Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Human Resource Performance Ratios and Financial Performance of Nigerian Firms

In order to function properly organizations utilize resources, this can either be from internal or external sources. In most organisations, human resource forms one of the key internal resources available to the management (Pandurangarao, Basha & Rajasekhar, 2013). In today’s highly competitive and globalised knowledge era, human resource has been considered as the most important asset in any organization (Huui, 2012; Maindargi, 2012). No company can exist without its employees (Huui, 2012) and presently stakeholders demand the valuation, recording and fair disclosure of human resource information in financial statements (Islam, Kamruzzaman & Redwanuzzaman, 2013), which is considered relevant to a variety of decisions made by external and internal users. Approaches to human resource accounting were first developed in the United States of America in the year 1691. Research into true human resource accounting began in the year 1960s by Rensis Likert. The main objective of human resource accounting is to facilitate the effective and efficient management of human resources. Human resource accounting was originally defined as the process of identifying, measuring, and communicating information about human resources to facilitate effective management within an organization (Kirfi & Abdullahi, 2012). The treatment of investment in people as assets can be attributed to two major reasons: first, present and potential investors need such information to help assess the value of a business enterprise; and second, investments in people satisfy the criteria for treatment as an asset (Akintoye, 2012). HRA can be considered both an internal and an external discipline: internal as a management tool; external as a reporting tool (Kirfi & Abdullahi, 2012).
Proliferation assay on a silicon chip applicable for tumors extirpated from mammalians

We describe a novel anticancer drug sensitivity assay on a silicon chip applicable for tumors extirpated from in vivo mammalians. Human promyelocytic leukemia (HL‐60) cells were subcutaneously (s.c.) inoculated in SCID mice, then removed 31 days after the inoculation. The cells were embedded in a small volume (18 nL) of a collagen‐gel matrix on a pyramid‐shaped silicon microstructure for further cultivation. The respiration activity of the cells on the chip was measured by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The proliferation behavior was continuously monitored for 6 days. It seemed that the proliferation rate of the cells removed from the mice was lower than that cultured in a flask and conformed to that in mice. The effects of cisplatin (CDDP) and etoposide (VP‐16) on the HL‐60 cultured in vivo were in good agreement with those obtained by a conventional colorimetric assay. Our results suggest that the SECM‐based assay is appropriate for biopsy specimens in a relatively short‐time evaluation. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Slow gait, white matter characteristics, and prior 10-year interleukin-6 levels in older adults

Objective: To examine the relationship between gait speed and prior 10 years interleukin-6 (IL-6) burden in older adults. We then assessed whether white matter characteristics influence this relationship. Methods: In 179 community-dwelling older adults, gait speed was assessed on an automated walkway and serum IL-6 was assayed on ELISA. Concurrently, white matter characteristics were assessed on MRI by quantifying volume of white matter hyperintensities (WMH), a marker of small vessel disease, and normal-appearing white matter on fractional anisotropy (NAWM-FA), a marker of axonal integrity. IL-6 was assayed at regular intervals at gait assessment and over the prior 10 years and estimates of sustained 10-year IL-6 exposure and the rate of change in IL-6 over 10 years were obtained. Multivariate linear regressions were used to examine the relationships among sustained IL-6 exposure, rate of change in IL-6, gait speed, and white matter characteristics. Results: In this sample (age 83 years, 58% female, 41% black, gait speed 0.9 m/s), higher sustained IL-6 levels, but not the rate of change in IL-6 or IL-6 at gait assessment, was significantly related to slower gait (β = −0.27, p < 0.001) and to higher WMH (β = 0.23, p = 0.002), but not NAWM-FA, withstanding covariate adjustments. WMH accounted for 30% attenuation in the relationship between higher sustained IL-6 levels and slower gait speed (p = 0.043) in the mediation analyses. Conclusions: Sustained exposure to high IL-6 over 10 years rather than the rate of change in IL-6 or an isolated high IL-6 level may adversely affect gait speed by influencing cerebral WMH.
Exploring the relationship between physical well‐being and healthy lifestyle changes among European‐ and Latina‐American breast and cervical cancer survivors

Background: Cancer and its treatments have a lingering and often negative impact on survivors' physical well‐being. The physical sequelae impinge on daily functioning and overall HRQOL, and perhaps influence lifestyle changes post‐cancer. This study aims to examine: (1) physical well‐being items that are associated with low overall health‐related quality of life; and (2) the relationship between physical well‐being outcomes and healthy lifestyle changes by cancer type.
Intertemporal Speculation with a Random Demand in an Experimental Market

The behavior of three markets with speculators is studied. Each market is for commodities that can be carried forward one period by two speculators. Demand in the first period is stationary from year to year and demand in the second period is randomly determined. The question posed by the research is the reliability of rational expectations models relative to autarky models, in explaining market behavior. The result is that the rational expectations model is more accurate.
OsCESA9 conserved‐site mutation leads to largely enhanced plant lodging resistance and biomass enzymatic saccharification by reducing cellulose DP and crystallinity in rice

Summary Genetic modification of plant cell walls has been posed to reduce lignocellulose recalcitrance for enhancing biomass saccharification. Since cellulose synthase (CESA) gene was first identified, several dozen CESA mutants have been reported, but almost all mutants exhibit the defective phenotypes in plant growth and development. In this study, the rice (Oryza sativa) Osfc16 mutant with substitutions (W481C, P482S) at P‐CR conserved site in CESA9 shows a slightly affected plant growth and higher biomass yield by 25%–41% compared with wild type (Nipponbare, a japonica variety). Chemical and ultrastructural analyses indicate that Osfc16 has a significantly reduced cellulose crystallinity (CrI) and thinner secondary cell walls compared with wild type. CESA co‐IP detection, together with implementations of a proteasome inhibitor (MG132) and two distinct cellulose inhibitors (Calcofluor, CGA), shows that CESA9 mutation could affect integrity of CESA4/7/9 complexes, which may lead to rapid CESA proteasome degradation for low‐DP cellulose biosynthesis. These may reduce cellulose CrI, which improves plant lodging resistance, a major and integrated agronomic trait on plant growth and grain production, and enhances biomass enzymatic saccharification by up to 2.3‐fold and ethanol productivity by 34%–42%. This study has for the first time reported a direct modification for the low‐DP cellulose production that has broad applications in biomass industries.
A new application of charged aerosol detection in liquid chromatography for the simultaneous determination of polar and less polar ginsenosides in ginseng products.

INTRODUCTION Conventional liquid chromatographic methods coupled with ultraviolet or evaporative light scattering detection are not sensitive enough to determine both polar and less polar ginsenosides at low concentrations. OBJECTIVE To establish a liquid chromatography-charged aerosol detection method for the simultaneous determination of polar and less polar ginsenosides in a variety of ginseng products METHODS Fourteen polar and less polar ginsenosides were extracted and concentrated by solid phase extraction. These were subsequently baseline-separated on a conventional reversed-phase C18 -column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) with a simple mobile phase consisting of water and acetonitrile. Components were then detected by means of charged aerosol detection. RESULTS The method developed allowed the simultaneous determination of six polar ginsenosides (Rg1 , Re, Rb1 , Rc, Rb, Rd) and eight less polar ginsenosides (Rg6 , F4 , Rk3 , Rh4 , Rg3 (S), Rg3 (R), Rk1 , Rg5 ) in a single chromatographic run. Further, the method was linear (R(2) > 0.99), accurate (relative recoveries, 90-112%), and precise (intraday RSD < 5.7% and interday RSD < 10.6%) within the concentration range tested. The method sensitivity was measured in terms of the limit of detection, which ranged from 0.5 to 4.0 µg/mL. CONCLUSION Concentrations of 14 ginsenosides were determined simultaneously in one homemade red ginseng and 13 commercial ginseng products of different types (liquid and solid samples), and results showed that ginsenoside content varied significantly among the samples tested. The method developed could serve as a useful analytical tool for the quality control of ginseng products.
Effects of implementing time-variable postgraduate training programmes on the organization of teaching hospital departments

Abstract Introduction: As competency-based education has gained currency in postgraduate medical education, it is acknowledged that trainees, having individual learning curves, acquire the desired competencies at different paces. To accommodate their different learning needs, time-variable curricula have been introduced making training no longer time-bound. This paradigm has many consequences and will, predictably, impact the organization of teaching hospitals. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of time-variable postgraduate education on the organization of teaching hospital departments. Methods: We undertook exploratory case studies into the effects of time-variable training on teaching departments’ organization. We held semi-structured interviews with clinical teachers and managers from various hospital departments. Results: The analysis yielded six effects: (1) time-variable training requires flexible and individual planning, (2) learners must be active and engaged, (3) accelerated learning sometimes comes at the expense of clinical expertise, (4) fast-track training for gifted learners jeopardizes the continuity of care, (5) time-variable training demands more of supervisors, and hence, they need protected time for supervision, and (6) hospital boards should support time-variable training. Conclusions: Implementing time-variable education affects various levels within healthcare organizations, including stakeholders not directly involved in medical education. These effects must be considered when implementing time-variable curricula.
Transpontine Connection Fibers between Corticospinal Tracts in Hemiparetic Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Objectives: A connection of fibers between corticospinal tracts (CSTs) at the pons, originating from the CST of the affected hemisphere, has been observed in hemiparetic patients with stroke. The authors investigated the incidence and the clinical significance of transpontine connection of fibers (TCFs) in hemiparetic patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Subjects and Methods: Forty-two patients with ICH with weakness of the affected extremities at the time of DTI scanning and 41 age-matched control subjects were recruited. TCFs were classified into three types according to severity: type A – no TCF extending to the opposite hemisphere, type B – a TCF crossing to the opposite hemisphere and ending at the subcortical level, and type C – a TCF crossing the pons and ascending to the cortex of the opposite hemisphere. Results: TCFs originating from the CST in affected and unaffected hemispheres were significantly more prevalent among patients than controls (both p < 0.05). In addition, TCF severity was found to be closely related to motor function reduction in affected extremities (p < 0.05) and to extent of CST injury in affected hemispheres (p < 0.05). Conclusions: TCF appears to represent a compensatory mechanism associated with motor weakness or CST injury in patients with ICH.
Combined colposcopy, loop conization, and laser vaporization reduces recurrent abnormal cytology and residual disease in cervical dysplasia.

OBJECTIVES Loop electrosurgical excision of the transformation zone (LEETZ) was recently associated with relatively high failure rates. We evaluated whether the combination of LEETZ with laser vaporization is superior to LEETZ alone in reducing the rates of recurrent abnormal cytology and residual disease. METHODS The study population included 426 women with histologic diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2-3, of whom 289 (study group) were treated by LEETZ followed by laser vaporization of the crater base and walls and 137 (control group) were treated by LEETZ alone. All women were followed scrupulously at regular intervals for recurrent abnormal cytology and residual disease. The mean follow-up periods were 43 and 59 months for the study and control groups, respectively. RESULTS Both groups were derived from the same community and were similar in epidemiologic characteristics and disease severity. Although the incidence of positive surgical margins was similar in both groups (10.4 and 9.5% for the study and control groups, respectively), recurrent abnormal cytology (10.2% vs 5.5%, P = 0.07) and histologic residual disease (21.4% vs 0%, P = 0.05) were more frequent among women in the control group. This applied to women with both negative and positive surgical margins. Both study and control women with positive surgical margins, especially at the endocervix, were at higher risk for recurrence. CONCLUSION The addition of laser vaporization to LEETZ may improve outcome of both women with positive margins and women with negative margins. Our results support conservative management for all treated women, regardless of cone margin status.
A fully digital calibration technique for nonlinearity correction in pipelined ADCs

A digital background calibration is proposed to address finite dc gain of amplifier, capacitors mismatch and nonlinearity of amplifier. Two extra comparators and an interpolation filter are utilized to implement a virtual ADC. The proposed calibration, calibrate gain error and nonlinearity of a 1.5 bits per stage pipelined ADC. The difference of virtual ADC and the ADC are utilized to drive a Least Mean Square (LMS) machine to estimate inverse coefficient of Multiplying Digital to Analog Converter (MDAC). The proposed calibration is tested on 12 bit, 100 MS/s pipelined ADC. The capacitor mismatch is set to 0.1% and the amplifier gain is set to 30 dB. The spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) and signal to noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) are both increased from 40 dB and 35.5 dB to 87 dB and 73 dB respectively.
In vitro growth and starch digestion by Entodinium exiguum as influenced by the presence or absence of live bacteria.

In a preliminary study, the addition of antibiotics was shown to reduce bacterial concentrations in Entodinium exiguum cultures by more than 99% in 4 h, whereas the protozoal population was apparently unaffected. Using this procedure, the growth and amylolytic capability of Entodinium exiguum, in the presence or absence of live bacteria, was studied in vitro. Treatments for Trial 1 were protozoa plus antibiotics (PA), PA plus autoclaved bacteria (PAB), protozoa plus living bacteria (PLB), and only bacteria (BAC). Autoclaved or non-autoclaved cornstarch was used as an energy source. Treatment main effects were as follows: higher concentration of E. exiguum in PLB than in PA or PAB at 24 and 48 h (P < 0.01); PA and PAB were not different (P > 0.05); concentrations of E. exiguum higher in autoclaved cornstarch at 12 h (P < 0.05) but lower than in non-autoclaved cornstarch at 24 and 48 h (P < 0.01); and starch digestion in PLB was higher than in PA and PAB at all time periods, but only greater than BAC up to 24 h (P < 0.01). In Trial 2, only treatments PA, PLB, and BAC were tested. Rice starch and cornstarch were used as substrates. With rice starch, growth was higher in PLB than in PA at 24 and 48 h (P < 0.05). Starch digestion started earlier in PLB with rice starch (P < 0.05) but was complete for both substrates after 24 h. Up to 12 h (autoclaved cornstarch and rice starch) and 24 h (non-autoclaved cornstarch and cornstarch), the sum of digestion by bacteria and protozoa did not equal the extent of digestion in PLB, suggesting some kind of synergism. Total extent of digestion with protozoa was similar between the two sources; however, bacteria digested rice starch faster and to a greater extent than cornstarch. Approximate lag times with rice starch, autoclaved cornstarch, and non-autoclaved cornstarch were 6, 3, and 12 h for bacteria and < 6, 3, and 9 h for protozoa, respectively. Rate of digestion for non-autoclaved cornstarch was similar for bacteria and protozoa, whereas the rate of bacterial digestion was much faster with the other two substrates (autoclaved cornstarch and rice starch).
Thermal Management in Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording

Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is one of the most promising techniques to extend the recording density in hard disk drives beyond 4 Tb/in2. This places a range of stringent operating requirements in the head disk interface, including heating and cooling of the media, must occur within the order of nanosecond in order to achieve the necessary data rates, generate a large thermal gradient for sharp bit edge, and ensure that the recorded data are thermally stable during cooling to ambient. Optical energy must be efficiently delivered and confined to a spot in the medium that is much smaller than the diffraction limit so that neighboring tracks are not heated. To shed light on this issue, a mesoscale level model based on kinetic theory called lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is applied to understand the nanoscale heat transfer in the media layer in HAMR operations. In this paper, we examine the effects of main energy carriers at nansocale (electrons and phonons) via novel LBM-based methodology. We investigate the overall heat transfer contribution of the coupled heat carriers and the electron-phonon coupling issues in the carbon matrix and media grain interface in a representative FePt media layer. Since thermal gradients and grain size are very important for achieving high-density HAMR recording, the in-plane crosstrack temperature gradients of structural effects with two representative grain shapes (hexagonal and circular) and sizes (10 and 5 nm) are investigated. We observed that 10 nm grains of both shapes show lower temperature gradients compared with the 5 nm size, due to the increase of carrier scattering at the grain/carbon matrix interface. Circular grain shape produces larger temperature gradient magnitude compared with hexagonal grain structure. Thus, this paper will produce insight in the mechanism to control the thermal management and temperature gradients for high-density HAMR.
Systematic Review of Conservative Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage: What to Do When Medical Treatment Fails

We performed a systematic review to identify all studies evaluating the success rates of treatment of major postpartum hemorrhage by uterine balloon tamponade, uterine compression sutures, pelvic devascularization, and arterial embolization. We included studies reporting on at least 5 cases. All searches were performed independently by 2 researchers and updated in June 2006. Failure of management was defined as the need to proceed to subsequent or repeat surgical or radiological therapy or hysterectomy, or death. As the search identified no randomized controlled trials, we proceeded to search for observational studies. This identified 396 publications, and after exclusions, 46 studies were included in the systematic review. The cumulative outcomes showed success rates of 90.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 85.7%–94.0%) for arterial embolization, 84.0% (95% CI, 77.5%–88.8%) for balloon tamponade, 91.7% (95% CI, 84.9%–95.5%) for uterine compression sutures, and 84.6% (81.2%–87.5%) for iliac artery ligation or uterine devascularization (P = 0.06). At present there is no evidence to suggest that any one method is better for the management of severe postpartum hemorrhage. Randomized controlled trials of the various treatment options may be difficult to perform in practice. As balloon tamponade is the least invasive and most rapid approach, it would be logical to use this as the first step in the management. Target Audience: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians Learning Objectives: After completion of this article, the reader should be able to recall that there are no randomized controlled studies on various methods of treating postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), state that the success rate for one method is no better than another method in the management of severe PPH, and explain that after medical management fails the next logical approach is the use of the balloon tamponade.
Death substrates come alive

Interleukin 1β‐converting enzyme (ICE)‐like proteases (caspases) play an important role in programmed cell death (apoptosis), and elucidating the consequences of their proteolytic activity is central to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cell death. Diverse structural and regulatory proteins and enzymes, including protein kinase Cδ, the retinoblastoma protein (a protein involved in cell survival), the DNA repair enzyme DNA‐dependent protein kinase and the nuclear lamins, undergo specific and limited endoproteolytic cleavage by various caspases during apoptosis. Since individual caspases can cleave multiple substrates, the consequences of cleavage of only a single substrate are still poorly understood. Nevertheless, proteolytic activation of protein kinase Cδ may be an important early step in the cell death pathway, and cleavage of the retinoblastoma protein could suppress its cell survival function, whereas proteolytic inactivation of DNA repair enzymes might compromise the ability of the cell to reverse DNA fragmentation. On the other hand, cleavages of nuclear and cytoplasmic structural proteins (e.g. the lamins and Gas2) appear to be required for or contribute to the dramatic rearrangements in cellular architecture that are necessary for the completion of the cell death process. An emerging theme is that parallel and sequential proteolytic activation and inactivation of key protein substrates occurs during the multiple steps of apoptosis.
PeerJ - A case study in improving research collaboration at the journal level

PeerJ Inc. is the Open Access publisher of PeerJ a peer-reviewed, Open Access journal and PeerJ PrePrints an un-peer-reviewed or collaboratively reviewed preprint server, both serving the biological, medical and health sciences.The Editorial Criteria of PeerJ the journal are similar to those of PLOS ONE in that all submissions are judged only on their scientific and methodological soundness not on subjective determinations of impact, or degree of advance. PeerJ's peer-review process is managed by an Editorial Board of 800 and an Advisory Board of 20 including 5 Nobel Laureates. Editor listings by subject area are at: https://peerj.com/academic-boards/subjects/ and the Advisory Board is at: https://peerj.com/academic-boards/advisors/. In the context of Understanding Research Collaboration, there are several unique aspects of the PeerJ set-up which will be of interest to readers of this special issue.