surgeons to broaden the scope of a patient’s aesthetic problem to other areas of concern – may generate increased sales in the short term, but reduce the opportunity of positive word-of-mouth to recruit new clients. Originality/value This paper applies relationship marketing to a novel context to demonstrate how practices to retain and improve clients may harm their well-being and commoditize the service, unless mutual betterment is a key objective.
Supply Chain Finance and SMEs: Evidence from International Factoring Data

The unbundling of trade across regions offers unique opportunities for SMEs to integrate into global trade notably through their involvement into supply-chains. With supply-chains shifting and expanding into new regions of the world, the challenge for SMEs to accessing financing remains an important one; in many developing and emerging market economies, the capacity of the local financial sector to support new traders is limited. Moreover, after the financial crisis, several global banks have “retrenched”, for various reasons. In this context, supply-chain finance arrangements, and other alternative forms of financing such as through factoring, have proven increasingly popular among traders. This paper shows that factoring has a positive effect in allowing SMEs to access international trade, in countries in which it is available. Factoring also appears to be employed by firms involved in global supply chains. We employ for the first time data on factoring from Factor Chain International (FCI), the most extensive dataset on factoring available at the moment, for the period of 2008-2015. Using an instrumentation strategy, we identify a strong, stable effect of factoring on SMEs access to capital for some of the main traders in the world.
Atrial Fibrillation Exacerbates Cognitive Dysfunction and Cerebral Perfusion in Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) increases risk for cognitive impairment in part due to the negative effects of cardiac dysfunction on cerebral perfusion. Atrial fibrillation (AF), an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment, often accompanies HF and is associated with lower systemic perfusion. However, no study has examined the associations among AF, cognitive function, and cerebral perfusion in patients with HF.
The Efficacy of High‐Density Spinal Cord Stimulation Among Trial, Implant, and Conversion Patients: A Retrospective Case Series

Methods of energy delivery for traditional spinal cord stimulation (SCS) systems consist of adjusting programming parameters to affect the total charge delivered per unit time. One high electrical charge delivery method being considered is subthreshold high density (HD) programming. To date, there is limited clinical evidence for the efficacy and safety of paresthesia‐free HD programming. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of HD programming.
Severe anaphylaxis to the antiseptic polyhexanide

under reducing conditions was performed as well. Electrophoresis of extracts (15 lg/lane) was carried out in a 10% polyacrylamide precast Nupage Bis-Tris gel with 2-(N-morpholino) ethane sulfonic acid buffer at 180 mA for 1 h. The resolved proteins were transferred for 1 h onto a nitrocellulose membrane that was saturated with 0.1 M tris buffered saline containing 5% of BSA and incubated for 16 h at 4 C with serum. Bound specific IgE were detected by peroxidase-conjugated anti-human IgE antibodies from goat (1 : 1000) using an enhanced chemiluminescence western blotting kit as substrate. Patient’s serum showed a strong IgE reactivity to sheep milk, a slighter reactivity to goat milk, but no reactivity to cow milk (Table 1), whereas the positive control serum strongly reacted to milk proteins from all three animals. On immunoblot, an intense IgE reactivity at about 55 kDa, and a less evident reactivity at about 28 kDa with sheep milk, but no reactivity to cow milk were observed (Fig. 1). Preadsorption of serum with 130 lg of sheep milk extract totally inhibited IgE reactivity to sheep milk, whereas 130 lg of house dust mite or cow milk did not exert any effect. The negative control serum did not react to any milk. Although it is generally believed that the significant homology between milk from cow, sheep, and goat results in clinical cross-reactivity, cases of ovine milk allergy in the absence of cow milk allergy are being increasingly reported (2, 3). Several patients were sensitized to sheep and goat casein, and reactivity to a 14 kDa allergen in goat milk was found in a patient who tolerated cow and sheep cheese (4). Other patients reacted to multiple ovine milk allergens (5), but following the report by Alvarez (6), this is the first report of selective IgE reactivity to a 55 kDa protein in ovine milk. This molecular weight corresponds to serum albumin. In a case of allergy to pork serum albumin (7), we observed that only raw or semi-raw meats, but not cooked meats induced symptoms, suggesting the heat sensitivity of the allergen. In conclusion, serum albumin can be associated with allergy to dairy products, and this kind of allergy can be species specific.
A comparison analysis of factors to affect pedestrian volumes by land-use type using Seoul Pedestrian Survey data

본 연구는 서울시 유동인구조사자료를 활용하여 토지이용유형별로 보행량에 영향을 미치는 요인을 비교분석하였다. 우선, 조사지점 주변의 주거, 상업, 공업, 녹지 등의 토지이용을 바탕으로 K-평균 군집분석을 통해 5개의 군집으로 분류하고, 군집별 1일 및 시간대별 평균보행량의 차이를 비교하였다. 이어서, 군집별로 보행량에 영향을 미치는 요인을 3가지 공간적 위계의 설명변수로 구분하여 다중선형회귀분석을 통해 영향 요인을 규명하고 군집별로 차이점을 비교하였다. 분석결과, 보도 너비는 모든 군집에서 보행량의 증가요인으로 분석되었으나, 다른 변수들의 경우 군집별로 설명변수가 상이하고, 공간위계별로 영향력도 다른 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 결과는 향후 토지이용유형별 가로관련 정책을 수립하는 기초자료로 활용할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다. 【The paper analyzes factors to affect pedestrian volumes by land-use type using 2012 Seoul Pedestrian Survey. First of all, five groups were classified based on land-use types around survey points such as residential, commercial, industrial and green uses, using k-average cluster analysis. Then, differences in average pedestrian volumes by group were compared for a day and time of day. In addition, multiple regression analysis was employed to identify factors to affect pedestrian volumes, considering physical features, land use types, public transportation accessibility, and socio-economic indices as independent variables by spatial hierarchy. Model results show that the walkway width positively influenced on pedestrian volumes for all groups, whereas other variables differently affected by group. Our results can be used as basic data for establishing polices with respect to pedestrian road design and improvement as well as estimating pedestrian demand by land-use type. 】
Speciation analysis of elements in soil samples by XRF

This paper presents results of speciation analysis of soils coming from Silesia. In examinations a five-step extraction procedure has been applied. Direct analysis of sediments and analysis of extracts was carried out by the X-ray fluorescence spectrometry with wavelength dispersion. Examinations were carried out with the use of soil CRM S-l.
Predicting ratings of perceived exertion in Australian football players: methods for live estimation

Abstract The ability of machine learning techniques to predict athlete ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) was investigated in professional Australian football players. RPE is commonly used to quantifying internal training loads and manage injury risk in team sports. Data from global positioning systems, heart-rate monitors, accelerometers and wellness questionnaires were recorded for each training session (n=3398) from 45 professional Australian football players across a full season. A variety of modelling approaches were considered to investigate the ability of objective data to predict RPE. Models were compared using nested cross validation and root mean square error (RMSE) on RPE predictions. A random forest model using player normalised running and heart rate variables provided the most accurate predictions (RMSE ± SD = 0.96 ± 0.08 au). A simplification of the model using only total distance, distance covered at speeds between 18-24 km·h−1, and the product of total distance and mean speed provided similarly accurate predictions (RMSE ± SD = 1.09 ± 0.05 au), suggesting that running distances and speeds are the strongest predictors of RPE in Australian football players. The ability of non-linear machine learning models to accurately predict athlete RPE has applications in live player monitoring and training load planning.
Three essays on the size and contribution of intangible investment to the overall capital stock

This thesis aims to contribute to a better understanding of the overall magnitude of intangible investment and the impact of this intangible investment on the behavior of the capital stock and on the value of capital goods. I begin by constructing a data set to document firms’ expenditures on an identifiable list of intangible items in Canada. I then examine the implications of treating intangible spending as the acquisition of final (investment) goods on estimates of GDP growth for Canada. I find that investment in intangible capital by 2002 is almost as large as the investment in physical capital. Furthermore, the growth in GDP and labor productivity may be underestimated by as much as 0.1 percentage point per year during this same period. I proceed by measuring the size of the stock of the intangible capital in Canada using newly released data on the market value of all securities in the economy. The approach taken relies on a quantitative application of the q-theory of investment to generate the quantity of capital owned by firms. I find that the intangible capital stock accounted for approximately 30% of overall capital since 1994. Of this, the R&D reported by national accounts makes up only 23%. These results imply that official Canadian statistics failed to account for 26% of the value of the capital stock in their 2005 quarterly data collection.
Endophytic fungi associated with Sudanese medicinal plants show cytotoxic and antibiotic potential.

In this study, we isolated 15 endophytic fungi from five Sudanese medicinal plants. Each fungal endophytic strain was identified by sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA. Ethyl acetate extracts were prepared from each endophyte cultivated in vitro and tested for their respective antibacterial activities and antiproliferative activities against human cancer cells. Antibacterial screening was carried out against two bacterial strains: Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, by the broth dilution method. Cell viability was evaluated by the MTT procedure after exposure of MCF7 breast cancer cells and HT29 or HCT116 human colon adenocarcinoma cells to each endophytic extract. Of interest, Byssochlamys spectabilis isolated from Euphorbia prostata showed cytotoxicity (IC50 = 1.51 ± 0.2 μg mL(-1)) against MCF7 cells, but had a low effect against HT29 or HCT116 cells (IC50 > 20 μg mL(-1)). Cladosporium cladosporioides 2, isolated from Vernonia amygdalina leaves, showed antiproliferative activities against MCF7 cells (IC50 = 10.5 ± 1.5 μg mL(-1)) only. On the other hand, B. spectabilis and Alternaria sp. extract had antibacterial activities against the S. aureus strain. The findings of this work revealed that endophytic fungi associated with medicinal plants from Sudan could be considered as an attractive source of new therapeutic compounds.
Occupational Stress: A Review on Conceptualisations, Causes and Cure

Given the complex nature of the concept - occupational stress (also known as work or job stress), it appears a daunting task reaching a unified definition of work stress because of the acknowledged fact that a singular approach may not be able to encompass the breadth of the phenomenon. To this end, the purpose of this paper is to provide a general review of some of the challenges surrounding the conceptuality of occupational stress in literature. Subsequently, the established knowledge regarding the nature and causes of occupational stress were examined in light of the conceptual typology of Murphy (1995) and Michie (2002) that portrays various sources of workplace stress which has been categorized as emanating from the context and content of work. These stress sources are consequentially known to produce dire organisational and extra-organisational outcomes such as low morale, poor performance, career uncertainty, absenteeism, health problems, work-life conflict, turnover and other reverses that undermine competitive objectives of business. As solutions, stress curative measures are discussed to assist managers to understand the significance of providing effective stress management interventions that can enhance employee well-being and organisational productivity.
Awake Fiberoptic Intubation for the Drainage of Ludwigs Angina in a Pregnant Patient; A Case Report

Ludwig’s angina is a potentially lethal, rapidly spreading cellulitis involving the sublingual and submandibular spaces leading to difficult airway. Associated pregnancy makes airway management and choice of anesthesia further difficult. There are previously reported cases of drainage of Ludwig’s angina in pregnant woman managed with superficial cervical plexus block and other regional techniques. We report a case of drainage of Ludwig’s angina in a pregnant woman, conducted under general anesthesia with awake fiberoptic intubation. The options of regional anesthesia vs. general anesthesia for management of Ludwig’s angina in pregnant patient are discussed.
Computational proteomics analysis of HIV‐1 protease interactome

HIV‐1 protease is a small homodimeric enzyme that ensures maturation of HIV virions by cleaving the viral precursor Gag and Gag‐Pol polyproteins into structural and functional elements. The cleavage sites in the viral polyproteins share neither sequence homology nor binding motif and the specificity of the HIV‐1 protease is therefore only partially understood. Using an extensive data set collected from 16 years of HIV proteome research we have here created a general and predictive rule‐based model for HIV‐1 protease specificity based on rough sets. We demonstrate that HIV‐1 protease specificity is much more complex than previously anticipated, which cannot be defined based solely on the amino acids at the substrate's scissile bond or by any other single substrate amino acid position only. Our results show that the combination of at least three particular amino acids is needed in the substrate for a cleavage event to occur. Only by combining and analyzing massive amounts of HIV proteome data it was possible to discover these novel and general patterns of physico‐chemical substrate cleavage determinants. Our study is an example how computational biology methods can advance the understanding of the viral interactomes. Proteins 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Over representation of Burmese cats with diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE To determine if Burmese cats in Queensland have an increased risk of diabetes mellitus. DESIGN A retrospective study of diabetic and nondiabetic cats that had blood submitted to a veterinary clinical laboratory over a 22 month study period. SAMPLE POPULATION 4402 cats PROCEDURE Cats were considered diabetic if blood glucose concentration was > 11 mmol/L and fructosamine was > 406 mumol/L or hydroxybutyrate was > 1 mmol/L. Cats were grouped into Burmese and non-Burmese. Adjusted odds ratios of diabetes were calculated for breed, gender and age group amongst cats with blood glucose > 11 mmol/L. RESULTS Burmese cats comprised 20% of 45 diabetic cats of known breed, which was higher (P < 0.001) than among the normoglycemic reference population of 2203 cats (7% Burmese). There were more females among the diabetic Burmese (62%), but this did not differ (P > 0.05) from the Burmese reference population (45% females). In contrast, males seemed to predominate among diabetic non-Burmese (63%), although this also did not differ (P > 0.05) from the reference population (55%) of from diabetic Burmese (38% males). The majority (90%) of diabetic cats were older than 6 years, irrespective of breed (median age 12 years, interquartile range 10 to 13 years). This was higher (chi(2) = 8.13, P < 0.005) than among the normoglycaemic reference population, where 69% were older than 6 years. CONCLUSIONS Burmese cats were significantly over represented among cats with diabetes mellitus. Irrespective of breed, the risk of diabetes in the study population increased with age.
Disruption of exonic splicing enhancer elements is the principal cause of exon skipping associated with seven nonsense or missense alleles of NF1

Nonsense, missense, and even silent mutation‐associated exon skipping is recognized in an increasing number of genes as a novel form of splicing mutation. The analysis of individual mutations of this kind can shed light on basic pre‐mRNA splicing mechanisms. Using cDNA‐based mutation detection analysis, we have identified one missense and six nonsense mutations that lead to different extents of exon‐lacking transcripts in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients. We confirmed mutation‐associated exon skipping in a heterologous hybrid minigene context. There is evidence that the disruption of functional exonic splicing enhancer (ESE) sequences is frequently the mechanism underlying mutation‐associated exon skipping. Therefore, we examined the wild‐type and mutant NF1 sequences with two available ESE‐prediction programs. Either or both programs predicted the disruption of ESE motifs in six out of the seven analyzed mutations. To ascertain the function of the predicted ESEs, we quantitatively measured their ability to rescue splicing of an enhancer‐dependent exon, and found that all seven mutant ESEs had reduced splicing enhancement activity compared to the wild‐type sequences. Our results suggest that the wild‐type sequences function as ESE elements, whose disruption is responsible for the mutation‐associated exon skipping observed in the NF1 patients. Further, this study illustrates the utility of ESE‐prediction programs for delineating candidate sequences that may serve as ESE elements. However, until more refined prediction algorithms have been developed, experimental data, preferably from patient tissues, remain indispensable to assess the clinical significance, particularly of missense and silent mutations, and to understand the structure–function relationship in the corresponding protein. Hum Mutat 24:491–501, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Testing for cost efficiency differences between two groups of rural hospitals

Abstract Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) receive cost-based reimbursement for services provided to Medicare patients, while the prospective payment system (PPS) pays non-CAH rural hospitals a fixed price per case. However, the two reimbursement models may provide different incentives for hospitals. The PPS may motivate hospitals to keep their unit costs below the reimbursement rates in order to make profits. Cost-based reimbursement, which pays CAHs for the total cost of services, may provide a disincentive for cost control. We statistically test the hypothesis that CAHs are less cost efficient than non-CAH rural hospitals. Recent methodological advancements as well as traditional approaches were used with 3 years of data jointly to assess cost efficiency differences between the two groups of rural hospitals. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) showed that, on average, CAHs were less cost efficient than non-CAH rural hospitals. Density analysis of DEA cost efficiency scores also showed that CAHs were less cost efficient than non-CAH rural hospitals. Marginal effects of environmental variables, estimated using bootstrapped truncated regression, tobit, and stochastic frontier analysis, suggested that CAHs were less cost efficient than non-CAH rural hospitals, although tobit showed statistical insignificance. Overall, the results of our analysis support the hypothesis that CAHs are less cost efficient than non-CAH rural hospitals.
An analysis of peer, self, and tutor assessment in problem-based learning tutorials

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore self-, peer-, and tutor assessment of performance in tutorials among first year medical students in a problem-based learning curriculum. Methods: One hundred and twenty-five students enrolled in the first year of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Program at the University of Queensland were recruited to participate in a study of metacognition and peer- and self-assessment. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the assessment of PBL performance within the tutorial setting, which included elements such as responsibility and respect, communication, and critical analysis through presentation of a case summary. Self-, peer-, and tutor assessment took place concurrently. Results: Scores obtained from tutor assessment correlated poorly with self-assessment ratings (r = 0.31–0.41), with students consistently under-marking their own performance to a substantial degree. Students with greater self-efficacy, scored their PBL performance more highly. Peer-assessment was a slightly more accurate measure, with peer-averaged scores correlating moderately with tutor ratings initially (r = 0.40) and improving over time (r = 0.60). Students consistently over-marked their peers, particularly those with sceptical attitudes to the peer-assessment process. Peer over-marking led to less divergence from the tutor scoring than under-marking of one's own work. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, first-year medical students in a problem-based learning curriculum were better able to accurately judge the performance of their peers compared to their own performance. This study has shown that self-assessment of process is not an accurate measure, in line with the majority of research in this domain. Nevertheless, it has an important role to play in supporting the development of skills in reflection and self-awareness. Practice points Self-assessment results in substantial under-marking compared to tutor assessment. Scores obtained from peer-assessment are significantly more generous than those scores arising from tutor assessment. Self-assessment is a less accurate means of assessing student performance than peer-assessment.