Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Xylitol as a potential co-crystal co-former for enhancing dissolution rate of felodipine: preparation and evaluation of sublingual tablets

Abstract Dissolution enhancement is a promising strategy for improving drug bioavailability. Co-crystallization of drugs with inert material can help in this direction. The benefit will become even greater if the inert material can form co-crystal while maintaining its main function as excipient. Accordingly, the objective of the current study was to investigate xylitol as a potential co-crystal co-former for felodipine with the goal of preparing felodipine sublingual tablets. Co-crystallization was achieved by wet co-grinding of the crystals deposited from methanolic solutions containing felodipine with increasing molar ratios of xylitol (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3). The developed co-crystals were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before monitoring drug dissolution. These results reflected the development of new crystalline species depending on the relative proportions of felodipine and xylitol with complete co-crystallization of felodipine being achieved in the presence of double its molar concentration of xylitol. This co-crystal formulation was compressed into sublingual tablet with ultrashort disintegration time with subsequent fast dissolution. Co-crystal formation was associated with enhanced dissolution with the optimum formulation producing the fastest dissolution rate. In conclusion, xylitol can be considered as a co-crystal co-former for enhanced dissolution rate of drugs.
The determinants of anti-money laundering compliance among the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) member states

Purpose This paper aims to compute a measure for anti-money laundering/counter-financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance and investigate its determinants. Design/methodology/approach Using the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations and assigning weights to them, the study computes a measure for AML compliance. Further, the determinants of AML compliance were investigated using ordinary least squares (OLS) data of 155 countries between 2004 and 2016. Findings The findings suggest that AML compliance have slightly improved over the years. Further, the OLS regression results show that technology, regulatory quality, bank concentration, trade openness and financial intelligence center significantly determined and improved AML compliance. Practical implications From the findings, it is evident that countries that wish to improve the AML compliance should focus more on technology, regulatory quality, structure of the banking sector, size of the economy and institution of financial intelligence center so as to enhance AML compliance. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper reveals a first AML/CFT compliance index that measures the cross-country level of AML/CFT compliance from the year 2004 to 2016. Subsequently, this paper adopted an OLS econometric model to identify the key determinants of AML/CFT compliance among member states of FATF.
Specific interaction between coronavirus leader RNA and nucleocapsid protein

Northwestern blot analysis in the presence of competitor RNA was used to examine the interaction between the mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) nucleocapsid protein (N) and virus-specific RNAs. Our accompanying article demonstrates that anti-N monoclonal antibodies immunoprecipitated all seven MHV-specific RNAs as well as the small leader-containing RNAs from infected cells. In this article we report that a Northwestern blotting protocol using radiolabeled viral RNAs in the presence of host cell competitor RNA can be used to demonstrate a high-affinity interaction between the MHV N protein and the virus-specific RNAs. Further, RNA probes prepared by in vitro transcription were used to define the sequences that participate in such high-affinity binding. A specific interaction occurs between the N protein and sequences contained with the leader RNA which is conserved at the 5' end of all MHV RNAs. We have further defined the binding sites to the area of nucleotides 56 to 65 at the 3' end of the leader RNA and suggest that this interaction may play an important role in the discontinuous nonprocessive RNA transcriptional process unique to coronaviruses.
Pre-Disaster Social Capital and Disaster Recovery in Wenchuan Earthquake-Stricken Rural Communities

This study examined the impact of social capital on disaster recovery in the 2008 earthquake-stricken rural communities in Wenchuan, China. The results show that quake-affected households having more social capital recovered more easily and quickly from disasters. A larger network significantly increased the amount of government aid received for housing reconstruction. This indicates that network members assist the quake-affected households to apply for and obtain government aid. These findings imply that social capital, as a kind of non-institutionalized social force, facilitates earthquake-affected households’ recovery from disaster in rural China. Based on these results, this study suggests that policymakers should pay special attention to improving the social capital of existing local households to improve disaster recovery.
Biosimilar Naming Conventions: Pharmacist Perceptions and Impact on Confidence in Dispensing Biologics

BACKGROUND: The approval of the first biosimilar in the United States has placed increased pressure on the FDA to provide guidance on the naming convention that will be assigned to current and future biosimilars. The release of the FDA draft guidance on nonproprietary naming of biosimilars in August 2015 established a naming convention for all biologic products, including biosimilars. However, the draft guidance is nonbinding while the FDA continues to receive input from stakeholders, and it does not address the naming convention that will be used for products designated as interchangeable biologics. OBJECTIVES: To (a) determine pharmacist perceptions of biosimilar naming conventions and their impact on confidence to dispense biosimilars and (b) measure the burden that is created by laws and regulations requiring pharmacists to complete postdispense notifications. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 781 members of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association was conducted using an online survey software program. RESULTS: Participants reported preferring a biosimilar naming convention that uses a nonproprietary base with a designated suffix (48.1%), compared with the use of a nonproprietary base alone (26.3%), nonproprietary base plus a prefix (14.2%), or a unique brand name (11.4%). However, when participants were asked to report their confidence levels when dispensing a biosimilar in place of the reference biologic, more participants reported high levels of confidence when the products shared the same nonproprietary name (62.9%). A majority of participants (64.9%) reported perceptions of increased burden when required to provide a postdispense notification to prescribers when dispensing biosimilars. CONCLUSIONS: According to the survey used in this study, pharmacists prefer the use of a naming convention for biosimilars that includes a nonproprietary proper name with a designated suffix; however, levels of confidence in substituting a biosimilar for the reference biologic are highest when products share the same nonproprietary name. In addition, the results of this study suggest that the naming convention and postdispense notification requirements may affect the willingness of some pharmacists to dispense interchangeable biologics. This effect will be minimized if interchangeable biologics share the same nonproprietary name as the reference biologics.
National culture moderates the influence of mental effort on subjective and cardiovascular measures

Subjective measures of mental effort have been shown to be relatively insensitive in Indonesian participants. An open question is whether this insensitivity reflects how mental effort is experienced or how it is reported. We compared the performance, subjective workload ratings, heart rate and heart-rate variability (HRV) of 31 Dutch and 30 Indonesian participants under single- and dual-task conditions. Indonesians performed faster but less accurately and used a narrower range of subjective workload ratings than did the Dutch. Dutch participants showed a decrease in HRV both in the mid-frequency (MF) and high-frequency bands and an increase in heart rate during task performance compared with the resting period. Indonesians showed this pattern in the MF band only. The decrease of HRV in the MF band in both groups suggests that the relative insensitivity of subjective mental effort scales among Indonesians has to do with how workload is reported rather than with how it is experienced. Practitioner summary: The sensitivity of the subjective measures of mental workload has been shown to depend on culture. Here, we show that heart-rate variability reacts similarly to workload in Eastern as in Western participants. This suggests that culture influences more how invested mental effort is reported than how it is experienced psychophysiologically.
Asset Price Volatility in EU-6 Economies: How Large is the Role Played by the ECB?

In this paper we provide evidence that the effects of the different waves of asset purchase programmes implemented by the ECB from 2009 onwards have spilled over into asset price volatility developments of a group of six Central and Eastern European economies belonging to the EU but not to the euro area. This has partly shielded their financial markets from the negative shocks that have influenced international investors’ degree of risk aversion in recent years. By means of a dynamic conditional correlation multivariate GARCH model, and by resorting to three different proxies to describe the functioning and measure the impact of the ECB’s asset purchase programmes, we show that such non-standard monetary measures have played a significant role in dampening volatility spikes in the financial markets of the countries at stake. This probably reflects how both a ‘risk taking’ and a ‘liquidity’ channel of transmission actually work. The results are generally robust to an extensive series of tests, and to changes made in the estimation methodology.
Changing spaces: exploring the role of the internet in supporting non-heterosexual youth aged 18-25 in Ireland

This study used a sequential qualitatively driven design to explore non-heterosexual internet usage among 18-25 year olds in Ireland. Within the last decade there has been a growing body of research focusing on supporting sexual minority youth in Ireland and understanding their experiences, yet little is known about how they use the internet for support. Non-heterosexual youth can use the internet to access narratives and communities which previously would have required physical presence in geographical places. Considering the role that narrative plays within identity formation, the change this spatial shift has brought about in social relations offers the opportunity for a radical reshaping of both the development of identity and the opportunities for new types of identity to occur in places which they would be unlikely to occur in the past. This study has addressed the gap in literature by positioning a phenomenological sense of place at the centre of the analysis. Using a questionnaire with 126 participants along with 8 in depth narrative based interviews, the study found that non-heterosexual youth perceive the internet as highly valued for its supportive role in identity formation as well the ability to redefine norms and authenticate place for those who experience an absence of offline support.
Crude Oil Price Volatility and its Impact on Nigerian Stock Market Performance (1985-2014)

The impact of falling oil prices on stock market and exchange rates (EXRs) differs from country to country, either oil-exporting or oil-importing country. Empirically, previous studies have measured the impact of crude oil price (COP) volatility on stock market performance. However, limited studies exist for Nigeria and other oil exporting countries. Thus, this study seeks to fill the gap in existing literature by establishing the nexus between oil price, EXR and stock market performance in Nigeria. Using the ordinary least square estimation technique, the basic variables adopted in this study are all share index (ASI) which serves as a proxy for market performance, COP and EXR. Annual time series data covering the period of 1985-2014 was used to estimate the model using regression analysis. Based on the Trace statistics result, there exists one co-integrating relationship among ASI, COP, and EXR. The R2 = 0.505; showing that 50.5% of the variation in stock market performance can be explained by COPs and EXR. The F-statistic value of 2.17 (P
Prediction of response to donepezil in Alzheimer's disease: combined MRI analysis of the substantia innominata and SPECT measurement of cerebral perfusion

ObjectiveWe performed combined studies of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis of the substantia innominata and single photon emission CT (SPECT) measurement of cerebral perfusion with the goal of predicting which patients with Alzheimer's disease are most likely to respond to donepezil treatment. MethodsNinety-one patients treated with donepezil were divided into responders and non-responders on the basis of changes in their MMSE scores from baseline to study endpoint. The thickness of the substantia innominata was measured on the coronal T2-weighted MRI through the anterior commissure. SPECT data were analysed using three-dimensional stereotactic surface projections. ResultsResponders had significantly greater atrophy of the substantia innominata, but less prominent frontal hypoperfusion than non-responders. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that combined MRI and SPECT examination showed an overall discrimination rate of 70% between responders and non-responders. DiscussionOur results suggest that responder patients have more severe damage in the cholinergic system and/or less prominent frontal cortical dysfunction. Combined MRI analysis of the substantia innominata and SPECT measurement of frontal perfusion at baseline may help to predict response to donepezil treatment in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Comparative Study of the FAIR Technique of Perfusion Quantification with the Hydrogen Clearance Method

Arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance methods, including flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR), are becoming increasingly common for the noninvasive quantification of cerebral blood flow (CBF). This report compares the FAIR method with hydrogen clearance. The latter is an established, invasive technique for CBF measurement in animals. Paired readings of CBF were obtained in gerbils to maximize the degree of spatial and temporal correspondence between methods. Flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (50 averages, 6.7-minute measurement time) and hydrogen clearance measurements were made concurrently. Cerebral blood flow values measured by both techniques displayed an initial decrease because of the injurious effects of electrode insertion and subsequent recovery. Mixed model regression analysis, structural equations modeling, and a simple concordance correlation coefficient analysis were performed. No evidence of a marked systematic bias in the FAIR measurements was found; mixed model regression analysis yielded relative bias estimates of 0.4 (confidence interval: 3.0, 3.9) mL · 100 g−1 · min−1 and −3.7 (−12.1, 4.7) mL · 100 g−1 · min−1 at 20 and 100 mL · 100 g−1 · min−1, respectively. The principal limitation of the FAIR technique was the magnitude of the random measurement error (imprecision), which had a standard deviation on the order of 10 mL · 100 g−1 · min−1.
Hypodermal expression of Caenorhabditis elegans TGF-beta type I receptor SMA-6 is essential for the growth and maintenance of body length.

There are several transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) pathways in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. One of these pathways regulates body length and is composed of the ligand DBL-1, serine/threonine protein kinase receptors SMA-6 and DAF-4, and cytoplasmic signaling components SMA-2, SMA-3, and SMA-4. To further examine the molecular mechanisms of body-length regulation in the nematode by the TGF-beta pathway, we examined the regional requirement for the type-I receptor SMA-6. Using a SMA-6::GFP (green fluorescent protein) reporter gene, sma-6 was highly expressed in the hypodermis, unlike the type-II receptor DAF-4, which is reported to be ubiquitously expressed. We then examined the ability of SMA-6 expression in different regions of the C. elegans body to rescue the sma-6 phenotype (small) and found that hypodermal expression of SMA-6 is necessary and sufficient for the growth and maintenance of body length. We also demonstrate that GATA sequences in the sma-6 promoter contribute to the hypodermal expression of sma-6.
Consumption and Savings Under Non-Gaussian Income Risk

Recently, Guvenen et al. (2017) document three broad empirical findings on idiosyncratic earnings risk over the life cycle. First, the distribution of earnings changes displays substantial deviations from lognormality—the standard assumption in the incomplete markets literature. In particular, earnings changes display strong negative skewness and extremely high kurtosis. Second, these non-Gaussian features vary significantly both over the life cycle and with the earnings level of individuals. Third, shocks have "asymmetric mean reversion": For high income individuals positive earnings shocks are quite transitory, whereas negative shocks are very long-lasting, and vice versa for low income workers. In this paper, we study consumption-savings implications of these features of the data. For this purpose we solve and simulate a life-cycle consumption-savings model that allows for non-Gaussian income risk. The idiosyncratic income fluctuations we document generate large welfare costs, and the implications for wealth inequality and partial insurance differ from those of a Gaussian process in important ways.
‘Princelings’: Exploring a Special Type of Political Connection in Chinese Listed Firms

In this study, we identify a new type of political connection, referred to as “princelings,” who are the descendants of prominent and influential senior communist officials in the People’s Republic of China. We develop a theory of “Golden hens versus Chickens” to describe the major features of these connected firms. Consistent with the theory, compared to unconnected firms, “princelings” connected firms (PCFs) stockpile disproportionately larger retained earnings but pay lower cash dividends. We find that such behaviour is not due to either investment or precautionary motives. By examining the components of retained earnings, we identify a discrepancy in the accounting for changes in retained earnings, newly defined as “grey usage,” which potentially represents a newly identified means of tunnelling. Relative to matching firms, PCFs have higher average grey usages on retained earnings by CNY 4.68 million. The findings highlight for investors in PCFs the potential increased risk of expropriation through grey usages.
The Role of the Popliteofibular Ligament in Stability of the Human Knee

The popliteal tendon has a significant attachment to the fibula, the popliteofibular ligament. The role of this ligament in knee stability has not been determined. In this study we used selective cutting techniques to measure the static contribution of the popliteal tendon attachments to the tibia and the popliteofibular liga ment for stability of the knee. Sectioning of all the posterolateral structures except the popliteal tendon attachments to the tibia or the popliteofibular ligament resulted in increased primary posterior translation, va rus rotation, external rotation, and coupled external rotation. Although statistically significant, these in creases were small. Sectioning of all the posterolateral structures resulted in larger increases in primary pos terior translation, varus rotation, external rotation, and coupled external rotation. Our data indicate that the popliteal tendon attachments to the tibia and the pop liteofibular ligament are important in resisting posterior translation and varus and external rotation. If an iso lated injury to the posterolateral structures occurs, an atomic reconstruction of the major ligaments that re strain posterior translation and varus and external rotation may provide the best functional result. Recon struction for isolated posterolateral instability should include anatomic attachment of the popliteal tendon to the tibia and the popliteofibular ligament.
Market Concentration, Market Shares, and Retail Food Prices: Evidence from the U.S. Women, Infants, and Children Program

We explore pricing in local food-retailing markets where supermarkets operate versus those occupied solely by smaller food retailers. Using data from the Women, Infants, and Children program in the Greater Los Angeles area, we show that supermarkets do not raise prices in local markets or as a function of market concentration or firm market shares. Smaller food retailers charge substantially higher prices on average than supermarkets. Their prices increase with market concentration and shares of sales, especially when small retailers face no direct competition from supermarkets. Given the dominance of small retailers in some low-income areas, our findings have important implications regarding local market power, food costs, and supermarket entry.
Evaluating financial stress and performance of beginning farmers during the agricultural downturn

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the financial performance and stress of beginning farmers in the USA with emphasis on the agricultural downturn experienced since 2013. Design/methodology/approach Using the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) data, probit models are estimated to study the personal and farm characteristics that affect whether or not the financial ratios fall into critical zones as defined by the Farm Financial Standards Council. The financial ratios involve liquidity, solvency, profitability, efficiency, and repayment capacity. Findings Beginning farmers are at a greater risk of financial stress on average, with higher likelihood of financial stress in liquidity and efficiency. Further, the recent agricultural downturn has negatively affected liquidity, solvency, and profitability for farmers while repayment capacity does not appear to be affected. During the downturn, beginning farmers are better positioned than the general farming population with respect to liquidity and repayment capacity. Originality/value This paper applies current lending practices to a nationally representative sample of farms over a time of changing economic conditions for the agricultural sector.