Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An investigation of the strategies applied by health Insurance companies to improve profitability (a case of resolution health East Africa limited)

The study was aimed at investigating the strategies that are applied by Resolution Health East Africa Limited to improve profitability. The study focuses on the management and activities of Resolution Health East Africa Limited, and will include the staff and related activities in at the health institution. The researcher adapted a descriptive research design as there are variables which cannot be quantified but can only be described. Through random stratified sampling method the researcher selected 31 out of total population of 62 staff members of the Resolution Health East Africa Limited Head offices in Upper Hill Nairobi. Data was collected through the administering of questionnaire to the respondents. Quantitative and qualitative techniques of data analysis was used to collect Data and the findings presented through charts, tables and graphs for simple understanding of the findings. In order to survive and remain profitable in the competitive environment, it becomes necessary for the threatened companies to be aggressive in their search and development of strategies that provide competitive advantage as they step up defensive strategies to protect their competitive advantages held. Strategic deployment of competitive strategies is a fundamental function for every . company. Any company that fail to adopt a competitive strategies will continuously experience heavy financial loses. Insurance companies with strong financial background have long realized this key operational aspect and their strategy is to deploy various based on prevailing demands. Success of any insurance company depends on implementation of deployed competitive strategies. Successful strategies lead to superior profitability and sustainable competitive advantage. The ability of a insurance company to command a competitive advantage depends on the sustainability of the competitive advantages that it commands. The study also concludes that corporate growth and development strategies applied by the insurance company affect its profitability to a great extent. The study further concludes that market focus strategies employed by the insurance company enhance its profitability to a very great extent. The study finally concludes that application of differentiation strategies as a competitive strategy affects the profitability of the insurance company to a very great extent. From the study findings, the study recommends that in order to maintain its competitiveness in the insurance industry, the insurance company should offer their products and services at a lower price than its competitors.
Network-oriented radiation monitoring system (NORMS)

We have developed a multi-functional pocket radiation monitoring system capable of detecting and storing gamma ray and neutron data and then sending the data through a wireless connection to a remote central facility upon request. The device has programmable alarm trigger levels that can be modified for specific applications. The device could be used as a stand-alone device or in conjunction with an array to cover a small or large area. The data is stored with a date/time stamp. The device may be remotely configured. Data can be transferred and viewed on a PDA via direct connection or wirelessly. Functional/bench tests have been completed successfully. The device detects low-level neutron and gamma sources within a shielded container in a radiation field of 10 uR/hr above the ambient background level.
Scaling of femtosecond laser induced breakdown threshold in TixSil-xO2 composite films

In the present work we investigate scaling laws for subpicosecond laser induced breakdown in composite TixSi1-xO2 films. Films with an optical thickness of 6lambda/4 at lambda= 800 nm and material band gaps varying from 3.5 eV (x ~ 0.995) to 5.4 eV (x ~ 0.05) were investigated. Pulses from a Ti:sapphire oscillator-amplifier system whose durations were tuned from 28 fs to 300 fs were used for the single-shot breakdown measurements. The occurrence of damage was observed as a distinct change of probe light scattered off the excited spot using a microscope. The observed scaling with respect to pulse duration and band gap is explained by a theoretical model based on a modified Keldysh theory.
Labeling of human mesenchymal stromal cells with superparamagnetic iron oxide leads to a decrease in migration capacity and colony formation ability.

BACKGROUND AIMS Labeling of stem cells is crucial to allow tracking of stem cell homing and engraftment after transplantation. In this study we evaluated the influence of cell labeling procedures using clinically approved small particles of iron oxide (SPIO) with or without transfection reagents (TA) on functional parameters of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). METHODS The study was approved by the institutional review board of the University of Tubingen, Germany. Seven populations of bone marrow (BM)-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were labeled with SPIO alone or in combination with various TA. Directly after labeling and two passages after labeling migration assays, quantification of colony-forming units and quantitative evaluation of the differentiation potential were performed. Quantification of the cellular total iron load (TIL), determination of the cellular viability and electron microscopy were also performed. RESULTS Labeling of mesenchymal stem cells with SPIO with or without TA did not affect cell viability and differentiation potential significantly. SPIO in combination with TA coated the cellular surface directly after labeling but was incorporated into the cells after two passages. Labeling of mesenchymal stem cells with TA led to a significant decrease of migration capacity. This effect was abolished after two passages. Labeling with and without TA led to a significant decrease in colony formation ability. This effect could also be observed after two passages. CONCLUSIONS The observed decrease of migration capacity and colony-formation ability was not associated with either TIL or localization of particles of iron oxide. SPIO labeling with and without TA had functional effects on human mesenchymal stem cells by decreasing the migration capacity and colony-formation ability of the stem cells.
Impact Assessment: Explaining the Differences in Funds’ Securities-Lending Returns

To gain a holistic view of the contribution of securities-lending income to fund returns, we collected securities-lending income data from a large sample of index funds of several asset classes and calendar years. We tested several variables in a multivariate regression to see how well they explain differences in the contribution of securities-lending income to fund returns, an amount that we call “lending impact. ” We found significant differences according to asset class and calendar year. Interestingly, we found no relationship between expense ratio and lending impact. Finally, we found significant differences in lending impact according to a fund’s asset management firm.
Evaluating the usability of COMSATS Institute of Information Technology library website: a case study

Purpose Library websites serve as gateways to the information resources and services of their libraries. In today’s digital age, the development of websites is inevitable for libraries as a means to provide users with online services at their desktops. This case study reports the findings of a usability study of an academic library website from the user’s perspective. Design/methodology/approach An online survey on the efficacy of the website and statistical reports from Google Analytics were used as tools to assess and track the use of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) Institute of Information Technology’s (CIIT’s) library website resources by national and international users. A sample of 550 users was invited by e-mail to respond to the questionnaire covering various usability features of the website. Findings Findings reveal that users are largely satisfied with the usefulness, convenience, design and quality of CIIT library website. Moreover, the users are mostly making use of the website for accessing research papers through the Higher Education Commission (HEC) digital library, exploring free online open access journals, searching for e-books and examining the library collection via online public access catalog (OPAC). This shows that the library website has a significant role in the pedagogical activities of the CIIT community. Research limitations/implications The results are limited to a case study of CIIT, Islamabad campus library website. Practical implications The findings of this study will help the library administration to overcome existing deficiencies in the CIIT library website. Originality/value The study is a foremost usability evaluation of CIIT, Islamabad campus library website from the user perspective.
Junction between parent and daughter axons in regenerating myelinated nerve: Properties of structure and rapid axonal transport

The primary aim of this work was to investigate the properties of rapid axonal transport in regenerating myelinated axons in the sciatic nerve of Xenopus laevis, with particular attention to events at the junction between the proximal, intact axon (the “parent”) and the distal, newly formed axon (the “daughter”). Morphological studies indicated that all myelinated axons initiated regeneration and that at least 80% of these axons regenerated at a rate of 1 mm/day or greater (20°C). The ultrastructure of the junctional region was examined at regeneration times between 3 days and 20 weeks. The main qualitative change in the junctional axoplasm over this period was in its content of particulate organelles. At times up to 2 weeks regeneration, the junction contained abnormal numbers of 50 nm diameter vesicles and 10 nm granules. Between 2 and 5 weeks the junction showed in addition a peripheral rim of large membrane‐bounded organelles around a central core of microtubules and neurofilaments. At longer times the numbers of large membrane‐bounded organelles diminished and all junctions contained prominent accumulations of 10 nm granules. The rate of rapid axonal transport of protein was similar in parent and daughter axons. Compared to the parent axons, a 2–5 times greater amount of protein was deposited to a stationary phase in daughter axons. Specimens of nerve that were subjected to mechanical stress during the removal of the perineurium showed a large accumulation of rapidly transported protein in the region of the crush at regeneration times up to 40 days; some of the accumulated protein was subsequently transported retrogradely. Video microscopy of isolated axons supplied evidence that the transport deficit in mechanically stressed nerve was a partial block of anterograde vesicle transport, plus a reversal of anterograde transport, at the junction of parent with daughter axons. No structural changes were detected in mechanically stressed nerve. The results show that the junction between parent and daughter myelinated axons is a region with distinct morphology at which the dynamics of anterograde axonal transport may change dramatically.
Towards fast natural language parsing: FASTPARSE ERC Starting Grant

The goal of the FASTPARSE project (Fast Natural Language Parsing for Large-Scale NLP), funded by the European Research Council (ERC), is to achieve a breakthrough in the speed of natural language syntactic parsers, developing fast parsers that are suitable for web-scale processing. For this purpose, the project proposes several research lines involving computational optimization, algorithmics, statistical analysis of language and cognitive models inspired in human language processing.
What clinical features are most useful to distinguish definite multiple system atrophy from Parkinson's disease?

OBJECTIVES Few studies have attempted to identify what premortem features best differentiate multiple system atrophy (MSA) from Parkinson‘s disease (PD). These studies are limited by small sample size, clinical heterogeneity, or lack of postmortem validation. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of different clinical features in distinguishing pathologically established MSA from PD. METHODS One hundred consecutive cases of pathologically confirmed PD and 38 cases of pathologically confirmed MSA in one Parkinson’s disease brain bank were included. All cases had their clinical notes reviewed by one observer (AH). Clinical features were divided into two groups: those occurring up to 5 years after onset of disease and those occurring up to death. Statistical analysis comprised multivariate logistic regression analysis to choose and weight key variables for the optimum predictive model. RESULTS The selected early features and their weightings were: autonomic features (2), poor initial levodopa response (2), early motor fluctuations (2), and initial rigidity (2). A cut off of 4 or more on the ROC curve resulted in a sensitivity of 87.1% and specificity of 70.5%. A better predictive model occurred if the following features up to death were included: poor response to levodopa (2), autonomic features (2), speech or bulbar dysfunction (3), absence of dementia (2), absence of levodopa induced confusion (4), and falls (4). The resulting ROC curve based on individual scores showed a best cut off score of at least 11 of 17 (sensitivity 90.3%, specificity 92.6%). CONCLUSIONS Predictive models may help differentiate MSA and PD premortem. Hitherto poorly recognised features, suggestive of MSA, included preserved cognitive function and absence of psychiatric effects from antiparkinsonian medication. Diagnostic accuracy was higher in those models taking into account all clinical features occurring up to death. Further studies need to be based on new incident cohorts of parkinsonian patients with subsequent neuropathological evaluation.
Should trichrome stain be used on all post–liver transplant biopsies with hepatitis c virus infection to estimate the fibrosis score?

Recurrent hepatitis C is virtually universal after liver transplantation; however, an individual patient's clinical course and disease burden are highly variable and difficult to predict. The fibrosis score determined on posttransplant biopsies appears to be a sensitive and specific marker of disease progression and severity. Currently, the fibrosis score is determined from hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)–stained tissue sections supplemented by variable use of trichrome stain or other connective tissue–specific stains. In this study, we compare the fibrosis score on H&E stain with that obtained with trichrome stain in posttransplant liver biopsies of patients with hepatitis C. A total of 197 liver biopsies from 105 allograft patients with hepatitis C were reviewed. The mean fibrosis stage was 1.0 ± 1.25 with H&E stain versus 1.69 ± 1.42 with trichrome stain (P < 0.00001). The trichrome staging score was higher in 53.3%, lower in 3%, and the same in 43.7%. The fibrosis stage was raised by 2 or more points in 17.8% and elevated into a bridging category in 14.7%. No significant differences in clinical and laboratory levels were measured in patients with higher fibrosis scores. In conclusion, the hepatic fibrosis score is significantly underestimated by H&E stain in the posttransplant setting in patients with hepatitis C. The fibrosis stage may be an indicator of significant liver damage in these patients. Accuracy of its determination may be most easily facilitated by employment of a connective tissue stain. Liver Transpl 2008. © 2008 AASLD.
Behind the veil: women‐only entrepreneurship training in Pakistan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the gender-related challenges of Pakistani women entrepreneurs, to explore these women's particular capacity-building needs, and to assess the impact of capacity-building programs on the establishment and performance of the women's enterprises. Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with a review of various theoretical contexts through which to understand women's entrepreneurship in an Islamic socio-cultural context. From this, the paper derived two working propositions: women in Islamic Pakistan face particular barriers to becoming entrepreneurs; these barriers can be reduced by women-only training in entrepreneurial competences. These propositions are examined in a three-part longitudinal process: a field survey to gather information about the training needs of current and potential women entrepreneurs, the design and delivery of a women-only training module, a follow-up survey with participants, 18 months later. Subjects and participants were randomly selected, and segmented according to entrepreneurial factors and characteristics. Findings – Results confirm that the barriers perceived by women entrepreneurs in Islamic Pakistan can be alleviated through women-only training that allows participants to develop capital and competences. Greater clarity about learning outcomes desired and achieved by women entrepreneurs in an Islamic socio-cultural context can be a basis for designing improved training and education programmes, with a view to women's economic empowerment. Practical implications – For women entrepreneurs living in an Islamic society, this analysis has implications for understanding the importance and effectiveness of entrepreneurial training especially in a women-only setting. For policy makers, it turns the spotlight on the need for creating an environment conducive to female entrepreneurship consistent with socio-cultural structures and gender asymmetries. Originality/value – There are no comparable previous data on the learning preferences and outcomes of this particular
A dual-stage nanopositioning approach to high-speed scanning probe microscopy

A novel positioning concept for high-speed scanning probe microscopy is presented in which a dual-stage nanopositioner is used for precise positioning over large areas at high speeds. The nanopositioner combines a low-bandwidth, large-range commercial scanner with a custom-designed high-speed scanner for short-range positioning. We present the mechanical design, finite element simulations and experimental characterization of the high-speed scanner, showing exceptionally clean dynamics, high linearity and large actuation bandwidth. The scanner is equipped with a magneto-resistive position sensing scheme that provides subnanometer resolution over a large bandwidth. Advanced model-based feedback controllers are designed according to a newly developed control design architecture with direct shaping of the closed-loop noise sensitivity and experimental results are presented in which the dual-stage system is used for high-speed imaging in a custom-built atomic force microscope.
It’s worth investing? A study through the lens of Real Options

Na tomada de decisão a incerteza do ambiente de negócios não pode ser negligenciada. A Teoria das Opções Reais faz uma analogia entre oportunidades de investimento, flexibilidade gerencial e opções financeiras. Embora fundamentada no valor presente líquido, reconhece que o seu valor segue um caminho aleatório porque incorpora a aleatoriedade dos eventos (a incerteza). O objetivo desta pesquisa consiste em analisar as flexibilidades existentes entre os retornos possíveis de um empreendimento realizado no setor de loteamento e incorporação imobiliária. Analisa-se o investimento aplicando-se o modelo de flexibilidade gerencial representado pelo desenvolvimento de cenários. Os achados apresentam que o cálculo do valor presente líquido não representa a realidade analisada por meio das Opções Reais, denotando avaliação dos retornos em até 2,5% a maior. As considerações finais indicam que a análise das Opções Reais agrega informações em relação aos métodos tradicionais, isto porque durante a análise de projetos inseridos em um ambiente de elevada incerteza, existe a possibilidade de maximizar ganhos ou minimizar perdas ao inserir risco na avaliação do projeto e a flexibilidade gerencial que o envolve.
New Architecture for High‐Efficiency Polymer Photovoltaic Cells Using Solution‐Based Titanium Oxide as an Optical Spacer

reported under AM1.5 (AM: air mass) illumination, this efficiency is not sufficient to meet realistic specifications for commercialization. The need to improve the light-to-electricity conversion efficiency requires the implementation of new materials and the exploration of new device architectures. Polymer-based photovoltaic cells are thin-film devices fabricated in the metal-insulator-metal configuration sketched in Figure 1a. The absorbing and charge-separating bulk-heterojunction layer with a thickness of approximately 100 nm is sandwiched between two charge-selective electrodes; a transparent bilayer electrode comprising poly(3,4-ethylenedioxylenethiophene):polystyrene sulfonic acid (PEDOT:PSS) on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass for collecting the holes and a lower-work-function metal (here, Al) for collecting the electrons. The work-function difference between the two electrodes provides a built-in potential that breaks the symmetry, thereby providing a driving force for the photogenerated electrons and holes toward their respective electrodes. Because of optical interference between the incident (from the ITO side) and back-reflected light, the intensity of the light is zero at the metallic (Al) electrode; Figure 1a shows a schematic representation of the spatial distribution of the squared optical electric-field strength. [9–11] Thus, a relatively large fraction of the active layer is in a dead-zone in which the photogeneration of carriers is significantly reduced. Moreover, this effect causes more electron–hole pairs to be produced near the ITO/PEDOT:PSS electrode, a distribution which is known to reduce the photovoltaic conversion efficiency. [12,13] This “optical interference effect” is especially important for thin-film structures where layer thicknesses are comparable to the absorption depth and the wavelength of the incident light, as is the case for photovoltaic cells fabricated from semiconducting polymers. In order to overcome these problems, one might simply increase the thickness of the active layer to absorb more light. Because of the low mobility of the charge carriers in the polymer:C60 composites, however, the increased internal resistance of thicker films will inevitably lead to a reduced fill factor. An alternative approach is to change the device architecture with the goal of spatially redistributing the light intensity inside the device by introducing an optical spacer between the active layer and the Al electrode as sketched in Figure 1a. [11] Although this revised architecture would appear to solve the problem, the prerequisites for an ideal optical spacer limit the choice of materials: the layer must be a good acceptor and an electron-transport material with a conduction band edge lower in energy than that of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of C60; the LUMO must be above (or close to) the Fermi energy of the collecting metal electrode; and it must be transparent to light with wavelengths within the solar spectrum.
Mitochondrial respiratory-chain diseases.

The mitochondrial respiratory chain has the crucial function of supplying the cell with energy in the form of ATP. Mutations affecting this chain can arise in mitochondrial or nuclear DNA and cause diseases known as mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. Because the rules of inheritance of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA differ considerably, these brain–muscle syndromes often have unpredictable clinical and genetic features.