Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of TAP Ambr 250 disposable bioreactors, as a reliable scale‐down model for biologics process development

Demands for development of biological therapies is rapidly increasing, as is the drive to reduce time to patient. In order to speed up development, the disposable Automated Microscale Bioreactor (Ambr 250) system is increasingly gaining interest due to its advantages, including highly automated control, high throughput capacity, and short turnaround time. Traditional early stage upstream process development conducted in 2 ‐ 5 L bench‐top bioreactors requires high foot‐print, and running cost. The establishment of the Ambr 250 as a scale‐down model leads to many benefits in process development. In this study, a comprehensive characterization of mass transfer coefficient (kLa) in the Ambr 250 was conducted to define optimal operational conditions. Scale‐down approaches, including dimensionless volumetric flow rate (vvm), power per unit volume (P/V) and kLa have been evaluated using different cell lines. This study demonstrates that the Ambr 250 generated comparable profiles of cell growth and protein production, as seen at 5‐L and 1000‐L bioreactor scales, when using kLa as a scale‐down parameter. In addition to mimicking processes at large scales, the suitability of the Ambr 250 as a tool for clone selection, which is traditionally conducted in bench‐top bioreactors, was investigated. Data show that cell growth, productivity, metabolite profiles, and product qualities of material generated using the Ambr 250 were comparable to those from 5‐L bioreactors. Therefore, Ambr 250 can be used for clone selection and process development as a replacement for traditional bench‐top bioreactors minimizing resource utilization during the early stages of development in the biopharmaceutical industry. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 33:478–489, 2017
The scope of early traumatic brain injury as a long-term health concern in two nationwide samples: Prevalence and prognostic factors

Primary objectives: To examine the scope of paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a health concern and to identify prognostic factors for TBI-related sequelae. Methods and procedures: The study was prospective and nationwide. A questionnaire was sent to a study group (SG) of all 0–19 years old in Iceland, diagnosed ∼16 years earlier with TBI during a 1-year period, 1992–1993 (n = 550) and to a control group (CG) (n = 1232), selected from the National Register. Main outcomes and results: In the CG 49.5% reported having sustained TBI and 7.0% reported long-term disability. In the group with TBI, force of impact to the head, more than one incident of TBI and the injury severity by gender interaction predicted late symptoms. TBI severity had substantially less effect than force of impact and was close to non-existent for females. Conclusions: Based on two independent nationwide samples, the scope of TBI as a health concern in adolescence and young adulthood is greater than previously documented. The findings suggest that TBI event-related factors, especially force of impact, have greater predictive value than clinical symptoms of severity at the acute stage, females being more sensitive to the effects of mild TBI than males.
Market elements in a public service: an analytical model for studying educational policy

In studying market‐orientated reforms in education, there is a need to explain and account for their impact.1 In this paper, we aim to provide a conceptual framework (the public‐market) applicable to educational policies that incorporate parental choice and school autonomy as important components of the provision of schooling. This offers, we suggest, a sociologically informed framework within which theorising about market‐orientated reforms can be located. The purpose underlying its construction is analytical: that is, its purpose is not to advocate or provide a rationale for market‐orientated reforms, but to assist in understanding and accounting for their consequences.
American Pain Society Pain Questionnaire and Other Pain Measures in the Assessment of Osteoarthritis Pain: A Pooled Analysis of Three Celecoxib Pivotal Studies

The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the American Pain Society (APS) questionnaire in the assessment of osteoarthritis (OA) pain and to determine the onset of action of celecoxib in the treatment of acute flare pain in patients with OA of the knee or hip. Pooled data from three pivotal, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week trials of patients with OA who exhibited a flare of disease activity after withdrawal of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or analgesic therapy were evaluated. Patients completed the APS Pain Measure Questionnaire, which evaluates pain intensity and quality of life, at baseline and daily for the first 7 days of therapy. In addition, patients underwent a range of standard OA assessments to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of celecoxib up to 12 weeks. Three thousand two hundred fifty-eight patients were enrolled in the three studies, of whom 2041 completed the APS questionnaire (1010 received celecoxib, 513 received naproxen, and 518 received placebo). Within the first 24 hours, celecoxib at a dose of 200 or 400 mg/d significantly reduced the amount of acute pain experienced compared with placebo for four of the five measures, and statistical significance for the remaining parameter, “pain in the last 24 hours,” was achieved on day 2. Celecoxib at a dose of 200 to 400 mg/d provided similar efficacy to naproxen at a dose of 1000 mg/d. The pain relief observed with celecoxib was maintained for the APS evaluation period. Long-term efficacy assessments showed the efficacy of 200 mg/d of celecoxib to be continuous and maintained for at least the 12 weeks of the study and that it was equivalent to 400 mg/d of celecoxib and 1000 mg/d of naproxen. This study demonstrates that the APS questionnaire is a useful measure of pain and therapeutic response in OA. Celecoxib furthermore seems to be an effective acute and chronic analgesic in OA.
Program Evaluation of a High School Science Professional Learning Community.

Program Evaluation of a High School Science Professional Learning Community by Rebecca McLelland-Crawley MS, Walden University, 2004 BA, Kean College, 1997 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Teacher Leadership Walden University April 2014 Abstract Teachers may benefit more from a professional learning community (PLC) than from professional development initiatives presented in single day workshops. The purpose of this program evaluation study was to identify characteristics of an effective PLC and to determine how the members of the PLC have benefitted from the program. Fullan’s educational change theory provided the framework for the study, which refers to learning experiences of teachers when collaborating with peers. The sample consisted of 9 biology teachers during the 2012-2013 school year. Data were collected through online surveys and face-to-face interviews regarding effective PLCs. The online survey questions were asked to identify the characteristics of PLCs. Interviews were conducted to examine how biology teachers benefited from PLCs. Survey data were analyzed for descriptive statistics. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis for emergent themes. According to study findings, PLCs are used for shared teaching vision and practices. Sustained use of PLCs in schools could help create supportive professional learning environments for teachers to improve their teaching practices through purposeful collaboration.Teachers may benefit more from a professional learning community (PLC) than from professional development initiatives presented in single day workshops. The purpose of this program evaluation study was to identify characteristics of an effective PLC and to determine how the members of the PLC have benefitted from the program. Fullan’s educational change theory provided the framework for the study, which refers to learning experiences of teachers when collaborating with peers. The sample consisted of 9 biology teachers during the 2012-2013 school year. Data were collected through online surveys and face-to-face interviews regarding effective PLCs. The online survey questions were asked to identify the characteristics of PLCs. Interviews were conducted to examine how biology teachers benefited from PLCs. Survey data were analyzed for descriptive statistics. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis for emergent themes. According to study findings, PLCs are used for shared teaching vision and practices. Sustained use of PLCs in schools could help create supportive professional learning environments for teachers to improve their teaching practices through purposeful collaboration. Program Evaluation of a High School Science Professional Learning Community by Rebecca McLelland-Crawley MS, Walden University, 2004 BA, Kean College, 1997 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Teacher Leadership
Screening for Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors in a Greek Municipality towards Health-literate Healthcare

Diabetes prevention is possible and a lot of strategies have been implemented worldwide. Unfortunately, we lack systematic efforts of combined Type 2 Diabetes risk factors screening with the concept for patients knowledge and evaluation of health information. This is true in semi-urban Greek areas stricken by the socio-economy crisis. We used the FINDRISK questionnaire and a knowledge attitude and perceptions questionnaire for cardiovascular risk factors. Totally 358 people were recruited from March to June 2014. Young doctors examined the patients and filled in the questionnaires after their fully informed consent. We have found 75 people (20,95%) with score >15. Mean age: 52,14 years and mean BMI: 27,43kg/m 2 Accordingly their knowledge about health risk factors >90% knew the significance of high blood cholesterol, Diabetes, bad diet, exercise, smoking, obesity and hypertension, but over 60% underestimated their exact mortality impact on cardiovascular events. In our area pilot study, the burden of the problem for future development of T2D is probably heavy. Although health risk factors knowledge is growing, there are gaps in the field of person oriented methodology approach for enhanced health literacy. We need the development of targeted intervention programmes towards interdisciplinary working, transparent decision-making and active health-literated involvement of patients.
Barriers and facilitators to participation in workplace health promotion (WHP) activities: results from a cross‐sectional survey of public‐sector employees in Tasmania, Australia

Issue addressed Workplaces are promising settings for health promotion, yet employee participation in workplace health promotion (WHP) activities is often low or variable. This study explored facilitating factors and barriers associated with participation in WHP activities that formed part of a comprehensive WHP initiative run within the Tasmanian State Service (TSS) between 2009 and 2013. Methods TSS employee (n=3228) completed surveys in 2013. Data included sociodemographic characteristics, employee-perceived availability of WHP activities, employee-reported participation in WHP activities, and facilitators and barriers to participation. Ordinal log-link regression was used in cross-sectional analyses. Results Significant associations were found for all facilitating factors and participation. Respondents who felt their organisation placed a high priority on WHP, who believed that management supported participation or that the activities could improve their health were more likely to participate. Time- and health-related barriers were associated with participation in fewer activities. All associations were independent of age, sex, work schedule and employee-perceived availability of programs. Part-time and shift-work patterns, and location of activities were additionally identified barriers. Conclusion Facilitating factors relating to implementation, peer and environmental support, were associated with participation in more types of activities, time- and health-related barriers were associated with less participation. So what? Large and diverse organisations should ensure WHP efforts have manager support and adopt flexible approaches to maximise employee engagement.
İkiz açıklar hipotezi: Türkiye analizi

Bu calismanin amaci Ikiz Aciklar Hipotezinin Turkiye icin gecerli olup olmadigi sorusunun cevabini aramak ve butce aciklari ile cari islem aciklari arasindaki -varsa- iliskinin yapisini incelemektir. Ikiz Aciklar Hipotezinin gecerliligini arastirmak amaciyla 1987:01–2005:04 donemine ait ucer aylik veriler kullanilmis ve butce aciklari ile cari islem aciklari arasindaki nedenselligin varligini ve yonunu test etmek icin vektor otoregresyon (VAR) yontemi kullanilmistir. Test sonuclari Ikiz Aciklar Hipotezinin Turkiye icin gecerli oldugunu gostermistir. Uygulama sonuclarina gore butce aciklari faiz oranlari ve doviz kurlari araciligi ile cari islem aciklarina yol acmaktadir.
Organizational Commitment across Three Sectors: Public, Non-profit, and For-profit

This study examines organizational commitment of workers in three sectors: public, non-profit and for-profit. Previous work in this area has been limited to the study of organizational commitment in one sector, or a comparison between only two sectors. In order to examine organizational commitment across the three sectors, 228 employees in public sector, non-profit sector, and for-profit sector organizations were surveyed. The results indicate that for-profit workers were the most committed to their organizations, followed by non-profit employees. Workers with the lowest levels of organizational commitment were those in the public sector. Explanations for and the significance of these findings are discussed.
Policyholder Surrender Behaviors under Extreme Financial Conditions

Abstract We model surrender rates with a few explanatory variables such as the di erence between reference marketrates and product crediting rates, the policy age since the contract was issued, unemployment rates, economygrowth rates, and seasonal e ects using logit function. We investigate the policy holder surrender behav-iors of US single premium deferred annuities(SPDA) and Korean interest indexed annuities under extreme nancial conditions. Keywords: Surrender/Lapse rate model, extreme nancial conditions, surrender rate changes. 1. Introduction Modeling appropriate interest rate sensitive surrender/lapse rates is essential in managing the assetsand liabilities of insurance companies. Even though there are a few research papers on the interestsensitivity of the cash ows, the analysis is focused usually on asset sides. For example, in Pesando(1974), the cash ow analysis considers the prepayment rate impacts only. But we have to mentionthat the interest sensitivity of cash ows through surrender rate uctuations is a kind of \dualproblem" through the prepayment rate uctuations. So it is important to consider surrender rateimpacts on cash ow analysis with proper surrender rate models.There are many factors a ecting surrender/lapse rates such as the di erence between referencemarket rate and policy crediting rate, seasonal e ect, age and gender of clients, economy growthrate, foreign exchange rate, ination rate, policy age since issue date, and unemployment rate. Kim(2005a) presents surrender rate models with explanatory variables such as the di erence betweenreference rates and crediting rates, policy age since issue, nancial crises, unemployment rates,economy growth rates and seasonal e ects. He uses the logit function and the complementary log-log function in modeling surrender rates and shows that the logit model and the complementarylog-log model are generally better than the existing surrender rate models such as the arctangentmodel. He also shows that the surrender rate models are di erent according to insurance policytypes and nds the proper surrender rate models for the four insurance groups: protection plans,education plans, endowment and annuities.
Ki‐67 immunostaining and other prognostic factors including tobacco smoking in patients with resected nonsmall cell lung carcinoma

To estimate the effectiveness of expression of the tumor proliferative marker Ki‐67 antigen (Ki‐67) as a postoperative prognostic marker, the authors analyzed Ki‐67 expression and its correlation with postoperative survival and other clinicopathologic factors, including preoperative smoking habits, in patients with resected nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).
Design of haptic interface for brickout game

This paper introduces a haptic interface for brick games. Conventionally the game user uses mouse or keyboard to play the brick game. However, these input devices do not provide intuitive interface for the game and any tactile feedback to the user. We use a haptic dial to add tactile feedback to enhance game effects in addition to visual and sound effects. The user changes the position of the paddle by spinning the dial knob and feels various tactile feedbacks according to the game context. Tactile feedbacks include friction, jog dial, barrier, detent, and any combinations of these effects which are programmed based on the amount, frequency, and direction of torque along the rotational path. These effects are used as either penalties or useful tools. The proposed haptic dial interface makes the game more fun and gives a very intuitive interface to the game user.
Are Words Commensurate with Actions? Quantifying Commitment to a Cause from Online Public Messaging

Public entities such as companies and politicians increasingly use online social networks to communicate directly with their constituencies. Often, this public messaging is aimed at aligning the entity with a particular cause or issue, such as the environment or public health. However, as a consumer or voter, it can be difficult to assess an entity’s true commitment to a cause based on public messaging. In this paper, we present a text classification approach to categorize a message according to its commitment level toward a cause. We then compare the volume of such messages with external ratings based on entities’ actions (e.g., a politician’s voting record with respect to the environment or a company’s rating from environmental non-profits). We find that by distinguishing between low- and high- level commitment messages, we can more reliably identify truly committed entities. Furthermore, by measuring the discrepancy between classified messages and external ratings, we can identify entities whose public messaging does not align with their actions, thereby providing a methodology to identify potentially “inauthentic” messaging campaigns.
EC steel prices and imports: impact of imports from Eastern Europe

As might be expected, steel product prices fell during the recession of the early 1990s. Between 1990 and 1992, steel prices fell by about a third. As the economies of the EC recovered from the recession from early 1993, steel prices rose but by mid‐year it was clear that the increase was much below what was expected. It soon became clear that expected price rises were being mitigated by rising imports from Eastern European countries. This paper considers the process of steel price determination in the EC and the effect of cheap imports on EC prices. It shows that unregulated and relatively cheaper imports from the Former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern European countries indeed had a more depressing effect on EC prices by raising supply than would have been the case otherwise.
Vertical Comparative Advantage

Despite being the cornerstone of trade theory, the concept of comparative advantage remains an empirically and operationally weak concept. Typically invoked as the rationale for and of trade proper, comparative advantage is rarely ever described in any detail, let alone measured and tested. This article examines the “problem” of comparative advantage and explores alternatives. Specifically, in light of recent findings regarding the very nature of trade (e.g., its vertical nature [Hummels, Rapoport, and Yi 1998; Hummels, Ishii, and Yi 2001; Lüthje 2005, 2006] and the increasingly global nature of value chains), the concept of horizontal (sector, good) comparative advantage is abandoned in favor of vertical comparative advantage, defined over individual links or strands of links of a given value chain. Regions/countries (region/country) are assumed to have vertical comparative advantages, not horizontal comparative advantages. For example, 19th century Great Britain had a vertical comparative advantage in processing cotton and silk from its colonies, not in textiles per se (horizontal comparative advantage). Today, Japan has a similar vertical comparative advantage in the transformation of imported intermediate goods. The result is a more complete theory of comparative advantage, one that is testable, amenable to policy analysis, and sufficiently general to include existing approaches as special cases.
A nova política monetária: uma análise do regime de metas de inflação no Brasil

Assessing the inflation targeting regime in Brazil Assessing the inflation targeting regime in Brazil Assessing the inflation targeting regime in Brazil Assessing the inflation targeting regime in Brazil This paper is concerned with ‘new’ monetary policy, essentially what has come to be known as inflation targeting (IT). While the paper aims to examine this policy in the case of emerging countries, the focus is on Brazil and the application of this monetary policy framework in the case of this country since 1999. The paper begins by discussing the theoretical foundations and operational aspects of IT, before it turns to an examination of the experience of IT in Brazil. The Brazilian experience is compared and contrasted with that of other similar countries. The paper concludes by suggesting that although IT have had the intended impact, non-IT countries have also had a similar experience. Furthermore, the Brazilian experience with IT has been one of low growth and relatively high inflation.
Doxorubicin Conjugate of Poly(Ethylene Glycol)‐Block‐Polyphosphoester for Cancer Therapy

Polyphosphoesters with repeating phosphoester linkages in the backbone can be easily functionalized, are biodegradable and potentially biocompatible, and may be potential candidates as polymer carriers of drug conjugates. Here, the efficacy of a polyphosphoester drug conjugate as an anticancer agent in vivo is assessed for the first time. With controlled synthesis, doxorubicin conjugated to poly(ethylene glycol)‐block‐polyphosphoester (PPEH–DOX) via labile hydrazone bonds form spherical nanoparticles in aqueous solution with an average diameter of ≈60 nm. These nanoparticles are effectively internalized by MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells and release the conjugated doxorubicin in response to the intracellular pH of endosomes and lysosomes, resulting in significant antiproliferative activity in cancer cells. Compared with free doxorubicin injection, PPEH–DOX injection exhibits much longer circulation behavior in the plasma of mice and leads to enhanced drug accumulation in tumor cells. In an MDA‐MB‐231 xenograft murine model, inhibition of tumor growth with systemic delivery of PPEH–DOX nanoparticles is more pronounced compared with free doxorubicin injection, suggesting the potential of polyphosphoesters as carriers of drug conjugates in cancer therapy.