Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The value of simulation-based training in the path to laparoscopic urological proficiency

Purpose of review Numerous factors have reduced the training opportunities of surgical residents in the operating room. There is also the question of patient's safety. This gives a need for increased training opportunities outside the operating room. We look if there is an added value in simulation-based training (SBT) in the acquisition of laparoscopic skills. Recent findings Incorporating SBT into the medical students curriculum reduces surgical complication rates in the operating room. Summary Reduction in opportunities to train surgical skills in the operating room, increased complexity of surgical procedures, and justified concerns for patients’ safety require training opportunities outside the operating room. Data proves that skills, acquired in the lab during SBT, are transferable to the operating room. Moreover, incorporating an evidence-based laparoscopic simulation curriculum shortens the clinical learning curve and reduces surgical adverse events.
The Hsp60 protein of Helicobacter pylori: structure and immune response in patients with gastroduodenal diseases

Helicobacter pylori is a human pathogen that has been associated with gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric carcinoma. The role of the direct action of H. pylori virulence factors and of the induction of autoreactive immunity in the development of chronic gastritis has not been clarified yet. Here we report the cloning and molecular characterization of a gene of H. pylori coding for a protein of 58kDa, recognized by sera of patients affected by H. pylori‐induced gastroduodenal diseases. This antigen is present in all the H. pylori strains tested and it belongs to the Hsp60 family of heat‐shock proteins, with high homology with other bacterial and eukaryotic proteins of the same family. This class of homologous proteins has been implicated in the induction of autoimmune disorders in different systems. The presence in infected patients of anti‐H. pylori Hsp60 antibodies, potentially cross‐reacting with the human homologue, and cross‐reactivity between human Hsp60 and a rabbit antiserum against H. pylori Hsp60 suggest that a role of this protein in gastroduodenal diseases is possible.
Smallpox vaccines for biodefense: need and feasibility

Smallpox, eradicated as a cause of natural disease through an intensive global effort in the later part of the 20th Century, has resurfaced as a possible agent of bioterrorism. For this reason, there is renewed interest in smallpox vaccines. Live vaccinia virus, an orthopoxvirus related to smallpox, has a long and successful clinical track record as an effective smallpox vaccine; however, its use is associated with uncommon yet serious adverse events. This has led to a surge of recent research into newer-generation smallpox vaccines with improved safety profiles and retained efficacy. This article will review the history of smallpox vaccines, assess the status of newer-generation vaccines and examine the overall risk-versus-benefit profile of smallpox vaccination.
The service recovery paradox: justifiable theory or smoldering myth?

– The purpose of this study is to address the discrepancy between research that supports the service failure recovery and that which does not by examining customer satisfaction in the event of a service failure empirically. , – The objective of the study was achieved by conducting role‐play experiments on undergraduate business students. , – Analysis showed that a service recovery paradox is most likely to occur when the failure is not considered by the customer to be severe, the customer has had no prior failure with the firm, the cause of the failure was viewed as unstable by the customer, and the customer perceived that the company had little control over the cause of the failure. , – This information should benefit service managers since service failures are common and typically trigger heightened customer attention. These findings may stimulate future research because the limitations of this study include the use of undergraduate business students and the examination of only one service setting. Nevertheless, this paper does demonstrate that, under the appropriate conditions, a customer can experience a paradoxical satisfaction increase after a service failure.
ROLE OF LEAN SIX SIGMA IN ADVANCING SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT- A CASE STUDY

Pharmaceutical supply chain is a complex service system with many independent sta keholders each interacting with the others, requiring both integration and coordination to deal with their complexity. Moreover, the supply chain associated with drugs or pharmaceutical products in healthcare industry is critical in ensuring a high standard of care for patients and providing adequate supplies of medication for pharmacies. The pharmaceutical industry is unique in number of ways because it plays an extremely important role in considering the health of people providing access to health care se rvices, innovative drugs and products. A unique feature of the pharmaceutical industry is that it operates in two very different types of supply chains – one to support the drug development phase and other one intend to sell a successful drug in the market . The main objective of this article is to gain a theoretical understanding of Lean Six Sigma with respect to supply chain management and its role towards achieving organizational goals and to evaluate the importance to advance supply chain management in pharmaceutical industry with the help of a case study.
Beyond the Mission Statement: Alternative Futures for Today's Universities

ABSTRACT Many post-secondary institutions utilize the mission statement as the key tool for positioning and marketing their strategic direction. Unfortunately, most mission statements found in higher education are far too simplistic and general to give substance and direction to differentiation and positioning of universities. This paper presents findings from a three-month participatory action research process at a large urban Canadian university seeking to establish a marketing mind set. Five possible futures reflecting the range of thinking regarding the role of universities emerged from the research process. Each alternative represents separate and different possible directions, the implications of which become more evident by contrast.
Beta-cell function in relation to islet cell antibodies during the first 3 yr after clinical diagnosis of diabetes in type II diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of islet cell antibodies on beta-cell function during the first 3 yr after diagnosis in type II diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS beta-cell function in type II diabetic patients with (n = 11, 50 +/- 5 yr of age) and without (n = 10, 52 +/- 4 yr of age) ICA was followed prospectively and compared with beta-cell function in type I adult diabetic patients (n = 17, 37 +/- 5 yr of age) and in healthy control subjects (n = 34, age 45 +/- 3 yr). beta-cell function was evaluated as fasting C-peptide, 1 + 3 min C-peptide after intravenous glucose, and delta C-peptide after glucagon. RESULTS Fasting C-peptide was equal in type II diabetic patients with ICA (0.30 +/- 0.03 nM) and type I diabetic patients (0.24 +/- 0.03 nM) at diagnosis, and decreased (P < 0.05) during 3 yr in these groups but not in type II diabetic patients without ICA. At diagnosis, type II diabetic patients with ICA showed a 1 + 3 min C-peptide (0.92 +/- 0.17 nM) lower (P < 0.001) than control subjects but higher (P < 0.05) than type I diabetic patients (0.53 +/- 0.11 nM). After 1 yr, 1 + 3 min C-peptide in type II diabetic patients with ICA had decreased (P < 0.05) to 0.18 +/- 0.11 nM and was equal to type I diabetic patients (0.38 +/- 0.10 nM). delta C-peptide after glucagon was equally impaired in type II diabetic patients with ICA (0.38 +/- 0.06 nM) and type I diabetic patients (0.35 +/- 0.11 nM) at diagnosis. After 3 yr, type II diabetic patients with ICA had fasting C-peptide of 0.09 +/- 0.04 nM, 1 + 3 min C-peptide of 0.18 +/- 0.10 nM, and delta C-peptide after glucagon of 0.20 +/- 0.09 nM, values equal to type I diabetic patients but lower (P < 0.01) than in type II diabetic patients without ICA, whose values remained unchanged; fasting C-peptide of 0.97 +/- 0.17 nM, 1 + 3 min C-peptide of 2.31 +/- 0.50 nM, and delta C-peptide after glucagon of 1.76 +/- 0.28 nM. CONCLUSIONS In patients considered type II diabetic with ICA, beta-cell function progressively decreased after diagnosis, and after 3 yr was similar to type I diabetic patients, whereas beta-cell function in type II diabetic patients without ICA was unchanged.
A Study: FII Flows in India

The Indian equity markets have experienced huge proportion of FII flows. This has scared small investors thinking that markets are rigged. For the good news to Indian investors it has been established that among various factors, it is the performance of Indian equity markets vis-a-vis other emerging and developed markets that cause returns and not the other way.
Value-in-exchange or value-in-use? Empirical insights into consumer perceptions.

This paper considers consumer perceptions of value against the background of emerging paradigm shifts in marketing moving away from traditional transactional ‘value-in-exchange’ approaches where marketers create value for consumers, towards a concept of ‘value-in-use’ where it is the consumer who creates the value with the organisation deemed to be at best only a co-creator. Much of the relevant literature on governmental interventions is located within the public health arena, yet there is little which examines issues of value or value creation. This paper also therefore addresses this gap in the extant literature by considering issues of value in relation to engagement in physical activity and health in a leisure service setting.
Developing a More Effective Electronic Recruiting Strategy: What Does the Research Tell Us?

W the talent war is more important than ever, and organizations are increasingly turning to technology, especially the Web, in their fight to attract the top candidates and to support recruiting. Organizations know they need technology to serve as more than just a collection bin for applications, but most aren’t sure how to best leverage them. Technology support can be as simple as listing applications on generalized or specialized job boards and as complex as corporate recruiting portals with their backend capabilities that help manage the recruiting process (candidate relationship management, interview scheduling, reporting, etc.). Estimates have suggested that e-recruiting can reduce cycle time and recruiting costs by as much as 90 percent (Cober et al, 2000). Thus, the question is no longer whether to implement e-recruiting, but instead how to implement an e-recruiting strategy that maximizes recruitment outcomes and minimizes risk. Building upon the work of Johnson (2013) and a review of over 70 scientific studies, we briefly outline eight tips for organizations as they use technology to increase applicant attraction, applicant quality, yields, and enhance their recruiting strategy. Essentially, the goal of your recruitment portal is to market your organization to highly qualified applicants and to increase the probability that they will apply for open positions. The recruiting portal becomes the face of your organization and, consequently, many applicants will form opinions about who you are based on a quick visit to the company’s website. This is particularly true for applicants who have limited knowledge of your company. Thus, the challenge for many organizations is how to effectively design their portal to reach the most qualified applicants. Research has focused on four key design considerations that affect the quality of the applicant pool and applicant attraction: design, content, interactivity, and fit.
Organizational Capabilities and Performance of SMEs in Dynamic and Stable Environments

This study examines the correlation between the organizational capabilities and firm performance of SMEs in both dynamic and stable environments in Hong Kong. Organizational capabilities are measured in terms of innovative ability, quality-enhancing capability, cost-reduction capability and ‘organicity’. Organizational capabilities are hypothesized to correlate positively with firm performance and to be moderated by environmental dynamism. A sample of 71 SMEs was drawn from the chemical and computer industries, which represent stable and dynamic industrial environments respectively. The findings suggest that organizational capabilities can significantly explain the level of SME performance and the impacts of environmental dynamism on these relationships.
Analyses of the effects of slots loading on the microstrip patch for dual-frequency operation

The electromagnetic characteristics of a slotted rectangular microstrip antenna is studied. The microstrip antenna is fed by a single probe feed and has a slot with a pair of step-slotted arms embedded close to the patch's radiating edge. By varying the length, the spacing of the two arms, the narrower-section width, and the wider-section width of the slot, a tunable frequency ratio ranging from about 1.127 to 1.616 can be obtained. Details of the antenna performance and simulated results are presented and discussed.
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Identified nearly a century ago, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, or Rendu–Osler–Weber syndrome, has long been viewed as a rare condition producing minor discomfort for affected persons. However, this disorder is now considered to be more common than previously thought,1–5 and the associated brain and pulmonary lesions are sources of substantial morbidity and mortality.3,6–8 Wider recognition of the condition and awareness of its sequelae can help avoid the considerable risks associated with its mismanagement. Advances in molecular genetics have demonstrated that hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is actually a group of autosomal dominant disorders.9–13 The recent identification of the gene .
Family as a source of consumer‐based brand equity

Purpose – The main purpose of the current work is to analyse the role played by the family on consumer‐based brand equity. In the proposed model, information of a brand provided by both the family and the firm (via price, promotion and advertising spending) is analysed as a source of consumer‐based brand equity and its dimensions.Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study was conducted in young adults (18‐35) via structural equations model. Brand equity is analysed in six different brands of milk, toothpaste and olive oil.Findings – Results prove that positive brand information provided by the family has effects on the formation of brand awareness‐associations and perceived quality, and this may lead in turn, to brand loyalty and overall brand equity. The effects of the information provided by the family are higher than those of the marketing variables studied. Results also show that brand loyalty is much closer to the concept of overall brand equity than brand awareness‐associations and perceived q.
Making sense of experience

Society's response to alcohol and drug problems must continually evolve. The author expresses optimism about evaluation's ability to guide change from the ground up through developing a culture of ongoing learning. It is argued that the alcohol and other drug treatment sector has a particular need for empowering professional development processes. The article describes the background to and personal experience of a new unit within a Graduate Diploma in Alcohol and Other Drug Studies course. This article is an edited version of a paper presented on 7 September 2007 at the conference of the Australasian Evaluation Society, ‘Doing Evaluation Better’, Melbourne. Bridget Roberts introduced the presentation by acknowledging the people of the Kulin nation, specifically the Wurundjeri (the first people to occupy the Melbourne area and the custodians of this land), including their elders past and present.
Impact of Leadership Style on Follower Performance in Direct Selling Industry in Thailand

In the past few years, the direct selling business has grown very rapidly throughout the world. Like elsewhere in the other countries, direct selling has experienced significant growth in Thailand. Because of the unique nature of the direct selling industry, leaders occupy a special position. In terms of running the business, the leaders (distributors) are independent of the direct selling organization. Despite the importance of leadership in the direct selling industry, there is no known study on this subject. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of leadership style (transformational versus transactional) on follower performance in the direct selling industry. This study adopted the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) as the survey instrument due to its suitability for this research and its extensive use in leadership research. The findings highlight the differential impact of the transactional and transformational leadership styles on performance. Moreover, differences are discovered in the relationship between many demographic variables and performance.
The Amsler chart: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

Early detection of the onset or progression of macular disease is likely to become increasingly important as new treatment modalities are introduced. Current best practice involves issuing patients with an Amsler chart for daily or weekly observation with the instruction to attend for immediate assessment should any new distortion be perceived. However the sensitivity of Amsler charts in detecting macular disease can be less than 50%, implying that presentation may be delayed in over half of patients with advancing disease relying on the Amsler chart to detect progression. A likely explanation for this is the phenomenon of perceptual completion whereby regular objects are “filled-in” across the scotoma. Although alternative tests have been developed and shown to have greater sensitivity, at present no straightforward, cheap, home-based test of macular disease progression is available. The development of such a self-diagnostic tool should be a research priority.
Student Perceptions of Study Abroad Programs: A Survey of US Colleges and Universities

This study examined 656 students’ perceptions of international education and study abroad programs. Respondents included business students from seven universities, both public and private, across the United States. The research addressed four issues: general perceptions of international course work; general perceptions of study abroad programs; perceptions of study abroad program costs in both time and money; and desired program characteristics. The results indicated that many of the students were misinformed regarding their university’s programs. The research offers insight for developing and modifying study abroad programs that will encourage student participation.
Small business lending and bank cost efficiency

Abstract This study uses data information of 43 Taiwan’s commercial banks for the period from 1998 to 2000 and adopts the model of frontier function introduced by Battese and Coeill (1995) to evaluate banks’ cost inefficiency indices and to test the relationship between cost inefficiency and small business lending. According to the empirical results in this study, there are two identifiable findings as follows: (1) Based on the each year efficiency indices, the five most efficient banks provide lending to small business less than 5% of their total lending. However, the five least efficient banks have more than 50% of lending to small business compared to their total lending. This indicates that the higher lending percentage to small business, the less efficient. (2) There is a positive relationship between cost inefficiency and small business lending, i.e. if a bank provides more lending to small business. its cost inefficiency becomes worse.
Feature selection and comparison for the emotion recognition according to music listening

Recently, researches on analyzing relationship between the state of emotion and musical stimuli using EEG are increasing. These research shows that a selection of feature vectors is very important for the performance of EEG pattern classifiers. In this paper, we apply feature extraction methods, which were reviewed in the previous, to DEAP data for the emotion recognition. We limit to analysis features in time-domain for this research. To evaluate the feature vectors, the Relief algorithm and the Bhattacharyya distance are used. According to result, the power of signal is better for the emotion recognition than the other feature.
Mutual Monitoring vs. Incentive Pay in Teams

In a principal - multi-agent relationship, we derive the optimal mutual monitoring - incentive pay mix. When agents are better informed about their effort choices than the principal, and when their information is suffciently "good" there is a substituability between those two modes of providing incentives. However the optimal mix will depend on the liability limit of the agents. Thus when it is suffciently slack the principal uses stronger incentive pay and less mutual monitoring. We derive the conditions for the adoption of costly supervisory technology. We finish by comparing two possible organizational structures: delegation with unilateral supervision versus mutual monitoring.
Investigating sales approaches and gender in customer relationships

Purpose – The purpose of this research is an examination of three different types of sales approaches (product-, solution- and provocation-based) on relational outcomes. The type of sales approach influences buyer's assessments about the trustworthiness of the salesperson and the conflict with the salesperson. These outcomes of the sales approach affect the customer's economic and non-economic satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – Using cross-sectional survey data from a sample of 840 organizational buyers, a structural equation model measures the path coefficients of the proposed model and tests the differences in the magnitude based on gender. Findings – The results indicate that sales approaches will differentially influence assessments of trustworthiness and conflict. The magnitude of the influence of the sales approach on outcomes is different between genders. Originality/value – To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical study to examine the impact of sales approaches o.
Automated Marketing Research Using Online Customer Reviews

Market structure analysis is a basic pillar of marketing research. Classic challenges in marketing such as pricing, campaign management, brand positioning, and new product development are rooted in an analysis of product substitutes and complements inferred from market structure. In this article, the authors present a method to support the analysis and visualization of market structure by automatically eliciting product attributes and brand's relative positions from online customer reviews. First, the method uncovers attributes and attribute dimensions using the “voice of the consumer,” as reflected in customer reviews, rather than that of manufacturers. Second, the approach runs automatically. Third, the process supports rather than supplants managerial judgment by reinforcing or augmenting attributes and dimensions found through traditional surveys and focus groups. The authors test the approach on six years of customer reviews for digital cameras during a period of rapid market evolution. They analyze and visualize results in several ways, including comparisons with expert buying guides, a laboratory survey, and correspondence analysis of automatically discovered product attributes. The authors evaluate managerial insights drawn from the analysis with respect to proprietary market research reports from the same period analyzing digital imaging products.