Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preparation of thermoplastic poly(L-lactic acid) membranes for guided bone regeneration.

PURPOSE The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of application of thermoplastic poly-L lactic acid (PLLA) membranes for guided bone regeneration in rabbit parietal bone. MATERIALS AND METHODS PLLA membranes with a molecular weight of 100,000 (PLLA-100,000) and a molecular weight of 380,000 (PLLA-380,000) were dissolved in chloroform to prepare concentrations of 8% by weight and 4% by weight, respectively. The compression strength, temperature, and time to prepare each formulation were measured. Moreover, the pH was noted and cytotoxicity of the membrane was determined by monotetrazolium assay. In vivo experiments were performed to measure the volume of newly formed bone tissue in hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections 4 and 12 weeks after implantation. RESULTS The membrane prepared from PLLA-380,000 showed excellent thermoplasticity at 75°C to 80°C and the compressive strength was equal to that of titanium mesh, in contrast to that of PLLA-100,000 and poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid). There was a significant change in the pH of an aqueous solution in which the PLLA-380,000 membrane was placed, but there was no cytotoxic activity. The membrane made of PLLA-380,000 induced new bone formation in a dome shape without any membrane deformation. CONCLUSION Thermoplastic PLLA membrane shows promise for guided bone regeneration in vertical bone augmentation.
The Effect of Cultural Values in Mobile Payment Preference

The purpose of this study is to compare French and New Zealand consumers’ perceptions of mobile payments (m-payments) relative to other options to identify the preferred mode of payment and related spending behaviour. Evidence suggests that payment modes can influence spending behaviours and therefore this is important to commerce to promote payment modes that facilitate transactions. Using the Perceptions of Payment Mode (PPM) scale (Khan et al., 2015), this study was able to identify cultural differences on perceptions of cash payments, though both countries’ consumers held negative perceptions of, and emotions towards, m-payments relative to other options. The empirical results are useful in understanding cultural aspects of payment modes and for companies to recognise consumers’ associations with these modes to enhance relations, services and the use of m-payments.
Yttrium-90 (90Y) ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) induces long-term durable responses in patients with relapsed or refractory B-Cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

AIM Yttrium-90 ((90)Y) ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) radioimmunotherapy is an effective treatment for relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), with overall response rates ranging from 74% to 82%. This retrospective analysis was conducted to determine the number of patients achieving long-term durable responses with (90)Y ibritumomab tiuxetan treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS The medical records of patients (n = 211) with relapsed, refractory, or transformed indolent CD20+ B-cell NHL who were treated with 90Y ibritumomab tiuxetan were reviewed. Time to progression (TTP) of > or =12 months was noted in 78 patients (37%), who were identified as long-term responders and were further characterized. RESULTS Median age of the long-term responders was 58 years (range, 24-80 years) with 44% over 60 years, and 55% were male. Notably, 59% of patients had received > or =2 prior regimens, 33% had received > or =3 prior regimens, and 37% had failed to respond to immediate prior therapy. Median response duration was 28.1 months (range, 10.5-80.3+ months). Median TTP was 29.3 months (range, 12.1-81.5+ months). In patients with ongoing response, median TTP was 53.9 months (range, 49-82+ months). CONCLUSIONS (90)Y ibritumomab tiuxetan produces durable long-term responses in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell NHL. Failure to respond to prior therapy does not preclude achieving a long-term response with 90Y ibritumomab tiuxetan.
Efficiency evaluation of Spanish hotel chains

The tourism industry and in particular the hotel sector, is a highly competitive market. In this context, it is important that an hotel chain operates efficiently if it wants to maintain its market position. The objective of this work is to compare the relative efficiency of some of the largest hotel chains operating in Spain. To do this, we have designed a stochastic frontier model to measure revenue efficiency as a function of various different inputs such as total staff or number of rooms. Given that some chains are much bigger than others, both inputs and outputs are normalized by a measure of size. In contrast to previous works, we account for heterogeneity in hotel chains by introducing relevant inputs, such as the proportion of hotels in the chain with three stars or fewer, into the efficiency term of the stochastic frontier model. Our results suggest that in the Spanish case, in the period of the economic crisis, it was better in terms of revenue efficiency, for hotel chains to invest in hotels of three or fewer stars than in higher star rated hotels. Finally, we could find no clear evidence of a relationship between size and efficiency.
1.4-kV AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on a GaN-on-SOI Platform

We demonstrate high-voltage depletion-mode and enhancement-mode (E-mode) AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) on a GaN-on-silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. The GaN-on-SOI wafer features GaN epilayers grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on a p-type (111) Si SOI substrate with a p-type (100) Si handle wafer. Micro-Raman spectroscopy significantly reveals reduced stress in the GaN epilayers, which is a result expected from the compliant SOI substrate. E-mode HEMTs fabricated by fluorine plasma implantation technique deliver high on/off current ratio (108-109), large breakdown voltage (1471 V with floating substrate), and low on-resistance (3.92 mΩ·cm2).
Breadth and Depth of International Diversification: Interactions, Trade-offs and Profitability

All firms have to decide on a strategic issue when they diversify into foreign markets: that is, what is the optimal level of the breadth and depth of diversification? In isolation, the breadth and the depth have been widely discussed in the existing business literature, but their relationships remain unknown. This study explores how the breadth and depth interact with each other to affect firm performance. Evidence collected in this study shows that the interaction effect is positive and significant when the level of both breadth and depth is moderate. When either dimension increases further, the interaction effect is still positive and grows even more significant. However, the positive and significant effect reverses and becomes negative (although non-significant) when a high level of both dimensions is reached. These relationships suggest that the adoption of an international diversification strategy should take into consideration breadth and depth simultaneously as they affect each other mutually in determining firm performance. Findings of the study shed light on an effective mechanism to design strategies in uncertain environments – an important issue in general management.
THE LONG TERM MODELING OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY PRICES IN POLAND

The main purpose of this article is to describe a dependencebetween prices of flats and index of creditworthiness in Poland. In theempirical part of this paper the author tests mentioned relations according toEngle-Granger's procedure. Moreover the long time relation had beenverified by Johansen's procedure and a VAR model. This case leads to theexamination and estimation cointegration with testing lags between veryimportant variables on real estate market in Poland. The database used in theresearch contains monthly observations from the middle of 2010 to thebeginning of 2014
Products of three accessory genes, pilB, pilC, and pilD, are required for biogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pili

The polar pili of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are composed of monomers of the pilin structural subunits. The biogenesis of pili involves the synthesis of pilin precursor, cleavage of a six-amino-acid leader peptide, membrane translocation, and assembly of monomers into a filamentous structure extending from the bacterial surface. This report describes three novel genes necessary for the formation of pili. DNA sequences adjacent to pilA, the pilin structural gene, were cloned and mutagenized with transposon Tn5. Each of the insertions were introduced into the chromosome of P. aeruginosa PAK by gene replacement. The effect of the Tn5 insertions in the bacterial chromosome on pilus assembly was assessed by electron microscopy and sensitivity of mutants to a pilus-specific bacteriophage. The resultant mutants were also tested for synthesis and membrane localization of the pilin antigen in order to define the genes required for maturation, export, and assembly of pilin. A 4.0-kilobase-pair region of DNA adjacent to the pilin structural gene was found to be essential for formation of pili. This region was sequenced and found to contain three open reading frames coding for 62-, 38- to 45-, and 28- to 32-kilodalton proteins (pilB, pilC, and pilD, respectively). Three proteins of similar molecular weight were expressed in Escherichia coli from the 4.0-kilobase-pair fragment flanking pilA with use of a T7 promoter-polymerase expression system. The results of the analyses of the three genes and the implications for pilin assembly and maturation are discussed.
Lens epithelial cell death and reduction of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in human anterior polar cataracts.

PURPOSE In light of the growing body of data implicating apoptosis in cataractogenesis, and in particular, the reported detection of apoptosis in posterior capsular opacification, the purported etiology of which, like that of anterior polar cataracts, is an aberrant transdifferentiation of lens epithelial cells into myofibroblastic cells, we hypothesized that apoptosis could also occur in anterior polar cataracts. Here we sought to examine whether apoptotic cell death occurs in lens epithelial cells from patients with anterior polar cataracts. METHODS Cell death of lens epithelial cells from anterior polar cataracts, nuclear cataracts, and non-cataractous clear lenses was measured by TUNEL assay and DNA fragmentation assay. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was examined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. RESULTS Cell death was detected in specimen from patients with anterior polar cataracts by TUNEL assay. DNA fragmentation assay showed the characteristic laddering pattern from the genomic DNA from anterior polar cataracts. The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and its protein was markedly decreased in lens epithelial cells from patients with anterior polar cataracts. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that apoptotic cell death might occur in lens epithelial cells from anterior polar cataracts and decreased expression of Bcl-2 might play a role in the pathologic cellular mechanism of anterior polar cataracts.
Integrated bi-criteria decision support system for portfolio selection

In this paper, we consider a bi-criteria approach to address the problem of portfolio construction and selection, taking into account the weaknesses of Markowitz’ Mean-Variance portfolio selection. Portfolio theory has many drawbacks, multiple criteria modelling and optimisation is time consuming and generally very demanding from the viewpoint of necessary hardware resources, and every investor is characterised by different preferences. To effectively address these issues, this paper presents an integrated and innovative methodological approach, within the frame of bi-objective mathematical programming for constructing and selecting portfolios. The validity of the proposed approach is tested through an illustrative application in the New York Stock Exchange. Moreover, we evaluate the differences and similarities between the efficient frontier of the proposed model and the classical Mean-Variance. We show that, having the individual investor’s preferences incorporated, the proposed utility-based model provides more suitable efficient portfolios which differ markedly from the classical Mean-Variance efficient portfolios.
Bounds on signal delay in RC mesh networks

The author addresses the problem of estimating the inverse of the node-conductance matrix R of a resistive network as in MOS LSI. The main result is the definition of two bounding matrices. Since the derivation of these matrices depends solely on Tellegen's theorem, the result is therefore applicable to all resistive networks that obey Kirchoff's laws, whether the networks are linear or nonlinear, time-invariant or time-varying, reciprocal or nonreciprocal. It is observed that the upper bound matrix tends to be closer to R if the resistive network is tree-like. Likewise, the lower bound matrix tends to be closer to R if the resistive network consists mainly of parallel connections of identical resistors. From the bounding matrices, bounds on the delays can be obtained. <<ETX>>
Typical Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli Is the Most Prevalent Pathotype among E. coli Strains Causing Diarrhea in Mongolian Children

ABSTRACT Diarrhea remains one of the main sources of morbidity and mortality in the world, and a large proportion is caused by diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. In Mongolia, the epidemiology of diarrheagenic E. coli has not been well studied. A total of 238 E. coli strains from children with sporadic diarrhea and 278 E. coli strains from healthy children were examined by PCR for 10 virulence genes: enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) eae, tir, and bfpA; enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) lt and st; enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) ipaH; enterohemorragic E. coli stx1 and stx2; and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) aggR and astA. EAEC strains without AggR were identified by the HEp-2 cell adherence test. The detection of EAEC, ETEC, EPEC, and EIEC was significantly associated with diarrhea. The incidence of EAEC (15.1%), defined by either a molecular or a phenotypic assay, was higher in the diarrheal group than any other category (0 to 6.0%). The incidence of AggR-positive EAEC in the diarrheal group was significantly higher than in the control group (8.0 versus 1.4%; P = 0.0004), while that of AggR-negative EAEC was not (7.1 versus 4.3%). Nineteen AggR-positive EAEC strains harbored other EAEC virulence genes—aggA, 2 (5.5%); aafA, 4 (11.1%); agg-3a, 5 (13.8%); aap, 8 (22.2%); aatA, 11 (30.5%); capU, 9 (25.0%); pet, 6 (16.6%); and set, 3 (8.3%)—and showed 15 genotypes. EAEC may be an important pathogen of sporadic diarrhea in Mongolian children. Genetic analysis showed the heterogeneity of EAEC but illustrated the importance of the AggR regulon (denoting typical EAEC) as a marker for virulent EAEC strains.
2 Language Therapy with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The role of language in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a singular one because, contrary to other broad developmental disorders in which language impairments are a symptom or a consequence of other deficits, in the autism spectrum language disorders constitute one of the three diagnostic criteria. The diagnostic procedures always involve clinical observation and behavior identification. Although several hypothesis claim that this is a neurobiological disorder with a strong genetic component no biological marker for autism was identified (Gothem et al., 2007). Pragmatic perspectives have been providing elements for the analysis of functional aspects of communication and it’s relation with other aspects of development of children within the autistic spectrum for some decades (Bates, 1976 Bates, 1979; Eigsti et al., 2007; Halliday, 1978; Ingersol, 2006; Keen et al.,2007; Prizant, 1996; Rogers & Benetto, 2001; Rutter, 1983; Suttera et al., 2007; Tomasello et al., 1999; Wollner & Geller, 1982). Several authors point out that some language and communication difficulties of children with autism will probably follow them throughout life, especially if they are not included in remediation programs (Grela & Mclaughlin, 2006; Koegel, 2000; Mandell & Salzer, 2007; Mesibov et al, 2007; Rogers et al., 2006; Ruhterford et al., 2007; Seroussi, 2002; Sigafoos et al. 1994; Whalen et al.,2006;). The question about the possibility of identification of the best therapeutic approach for children with autism has also been frequently discussed on the literature (DiLalla & Rogers, 1994; Fernandes, 2000a; 2000b; Giddan et al, 1995; Kuschner 2007; Partington & Sundberg, 1998; Toth et al. 2006; Turner et al, 2006; Wetherby et al., 2001;). The search for alternatives of more efficient language therapy approaches for autistic children has been the focus of several important researches. Several authors suggest that it seems premature to suppose that just one therapeutic approach is more effective than the others. They state that there is not one model effective for all children. It is suggested that the intervention should be individualized, in the sense of identifying the present level of development of each child and the profile of strong and weak points of each one (Gothem, 2007; Prizant & Rubin, 1999, Solomon et al, 2007; Mesibov & Shea, 2010; Vismara & Rogers, 2010). The best therapeutic approach to children of the autism spectrum is still undetermined and probably depends on several factors such as individual profile, family characteristics,
Business streamlining – an integrated model of service sourcing

Purpose The purchasing of services is a significantly under-researched area. The purpose of this study is to suggest a conceptual model of service sourcing relationships, including the post-contract phase. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology involving two longitudinal case studies that were analyzed with a grounded theory approach to build a conceptual model was applied. Findings The proposed model consists of a core process that is termed “business streamlining” and denotes the process by which four interrelated dimensions are managed to making the business processes of the buying organization simpler and more effective and/or productive. Research limitations/implications Although the research methodology is qualitative and does not allow statistical generalization, the study does provide valuable insights into the management of the service sourcing process. Practical implications The model proposed in this study can be utilized by managers to impose a useful conceptual structure on otherwise fluid and intangible processes, which makes them easier to analyze and facilitates strategic corporate decision-making. Originality/value The paper proposes a model that grasps the dynamics and reality of service (out-) sourcing relationships, including the ongoing relationship management process.
Metabolic syndrome: A new view of some familiar transplant risks

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of interrelated common clinical disorders, including obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia (hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL cholesterol levels). According to recently defined criteria, the metabolic syndrome is prevalent and is associated with a greater risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease than any of its individual components. Primary defects in energy balance that produce obesity (and visceral adiposity in particular) are sufficient to drive all aspects of the syndrome. Increased free fatty acids and lipid accumulation in certain organs are mediators of insulin resistance. Obesity also leads to a proinflammatory and prothrombotic state that potentiates atherosclerosis. Pathways leading directly from adiposity to the genesis of dyslipidemia and hypertension have been elucidated. Recent knowledge implies a role for fat‐derived “adipokines,” including TNFα and adiponectin, as pathogenic contributors or protective factors. Current therapies include diet and exercise as well as agents indicated for the treatment of individual components of the syndrome. Future therapies may accrue from the aggressive pursuit of newer molecular drug targets that have the potential to prevent or treat multiple aspects of the metabolic syndrome.
Credit Risk Management and Profitability of Selected Rural Banks in Upper East Region

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of credit risk management on profitability of selected rural banks in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Panel least squares regression models were estimated using data for the period 2010 to 2015. The variables used are measures of profitability or firm performance such as return on equity and return on assets as dependent variables. The explanatory variables are capital adequacy ratio, non-performing loan ratio, bank size, and inflation. The results indicate that non-performing loan ratio is a key determinant of profitability. In conclusion, although there may be other inherent factors such as management efficiency and effectiveness in the administration of its assets and liabilities as well as income and expenditure relevant to profitability, executing appropriate credit management policies will help in building quality loan portfolios that will not result to high volumes of non-performing loans.
Determination of NMDA NR1 subunit copy number in recombinant NMDA receptors

Co-expression of wild-type and mutated NMDA NR1 (N598R) subunits in Xenopus oocytes has been used to determine the stoichiometry of the NMDA receptor-channel. When expressed together, wild-type NR2A and mutant NR1(N598R) subunits produced channels with a main conductance of 2.6 pS and a sublevel of 1.2 pS. These conductances were clearly different from those obtained from wild-type NR1 and wild-type NR2A channels which gave characteristic 50 pS events with a 40 pS sublevel. When wild-type and mutant NR1 subunits were co-expressed together with NR2A subunits a different channel type with a main conductance of 15.2 pS and a sublevel of 11.4 pS was obtained, as well as the ‘all wild-type’ and ‘all mutant’ channels described above. These results indicate that there are likely to be two copies of the NR1 subunit in each NMDA receptor complex.
Technological collaboration and R&D alliances: an assessment of the impact on the economical performance of EU regions

This paper investigates the impact of technological alliances on the technical and economical performance of regions in the EU-27 area. While recent research mainly focused on spillovers and externalities, especially on industry-science interactions, it can be noticed that limited attention has been paid to the whole spectrum of interactions (alliances) that could be present within a (regional) innovation system. Within this contribution we analyze the occurrence and nature of technological and RD besides indicators pertaining to alliances and collaborations (co-patenting), economical and R&D indicators (Eurostat regional statistics) have been collected and introduced as dependent variable (GDP) or control variables (Investments in R&D, Human Resources in Science & Technology). Applying multivariate regression models allows assessing the distinctive impact of collaborative activities on the technological and economical performance of regions. Findings clearly indicate positive effects of technological alliances (measured by means of co-patenting), while the effects of commercial alliances (CATI) are less outspoken.