Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization and Evaluation of Tenoxicam Coprecipitates

Tenoxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug belonging to the oxicam group. The drug is slightly soluble in water. In a trial to increase its dissolution, different commonly used excipients were selected to prepare coprecipitates with tenoxicam. The coprecipitates were prepared using the solvent evaporation method, and the ratio used was 1:3 drug to additive. The prepared coprecipitates were subjected to a dissolution study, and they were characterized using infrared (IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. Dissolution profiles of most of the prepared coprecipitates demonstrated higher dissolution than pure tenoxicam. The characteristic peaks of tenoxicam in the IR spectrum disappeared in the spectra of all the prepared coprecipitates except those prepared with sodium chloride, for which the IR spectrum was identical to that of the pure drug. The characteristic peaks of tenoxicam disappeared in the DSC thermograms of the coprecipitates under study, indicating a change in structure from pure tenoxicam. Characterization of the coprecipitates by IR and DSC techniques revealed structural changes in the prepared coprecipitates from the plain drug, which may account for increased dissolution rates.
In touch boards: reaching out to the value critical stakeholders

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how boards can get in touch with their value critical stakeholders, those who can make or break the company.Design/methodology/approach – The paper first develops the hypothesis that boards often are out of touch with reality. It then introduces the concept of value critical stakeholders and proposes that boards introduce an outreach program to get in touch with them. For each of the proposed five elements in an outreach program, the paper reviews what boards already are doing to be in touch.Findings – The review of existing practice shows that for each of the elements in an outreach program, there is enough practice available for boards to develop a comprehensive approach to get in touch with the value critical stakeholders.Social implications – To prevent a future governance crisis, get in touch and promote long‐term value creation, boards need an explicit program of reaching out beyond the boardroom, not only to the immediate stakeholders, but also the soc.
European financial reporting : a history

International Accounting and History, P.Walton Accounting in the Industrialisation of Westem Europe, J Foreman-Peck The History of financial Reporting in Austria, C. Nowotny and E. Gruber The History of Financial Reporting in Belgium, De Ronge, E. Henrion, and C. Vael The History of Financial Reporting in Denmark, M. Christiansen The History of Financial Reporting in Finland, S. Nasi The History of Financial Reporting in France, A. Mikol The History of financial Reporting in Germany, I. D. Schneider The History of Financial Reporting in Italy, L. Took The History of Financial Reporting in the Netherlands, K Camfferman The History of Financial Reporting in Norway, A. Kinserdahl The History of Financial Reporting in Spain, B. G. Inchausti The History of Financial Reporting in Sweden, S. -A. Nilsson The History of Financial Reporting in Switzerland, A. -K Achleitner The History of Financial Reporting in the UK, C. Napier.
The pharmacological treatment of primary aldosteronism

Aldosterone is increasingly considered to have a fundamental role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. Primary aldosteronism is a much more common cause of secondary hypertension than once suspected, accounting for ∼ 10% of cases. Screening for primary aldosteronism should be considered even in the presence of normokalaemia. The non-classical effects of aldosterone, some of which are transcription-independent, may be of similar or greater importance than its traditional effects on the kidney. Treatment of primary aldosteronism should be specific and aim to ameliorate all hormone-related effects of aldosterone, not just the most obvious manifestation of hypertension. Mineralocorticoid antagonism, shown to lead to significant additional survival advantage in heart failure, offers the best prospect for achieving therapeutic goals. For the increasing proportion of patients with primary aldosteronism suitable for long-term medical treatment, mineralocorticoid receptor blockade (better tolerated with eplerenone) should be considered the most appropriate choice of treatment, pending the development of better alternatives.
Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse

Background Recent research from North America has demonstrated higher than expected rates of drug and alcohol abuse among the seriously mentally ill. Schizophrenics appear to be particularly susceptible to the negative effects of substance abuse. These include psychiatric and social complications, with antisocial behaviour, particularly violence emerging as one of the most worrying features. This review examines the strength of the association and explores the possible explanations for the apparent link between schizophrenia, substance abuse and violence. Method The literature was searched using Medline, supplemented with a manual literature search. Results Very few articles specifically approached the problem of violence among substance abusing schizophrenics, but over 80 papers were identified which were helpful in exploring the link between dangerous behaviour and substance abuse by schizophrenics. Conclusions While there is circumstantial evidence to support the hypothesis that schizophrenics who abuse drugs or alcohol are at an increased risk of behaving violently, longitudinal studies are required to facilitate a better understanding of the mediating mechanisms.
Integrating Technology into the Teaching and Learning of Dance

C omputer integration has been mandated on a national level within all subjects. But teachers’ readiness in operating and merging technology into the curriculum is a concern. There is widespread interest in educational technology’s ability to facilitate teaching and learning, yet many issues concerning its implementation remain unclear and deserve careful examination. This article will discuss the complex issues surrounding the integration of technology in the dance classroom and provide examples of how the Discover Dance1 CD-ROM can be used to facilitate this integration. While the investment in educational technology is expansive, the use of telecommunication through the Internet provides highways to the world. Such access to a global dance community heightens students’ perception of dance in their external environment and broadens their dance community. Internet resources originate new strategies for learning while acting to strengthen the global community and informing students’ growing definition of dance education. Autonomy
Randomized multicenter phase II study of gemcitabine versus docetaxel as first-line therapy with second-line crossover in advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND A randomized phase II study was performed to determine whether single-agent gemcitabine or docetaxel with the introduction of the opposite agent in case of disease progression (ie, in the second-line setting) is feasible and effective in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS The doses were 1,000 mg/m2 for gemcitabine and 35 mg/m2 for docetaxel, each given on days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks. After a planned interim analysis, the docetaxel/gemcitabine arm (ie, docetaxel followed by gemcitabine) was closed after enrollment of 49 patients because of poor predefined feasibility. A total of 98 patients were recruited to the gemcitabine/docetaxel arm (ie, gemcitabine followed by docetaxel). RESULTS Quality of life remained near baseline levels during the administration of 6 cycles of gemcitabine/docetaxel chemotherapy, whereas it deteriorated after 2 cycles of docetaxel/gemcitabine. Toxicity was comparable between arms. Median times to progression were 4.3 months and 2.2 months with gemcitabine/docetaxel and docetaxel/gemcitabine, respectively, and median overall survival times were 9 months (gemcitabine/docetaxel) and 5 months (docetaxel/gemcitabine; P=0.029, Wilcoxon rank-sum test). CONCLUSION These results indicate that first-line gemcitabine followed by second-line weekly docetaxel is feasible, with promising survival in patients with advanced NSCLC.
Computer-Assisted Navigation in Knee Arthroplasty: A Critical Appraisal

Abstract The purpose of this review was to appraise the use of computer-assisted navigation in total knee arthroplasty and to assess whether this technology has improved clinical outcomes. Studies were identified through searches in MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed. Numerous studies have shown improved leg and component alignment using navigation systems. However, the better alignment achieved in navigated knee arthroplasty has not been shown to lead to better clinical outcomes. Navigated knee arthroplasty had lower calculated blood loss and lower incidence of fat embolism compared with conventional knee arthroplasty using intramedullary jigs. It may be most valued when dealing with complex knee deformities, revision surgery, or minimally invasive surgery. Navigated knee arthroplasty, however, is only cost-effective in centers with a high volume of joint replacements. Overall, computer-assisted navigated knee arthroplasty provides some advantages over conventional surgery, but its clinical benefits to date are unclear and remain to be defined on a larger scale.
Characterization of the Nodularin Synthetase Gene Cluster and Proposed Theory of the Evolution of Cyanobacterial Hepatotoxins

ABSTRACT Nodularia spumigena is a bloom-forming cyanobacterium which produces the hepatotoxin nodularin. The complete gene cluster encoding the enzymatic machinery required for the biosynthesis of nodularin in N. spumigena strain NSOR10 was sequenced and characterized. The 48-kb gene cluster consists of nine open reading frames (ORFs), ndaA to ndaI, which are transcribed from a bidirectional regulatory promoter region and encode nonribosomal peptide synthetase modules, polyketide synthase modules, and tailoring enzymes. The ORFs flanking the nda gene cluster in the genome of N. spumigena strain NSOR10 were identified, and one of them was found to encode a protein with homology to previously characterized transposases. Putative transposases are also associated with the structurally related microcystin synthetase (mcy) gene clusters derived from three cyanobacterial strains, indicating a possible mechanism for the distribution of these biosynthetic gene clusters between various cyanobacterial genera. We propose an alternative hypothesis for hepatotoxin evolution in cyanobacteria based on the results of comparative and phylogenetic analyses of the nda and mcy gene clusters. These analyses suggested that nodularin synthetase evolved from a microcystin synthetase progenitor. The identification of the nodularin biosynthetic gene cluster and evolution of hepatotoxicity in cyanobacteria reported in this study may be valuable for future studies on toxic cyanobacterial bloom formation. In addition, an appreciation of the natural evolution of nonribosomal biosynthetic pathways will be vital for future combinatorial engineering and rational design of novel metabolites and pharmaceuticals.
Shifts in India's small industry policy

India was one of the first countries to adopt a clear policy to support small-scale industry 50 years ago, as a means of promoting employment. This article describes the elements of India's Small Industry Policy with specific reference to protective measures, and reviews its impact on the growth and efficiency of the sector. India's small industry liberalization is making quiet progress, characterized by a dilution of protective measures on the one hand and a strengthening of development measures on the other, aimed at boosting the efficiency and competitiveness of small industry to the international level.
Diet of nestling Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica in rural areas of Poland

Analysis of faecal sacs of nestling Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica from 52 breeding colonies located within fifteen spatially-separated villages in Poland has revealed that the basic component of the diet was Coleoptera (56.1% of all identified prey items), followed by Hymenoptera (24.1%), Diptera (16.1%) and Hemiptera (3.3%). The average mass of all prey items with known weight amounted to 3.40 mg (95% CL, 3.16–3.63 mg; median=0.49 mg) dry weight. Coleopterans associated with dung and manure jointly made up 23.5% of the number and 24.3% of the total biomass of all representatives of the order. Statistically significant negative relationships between the average weight of prey and number of prey found in 52 analyzed breeding sites suggest a particular need for Barn Swallows to find larger-bodied prey rather than to exploit the local abundance of smaller prey. The high percentage of Coleoptera in the diet of nestling Barn Swallows probably results from extensive or traditional farm management based on rules of organic farming in agricultural areas of central Europe, mainly commonly used organic fertilizers, and suggests the importance of these insects as a more easily accessible and larger-bodied prey in comparison to some small Diptera or Hymenoptera. We believe that a large number of randomly collected faecal samples from tens of breeding sites allow us to precisely describe variation in the diet of the Barn Swallow. Our work has great importance for documenting of the food composition of the Barn Swallow in traditional European countrysides, i.e. under environmental and agricultural conditions which, as a result of transformations of the system of farming, ceased to exist in the western and northern part of this continent.
How do you treat motor complications in Parkinson's disease: Medicine, surgery, or both?

The motor complications associated with levodopa therapy, namely, fluctuations in motor response and dyskinesias, occur in the majority of Parkinson's disease patients. These complications can impair a patient's quality of life and even cause pronounced disability. “Off” states that result in freezing of gait and falling are disabling for many patients. Dyskinesias most commonly occur at peak dose and typically alternate with the wearing‐off state. Once these problems appear, they usually persist, and the physician needs to make continual adjustments in medications to minimize these problems. Medical treatments should be attempted before treatments such as deep brain stimulation are considered because of the potential adverse effects that are associated with surgery. The timing of surgery, however, is also important because younger patients and less advanced patients tend to have a better outcome. There is thus a need for experienced and knowledgeable physicians and surgeons who are able to handle these motor complications. This review discusses available medications and surgical approaches, and their outcomes. Ann Neurol 2008;64 (suppl):S56–S64
How Would the Mandatory Adoption of IFRS Affect the Earnings Quality of U.S. Firms? Evidence from Cross-Listed Firms in the U.S.

SYNOPSIS: We examine the impact of IFRS adoption on the earnings quality of foreign firms cross-listed in the U.S. from countries that have already adopted IFRS on a mandatory basis. We use the cross-listed firms as surrogates for the U.S. firms so we can observe the effect of IFRS adoption in the U.S. We examine five measures of earnings quality related to discretionary accruals, target beating, earnings persistence, timely loss recognition, and the earnings response coefficient (ERC). To isolate the effect of IFRS adoption, we use a matched sample design where each cross-listed firm is matched to a U.S. firm. We find the difference in earnings quality from the pre- to post-IFRS period is not different for the cross-listed and matched firms when earnings quality is measured by absolute discretionary accruals, timely loss recognition, or a long-window ERC. However, for the incidence of small positive earnings and earnings persistence, we find significant difference-in-differences, indicating that IFRS ad.
Gender, union leadership and collective bargaining: Brazil and South Africa

Links between gender politics and leadership in trade unions and how these impact collective bargaining gender agendas are explored in this study of trade unionism in Brazil and South Africa. What the International Trade Union Confederation and others refer to as ‘unexplained’ gender pay gaps are discussed in relation to the absence of women in the collective bargaining process. This examination draws on research in both countries and concludes that gender leadership gaps and gender pay gaps are related.
Small-Town Housing Needs: Resource Inefficiencies and Urban Bias in the United States

An urban bias is evident in policies and programs addressing housing and community development issues in the U.S. Analysis of American Housing Survey data comparing non-metropolitan housing conditions to central city and suburban housing conditions indicates a higher incidence of structural deficiencies combined with low housing values, suggesting that non-metropolitan housing offers particular challenges. To explore the obstacles faced by organizations attempting to take up these challenges, this paper offers a case study of local housing needs and issues in the Brazos Valley of Texas. It was found that poor housing conditions, high vacancy rates, and stagnant or declining home values plague large proportions of small-town populations. In addition, it was found that because funding mechanisms are designed to serve urban populations, local organizations struggle to offer a product that meets the needs of lower-income households in non-metropolitan areas.
Impact of renewable long-term audit mandates on audit quality

Anglo-American countries like the US and the UK allow companies to switch auditors every year. In contrast, some continental European countries restrict auditor switching by allowing only renewable long-term audit mandates. This paper aims to analyse the impact of renewable long-term audit mandates on audit quality. Audit quality is considered from the viewpoint of the external users of the financial statements. It is questioned whether renewable long-term audit mandates have an impact on the auditor's reporting behaviour and on auditor independence. This research is motivated by the lack of consensus in the literature on the impact of the length of the auditor client relationship on audit quality. Moreover, few empirical studies use publicly available secondary data in order to determine whether perceived threats to auditor independence actually compromise auditor independence. Therefore, our research methodology consists in the development of a logistic regression model in which the explanatory variables are measured using publicly available data. The results of the study suggest that long-term auditor client relationships significantly increase the likelihood of an unqualified opinion or significantly reduce the auditor's willingness to qualify audit reports. A significant difference was also found between the auditor's reporting behaviour in the first two years versus the last year of the audit mandate. Auditors are more willing to issue an unqualified audit report in the first two years of their official mandate than in the last year of their mandate. This could be an indication that the decision to renew the auditor's mandate is already taken and known to the auditor before he has issued his last audit report within his current mandate. The policy implications of these findings could be in favour of mandatory auditor rotation to maintain the value of an audit for the external users. However, given recent theoretic evidence on the adverse effects of mandatory auditor rotation, there is a need to develop alternative measures to safeguard auditors' independence.
Bayesian Probabilistic Matrix Factorization — A dive towards recommendation

Matrix factorization is a well known technique which discovers latent features among users and items. This method brings the advantage of reducing data sparcity and cold start problem. The different Matrix factorization methods such as SVD, PMF, NMF etc. exists. But all these suffer from certain drawback especially when dataset is extremely sparse. The Bayesian Probabilistic Matrix Factorization (BPMF) method proves to be more efficient and provides prediction that leads to better accuracy. The significance of BPMF is to avoid parameter tuning and provides predictive distribution. To enhance user satisfaction and loyalty particularly when the huge volume of data is available, there is need of recommender system. Hence, the idea of BPMF is extended towards recommendation where top N queries are recommended to users using BPMF method liaison with Cholesky decomposition, Gibbs sampling technique, K nearest neighbor method. The experimental work describes that the BPMF method when used in query recommendation provides better results.
Retreatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection with Telaprevir: Preliminary Results in Turkey.

BACKGROUND The use of pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin (PegIFN/RBV) for the retreatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection without a sustained virological response (SVR) prior to PegIFN/RBV treatment has resulted in low success rates. AIMS To investigate the efficacy and safety of telaprevir (TVR) in combination with PegIFN/RBV in patients infected with HCV genotypes 1 and 4 who were previously treated with PegIFN/RBV and failed to achieve SVR. STUDY DESIGN Multi-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study. METHODS The study included 111 patients: 80 prior relapsers, 25 prior null responders, and six prior partial responders to PegIFN/RBV treatment. The patients were given TVR/PegIFN/RBV for 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week PegIFN/RBV treatment; virological response results were assessed at weeks 4, 12, and 24. Treatment was discontinued in patients with HCV RNA >1000 IU/mL at week 4 or with negative RNA results at week 4 but >1000 IU/mL at week 12. Rapid virological response (RVR), early virological response (EVR), extended rapid virological response (eRVR), and virological response at 24th week of treatment were evaluated. The side effects of combination therapy and the rates of treatment discontinuation were investigated. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 56.02±9.96 years and 45.9% were male. Ninety-one percent of the patients were infected with viral genotype 1, 69.6% with the interleukin (IL) 28B genotype CT and 20.2% were cirrhotic. The RVR rate was 86.3% in prior relapsers, 56% in prior null responders, and 50% in prior partial responders (p=0.002). EVR rates in those groups were 91.3%, 56%, and 83.3%, respectively (p<0.001). eRVR rates were 83.8% in prior relapsers, 48% in prior null responders, and 50% in prior partial responders (<0.001). The virological response at the 24th week of treatment was found to be the highest in prior relapsers (88.8%); it was 56% in prior null responders and 66.7% in prior partial responders (p<0.001). Common side effects were fatigue, headache, anorexia, malaise, anemia, pruritus, dry skin, rash, dyspepsia, nausea, pyrexia, stomachache, and anorectal discomfort. All treatments were discontinued due to side effects in 9.9% of patients. CONCLUSION High virological response rates were obtained with TVR/PegIFN/RBV treatment. Although side effects were frequently observed, the discontinuation rate of combination therapy was low.