Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Single-bundle versus double-bundle ACL reconstructions in isolation and in conjunction with extra-articular iliotibial band tenodesis.

BACKGROUND Intra-articular anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has been the primary treatment option for isolated ACL injuries for many years. An anatomic double-bundle reconstruction has been devised in an effort to improve rotational control. The role of the extra-articular iliotibial band tenodesis in ACL injuries has evolved from primary treatment, to an adjuvant secondary procedure, to being used more selectively in revision ACL reconstructions. HYPOTHESES 1) Single-bundle and doublebundle intra-articular ACL reconstructions will both restore pre-injury laxity measurements in an isolated ACL injury cadaver model. 2) The deep iliotibial band structures contribute to rotational control and in a dual ACL + ITB injury cadaver model, ACL reconstruction alone cannot restore rotational control. STUDY DESIGN Controlled Laboratory Design. METHODS 17 fresh frozen cadavers received intra-articular reconstructions, seven single-bundle and ten double-bundle; laxity was measured with the ACL intact/ITB intact, ACL reconstructed/ITB intact, after cutting the ITB, and after an ITB tenodesis procedure; laxity measurements of anterior tibial translation(ATT) and internal rotation(IR) were measured following applications of an anterior shear force, an internal torque and a coupled anterior shear force-internal torque at 30 and 90 degrees of flexion. RESULTS Single-bundle and double-bundle ACL reconstructions both restored IR to a native knee state under isolated internal torques and under coupled forces. Both reconstruction techniques also re-established anterior tibial translation to at least the pre-ACL injury level, with over-constraint in the double-bundle subgroup [5.00 (+2.11) to 3.50(+1.18), p-value 0.026] under coupled loads at 30 degrees of flexion. With the individual ACL reconstructions held constant, under coupled forces mean IR increased in the single-bundle subgroup [13.7(+1.1) to 17.6(+1.2), p-value 0.004] and the double-bundle subgroup [9.5(+1.0) to 12.4(+1.0), p-value 0.009] with the cutting of the ITB at 30 degrees. Under internal torque, mean IR increased in the single-bundle subgroup [14.0(+1.0) to 18.4(+1.6), p-value 0.016] with the cutting of the ITB at 30 degrees, while IR increased in the double-bundle subgroup [10.0(+1.3) to 13.4(+1.5), p-value 0.002] under the same internal torque at 90 degrees. With the ACL reconstruction held constant, ATT did not significantly change when the ITB was cut or when it was tenodesed under any specific loading condition. CONCLUSION Single-bundle and double-bundle intra-articular reconstructions were both able to restore internal rotation and anterior tibial translation to at least native knee laxity levels after an isolated laboratory ACL injury. When the ACL reconstructions were held constant, internal rotation statistically increased with the cutting of the ITB under multiple testing conditions in both the single-bundle and double-bundle subgroups.
College Students' Perceptions of Worry and Parent Beliefs: Associations with Behaviors to Prevent Sun Exposure

More research is needed to understand how attitudes impact behaviors that afford sun protection. The current study examined the impact of students' perceptions of parental beliefs about sun exposure and its influence on their practiced sun protection behaviors and worry about sun exposure. Participants were college students (N = 462) at a large Midwestern university. They completed a survey to examine their perceptions of risks and messages about sun exposure and sun exposure behaviors. Results indicated that gender and students' perceptions of parental beliefs about sun exposure were related to sun protection behaviors and their own worry over sun exposure. Specifically, males showed lower levels of sun protection behaviors, with the exception of wearing a hat with a brim, and lower levels of worry about sun exposure compared to females. Roughly a third of our sample had a family history of skin cancer, and this variable was related to worry about sun exposure and parental beliefs. Prevention messages and interventions to reduce sun risk for college students should address risks of sun exposure as well as educating young adults about the importance of wearing sunscreen, protective clothing, and hats to improve sun protection.
The electro magnetic response of human skin in the submillimeter wave range

The phenomena of non thermal effects of extremely high frequency electromagnetic radiation on biological systems is explored. It is demonstrated that the effect is existent on human beings and is correlated to their physiological state via a measurement of the reflection coefficient of the palm. Possible sources of transient currents in biological systems ,needed to elicit a response are proposed and discussed.
Verifying alternative measures of the service-quality construct: consistencies and contradictions

Abstract Since the role of service quality for organisational survival and success is of outmost importance, its measurement is still receiving increased attention. SERVQUAL and its alternative measures, namely, SERVPERF, weighted SERVQUAL, and weighted SERVPERF, are the most widespread in the service-quality literature. Yet, research has not concluded regarding the relative superiority of any of these measures. The present study compares all four alternatives within the auto-repair industry in Greece. Based on data from 1043 customers, overall results are in line with previous studies, confirming the multidimensionality of the service-quality construct and the five-factor SERVPERF pattern. In disagreement with previous studies, findings show that the importance-weighted SERVPERF scale provides the greatest diagnostic information. Furthermore, significant variation was found in the predictive validity of the measures.
End-of-life family conferences: Rooted in the evidence

Critical care clinicians no longer consider family members as visitors in the intensive care unit. Family-centered care has emerged from the results of qualitative and quantitative studies evaluating the specific needs of families of patients dying in the intensive care unit. In addition, interventional studies have established that intensive and proactive communication empowers family members of dying patients, helping them to share in discussions and decisions, if they so wish. In addition to intensive communication, interventional studies have highlighted the role of nurses, social workers, and palliative care teams in reducing family burden, avoiding futile life-sustaining therapies, and providing effective comfort care. End-of-life family conferences are formal, structured meetings between intensivists and family members. Guidelines for organizing these conferences take into account the specific needs of families, including reassurance that the patient’s symptoms will be adequately managed; honest clear information about the patient’s condition and treatment; a willingness on the part of physicians to listen and respond to family members and to address their emotions; attention to patient preferences; clear explanations about surrogate decision making; and continuous, compassionate, and technically proficient attention to the patient’s needs until death occurs. Means of improving end-of-life care have been identified in epidemiologic and interventional studies. End-of-life family conferences constitute the keystone around which excellent end-of-life care can be built.
Determinants of loan repayment of livestock farmers under Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (A.C.G.S) in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria.

This study examined the determinants of loan repayment of livestock farmers under the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 126 respondents for the study. Well structured and pre-tested questionnaires were used to collect data. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Results showed that majority of the farmers (71.43%) were males, 52.38% were married, 95.24% had one form of formal education or the other and 42.85% realized between N50,000 and N 100,000 annually. Loan repayment by the livestock farmers was statistically and significantly influenced by age, farming experience, delay in disbursement and interest rate. The major constraints to loan repayment in the area were delay in disbursement, high interest rates, lack of collaterals, natural disaster, pests and diseases infestation and excessive bureaucratic procedures. Policy measures such as timely disbursement of loan, introduction of concessionary interest rates, agricultural insurance scheme and broadening of extension services would mitigate the problems and ensure increase in lending capacity of the credit scheme.
Speech Audiometry in the Young Child

Normal children between 3 and 6 yrs old generated word and sentence messages for use in a pediatric speech intelligibility (PSI) test. Word materials did not differ as a function of chronological age (CA), vocabulary skills, or receptive language (RL) ability. Elicited sentence materials, however, did reflect differences in CA, vocabulary skills, and RL ability. To represent differences in the children's responses, two different types of test sentences, subsequently referred to as format I and format II sentences, were formed. Performance for format I and format II sentences was significantly different in normal children between 3 and 6 yrs old. Performance differences were related to CA and RL ability. However, performance for format I sentences in children with relatively low RL age and performance for format II sentences in children with relatively high RL age was equivalent. This observation yielded an algorithm that determines the sentence format as a function of a child's RL age in order to yield “language equivalent” norms for speech audiometry. In contrast to performance for PSI sentence materials, performance for PSI word materials was not influenced by differences in RL skill. Reliability coefficients for PSI word and sentence test-retest measures ranged from about 0.85 to 0.95 in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired children. Illustrative PSI results in children with confirmed central auditory disorders are presented.
Escalation of commitment during new product development

Although periodic review is a prominent feature of new product development (NPD) processes, important questions about how managers make critical continuation/termination decisions in risky NPD projects remain unanswered. The authors test whether factors unrelated to a new product's forecasted performance cause managers to continue NPD projects into subsequent stages of development at rapidly accelerating costs. The results show that managers who initiate a project are less likely to perceive it is failing, are more committed to it, and are more likely to continue funding it than managers who assume leadership after a project is started. There is also the tendency toward increased commitment for more innovative products compared with less innovative ones. The results suggest that simply giving managers better information will not necessarily lead to better decisions. Finally, the results show that escalation of commitment is a more serious problem during NPD than after the product is commercialized.
Dental caries in relation to smoking and the use of Swedish snus: epidemiological studies covering 20 years (1983–2003)

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate some intra-oral caries-associated variables and tobacco use on dental caries. Materials and methods. The participants were randomly recruited from three cross-sectional studies in Jönköping, Sweden, in 1983, 1993 and 2003. Each study consisted of 130 individuals in each of the 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70-year age groups. Of these, 550, 552 and 523 dentate individuals attended respective year of examination. They were all examined both clinically and radiographically. A questionnaire was completed in conjunction with the examination. In the studies, 345 were smokers, 104 snus users and 1142 non-tobacco users, in total 1591 individuals. Results. In 1983 and 1993, there were no significant differences in mean DFS between non-users and smokers, but a statistically significantly higher mean DFS in comparison with snus users. In 2003, there was no statistically significant difference in mean DFS between the groups. Multiple regressions showed that, after adjusting for age, gender and socio-demographic variables, there was a statistically significant association between DFS and smoking in 1983 (smoking excluded in favour of lactobacilli when further analysed) and DFS and plaque index (PLI) in 1993. In 2003, there was no association, apart from buffer capacity (Power rising) between DFS and the examined intra-oral caries-associated variables and tobacco use. Conclusions. The results of these epidemiological studies, performed in 1993 and 2003, indicate that daily smoking or snus use does not increase the risk of dental caries.
Predicting Corporate Failure: Some Empirical Evidence from the UK

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use relevant financial information of private medium-sized failed and non-failed manufacturing firms in the UK, during the period 1994-2004 to determine whether corporate failure can be predicted by developing a Z-score model. Design/methodology/approach – Multiple discriminant analysis is used to develop the Z-score to support the notion that Z-score is an innovation to overcome the numerous difficulties associated with using single ratios to measure companies’ health or risk of failure. Findings – This paper advances the notion that the net profit margin is superior to the gross profit margin in discriminating between failed and non-failed UK manufacturing companies in terms of its significant contribution to the Z-score, though the latter exceeds the former slightly using the univariate analysis. Originality/value – This research contributes to the area of benchmarking by providing a method to more accurately predict corporate failure.
Where's the strategic intent in key account relationships?

Purpose – Over the past ten to 15 years, key account management (KAM) has established itself as an important and growing field of academic study and as a major issue for practitioners. Despite the use of strategic intent in conceptualizing KAM relationship types, the role of strategic intent has not previously been empirically tested. This paper aims to address this issue Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports on inductive research that used a dyadic methodology and difference modelling to examine nine key account relationship dyads involving 18 companies. This is supplemented with 13 semi-structured interviews with key account managers from a further 13 companies, which provides additional depth of understanding of the drivers of KAM relationship type. Findings – The research found a misalignment of strategic intent between supplier and customer, which suggested that strategic intent is unrelated to relationship type. In contrast, key buyer/supplier relationships were differentiated not by the .
Molecular Dynamics Study of the Switching Mechanism of Carbon-Based Resistive Memory

An electric molecular dynamics (MD) method is proposed, where an electroheat solver is introduced into a traditional MD simulation to perform a coupled calculation. The switching mechanism of carbon-based resistive random access memory is studied through this method, and the heat generation and propagation driven by an electric current pulse are simulated during the switching process. Graphitic filament breakage and growth are responsible for resistance switching. The simulation shows that a short and strong voltage pulse induces graphitic filament breakage, resulting in a high-resistance state, whereas a moderate but much longer pulse is required to enable filament growth, resulting in a low-resistance state. Key factors such as the bias condition and the power supply for such switching process are also studied. The results are quantitatively consistent with experimental measurements.
Corporate Strategies In The Post-Transition Economy: The Case Of Slovenian Companies

This paper argues that unrelated diversification strategies outperform related diversification strategies. The author identifies three phases of the internationalisation process. More detailed analyses of the internationalisation process shows that companies are trying to develop more complex forms of international business activities. The author also identifies four groups of competencies that are the cornerstones of corporate strategies. This study reveals that 40.6% of companies diversified through external means, 36.2% diversified through internal means, while 23.2% diversified through both internal and external methods. There appears to be no statistically significant performance differences among companies regarding external and internal growth strategies. Internal growth and joint ventures are the most important forms of diversification. These companies also tend to develop various forms of long-term strategic co-operation. This process can be crucial for developing competitive advantages. By comparing the performance of companies regarding ownership structure, the author found that companies with international ownership structure performed better. In other words, foreign ownership had a positive influence on company performance.
Signatures of quantum interference effects on charge transport through a single benzene ring.

Inthis description, the width and height of the energy barrier,and the electronic coupling between the molecule and theelectrodes are the main parameters that characterize theefficiency of charge transport. Electron transfer througha molecule then depends exponentially on the length of theconductance pathway and this has indeed been observed inmany experiments.
Brand choice in gift‐giving: recipient influence

This research examines the impact of intended recipient on brand choice when purchasing a gift. Keller’s conceptualisation of consumer‐based brand equity, incorporating symbolic, experiential, and functional benefits, is used as a branding framework in combination with Belk’s characteristics of gifts, for measuring consumer behaviour differences occurring in alternative gift‐giving situations. The influence of gender, household income, and age are also examined. Findings suggest consumers vary in their choice of brands for different recipient groups. They also suggest that there are gender‐based differences in consumer’s brand choice for gifts, along with some income and age related distinctions. Finally, the findings suggest that overall consumers tend to look for brands with greater perceived symbolic benefits when purchasing gifts. Implications for the gift industry are offered along with future research possibilities.
An Analysis of E-Commerce Adoption for Small and Medium Enterprises in Indonesia

The amount of small and medium enterprises (SME) is the largest number of business actor in Indonesia. But the contribution of SME is very small compared with large business. Some researchers found that the most influencing factor cause the condition is the use of information technology. May of the SMEs have not seen the power of information technology such as e-commerce. Author uses the qualitative method to gather deep information from informant that unfound in the recent quantitative research. This research will conduct how to implement the e-commerce based on some successful experiences in SME.
A Modeling approach to Collaborative Forest Management

HERRY PURNOMO. A Modeling Approach to Collaborative Forest Management. Under the direction of Rudy C. Tarumingkeng, Endang Suhendang, Dudung Darusman, Mohammad Syamsun and Upik Rosalina. A successful sustainable development strategy requires that forest management be carried out in a participatory way. This includes the involvement of local communities. The importance of communities’ participation has been written into Indonesian Law No. 41 on Forestry (1999). However, how this law can be implemented in areas already allocated to a concession holder is still unclear. The state-owned company, Inhutani II Sub Unit Malinau, has managed a forest area in Malinau District, East Kalimantan for over 10 years. Forestdependent communities located in the managed area were Long Seturan, Long Loreh and Langap villages. The company managed the area based on plans approved by the local and central] governments. They established permanent sample plots for measuring the stand growth and yield data in their area, and were asked to improve the well-being of local communities. However, the schemes did not give the company sufficient space to manage the area creatively, or provide a systematic way to involve the communities in the management of the forest. This research was aimed at seeking scenarios of sustainable forest management (SFM) that addressed the above limitations. To reach this aim, two research hypotheses were proposed: 1. Local forest stakeholders can define their own SFM Criteria and Indicators (CI 2. Collaborative management of forests by all relevant stakeholders will achieve better forest management outcomes. An artificial society of primary forest actors was built using a multi-agent system approach, used for developing scenarios to increase the sustainability of forest management. Indicators of forest cover and standing stock, communities’ incomes, company revenue and taxes paid to local and central governments measured the sustainability. The research results showed that local communities that lived in the area of Inhutani II were able to define C&I of SFM. The local C&I are not different from the generic or scientific C&I of SFM. However, these C&I are formulated with different structures and argumentations. The developed knowledge-based system found a way to harmonize this knowledge. Collaboration between concessionaires and the communities appeared to be the most suitable alternative for SFM particularly for improving communities’ incomes without decreasing the quality of the forest. An appropriate decentralization policy is a condition for implementing collaborative forest management.