Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New concepts on alpha-adrenoceptors in pharmacology.

Alpha-adrenoceptors have been classified on a morphological basis as pre- and postsynaptic and on a pharmacological basis as alpha 1- and alpha 2-subtypes. Alpha 1 as well as alpha 2-receptors might be present at pre- as well as postsynaptic sites (fig. 1). The pressor effects after i.v. injection of alpha-adrenoceptor agonists in pithed rats are mediated by both, the alpha 1- and the alpha 2-subtype, as was shown by the different antagonistic potencies of yohimbine and prazosin respectively against the agonists methoxamine, clonidine and B-HT 920 (fig. 2). This method was extended to estimate the alpha 1/alpha 2 selectivity ratio of various agonists, by determination of the antagonistic potencies of rauwolscine ( D10R ) and prazosine ( D10P ), and calculating the ratio D10R / D10P (table I). The drugs with highest selectivity towards alpha 2 (B-HT 920) and towards alpha 1 (methoxamine) respectively were used to estimate the relative distribution of alpha 1/alpha 2 receptors ("receptor importance") in various peripheral target organs or systems by determination of the equipotent dose ratios B-HT 920/methoxamine (fig. 3, left). Later, the alpha 1-selective agonist St 587, which easily penetrates into the brain was used instead of methoxamine to estimate the ratio of alpha 1/alpha 2 "receptor importance" for several CNS activities (fig. 2, right). The presence of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in vitro was demonstrated in isolated perfused rat hindquarters after pretreatment with reserpine (fig. 4). The role of alpha-adrenoceptors in the CNS for a certain pattern of cardiovascular depression is reviewed. Stimulation of medullary alpha-adrenoceptors by e.g. clonidine mediates sympathoinhibition and facilitation of the vagally mediated baroreceptor reflex. The receptors concerned are postsynaptic as the effects were demonstrated following the depletion of brain noradrenaline by pretreatment with reserpine and alpha-methyl-p- tyrosin (table II). The receptors mediating central cardiovascular depression are of the alpha 2-type as the highly selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists B-HT 920 and B-HT 933 were active whereas the alpha 1-agonist St 587 was ineffective.
Social value orientation and regulatory compliance in Ugandan public procurement

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions and effects of social value orientation, expected utility, fairness in procurement procedures, the legitimacy of the procurement law and the procurement law enforcement authority on compliance with the procurement law, guidelines, procedures and regulations. Empirical research in this area is relatively sparse. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected from a sample of 110 Procurement and Disposing Entities (PDEs) and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings - Results of the fit indices between the model and the observed data were generally good for both CFA and SEM. Results reveal that social value orientation, expected utility, legitimacy of the procurement law enforcement agency and perceptions of procedural justice were significant predictors of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) regulatory agency. Research limitations/implications - This study however has several limitations which limit the interpretation of results. First, the data are cross sectional, thus limiting monitoring changes in behaviour over time. Second, all item scales adapted in this study were not specifically developed for a public procurement regulatory environment. This means that there is need to develop specific item scales for public procurement regulatory environments. Practical implications - The paper shows that the PPDA regulatory framework should revise its compliance instrument to consider social value orientation. Originality/value - This paper uses constructs of social value orientation, which are largely ignored in legislated professions to predict compliance.
Profiling the chlorogenic acids and other caffeic acid derivatives of herbal chrysanthemum by LC-MSn.

Four samples of herbal chrysanthemum have been profiled qualitatively by LC-MS5 to identify their component chlorogenic acids and partially characterize other caffeic acid derivatives. The chlorogenic acids were minor components, and the four samples varied markedly in profile. Three p-coumaroylquinic acids, three feruloylquinic acids, four caffeoylquinic acids, six dicaffeoylquinic acids, and two tricaffeoylquinic acids were detected, 13 for the first time from this source. Partial characterization of minor components suggested the presence of five caffeoyl-hexose esters and caffeic acid-4-beta-d-glucose that have not previously been reported from this source, and eight caffeoylquinic acid glycosides and 16 dicaffeoylquinic acid glycosides that have not previously been reported in nature. Succinic acid-containing chlorogenic acids and chlorogenic acids based on epi-quinic acid, previously reported in Chrysanthemum spp. , were not detected in these samples.
Inequality and Growth in European Regions: Towards a Place-based Approach

Does agglomeration matter for growth? This paper addresses this question by evaluating the impact that intra-regional income distribution has on regional growth in Europe. By using a spatially augmented Solow growth model, we investigate the convergence process among 188 EU regions between 1991 and 2004 and extend the traditional growth models to account for the impact of regional inequality on growth, as well as the effects of interaction among regions. Our assumption is that existing levels of inequality between sub-regional territorial units could positively contribute to regional economic growth in Europe, through the positive effects generated by the emergence of agglomeration economies. Our results show that while we cannot find any overall significant relationship in Europe between agglomeration and growth, once we distinguish between Objective 1 and Non-objective 1 regions we are able to find that agglomeration positively impacts subsequent growth, but only in the less developed regions.
bcl-2 automated and quantitative immunocytochemical assays in breast carcinomas: correlation with 10-year follow-up.

PURPOSE bcl-2 protein is detectable in human cancers and may be involved in the response to antineoplastic drugs or endocrine therapy in breast carcinomas. In a previous study, we had developed optimal technical conditions for bcl-2 immunodetection. The aim of the present report was to determine the prognostic significance of bcl-2 expression in breast carinomas by the use of a similar immunocytochemical procedure. METHODS bcl-2 immunocytochemical assays were performed on frozen sections by automated immunoperoxidase technique (Ventana) and computer-assisted analysis of digitized colored microscopic images (SAMBA) in a series of 170 breast carcinomas. The results of automated quantitative immunocytochemical assays were correlated with patient follow-up (120 months). RESULTS Intense bcl-2 immunocytochemical expression in tumors (cutpoint, 15%) significantly correlated with longer disease-free survival and longer recurrence-free survival in the entire cohort of patients (P = .028 and P = .035, respectively) and also in node-negative subgroups of patients (P = .028 and P = .01; Kaplan-Meier long-rank test; NCSS 6.0.1 software). But bcl-2 immunostained surfaces (cutpoint, 15%) did not correlate with overall survival. In multivariate analysis (proportional hazards regression, Cox model), bcl-2 prognostic significance in terms of disease-free survival was only independent of the tumor size and grade and histoprognostic index (Nottingham prognostic index [NPI]). CONCLUSION bcl-2 immunohistochemical expression is a significant indicator of favorable outcome only in terms of disease-free and local recurrence-free survival. However, bcl-2 expression in tumors is an independent weakly prognostic indicator in breast carcinomas. bcl-2 immunodetection assessed in optimal technical conditions (frozen samples, automation, quantitative analysis, scatter diagram cutoffs) may have some limited practical clinical relevance for the management of patients with breast carcinomas.
Rethinking the role of manufacturing in global value chains: : an international comparative study in the furniture industry

In recent years, the rise of offshore outsourcing has significantly changed the industrial organization of developed economies. Particularly in mature, low-tech industries, the global relocation of operations has represented a necessary strategy for many firms. However, beyond a certain threshold, offshoring may deprive firms and their domestic ecosystems of critical knowledge for innovation development. Departing from the acknowledgment of changing patterns of industrial organization and the related effects on Western industries, we wonder whether production can still foster the economic development of established manufacturers. The development of an international multiple-case study in the furniture industry suggests that control over operations enhances product innovation and supports firms’ competitiveness.
Capital Structure and Large Investment Projects

This paper provides empirical evidence that lumpy investment projects provide firms with the opportunity to adjust leverage at low marginal cost. Consistent with a theoretical model, I find that 1) firms sequence equity before debt during the financing period of their investment projects, and 2) that firms adjust their leverage ratios toward their target leverage during these investment periods. I also show that proactive increases in leverage observed in other studies can be explained by the evolution of firms' target leverage ratios over the financing period of a project. My results are consistent with trade-off theory and imply that firms move toward their target capital structures when they invest.
Merging netchain and social network: Introducing the 'social netchain' concept as an analytical framework in the agribusiness sector

Along fifty years of study in the agribusiness field a wide range of analytical frameworks have been used: chains, supply chains, networks, and recently, netchains. All of those frameworks are centered in a product, a firm or an organization as main subjects of analysis. In a parallel way, in the sociological field especially, the Social Network Theory emerged and was substantially developed, taking into account the individuals and their interpersonal relationships as its main subjects of analysis. At the same time, in economics and organizational sciences, the discussions about transaction costs, structures and mechanisms of governance were intense. In part, these discussions revolved around the possibility of using trust as a mechanism of governance. This paper proposes that to better understand the trust as a mechanism of governance, individuals and their interpersonal relationships should be the central subject of analysis. Based on this assumption, the paper aims to introduce the concept of ‘Social Netchain’ as an agribusiness analytical framework and argues about its implications on trust as a mechanism of governance. ‘Social Netchain’ is defined in the paper as a set of interpersonal relationships networks comprised of horizontal ties between individuals of the firms or organizations within a particular agribusiness sector. These horizontal ties are sequentially arranged based on the vertical ties between individuals of the firms or organizations in different layers of that agribusiness sector. An application essay is presented and its managerial and political implications are discussed. We conclude that Social Netchain can be applied to better understand the trust-based relationship as a mechanism of governance into the agribusiness structures. Key words: Social netchain, transaction costs, mechanisms of governance, governance structures, trust, individuals, contracts.
Waveforms and Saturation in GaAs Power MESFETs

Measurements of voltage and current waveforms in power MESFETs have shown that voltage breakdown of the Schottky barrier is responsible for power saturation and consequent nonlinearity of MESFET amplifiers. Also, high peak drain-gate voltages affect device reliability and noise in FET oscillators.
Efficient three-dimensional metric object modeling from uncalibrated image sequences

This paper presents a scheme that addresses the practical issues associated with producing a geometric model of a scene using a passive sensing technique. The proposed image-based scheme comprises a recursive structure recovery method and a recursive surface reconstruction technique. The former method employs a robust corner-tracking algorithm that copes with the appearance and disappearance of features and a corner-based structure and motion estimation algorithm that handles the inclusion and expiration of features. The novel formulation and dual extended Kalman filter computational framework of the estimation algorithm provide an efficient approach to metric structure recovery that does not require any prior knowledge about the camera or scene. The newly developed surface reconstruction technique employs a visibility constraint to iteratively refine and ultimately yield a triangulated surface that envelops the recovered scene structure and can produce views consistent with those of the original image sequence. Results on simulated data and synthetic and real imagery illustrate that the proposed scheme is robust, accurate, and has good numerical stability, even when features are repeatedly absent or their image locations are affected by extreme levels of noise.
Clinical pharmacy services and research for lymphoma patients at a cancer center

At the National Cancer Centre Singapore, which is currently the largest ambulatory cancer centre in Singapore, clinical pharmacists have taken upon responsibilities to provide direct pharmaceutical care in the center’s lymphoma team since 2006. Given the complexity and intricacies of lymphoma treatments, clinical pharmacists are often positioned to ensure supportive care is optimized among these patients. Besides management of chemotherapy-related and supportive care issues, clinical pharmacists play a pivotal role in guiding cost-effective and safe prescribing. In collaboration with the medical team, they are also involved in conducting practice research in order to optimize the delivery of pharmaceutical care. In this report, the dedicated services and research activities conducted by clinical pharmacists of a lymphoma team will be discussed.
Establishing pre-employment vision standards for goldsmiths

Background: The process of jewellery making involves the goldsmiths working with tiny visual tasks at closer working distances, which demands high visual ability. Aim: To establish vision standards for Goldsmiths. Materials and Methods: Visual task analysis was carried out in different Goldsmith workstations. The minimal visual demands of the jobs were determined based on Grundy's nomogram. Depending on the importance of certain visual functions to perform the job, criteria for visual competency was laid down. Visual abilities of goldsmiths were evaluated in order to determine their visual capability status, based on the previously laid criteria. Job competency status of goldsmiths was determined based on the supervisors’ grading with respect to the quality and quantity of work. Visual competency and job competency of goldsmiths were then compared in order to establish vision standards. Results: Visual task analysis was carried out in 91 workstations. The median of working distance, work area, critical size of the task, and illuminance were 23 cm (IQR: 20- 29), 514.5 Sq Cm (IQR: 183-746.5), and 536.5 lux (IQR: 170-536.5), respectively. Visual abilities of 113 goldsmiths were evaluated. 44.7% of goldsmiths were found to be visually competent. Job competency status of 30 goldsmiths was obtained, in which 18 (60%) were found to be highly job competent. Based on the visual demands, vision standard for jewellery makers was developed. Conclusion: The vision standards so obtained could be used as minimum visual requirements for the entry level Goldsmiths.
Impact of Axial Neck Pain on Quality of Life After Laminoplasty

Study Design. A prospective study. Objective. The aim of this study was to elucidate the impact of axial pain following cervical laminoplasty on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Summary of Background Data. Axial neck pain is a frequently encountered complication after laminoplasty. However, limited information is available regarding the time-dependent changes in axial pain and the impact of this pain on clinical outcomes, including HRQOL. Methods. One hundred sixty-two consecutive patients with cervical myelopathy underwent double-door laminoplasty using hydroxyapatite spacers from 2008 to 2012. The outcome measures included the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (JOA score), the EuroQol 5 Dimension Questionnaire (EQ-5D), and the Short Form-36 survey (SF-36). The intensity of axial pain was assessed using an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS). These assessments were conducted preoperatively and at 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups. Patient satisfaction with outcome was graded using a 7-point NRS at the 2-year follow-up. Result. One hundred twenty-one patients completed the 2-year follow-up. The mean axial pain intensity decreased slightly over time; however, the decrease was not significant. The JOA score, EQ-5D score, and all SF-36 domains, excluding general health perceptions, improved significantly compared with baseline levels at the 6-month follow-up or later. Baseline axial pain intensity showed a significant negative correlation with baseline HRQOL only in the SF-36 bodily pain domain. In contrast, axial pain intensity showed significant negative correlations with all HRQOL measures at the 6-month follow-up. At the 2-year follow-up, patients with an axial pain intensity ≥3 showed significantly worse outcomes than did patients with a pain intensity <3 in the EQ-5D score, SF-36 score, and patient satisfaction grades, but not in the JOA score. Conclusion. Axial neck pain has a significant negative impact on clinical outcomes, including a wide range of HRQOL measures and patient satisfaction with outcome, in patients undergoing conventional double-door laminoplasty. Level of Evidence: 3
Proving non-inferiority or equivalence of two treatments with dichotomous endpoints using exact methods

Since the early work of RA Fisher, exact methods have been recognized as important tools in data analysis because they provide valid statistical inference even with small sample sizes, or with sparse or skewed data. With the recent advance of computational power and the availability of commercial software packages, exact methods have gained substantial popularity over the past two decades. However, most of these exact methods have been devoted to testing classical null hypotheses of no differences, and until recently little was known about exact methods dealing with non-inferiority or equivalence hypotheses. The presence of nuisance parameters in testing non-inferiority/equivalence hypotheses presents a special challenge for exact methods because of the intense computational requirement. In this paper, we review exact methods available for proving non-inferiority or equivalence of two treatments with a dichotomous endpoint. First, we present the general methodology for conducting exact tests for non-inferiority or equivalence; we then discuss several unconditional and conditional methods available for constructing hypothesis tests and confidence intervals based on three commonly used measures, namely, the difference, relative risk, and odds ratio of two independent proportions or rates. Finally, we illustrate with several examples the application of these exact methods in analysing and planning non-inferiority or equivalence trials.
The Effects of Macroeconomic Factors on Pricing Mortgage Insurance Contracts

Numerous empirical studies, including Abraham and Hendershott (1996), Muellbauer and Murphy (1997), Leung (2004), and Oikarinen (2009), have identified a significant relationship between housing prices and macroeconomic factors. Using a linear regression on the comovement of macroeconomic factors and housing prices, this article employs an option-pricing framework to price and hedge the fair premia of mortgage insurance (MI). Our model provides improved performance in terms of MI premium pricing, especially during periods that are characterized by high housing prices. Ignoring the impacts of macroeconomic factors on housing prices will lead to an underestimation of MI premia.
Identification, Reputation, and Performance: Communication Mediation

ABSTRACT This study focuses on a possible mediation by communication in the identification-organizational performance and identification-corporate reputation relationships. The review of the literature indicates that (a) companies with good reputations have better performances, (b) the stronger employee identification is, the better the reputation and performance, and (c) communication plays an important role in emphasizing the mode in which the organization presents itself to its stockholders. This study reveals that communication is a partial mediator in the relationships studied, suggesting that managers early on establish the form of communication, emphasize to a greater degree managerial communication, and not concentrate all their attention on marketing communication. The study involved 1,025 employees in various organizations and applied modeling of structural equations and the method proposed by Baron and Kenny (1986) to evaluate the mediation between the variables.
Origins of green innovations: the differences between proactive and reactive green innovations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the origins of the two types of green innovations: proactive and reactive green innovations.Design/methodology/approach – In order to satisfy the essence of the triangulation in methodology, this study applies a hybrid research method which includes both qualitative and quantitative research to discuss the origins of green innovations based on the two following stages. First, the study uses inductive logic from the perspectives of case study research and grounded theory to build the research framework and selects AU Optronics Corp. (AUO), the worldwide top three manufacturer in the TFT‐LCD industry, as the research object. Second, the study utilizes a questionnaire survey method to test the research framework proposed in the first stage.Findings – This study divides green innovations into two types: proactive and reactive green innovations, because their origins are different. The results show that both of the internal origins – environmental leadership, e.
Does the Quality of Institutions Limit the Mena's Integration in the World Economy?

Using a large sample of countries over the 1990s, this paper examines the extent to which institutions' functioning disables a greater participation of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the world economy. It focuses on the impact on manufactured exports and FDI attractiveness and considers a broad index of political risk as well as indices targeted toward specific aspects of governance (corruption, government effectiveness and the rule of law). The results are robust to different econometric approaches and lend strong support to the hypothesis that the functioning of institutions may disable the participation of MENA countries in the world economy. They suggest that the impact of an improvement in the quality of institutions may result in a sensitive increase of FDI inflows and manufactured exports. That increase is comparable to the one resulting from liberalisation policies. Hence, although institutional reforms can take time, they deserve the necessary efforts given their outcomes as compared to other reforms.