Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DOES THE UK LOCAL FINANCE IMPROVEMENT TRUST (LIFT) INITIATIVE IMPROVE RISK MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC-PRIVATE PROCUREMENT?

The UK government introduced the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and, latterly, the Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) in an attempt to improve public service provision. As a variant of PFI, LIFT seeks to create a framework for the effective provision of primary care facilities. Like conventional PFI procurement, LIFT projects involve long-term contracts, complex multi-party interactions and thus create various risks to public sector clients. This paper investigates the advantages and disadvantages of LIFT with a focus on how this approach facilitates or impedes risk management from the public sector client perspective. Our paper concludes that LIFT has a potential for creating additional problems, including the further reduction of public sector control, conflicts of interest, the inappropriate use of enabling funds, and higher than market rental costs affecting the uptake of space in the buildings by local health care providers. However, there is also evidence that LIFT has facilitated new investment and that Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have themselves started addressing some of the weaknesses of this procurement format through the bundling of projects and other forms of regional co-operation.
Nutrient budgets in the Piratininga-Itaipu lagoon system (southeastern Brazil): effects of sea-exchange management

The Piratininga-Itaipu Lagoon System and its drainage basin, located on the southeastern coast of Brazil, Niteroi (RJ), has been the target of an intense process of urbanization over the last four decades. As a result of this process, both the lagoon and the adjacent sea area have shown signs of eutrophication due to the release of large quantities of domestic sewage semi (or not) treated. In an attempt to minimize these effects, in 2008 the government re-established a connection between the Piratininga lagoon and the sea. To evaluate changes and variations in the balance of dissolved inorganic nutrients, before and after interventions, the geochemical model of two stoichiometric mass balance boxes of the "LOICZ Program" (Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone) was used. The salt and water balance showed different water residence times in the Piratininga lagoon for the two periods: 2005-2006 (before the opening of the connection between the Piratininga lagoon and the sea) and 2009-2010 (after the opening of the connection with the sea). The first period showed a value about two times higher than that obtained for 2009-2010, τ = 83 and 39 days respectively. The water residence time of the Itaipu lagoon did not show great variations between the two periods (τ = 9 and 8 days). For the period of 2005-2006, before the opening of the connection with the sea, both the lagoons were autotrophic (∆DIP > 0) and nitrogen loss was predominant (∆DIN 0).
Human Resource Information Systems and the performance of theHuman Resource Function.

Historical overview – From transactional HR to Strategic HR. Benefits and Drawbacks. Empirical studies in HRIS. Elements of current technology in HRM. Trends in the HR technology. Impact of the HR integrated model. HR specialist systems in the back-office. Self-Service and Shared Service Systems. The integrated management of HRIS. Research Model. Rational and Design.
Its time to act: understanding and assessing agility in information systems development

This paper focuses on addressing the question of how agile are agile methods. To do this I synthesize seven general features of agility, drawing on management and sociology disciplines, into a framework, to act as a ‘gold standard’ by which to compare agile methods. I found that agile methods did not entirely measure up to this framework and that they were lacking in terms of (i) survival, (ii) prospering or thriving on change, and (iii) being able to regulate and leverage emotions in action responses to change. This paper offers: (i) a framework for assessing agility in software development, (ii) the elucidation of a knowledge gap in agile methods with respect to emotion, and, (iii) a conceptualization that reveals the need to incorporate emotional regulation and leverage into assessments of agility.
Estudio de la Capacitación in vitro de espermatozoides epididimarios y eyaculados en la especie porcina

La capacitacion espermatica puede ser mimetizada in vitro eliminando el plasma seminal por distintos sistemas de lavado. Entre los tratamientos espermaticos empleados habitualmente en los laboratorios para capacitar a los espermatozoides se encuentran los lavados que se realizan con medios enriquecidos con albumina o a traves de gradientes de Percoll. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido determinar los cambios que acontecen en los espermatozoides (procedentes de epididimo y eyaculados) sometidos a tres sistemas de capacitacion in vitro evaluados mediante una bateria de tecnicas que determinan distintos estadios de la capacitacion espermatica.De los resultados obtenidos se desprende que tanto la procedencia de los espermatozoides (epididimo o eyaculado) como el tratamiento de capacitacion al que se les somete afecta en gran medida a los resultados de la penetracion in vitro y por lo tanto, la capacitacion se produce de manera diferente entre estos grupos.
Global distribution and seasonality of active fires as observed with the Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors

[1] We describe a new global multiyear satellite fire product designed to meet the needs of the global modeling community. We use the new data set to analyze the global distribution of biomass burning using five different temporal metrics derived from 5 years of high-quality satellite data acquired with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), on board NASA's Terra satellite. The global distributions of fire pixel density, peak month, season length, and annual periodicity are described. As part of our analysis we show, for the first time, the global distribution of the fire radiative power (FRP), a relatively new remotely sensed quantity. We find that low FRP tends to be associated with areas of cropland burning. In the tropics and much of the subtropics, low FRP is also associated with more heavily forested areas, while higher FRP tends to occur in areas of grassland burning. In boreal forests this trend is reversed, with higher FRP occurring in areas of greater tree cover. We next combine 3 years of Terra and Aqua MODIS observations to show that a strong diurnal fire cycle is prevalent at tropical and subtropical latitudes. We also consider the consistency of the fire time series recorded by the two MODIS instruments, and find the month of peak burning and fire season length observed by each to be in good agreement in most areas. However, significant discrepancies with respect to seasonality do occur in some relatively small areas, and are most pronounced in tropical rain forest.
Couplings of Microstrip Triangular Open-Loop Resonators

This paper presents a study of the coupling topologies of microstrip triangular open-loop resonators and their application in filter design. Due to their shape, triangular resonators have many coupling topologies in order to achieve couplings of different natureelectric, magnetic, mixed. Each coupling topology is analyzed in full wave electromagnetic (EM) simulator in order to estimate the resonance peaks in the frequency response. Based on the simulation results, coupling coefficient graphs are presented. These graphs can be used in microstrip filter design.
On quantum separation of variables

We present a new approach to construct the separate variables basis leading to the full characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum of quantum integrable lattice models. The basis is generated by the repeated action of the transfer matrix itself on a generically chosen state of the Hilbert space. The fusion relations for the transfer matrix, stemming from the Yang-Baxter algebra properties, provide the necessary closure relations to define the action of the transfer matrix on such a basis in terms of elementary local shifts, leading to a separate transfer matrix spectral problem. Hence our scheme extends to the quantum case a key feature of Liouville-Arnold classical integrability framework where the complete set of conserved charges defines both the level manifold and the flows on it leading to the construction of action-angle variables. We work in the framework of the quantum inverse scattering method. As a first example of our approach, we give the construction of such a basis for models associated to Y(gln) and argue how it extends to their trigonometric and elliptic versions. Then we show how our general scheme applies concretely to fundamental models associated to the Y(gl2) and Y(gl3) R-matrices leading to the full characterization of their spectrum. For Y(gl2) and its trigonometric deformation a particular case of our method reproduces Sklyanin's construction of separate variables. For Y(gl3) it gives new results, in particular through the proper identification of the shifts acting on the separate basis. We stress that our method also leads to the full characterization of the spectrum of other known quantum integrable lattice models, including in particular trigonometric and elliptic spin chains, open chains with general integrable boundaries, and further higher rank cases that we will describe in forthcoming publications.
A New Zero-Voltage-Switching Bridgeless PFC, Using an Active Clamp

This paper presents a new ZVS single phase bridgeless (Power Factor Correction) PFC, using an active clamp to achieve zero-voltage-switching for all main switches and diodes. Since the presented PFC uses a bridgeless rectifier, most of the time, only two semiconductor components are in the main current path, instead of three in conventional single-switch configurations. This property significantly reduces the conduction losses,. Moreover, zero voltage switching removes switching loss of all main switches and diodes. Also, auxiliary switch turns on zero current condition. The presented converter needs just a simple non-isolated gate drive circuitry to drive all switches. The eight stages of each switching period and the design considerations and a control strategy are explained. Finally, the converter operation is verified by simulation and experimental results.
Infectious diseases and pediatrics: a parallel scientific and health care pathway in the last two centurieshealthcare pathway in the last two centuries

Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases reached an autonomous healthcare assistance and scientific pathway in a different mode when comparing the English-American medical world, and the South-European countries, including Italy. Like the late recognition of childhood as human beings deserving a specific assistance by specialist physicians (pediatricians) in the English-American health care system, also Infectious Diseases developed as a subspecialty of General Internal Medicine in the English-American countries, while played their autonomous role especially in some European countries including Italy, where some prominent academic and assistance centres of Infectious Diseases had their roots just in some Pediatric references centres located throughout the country. Aim of our work is also to explore the unmet needs of pediatric infectious diseases assistance still relevant in the third millennium, both in the industrialized worlds, and in developing countries.
Basiliximab in High-risk Group: An African View

In organ transplantation, a wide variety of injurious events such as ischaemia-reperfusion injury, endothelial damage and the traumatic exposure of tissues during surgery occur intra-operatively. The barrage of multiple antigens presented to the recipient cause very intense immunological reaction to occur at the time of transplantation. Thus, an induction immunosuppressive protocol aimed at maximal immunosuppression in the peri-operative period when immunological stimulation is maximal is justified. Organ transplant recipients of African descent are generally considered as high immunological-risk patients in view of the intense immunological response to transplanted organs seen in these patients compared with their Caucasian counterparts. However, due to the huge additional cost of induction antibody medications, most centers in resource-poor economies in Africa base their induction protocol on high doses of calcineurin based triple-drug therapy. Outcomes from the centers have been considerably poorer in terms of allograft rejection, graft loss and patient survival, compared with other parts of the world where high-risk patients received antibody induction therapy. Basiliximab induction protocols may offer cost–benefit advantages in resource constrained centers compared with currently used calcineurin based triple-drug therapy. The clinical and financial benefits of reduced acute allograft rejection rates, graft loss and the excellent side effect profile Basiliximab in renal transplant recipients, potentially outweighs the additional costs incurred in the management of higher acute rejection rates, and graft loss in calcineurin based triple-drug therapy. This reflective review article, examines the possible role of Basiliximab induction protocol as a means of improving clinical outcomes of renal transplantation, in African transplant centres operating in financial constraint economies.
Influence of the Learnt Direction of Reading on TemporalOrder Judgments

Our previous work has shown a leftward bias in the temporal order judgment task (Perez, Garcia, & Valdes-Sosa, 2008). This pseudoneglect was found in a sample of Spanish-speaking participants who read in a left-to-right manner. The goal of the current study was to examine if the reading related scanning habits modulate the bias observed in the TOJ task. To this aim, we replicated the study with Arabic participants who learned to read in a right-to-left direction. Results showed no lateralization suggesting that reading habit is probably a factor affecting the distribution of spatial attention. We suggested that our failure to obtain a reversed bias might be due to the fact that they experienced both types of reading habits. We also presented a possible explanation of why the finding of pseudoneglect in temporal order judgment tasks is rather unusual.
Analyzing how ALMPs affect the demand side of the labor market Estimating the effect of meetings between case workers and unemployed workers on vacancy duration

Our aim in this paper is to investigate the causal effect of meetings between case workers and unemployed workers on the duration of vacancies posted by firms. An impressive body of previous work has established a remarkable effect of meetings on individual unemployment duration. However, little work has been done in analyzing the effect on the demand side of the labor market. We argue that case workers make search more effective and hence contribute to reducing vacancy durations. We exploit a unique Danish data set derived from various sources, containing the timing of meetings between unemployed workers and case workers, the number of new vacancies, the stock of vacancies and individual vacancy duration. By applying the Cox proportional hazard model we are able to identify the time varying dependence of vacancy duration on the meeting intensity. We use data from a social experiment to ensure exogenous variation in the meeting rates. The main results suggest that meetings reduce vacancy duration in the pre-crisis period (2005-07), whereas no effects are found for the post-crisis period (2009-11). This suggests that the labor market would benefit from a cyclicality-oriented approach to ALMPs with the supply side being stimulated in economic upturns and the demand side being stimulated in downturns.
Hepatoprotective activity of Ganoderma lucidium (Curtis) P. Karst against cyclophosphamide-induced liver injury in mice

Abstract This study aims to investigate the hepatoprotective activity of Ganoderma lucidium mushroom growing on the dead ironwood tree in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The total extract was orally administrated to experimental mice with hepatotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide at the dose of 150 mg/kg (intraperitoneal injection). The liver malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the level of endogenous antioxidant glutathione (GSH) were measured. The results revealed that the total extract at the oral doses of 330, 230, and 120 mg/kg body weight which were equivalent to 5, 10, and 15 g/kg of dry material alleviated the increase of heaptic MDA content and restored the decrease of GSH level significantly which almost have the same potent as reference drug (silymarin). Biochemical observations were also supported with histopathological examination of liver. This finding demonstrated that G. lucidium in Vietnam could represent a promising approach for effective liver protective agents.
A study on Administered Prices and Optimal Monetary Policy: the Brazilian case

The aim of the present study is to derive and analyse the optimal reaction function of the monetary authority facing different exogenous shocks, given the additional friction introduced into the model economy by administered prices. Since the implementation of the inflation targeting regime in 1999, the Brazilian monetary authority has been facing non trivial challenges imposed by the flexible structure of administered prices. The rigid backward looking pricing rules set forth in the contacts of those administered goods and services leads to a limitation on the effectiveness of monetary policy in the short run. Moreover, the necessary adjustment of relative prices folowing an exogenous shock induces an adjustment of the free sector nominal prices instead of the administered sector prices. According, the optimal response of interest rates, inflation exchange rate and output gap to exogenous shocks to prices and productivity of the controlled sector are analysed in this study.
A tertiary care centre experience with periampullary and pancreatic neoplasm in pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy specimens.

BACKGROUND: Periampullary neoplasms are of pathologic and clinical significance, out of proportion to the small size of the structure. These neoplasms have different long term follow up following resection despite having similar histology. METHODS: A prospective study was done in the department of Pathology, Sree Gokulam Medical College and Research Foundation from Dec 2013 to May 2015 for a period of 18 months. This cross-sectional study included a total of eighteen cases. Study was commenced after approval from institutional ethical committee. RESULTS: In the present study, females predominated M:F of 1:3.5. The median age for the malignant lesions ranged from 55 yrs to 60yrs and for benign lesions were 30-39years. The most common clinical presentation were neoplastic lesions accounted for 80% of the total lesions and non neoplastic lesions such as chronic calcific pancreatitis for 20%. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma accounted for most number of lesions. Tumor variables such as perineural invasion and margin status positivitiy were seen in pancreatic carcinomas. DOI: 10.21276/APALM.1190
Mathematical Modelling of insitu-Bioremediation of Crude Oil Polluted Soil

A bioremediation model was developed for the bioremediation of a crude oil polluted soil. The developed mathematical model considers a batch process. The model was designed to predict the quantity of crude oil remaining per time in crude oil contaminated areas during in-situ bioremediation. The model can be used to monitor the progress of soil bioremediation by monitoring crude oil residual concentration per time. Comparing the results of the simulations of the derived model to the results of an existing model, shows that the new model is valid and reliable for monitoring the progress of any batch bioremediation process of crude oil polluted soils.
Study of Secondary Arc Suppression at Double-Circuit Transmission Line

Due to the coupling of double-circuit transmission line, the values of the secondary arc current and the recovery voltage on the double-circuit line are higher than that on the single-circuit line. These will affect the possibility of successful auto-reclosing. In order to ensure the successful single-pole auto-reclosing, the values of the secondary arc current and the recovery voltage must be limited below to a certain values. In this paper, two schemes to limit the secondary arc current and the recovery voltage were proposed respectively. Firstly, for the EHV double-circuit transmission line which has shunt reactor compensation, the fourth reactor compensation scheme was proposed to extinguish the secondary arc. The paper discussed the effect of the different connection styles and the values of the fourth reactor on the secondary arc current and the recovery voltage of a double-circuit transmission line. The calculation results showed that the secondary arc current and the recovery voltage could be limited to desired values by choosing appropriate value and different connection styles of the fourth reactor. Then, for the double-circuit transmission line which has no shunt reactor compensation, the scheme using the high speed grounding switches (HSGS) to extinguish the secondary arc on the double-circuit line was proposed. The simulation results showed that the magnitude of the secondary arc current and the recovery voltage was reduced by HSGS notably. The calculation results satisfied with the theoretical analysis. The proposed schemes in this paper are good approaches to extinguish the secondary arc on the double-circuit transmission lines.
Application of impedance spectroscopy for the characterization of hams during post-salting

Background: The smart control for food and feed technologies consist in the development of new methods that facilitate the control of productive processes guaranteeing the quality and safety of agrofood products. The importance given to this research line is a clear indicator of the interest of all of the agents implicated in promoting the introduction of innovative technologies. The goal is to implement new, fast, economical, analytical techniques, which constitute a real alternative to traditional control procedures. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of an electronic sensor based on the impedance spectroscopy technique for the characterization of hams during the post-salting step (8, 10, 12 and 14 weeks). Materials and methods: 60 hams from three different categories (fat, semi-fat and lean), were tray salted under the conditions of a company (xNaCl = 0.11 g/g dry matter). For each time, samples were first evaluated with the electronic method (non-destructive analysis) and then analytical determinations of: mass variation, moisture content, fat content, salt content and water activity were performed on each ham in different zones. The electric data were evaluated using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and regression with Partial Least Squares (PLS) through the analytical data. Results: The PCA analysis discriminated between the different evaluated zones. At eighth week 79.06% of the variance was explained and at tenth week, the 82.53%. No relation was observed for the different ham categories. The correlation between the impedance signal and the analytical determinations showed the best cross validation coefficient (R2CV) values for moisture content (0.75) and water activity (0.73). Conclusions: The impedance spectroscopy technique generated different signals between the zones of analysis during the first two post-salting times, eight and ten weeks, in which physicochemical differences were also observed as a consequence of the variation in the salt concentration between zones.