Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Nigella Sativa L. Essential Oil-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles

Problem statement: Seeds of Nigella sativa L. , commonly known as black seed, have been used in traditional medicine by many Asian, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern Countries to treat headache, coughs, abdominal pain, diarrhea, asthma, rheumatism and other diseases. The seeds of this plant are the most extensively studied, both phytoc hemically and pharmacologically. The aqueous and oil extracts of the seeds have been shown to posses s especially nowadays in pharmaceutical antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, analges ic, antimicrobial activities and medicinal and cosmetic applications, sanitary, cosmetic, agricult ural and food industries. Approach: The aim of this study was to formulate a new delivery system for de rmal and cosmetic application by the incorporation of Nigella sativa essential oil into solid lipid nanoparticles SLN. S LN formulations were prepared following the high-pressure homogenization after st arring and ultra-trax homognization techniques using hydrogenated palm oil Softisan 154 and N. sativa essential oil as lipid matrix, sorbitol and water as surfactants. The SLN formulation particle size w as determined using Photon Correlation System (PCS). Results: The change of particle charge was studied by Zeta Potential (ZP) measurements, while the melting and re-crystallization behavior was stu died using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Data showed a high physical stability for bo th formulations at various storage temperatures during 3 months of storage. In particu lar, average diameter of N. sativa essential oil- loaded SLN did not vary during storage and increase d slightly after freeze-drying the SLN dispersions. Conclusion: Therefore, obtained results showed that the studie d SLN formulations are suitable carriers in pharmaceutical and cosmetic fi elds.
Review of electron beam therapy physics

For over 50 years, electron beams have been an important modality for providing an accurate dose of radiation to superficial cancers and disease and for limiting the dose to underlying normal tissues and structures. This review looks at many of the important contributions of physics and dosimetry to the development and utilization of electron beam therapy, including electron treatment machines, dose specification and calibration, dose measurement, electron transport calculations, treatment and treatment-planning tools, and clinical utilization, including special procedures. Also, future changes in the practice of electron therapy resulting from challenges to its utilization and from potential future technology are discussed.
Teachers’ personal web use at work

This article presents findings from an online survey of teachers concerning personal web use (PWU) at work. Often considered as ‘cyberslacking’ or ‘Internet abuse’, PWU is a growing phenomenon within increasingly Internet-dependent workplaces. The findings of this study highlight a wide range of types of personal web usage amongst teachers ranging from sending personal emails to social networking and personal banking as well as a range of reasons for PWU from a means of addressing permeable work-life boundaries and coping with work intensification to providing a virtual space for routine resistance. The data also suggest that, rather than being detrimental to the organisation, PWU could potentially be a means of increasing worker productivity and developing the digital literacy of teachers. It concludes by considering the implications of the findings for senior managers within organisations.
PENGARUH PENGUNGKAPAN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) TERHADAP ABNORMAL RETURN

ABSTRACT This research aims to examine the effect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosure toward abnormal return. The variables of this study consist of CSR disclosure as an independent variable, Return on Equity (ROE) and Price to Book Value (PBV) as control variables, and abnormal return as a dependent variable. The sample of the study consist of 120 manufacturing companies listed at Indonesian Stock Exchange (BEI) 2008-2011. The result has shown that only CSR disclosure does not have significant effect on abnormal return. The research indicates that both investors and companies still have a low perception about CSR. CSR disclosure does not cause investor reaction, so it does not affect the abnormal return. The implication of this research is that investors are less concerned with the corporate social responsibility in making decision to invest. It is expected to increase the motivation of the companies to disclose CSR. In addition, investors are also expected to be more aware of the importance of CSR issues in the future, so that will increase awareness of the company to implement CSR activities to maximize the positive impacts and minimize the negative impact of the activity. Keywords: Corporate Social Reponsibility (CSR) Disclosure, Return on Equity (ROE), Price to Book Value (PBV), Abnormal Return. ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) pengungkapan terhadap return abnormal. Variabel penelitian ini terdiri dari pengungkapan CSR sebagai variabel independen, Return on Equity (ROE) dan Price to Book Value (PBV) sebagai variabel kontrol, dan abnormal return sebagai variabel dependen. Sampel penelitian terdiri dari 120 perusahaan manufaktur yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) 2008-2011. Hasilnya menunjukkan bahwa hanya pengungkapan CSR tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap abnormal return. Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kedua investor dan perusahaan masih memiliki persepsi rendah tentang CSR. Pengungkapan CSR tidak menyebabkan reaksi investor, sehingga tidak mempengaruhi abnormal return. Implikasi dari penelitian ini adalah bahwa investor kurang peduli dengan tanggung jawab sosial perusahaan dalam mengambil keputusan untuk berinvestasi. Hal ini diharapkan dapat meningkatkan motivasi perusahaan untuk mengungkapkan CSR. Selain itu, investor juga diharapkan untuk menjadi lebih sadar akan pentingnya isu-isu CSR di masa depan, sehingga akan meningkatkan kesadaran perusahaan untuk melaksanakan kegiatan CSR untuk memaksimalkan dampak positif dan meminimalkan dampak negatif dari kegiatan tersebut. Kata kunci : Corporate Social reponsibility (CSR) Disclosure, Return on Equity (ROE), Price to Book Value (PBV), Abnormal Return .
Debt Maturity and Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)

We investigate the effect of initial public offerings (IPOs) on the evolution of debt maturity by tracking a sample of US firms that went public over the period 1998-2011. Our findings reveal a significant and permanent increase in debt maturity post-IPO. The short-term debt ratio drops by nearly a fifth in the first two years after the IPO. These findings are economically significant and robust to controlling for the endogeneity in the listing decision. However, the lengthening of the post-IPO debt maturity is only evident in small, high-growth, and highly levered firms. This finding lends greater support to asymmetric information models than theories based on the agency costs of debt. There is some support for the argument based on the agency costs of equity as the IPO effect on debt maturity is only significant for firms with a high dilution ratio. Finally, the IPO effect varies with macroeconomic conditions as the increase in debt maturity post-IPO was most pronounced during the recent financial crisis of 2007-08.
Renal Artery Embolization in Treatment of Renal Cancer with Emphasis on Response of Immune System

RAE was introduced to clinical practice in the 70's of last century. The pioneers who devel‐ oped the technique of surgery were Lalli et al, in 1973 while Almgard et al. presented their own experience with the application of RAE in renal cancer in humans [2,3]. At that time arteriography was the basic diagnostic methods and identification of renal tumors was made during the embolization. Today, vascular embolization procedures are becoming widely used in the treatment of persistent bleeding, vascular defects and cancer.
Consumer Perception of E-Service Quality: From Internet Purchaser and Non-Purchaser Perspectives

This exploratory study expands the knowledge concerning service qualitydimensions in the context of Internet commerce, from the differing perspectivesof two groups: Internet purchasers and Internet non-purchasers. Six primaryservice quality dimensions perceived by Internet purchasers were uncovered:reliability, access, ease of use, personalization, security, and credibility whileseven dimensions were discovered for Internet non-purchasers: security, responsiveness,ease of use, reliability, availability, personalization, and access.When examining the relative importance of each dimension affecting overallservice quality assessment, the "reliability" factor was found to be the mostimportant dimension for Internet purchasers while Internet non-purchasersconsider "security" as their most critical concern.
Superoxide dismutase and oxygen toxicity defenses in the genus Neisseria

Among aerotolerant cells, Neisseria gonorrhoeae is very unusual because despite its obligately aerobic lifestyle and frequent isolation from purulent exudates containing polymorphonuclear leukocytes vigorously evolving O2- and H2O2, it contains no superoxide dismutase (SOD). Strains (14) of N. gonorrhoeae were compared with each other and with strains of Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria mucosa, and Neisseria subflava under identical growth conditions for their contents of the oxy-protective enzymes catalase, peroxidase, and SOD, as well as respiratory chain proteins and activity. The absence of SOD from N. gonorrhoeae strains was demonstrated under a variety of oxygen-stress conditions. The neisserial species showed very different SOD, catalase, and peroxidase profiles. These profiles correlated well with the tolerance of the species to various intra- and extracellular oxygen insults. The high tolerance of N. gonorrhoeae for extracellular O2- and H2O2 appeared to be due to very high constitutive levels of peroxidase and catalase activity combined with a cell envelope impervious to O2-. Nevertheless, N. gonorrhoeae 19424 was much more sensitive to an intracellular flux of O2- than were the other (SOD-containing) neisserial species. The responses of N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis respiratory and oxy-protective enzymes to growth under high and low oxygen tensions were followed, and a novel response, the apparent repression of the respiratory chain intermediates, respiration, and SOD, peroxidase, and catalase activity, was observed. The gonococcal catalase was partially purified and characterized. The results suggest that the very active terminal oxidase, low pO2 natural habitat, O2-stable catalase, and possibly the high glutathione content of the organism explain its aerobic survival in the absence of SOD.
Proactive Legal Involvement in Partner Selection Process

Using a partner selection process in the start of strategic alliances is not yet general practice. This is regarded as one of the reasons why many strategic alliances fail to be successful. The use of a structured partner selection process could be a way to build one’s alliance capability and create a better fit and higher alliance performance.In this paper, drawing from quantitative and qualitative research, we argue that alliances are more likely to increase alliance success when the partners pay particular attention to aspects with legal dimension within their partner selection process. Our key argument is that, as inter partner conflicts are the main reasons for alliance failure, by taking a legal perspective and providing adequate governance structure as instruments early on during the partner selection process, may diminish those conflicts and increase alliance success.Our findings from a quantitative study among alliance professionals suggest that the use of negotiation and standard governance is highly effective in helping firms to increase their alliance success. As our study indicates that including clear steps regarding legal aspects of alliance selection, we further explored the role ‘the law’ (contracts and lawyers) plays and may play in (to optimizing) a successful selection process. We not only show the added value of taking a legal perspective, we also suggest which and when legal elements may be organized in such a way that they support a successful partner selection process.
A Stochastic Model to Analyze Clonal Data on Multi‐Type Cell Populations

Summary This article presents a stochastic model designed to analyze experimental data on the development of cell clones composed of two (or more) distinct types of cells. The proposed model is an extension of the traditional multi‐type Bellman–Harris branching stochastic process allowing for nonidentical time‐to‐transformation distributions defined for different cell types. A simulated pseudo likelihood method has been developed for the parametric statistical inference from experimental data on cell clones under the proposed model. The method uses simulation‐based approximations of the means and the variance–covariance matrices of cell counts. The proposed estimator for the vector of unknown parameters is strongly consistent and asymptotically normal under mild regularity conditions, while its variance–covariance matrix is estimated by the parametric bootstrap. A Monte Carlo Wald test is proposed for the test of hypotheses. Finite sample properties of the estimator have been studied by computer simulations. The model and associated methods of parametric inference have been applied to the analysis of proliferation and differentiation of cultured O‐2A progenitor cells that play a key role in the development of the central nervous system. It follows from this analysis that the time to division of the progenitor cell and the time to its differentiation (into an oligodendrocyte) are not identically distributed. This biological finding suggests that a molecular event determining the type of cell transformation is more likely to occur at the start rather than at the end of the mitotic cycle.
Wnt-Responsive Lgr5-Expressing Stem Cells Are Hair Cell Progenitors in the Cochlea

Auditory hair cells are surrounded on their basolateral aspects by supporting cells, and these two cell types together constitute the sensory epithelium of the organ of Corti, which is the hearing apparatus of the ear. We show here that Lgr5, a marker for adult stem cells, was expressed in a subset of supporting cells in the newborn and adult murine cochlea. Lgr5-expressing supporting cells, sorted by flow cytometry and cultured in a single-cell suspension, compared with unsorted cells, displayed an enhanced capacity for self-renewing neurosphere formation in response to Wnt and were converted to hair cells at a higher (>10-fold) rate. The greater differentiation of hair cells in the neurosphere assay showed that Lgr5-positive cells had the capacity to act as cochlear progenitor cells, and lineage tracing confirmed that Lgr5-expressing cells accounted for the cells that formed neurospheres and differentiated to hair cells. The responsiveness to Wnt of cells with a capacity for division and sensory cell formation suggests a potential route to new hair cell generation in the adult cochlea.
Pre-Bankruptcy Dynamics and Unsecured Debt

We analyze the impact of pre-bankruptcy dynamics on the levels of unsecured debt at the start of bankruptcy procedures, using a unique sample of small distressed firms that reorganize under Belgian court-supervision. These firms rely on trade credit if banks withdraw their lending prior to bankruptcy. Apparently trade creditors are willing to finance a distressed firm's shortfall in cash flow during this period. They also accumulate unpaid taxes and social contributions in the running-up to bankruptcy reorganization, pushing the government administration in the unintended role of lender of last resort. These findings suggest that pre-bankruptcy dynamics strongly affect the debt structure at the moment of initiation of the procedure and in this way the ultimate outcome of the restructuring process.
Directors' insights from inside the boardroom: a New Zealand perspective

ix Chapter One Introduction. 1 1.0 Background . 1 1.1 Research topic and approach. 2 1.2 Key terms and definitions . 3 1.3 Outline of the thesis. 4 Chapter Two Literature review . 6 2.0 Introduction . 6 2.1 Governance theories . 8 2.1.1 Agency theory . 8 2.1.2 Stewardship theory.10 2.1.3 Resource dependency theory.11 2.1. 4 Stakeholder theory . 12 2.1. 5 Theory summary . 13 2.2 Regulatory response to company collapses . 14 2.2.1 UK approach . 15 2.2.2 US approach . 16 2.2.3 International regulatory implications and responses . 17 2.3 The New Zealand governance framework.19 2.4 The changing role(s) of the board . 21 2.5 The change in research focus . 22 2.6 Research using directors’ views . 25 2.7 Board effectiveness.26 2.7. 1 Behavioural aspects of effective boards . 27 2.7. 2 The chairman and CEO and board effectiveness.28 2.7. 3 The chairman and board effectiveness.29 2.7. 4 Board effectiveness summary.31 2.8 The ineffective board.32 2.9 An agenda for researching board effectiveness from the perspective of board members . 34 2.10 Summary . 36 Chapter Three Research Methodology and Method . 38 3.0 Introduction . 38 3.1 Methodology: An interpretive perspective . 39 3.2 Research method and design . 41 3.2.1 Criteria for company selection . 43 3.2.2 Criteria for participant selection.44 3.3 The research interviews.46 3.3.1 Interview structure . 46 3.3.2 Interview process . 48
Is Arbitrage Socially Beneficial?

Economists often associate information efficiency of prices with allocative (Pareto) efficiency. When arbitrageurs connect segmented markets to correct a misallocation of risk, this assumption is sound. However, when opportunities for arbitrage or financial innovation arise from mispricings caused by the presence of confused investors or other distortions, such market-making is harmful. Rather than arbitrage facilitating the flow of risk to those who can most efficiently bear it, this harmful arbitrage allocates risk to those who least understand it. The beneficial effects of efficient pricing on real investment decision mitigate the harms caused by arbitrage, but also limits its benefits by providing substitute insurance. Even when arbitrage is not strictly harmful, it may be oversupplied, especially given that it typically employ some of the most talented workers.
Nonlinear closures for scale separation in supersonic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

Turbulence in compressible plasma plays a key role in many areas of astrophysics and engineering. The extreme plasma parameters in these environments, e.g. high Reynolds numbers, supersonic and super-Alfvenic flows, however, make direct numerical simulations computationally intractable even for the simplest treatment—magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). To overcome this problem one can use subgrid-scale (SGS) closures—models for the influence of unresolved, subgrid-scales on the resolved ones. In this work we propose and validate a set of constant coefficient closures for the resolved, compressible, ideal MHD equations. The SGS energies are modeled by Smagorinsky-like equilibrium closures. The turbulent stresses and the electromotive force (EMF) are described by expressions that are nonlinear in terms of large scale velocity and magnetic field gradients. To verify the closures we conduct a priori tests over 137 simulation snapshots from two different codes with varying ratios of thermal to magnetic pressure ( β p = 0.25 , 1 , 2.5 , 5 , 25 ? > ) and sonic Mach numbers ( M s = 2 , 2.5 , 4 ? > ). Furthermore, we make a comparison to traditional, phenomenological eddy-viscosity and &agr; − β − γ ? > closures. We find only mediocre performance of the kinetic eddy-viscosity and &agr; − β − γ ? > closures, and that the magnetic eddy-viscosity closure is poorly correlated with the simulation data. Moreover, three of five coefficients of the traditional closures exhibit a significant spread in values. In contrast, our new closures demonstrate consistently high correlations and constant coefficient values over time and over the wide range of parameters tested. Important aspects in compressible MHD turbulence such as the bi-directional energy cascade, turbulent magnetic pressure and proper alignment of the EMF are well described by our new closures.
Internal Capital Allocation and Executive Compensation

This research examines the connection between executive compensation and within-firm capital allocation decisions by multi-segment firms. Although previous studies have considered the asymmetric information between a firm's headquarter and its divisions, they have not explicitly addressed the issue of how internal capital allocation decisions are affected by the CEO's own incentives. In this study, I focus on incentives that derive from the CEO's compensation. First, I show that a conglomerate CEO's compensation is related to the weighted average pay in industries associated with the firm's segments. Next, I document that executives of multi-segment firms appear to respond strongly to compensation incentives when allocating funds across segments. Specifically, I find that firms invest more in segments associated with higher levels of executive compensation, and that they are more likely to add (drop) segments with higher (lower) pay levels. Importantly, the effects of compensation remain even after controlling for economic factors that have previously been documented to affect firms' investment decisions (e.g., past performance, size, growth opportunity, and industry). Furthermore, I present evidence that following active reallocations, CEO compensation does increase in subsequent years. In particular, firms engaging in segment restructuring activities experience faster growth in CEO compensation relative to the market. In addition, I find that incentives created by executive stock options lead CEOs to invest more in riskier industries. Overall, my results suggest that both the level and structure of executive compensation affect firms' internal capital allocations. This conclusion is robust to a number of sensitivity checks.