Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preparation and characterization of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres for controlled release of human growth hormone

The purpose of this research was to assess the physicochemical properties of a controlled release formulation of recombinant human growth hormone (rHGH) encapsulated in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) composite microspheres. rHGH was loaded in poly(acryloyl hydroxyethyl) starch (acHES) microparticles, and then the protein-containing microparticles were encapsulated in the PLGA matrix by a solvent extraction/evaporation method. rHGH-loaded PLGA microspheres were also prepared using mannitol without the starch hydrogel microparticle microspheres for comparison. The detection of secondary structure changes in protein was investigated by using a Fourier Transfer Infrared (FTIR) technique. The composite microspheres were spherical in shape (44.6±2.47 μm), and the PLGA-mannitol microspheres were 39.7±2.50 μm. Drug-loading efficiency varied from 93.2% to 104%. The composite microspheres showed higher overall drug release than the PLGA/mannitol microspheres. FTIR analyses indicated good stability and structural integrity of HGH localized in the microspheres. The PLGA-acHES composite microsphere system could be useful for the controlled delivery of protein drugs.
Consumer innovativeness and perceived risk: implications for high technology product adoption

– To investigate consumer innovativeness (CI) from a hierarchical perspective and examine the simultaneous impacts of hierarchical perspective of CI and perceived risk on new product adoption. , – An extended innovativeness and perceived risk model was developed. A structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses using empirical data from 746 respondents in a high technology product context. , – The results provide support for the hierarchical perspective of CI; domain specific CI mediates the relationship between global CI and new product adoption. Specifically, cognitive and domain‐specific innovativeness enhances the actual adoption of new products; whereas sensory innovativeness and perceived social and physical risks enhance consumers' propensity to acquire novel information about new products. Financial risk, on the other hand, has a negative impact on the propensity to acquire novel information about new products. Time, performance, psychological, and network externalities risks show no significant relations with the tendency to acquire novel information about new products. , – The findings provide an explanation to the less than consistent relationship between consumer innovativeness and new product adoption. However, a single research context of high tech consumer goods may be a limitation and future studies need to replicate this hierarchical perspective of CI as a predictor of new product adoption in different research contexts for greater generalizability. , – The findings of the study provide some guidelines to marketers on how to increase the new product commercialization success. Marketers should tap into the cognitive and domain‐specific innovativeness to enhance the new product adoption. The sensory part of CI and perceived social and physical risks have implications for the promotion and communication aspects of new product marketing. , – Provides new insights about consumer innovativeness trait as a useful predictor of new product adoption.
Chasing maximal performance: a cautionary tale from the celebrated jumping frogs of Calaveras County

SUMMARY Maximal performance is an essential metric for understanding many aspects of an organism's biology, but it can be difficult to determine because a measured maximum may reflect only a peak level of effort, not a physiological limit. We used a unique opportunity provided by a frog jumping contest to evaluate the validity of existing laboratory estimates of maximum jumping performance in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). We recorded video of 3124 bullfrog jumps over the course of the 4-day contest at the Calaveras County Jumping Frog Jubilee, and determined jump distance from these images and a calibration of the jump arena. Frogs were divided into two groups: ‘rental’ frogs collected by fair organizers and jumped by the general public, and frogs collected and jumped by experienced, ‘professional’ teams. A total of 58% of recorded jumps surpassed the maximum jump distance in the literature (1.295 m), and the longest jump was 2.2 m. Compared with rental frogs, professionally jumped frogs jumped farther, and the distribution of jump distances for this group was skewed towards long jumps. Calculated muscular work, historical records and the skewed distribution of jump distances all suggest that the longest jumps represent the true performance limit for this species. Using resampling, we estimated the probability of observing a given jump distance for various sample sizes, showing that large sample sizes are required to detect rare maximal jumps. These results show the importance of sample size, animal motivation and physiological conditions for accurate maximal performance estimates.
The relationship marketing process: communication, interaction, dialogue, value

The objective of the article is to discuss a framework of central processes in relationship marketing. The framework includes an interaction process as the core, a planned communication process as the marketing communications support through distinct communications media, and a customer value process as the outcome of relationship marketing. If the interaction and planned communication processes are successfully integrated and geared towards customers' value processes, a relationship dialogue may merge.
Is it Time to Wind Up the Securities Act of 1933?

The Securities Act of 1933 was once considered a great benefit for investors because of the strict liability it places on firms to truthfully disclose information to investors. But the strict liability provisions are now dissuading firms from communicating useful information for fear that it may inadvertently contain errors or inaccuracies. The resulting silence is no benefit to investors. Strict liability simply makes no sense in today's sophisticated and deep capital markets.
PREPARATION OF HYDROGEN BONDING POLYMER STRUCTURES USING ULTRA HIGH PRESSURE TECHNOLOGY AS DRUG CARRIER

Yoshiyuki Miura, Tsuyoshi Kimura, Kwangwoo Nam, Shingo Mutsuo, Hidekazu Yoshizawa, Toshiya Fujisato, Akio Kishida Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan Department of Material and Energy Science, Gradual School of Environmental Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan Department of Regeneration Medicine and Tissue Engineering, National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Osaka, Japan
The Recruitment Decision in Enterprises Based on the Bayes Decision of Minimum Error Ratio

In this paper, we use the theory of bayes decision of minimum error ratio to make a recruitment model for the junior management job. The work is based on the research in the paper[1] and[2], in which we gain two results that are correlative with each other in proportion. For the model's reason, we have tested more than 3000 personnel in the junior management job in a large state-owned enterprise. So, the model may be a better tool for the enterprises to recruit according to the enterprise culture and value.
Industry restructuring and job loss: helping older workers get back into employment

Restructuring in the Australian manufacturing industry has resulted in many Australians being displaced from their jobs. This particularly impacts older, lower-skilled workers. Involving an extensive review of past research and case studies in four states, this research identifies practices that can assist with the successful skills transfer, re-skilling and the attainment of new jobs by displaced older workers in the manufacturing industry.
Characteristics Associated With Genital Herpes Testing Among Young Adults: Assessing Factors From Two National Data Sets

Abstract Objectives and Participants: In the United States, genital herpes (GH) prevalence is 10.6% among 20- to 29-year-olds and about 90% of seropositive persons do not know their status. This study investigated individual characteristics associated with GH screening and diagnosis in sexually active young adults aged 18 to 24. Methods: Two data sets were analyzed: the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) Wave III from 2001 to 2002 (n = 11,570) and the American College Health Association's (ACHA's) national survey of college students from 2000 to 2006 (n = 222,470). Results: In Add Health, 18.4% of females and 7.1% of males self-reported GH testing in the previous 12 months, compared to 0.7% for self-reported GH diagnosis in ACHA. GH testing and diagnosis was strongly positively associated with a history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the previous 12 months for both sexes. Conclusions: Integrating herpes screening and testing into HIV and standard STI screening would identify more infections.
Valuation and management of flow of internally generated revenue and federal government monetary allocations

This paper examines the valuation and management of inflows of internally generated revenue and monetary allocations from the federal government (FG) to a state government (SG). The SG decides to invest part of the internally generated revenue and monetary allocations into a cash account and a stock in order to make more money for the state. The aim of the study is to determine the value of total wealth (i.e., the value of wealth from the investment and cash inflows) that will accrued to the SG over a period of time. The present and terminal values of the SG total revenue was obtained. It was found that investment of the internally generated revenue into stocks and cash account should be encourage to enhance maximum revenue for infrastructural development of the state.
Tumor metabolic rates in sarcoma using FDG PET.

UNLABELLED In a busy clinical environment, the arterial blood sampling and long imaging time used for the determination of tumor metabolic rates are not always feasible. In this study, the relationship of tumor standard uptake value (SUV) and metabolic rate of FDG (MRFDG) was investigated in a group of patients with sarcoma. To further investigate the implications of reducing blood sampling requirements for determining tumor metabolic rate, the relationship between FDG blood clearance, obtained from serial venous blood sampling and from a hybrid method of early cardiac blood pool imaging, and late venous blood sampling was analyzed. METHODS Comparisons of the sarcoma SUV and MRFDG obtained using graphical analysis, dynamic FDG imaging and venous blood sampling were made. Also, venous and hybrid blood time-activity curves were analyzed for similarity and for their effect on the estimated tumor metabolic rate. RESULTS For this group of patients with sarcoma (n = 42), the tumor SUV and MRFDG had a consistent relationship, with an overall correlation coefficient of 0.94. The MRFDG, determined by venous blood sampling, had a 6% average overestimate, compared to the same value obtained by the hybrid method of early blood pool imaging and late venous sampling. CONCLUSION Both the correlation of SUV and MRFDG and the hybrid blood pool/tumor imaging protocol provide clinically feasible methods for obtaining tumor metabolic rate information in a busy clinical PET service.
Reforming the Railroad Retirement System

The government’s Railroad Retirement program is a clear anomaly in the U.S. economic landscape. The program taxes employers and workers in a specific private-sector industry to provide pensions to workers in that industry. Like Social Security, Railroad Retirement had been funded on a pay-as-you-go basis, with Trust Fund assets invested in government bonds. In the 1990s, however, the carriers and unions developed a proposal for reforming the program that involved investing Railroad Retirement assets in equities, similar to private-sector pension funds. Despite opposition in Washington from those who feared it would create a precedent for investing Social Security assets in equities, Congress enacted the industry proposal in 2001.
Refugee Claimant Service Providers: Negotiating Shifting Policies, Practices and Perceptions in Atlantic Canada

This study is based on interviews and focus groups with fourteen research participants, all of whom work for organizations providing services for immigrants, refugees and refugee claimants in Atlantic Canada. The purpose of this study is to explore the research participants’ perceptions of the policies and practices that impact refugee claimants in the Atlantic Canadian region and to identify possible contradictions and gaps in policies, practices and services. Policy recommendations are also included toward improving the experiences of refugee claimants, a largely invisible and yet ever present and diverse group that disrupts the image of Canadian humanitarianism. This research is part of a multi-phased study exploring the experiences of refugee claimants in Canada, with a special emphasis on Atlantic Canada. Our findings show service providers perceive that shifting public policy has negatively impacted refugee claimants in Atlantic Canada, resulting in decreased services, increased complexity in navigating governmental systems, and increased deterrence for people seeking asylum. We conclude by recommending changes in policy and practice in the area of refugee protection.
Clinical and Microbiologic Evaluation of Scaling and Root Planing per Quadrant and One-Stage Full-Mouth Disinfection Associated With Azithromycin or Chlorhexidine: A Clinical Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND Conflicting data about the protocol of choice for non-surgical periodontal therapy with adjuvant use are still reported. This study aims to evaluate, through clinical and microbiologic parameters, the systemic use of azithromycin (AZ) and chlorhexidine (CHX) as adjuvants to non-surgical periodontal treatment performed by one-stage full-mouth disinfection (FMD) within 24 hours or conventional quadrant scaling (QS) in four weekly sections. METHODS In this randomized controlled trial, 85 patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis underwent different treatment protocols, in six groups: three FMD groups and three QS groups, each with no adjuvants, with CHX, and with AZ. Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded, and total and quantitative bacterial counts of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Streptococcus oralis were measured with real-time polymerase chain reaction at baseline and 90 and 180 days after treatment. RESULTS In all groups, a significant reduction was observed in the percentage of periodontal diseased sites, gingival index, plaque index, and clinical attachment level gain at 90 days, demonstrating effectiveness of the treatment, independently of the adjuvant. The FMD with CHX group showed higher reduction in probing depth and percentage of periodontal diseases sites, as well as lower total bacterial count, than all the other groups at 180 days. CONCLUSIONS The adjuvant use of AZ did not provide any significant benefit, independently of the treatment protocol. The adjuvant use of CHX showed a more expressive and significant improvement in clinical and microbiologic parameters, especially in the FMD protocol, followed by QS.
Construction d'un Système d'Aide à la Décision Médicale pour la Détection des Arythmies Cardiaques à l'Aide d'Arbres de Décision Flous

pour la detection des arythmies cardiaques a l'aide d'arbres de decision flous Omar Behadada doctorant chercheur Laboratoire de genie biomedical Departement d’electronique Biomedicale E-mail : O_behadada@mail.univ-tlemcen.dz M.A Chikh maitre de conferences Departement d’informatique E-mail : mea_chikh@mail.univ-tlemcen.dz Laboratoire de genie biomedical, Departement d’electronique Biomedicale Faculte des Sciences de L’ingenieur ; Ammar Mohammed magister, Laboratoire de genie biomedical Departement d’electronique Biomedicale E-mail : amm1222k@yahoo.fr
Processing Challenges and Opportunities of Camel Dairy Products

A review on the challenges and opportunities of processing camel milk into dairy products is provided with an objective of exploring the challenges of processing and assessing the opportunities for developing functional products from camel milk. The gross composition of camel milk is similar to bovine milk. Nonetheless, the relative composition, distribution, and the molecular structure of the milk components are reported to be different. Consequently, manufacturing of camel dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt, or butter using the same technology as for dairy products from bovine milk can result in processing difficulties and products of inferior quality. However, scientific evidence points to the possibility of transforming camel milk into products by optimization of the processing parameters. Additionally, camel milk has traditionally been used for its medicinal values and recent scientific studies confirm that it is a rich source of bioactive, antimicrobial, and antioxidant substances. The current literature concerning product design and functional potential of camel milk is fragmented in terms of time, place, and depth of the research. Therefore, it is essential to understand the fundamental features of camel milk and initiate detailed multidisciplinary research to fully explore and utilize its functional and technological properties.
Life-Threatening Stridor in Xeroderma Pigmentosum Type A

Vocal fold dystonia and total vocal fold paralysis in Xeroderma Pigmentosum Type-A (XPA) are rare clinical conditions that have been recently described in a few case reports from the Japanese literature.We report here an 11-year-old boy with XPA and seizures and a history of frequent emergency room (ER) visits to different local hospitals for recurrent inspiratory stridor that was treated as “croup” since the age of 10. The child was brought to our ER for the first time with recurrent, severe stridor and was admitted as a severe case of “croup”. He was treated for approximately two weeks with only minimal improvement. Laryngoscopy showed normal vocal cord appearance with no signs of inflammation. Shortly after discharge, he was readmitted with episodic stridor, exacerbated by irritation, excitation and post-oral feeding. The stridor subsided completely during sleep. Repeated laryngoscopy was performed to investigate other potential causes of stridor. Flexible rhino-laryngoscopy showed paradoxical vocal fold movement with glottic closure during inspiration and limited glottic opening upon expiration, which is consistent with laryngeal dystonia. This case report represents the history, physical examination and the follow-up findings in this case of XPA in a young boy with unusual presentation with stridor and rare association with vocal cord dystonia. Additionally, it illustrates the importance of proper examination and laryngoscopy in this fragile patient group for early diagnosis, proper treatment and prevention of life-threatening consequences.
The current conceptualization of negative symptoms in schizophrenia

Negative symptoms have long been conceptualized as a core aspect of schizophrenia. They play a key role in the functional outcome of the disorder, and their management represents a significant unmet need. Improvements in definition, characterization, assessment instruments and experimental models are needed in order to foster research aimed at developing effective interventions. A consensus has recently been reached on the following aspects: a) five constructs should be considered as negative symptoms, i.e. blunted affect, alogia, anhedonia, asociality and avolition; b) for each construct, symptoms due to identifiable factors, such as medication effects, psychotic symptoms or depression, should be distinguished from those regarded as primary; c) the five constructs cluster in two factors, one including blunted affect and alogia and the other consisting of anhedonia, avolition and asociality. In this paper, for each construct, we report the current definition; highlight differences among the main assessment instruments; illustrate quantitative measures, if available, and their relationship with the evaluations based on rating scales; and describe correlates as well as experimental models. We conclude that: a) the assessment of the negative symptom dimension has recently improved, but even current expert consensus‐based instruments diverge on several aspects; b) the use of objective measures might contribute to overcome uncertainties about the reliability of rating scales, but these measures require further investigation and validation; c) the boundaries with other illness components, in particular neurocognition and social cognition, are not well defined; and d) without further reducing the heterogeneity within the negative symptom dimension, attempts to develop successful interventions are likely to lead to great efforts paid back by small rewards.
Measuring Governance, Corruption, and State Capture: How Firms and Bureaucrats Shape the Business Environment in Transition Economies

Recent studies have focussed on the characteristics and policies of the state to explain the extent and causes of corruption, with little attention paid to the role played by firms. Consequently, the links between corporate governance and national governance have been unexplored. This paper summarises the results of the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) across 20 transition economies, providing an assessment of governance and corruption from the perspective of firms. The BEEPS is part of the global World Business Environment Survey being carried out by the World Bank. The survey design permits an in-depth empirical analysis of governance and corruption, unbundling governance into its component dimensions. This allows a more detailed quantitative assessment of corruption, a more nuanced understanding of the causes of the problem and as a result a stronger foundation for policy advice. Particular attention is paid to 'state capture' by parts of the corporate sector (i.e. the propensity of firms to shape the underlying 'rules of the game' including 'purchase' of legislation and court decisions). The survey also provides measures of other dimensions of 'grand corruption', such as that related to public procurement. Typically, cross-country surveys suffer from a potential bias if firms have a tendency to systematically over- or under-estimate the extent of problems in their own country. We implement a simple method for evaluating the extent of this 'country perception bias' and find little evidence pointing to such bias in the BEEPS.
Efficient Organization of Outsourcing: Nested Versus Horizontal

We characterize equilibrium and ecient modes of production by comparing nested (vertical) outsourcing with horizontal outsourcing. Nested outsourcing is found to be inecient unless the cost of monitoring outsourced production lines increases sharply with the number of subcontractors and not only with the number of outsourced components. We characterize a market failure in which nested outsourcing is selected whereas horizontal outsourcing is the ecient outsourcing mode. This failure occurs at an intermediate range of the monitoring costs of outsourcing to several subcontractors.