Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing Social Capital for Organisational Performance: Initial Exploratory Insights From Ghana

Social Capital is a concept that describes good quality social relations that can lead to mutu- al benefit. The fundamental proposition of social capital theory is that networks of relationships grant access to resources, especially information benefits not available to non-members of the network. This study assessed the functions of social capital within Ghanaian organizations, described the patterns and determinants of social capital use within organizations and explored how social capital contribu- tes to firm performance using a sample frame of firms listed in the Ghana Club 100. A questionnaire field survey supplemented by personal interviews was chosen as the most appropriate design for this investigation. Employees were sampled across the organizational hierarchy based on their responsi- bilities held, positions, type of relationship held with others within the organisation. Data was also collected on the demographic characteristics and organisational dynamics. The results showed that social capital is critical to knowledge sharing in the Ghanaian organization; that it helps to get things done and helps in the attainment of organisational objectives. The findings also suggested that three determinate variables of social capital: reciprocity, trust and institutional ties, have the most significant positive relationship with organisational performance. In view of that, the study recommends that firms take a proactive approach towards promoting , building and maintaining viable social networks within their structures in order to derive maximum benefit from it.
Development of astigmatism and anisometropia in preterm children during the first 10 years of life: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE To assess the development of astigmatism and anisometropia to 10 years of age in preterm children, previously included in a population-based study on the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity. METHODS Cycloplegic retinoscopies were performed in 198 preterm children at 6 months, 2(1/2) years, and 10 years of age. We analyzed the development of astigmatism of 1 diopter (D) or more and anisometropia of 1 D or more. RESULTS The amount and prevalence of astigmatism declined between 6 months and 2(1/2) years of age and then remained stable. We found no difference in the course of astigmatism at different ages with regard to stage of retinopathy of prematurity. The amount of anisometropia increased, but its prevalence remained unchanged. Multiple regression analyses showed that astigmatism of 1 D or more at 2(1/2) years of age and cryotreated severe retinopathy of prematurity were risk factors for astigmatism at 10 years of age, and that anisometropia of 2 D or more at 2(1/2) years of age was a risk factor for anisometropia at 10 years of age. CONCLUSIONS The development of astigmatism and anisometropia showed a similar course, regardless of stage of retinopathy of prematurity. The retinoscopy findings at 6 months of age were of no value in predicting astigmatism and anisometropia at 10 years of age, but the refraction at 2(1/2) years of age was. Retinoscopy at about 2(1/2) years of age in all preterm children may be useful for detecting astigmatism and anisometropia that will persist in children of school age.
Flexibilité de processus de gestion de crise par intégration de protocoles d'interaction

The fast changing environment to which crisis have to face up, impose to frequently change and adapt the process driving crisis resolution. Consequently this process has to be flexible and adaptive. In addition to proposed solutions to deal with process flexibility in business process management, we propose to use Interaction Protocols to integrate human activity into the process driving the crisis resolution, and consequently to add consultation, choice, and guidance of the process. After discussing about flexibility of processes, this paper focuses on interaction protocols. It presents a protocol meta-model, shows how to integrate these protocols into a process driving crisis resolution and gives an implementation of this integration in a service oriented architecture, using the Contract Net protocol example.
Delivering European health care through public–private partnerships: The theory and practice of contracting and bundling

This chapter reviews the European experience in delivering healthcare infrastructure and services through public-private partnerships (PPPs), a strategic alliance between public and private partners over extended time periods. We investigate the concepts of contracting and bundling public sector infrastructure and services and draw lessons learnt across European Union (EU) member states. If contracts could be “complete”, with all contingencies predictable, it would be easy to write a contract which maximized the benefits from the abilities of the respective public and private parties. In the real world, however, this condition is lacking. We explore payment to a private party for service provision, and sharing of risk with that private party, as conceptual features characterizing a public-private partnership. Both these features relate to the idea of “bundling” together capital asset development and output of various services. Bundling creates a particular profile of property rights, across time or services, and the effect is theoretically to internalize externalities. We explore whether more extensive bundling seems to be associated with improved outcomes – whether for example extensions beyond hospital accommodation to hospital medical services or additionally primary care services bring benefits. The policy recommendation to be drawn is that limited PPP models are inadequate to handle the dynamic quality and demand nature of health services, but there is no definitive answer as to whether extensive bundling models are optimal. Nevertheless, there is now a growing case for
Balanced Scorecard Strategy For Dummies

A practical, easy-to-understand guide to Balanced Scorecard for busy business leadersThe Balanced Scorecard method is an analysis technique designed to translate an organization's mission and vision statement and overall business strategies into specific, quantifiable goals, and to monitor the organization's performance in achieving these goals. Much less technology driven then other analysis approaches, it analyzes an organization's overall performance in four regards: financial analysis, customer service, productivity and internal analysis, and employee growth and satisfaction. Balanced Scorecard Strategy For Dummies breaks down the basics of Balanced Scorecard in simple language with practical, Dummies-style guidance on getting it done. This book covers all the basics of Balanced Scorecard for busy executives and managers-and does it without the high price tag of most professional level Balanced Scorecard guides.
Regulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase-19 Messenger RNA Expression in the Rat Ovary1

Abstract Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are instrumental in the constant tissue remodeling in the ovary. An induction of MMP-19 mRNA in periovulatory follicles has been reported in mouse ovaries. However, little is known about MMP-19 expression during the follicular and luteal periods or about the ovarian regulation of MMP-19 mRNA expression. We examined the expression pattern of MMP-19 mRNA during various reproductive phases and the periovulatory regulation of MMP-19 mRNA in the rat ovary. In gonadotropin-primed, immature rat ovaries, levels of MMP-19 mRNA transiently increased during both follicular growth and ovulation. The MMP-19 mRNA was localized to the theca-interstitial layer of growing follicles and to the granulosa and theca-interstitial layers of periovulatory follicles. A similar expression pattern of MMP-19 mRNA in periovulatory follicles was observed in ovaries from naturally cycling adult rats. Accumulation of MMP-19 mRNA was detected in regressing corpus luteum. The regulation of MMP-19 mRNA expression during the periovulatory period was investigated via in vivo studies and through in vitro culture studies on follicular cells. The hCG-induction of MMP-19 mRNA was mimicked by treating granulosa cells, but not theca-interstitial cells, from preovulatory follicles with LH or activators of the protein kinase (PK) A or PKC pathways. Cycloheximide blocked the LH- or forskolin-induced MMP-19 mRNA expression, demonstrating the requirement for new protein synthesis. In contrast, blocking activation of the progesterone receptor or prostaglandin synthesis had no effect on the increase in MMP-19 mRNA expression. In conclusion, the induction of MMP-19 mRNA suggests an important role of this proteinase during follicular growth, ovulation, and luteal regression.
The impact of dialysis modality on quality of life: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND This systematic review aims to generate evidence on which dialysis modality (in-centre haemodialysis HD, or peritoneal dialysis, PD) improves the quality of life (QOL) of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. METHODS MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE were searched from their inception to July 2010 for studies that compared QOL in both HD and PD patients. RESULTS Only 26 of the 574 studies identified were included in this review. These were crosssectional, longitudinal or retrospective in design. QOL tools used include SF-36, Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL) and CHOICE Health Experience Questionnaire (CHEQ). PD patients mostly rate their QOL higher than HD patients. Yet HD patients may enjoy a relatively better QOL in the physical dimensions over time. Mental health components are comparable between both dialysis populations. CONCLUSION There is no simple 'yes' or 'no' answer to the question of which dialysis modality improves QOL. However a good understanding of the evidence base will facilitate individual decision-making.
Patient-Controlled Interscalene Analgesia With Ropivacaine 0.2% versus Bupivacaine 0.15% After Major Open Shoulder Surgery: The Effects on Hand Motor Function

We compared the effects of patient-controlled interscalene analgesia with ropivacaine 0.2% and patient-controlled interscalene analgesia (PCIA) with bupivacaine 0.15% on hand grip strength after major open shoulder surgery. Sixty patients scheduled for elective major shoulder surgery were prospectively randomized to receive in a double-blinded fashion either ropivacaine or bupivacaine through an interscalene catheter. Before surgery, all patients received an interscalene block (ISB) with either 40 mL of 0.6% ropivacaine or 40 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine. Six h after ISB, the patients received a continuous infusion of either 0.2% ropivacaine or 0.15% bupivacaine for 48 h. In both groups, the PCIA infusion rate was 5 mL/h plus a bolus of 4 mL with a lockout time of 20 min. Strength in the hand was assessed preoperatively, 24 h, and 48 h after ISB and 6 h after stopping the infusion of local anesthetic. The presence of paresthesia in the fingers was checked. Pain relief was assessed using a visual analog scale; side effects were noted, and the patients rated their satisfaction 54 h after the block. A significant decrease of strength in the hand was observed in the Bupivacaine group 24, 48, and 54 h after ISB (P < 0.05). Paresthesia was more frequently reported in the Bupivacaine group for the second and third fingers 48 h after ISB (P < 0.05) and in the first three fingers 6 h after discontinuation of the local anesthetic infusion (P < 0.05). The pain score was similar in the two groups at all times, and patient satisfaction was comparable between the two groups. We conclude that the use of the PCIA technique with ropivacaine 0.2% or bupivacaine 0.15% provides a similar pain relief after major shoulder surgery. However, ropivacaine 0.2% is associated with better preservation of strength in the hand and less paresthesia in the fingers. Implications We compared the patient-controlled interscalene analgesia technique with ropivacaine 0.2% and bupivacaine 0.15% after major open shoulder surgery. For similar pain control ropivacaine is associated with better preservation of strength in the hand and less paresthesia in the fingers.
Road surface marking recognition using neural network

In recent years, the number of traffic accidents has rapidly increased. There are various reasons for this, but as one of the most common one is the carelessness of the driver. Therefore, we aim to decrease the number of traffic accidents by automatically recognizing the road signs and informing the driver accordingly. In the proposed method, at first, we use the edge information and after transform it, we can extract the target road area. The road marking candidate is then extracted and recognized using a neural network.
A meta-analysis of laparoscopic versus open appendectomy in patients suspected of having acute appendicitis.

OBJECTIVE To determine if any significant differences exist between laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) and open appendectomy (OA). DESIGN A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing LA to OA. DATA SOURCES An extensive literature search was conducted for appropriate articles published between January 1990 and March 1997. Articles were initially retrieved through MEDLINE with MeSH terms "appendicitis" or "appendectomy" and "laparoscopy". Additional methods included cross-referencing bibliographics of retrieved articles, hand searching abstracts from relevant meetings and consultation with a content expert. STUDY SELECTION Only RCTs published in English in which patients had a preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis were included. DATA EXTRACTION The outcomes of interest included operating time, hospital stay, readmission rates, return to normal activity and complications. The Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager 3.0 was used to calculate odds ratios (OR), weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The random-effects model was used for statistical analysis. DATA SYNTHESIS Twelve trials met the inclusion criteria. Because there were insufficient data in some trials, operating time, hospitalization and return to work were assessed in only 8 trials. Mean operating time was significantly longer with LA (WMD 18.10 minutes, 95% CI 12.87 to 23.15 minutes). There were fewer wound infections in LA (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.69), but no significant differences in intra-abdominal abscess rates (OR 1.94, 95% CI 0.68 to 5.58). There was no significant difference in the mean length of hospital stay (WMD -0.16 days, 95% CI -0.44 to 0.15 days) or readmission rates (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.54 to 2.48). However, the return to normal activity was significantly earlier with LA (WMD -5.79 days, 95% CI -7.38 to -4.21 days). Sensitivity analyses did not affect the results. CONCLUSION This meta-analysis suggests that operating room time is significantly longer, hospital stay is unchanged but return to normal activities is significantly earlier with LA.
Priming of Human Neutrophil Respiratory Burst by Granulocyte/Macrophage Colony-stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) Involves Partial Phosphorylation of p47 phox *

Neutrophil superoxide production can be potentiated by prior exposure to “priming” agents such as granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Because the mechanism underlying GM-CSF-dependent priming is not understood, we investigated the effects of GM-CSF on the phosphorylation of the cytosolic NADPH oxidase components p47 phox and p67 phox . Preincubation of neutrophils with GM-CSF alone increased the phosphorylation of p47 phox but not that of p67 phox . Addition of formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) to GM-CSF-pretreated neutrophils resulted in more intense phosphorylation of p47 phox than with GM-CSF alone and fMLP alone. GM-CSF-induced p47 phox phosphorylation was time- and concentration-dependent and ran parallel to the priming effect of GM-CSF on superoxide production. Two-dimensional tryptic peptide mapping of p47 phox showed that GM-CSF induced phosphorylation of one major peptide. fMLP alone induced phosphorylation of several peptides, an effect enhanced by GM-CSF pretreatment. In contrast to fMLP and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, GM-CSF-induced phosphorylation of p47 phox was not inhibited by the protein kinase C inhibitor GF109203X. The protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin inhibited the phosphorylation of p47 phox induced by GM-CSF and by fMLP but not that induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. GM-CSF alone did not induce p47 phox or p67 phox translocation to the membrane, but neutrophils treated consecutively with GM-CSF and fMLP showed an increase (compared with fMLP alone) in membrane translocation of p47 phox and p67 phox . Taken together, these results show that the priming action of GM-CSF on the neutrophil respiratory burst involves partial phosphorylation of p47 phox on specific serines and suggest the involvement of a priming pathway regulated by protein-tyrosine kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.
Chronic stress‐induced neurotransmitter plasticity in the PVN

Chronic stress precipitates pronounced enhancement of central stress excitability, marked by sensitization of hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenocortical (HPA) axis responses and increased adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretagogue biosynthesis in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). Chronic stress‐induced enhancement of HPA axis excitability predicts increased excitatory and/or decreased inhibitory innervation of the parvocellular PVN. We tested this hypothesis by evaluating chronic variable stress (CVS)‐induced changes in total (synaptophysin), glutamatergic (VGluT2), GABAergic (GAD65), and noradrenergic (DBH) terminal immunoreactivity on PVN parvocellular neurons using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. CVS increased the total PVN bouton immunoreactivity as well as the number of glutamatergic and noradrenergic immunoreactive boutons in apposition to both the corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH)‐immunoreactive cell bodies and dendrites within the parvocellular PVN. However, the number of GABAergic‐immunoreactive boutons in the PVN was unchanged. CVS did not alter CRH median eminence immunoreactivity, indicating that CVS does not enhance CRH storage within the median eminence. Taken together, the data are consistent with a role for both glutamate and norepinephrine in chronic stress enhancement of HPA axis excitability. These changes could lead to an enhanced capacity for excitation in these neurons, contributing to chronic stress‐induced hyperreactivity of stress effector systems in the brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 517:156–165, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Egypt economic monitor : paving the way to a sustained recovery (Spring 2015)

Egypt’s economic activity is gaining momentum. Growth accelerated to 5.6 percent during the first half of FY15, compared to a dismal 1.2 percent in the same period last year. The recent spike in economic activity reflects favorable base effects, but more importantly broad-based sector recovery, especially in tourism and manufacturing. On the demand side, growth continues to benefit from resilient consumption and government stimulus, supported by large financial inflows from Gulf States. In March 2015, Egypt held a high level Economic Development Conference, which culminated with the signing of sizeable investment deals worth US$36 billion, securing external financing worth US$24 billion, and the announcement of a new Gulf support package worth US$12.5 billion. This will boost the ongoing economic recovery and facilitate efforts to achieve macroeconomic stability. Annual growth is expected to double to 4.3 percent in FY15, and should increase further thereafter, compared to the muted growth of 2 percent during FY11-FY14. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) conducted its article four consultation in November 2014 and the final report generally commended the authorities’ medium term plans while highlighting some risks including slippage in implementing reforms and a large external financing gap. Egypt’s main risk is to sustain the ongoing economic recovery which requires improved security. Notwithstanding the authorities’ ambitious fiscal consolidation plan, the deficit and debt aggregates will remain high and unsustainable. Further, there are risks of policy slippage as some details and the exact timing of policy measures are still missing and implementation capacity remains a challenge. Further, sustaining the reform pace requires efficient and well-targeted safety nets, which might take time to build. Finally, there is significant uncertainty regarding the financing of the announced mega-projects and the potential contingent liabilities that may arise.
Pressure-dependent variable resistors based on porous polymeric foams with conducting polymer thin films in situ coated on the interior surfaces

Pressure-dependent variable resistors were fabricated by coating conducting polymer thin films on the interior surfaces of porous polyurethane (PU) foams with thickness ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm. To coat conducting polymer thin films on the interior surfaces of the porous PU foams, the PU foams were first immersed in 1 M aqueous camphorsulfonic acid (HCSA) solution containing 0.44 M of aniline (monomer solution) and then transferred to another 1 M aqueous camphorsulfonic acid solution containing 0.1 M of ammonium peroxydisulfate (oxidant solution). After the polyaniline (PANI) deposition process by in situ oxidative chemical polymerization of aniline on the interior surfaces of the porous PU foams, the non-conductive PU foams became all-polymer conductive composites. The formation of PANI thin films on the interior surfaces of the porous PU foams was confirmed by optical microscopy and scanning election microscopy (SEM) studies, which showed that no bulk PANI was found to block the porous interstitial space of PU foams after the PANI deposition process. When a PANI-treated conductive PU foam was sandwiched between two pieces of plastic electrodes based on poly(ethyleneterephthalate) (PET) substrates coated with commercially available poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), the whole assembly could act as an all-polymer pressure sensor. By varying the size and thickness of the all-polymer PU-based pressure devices, the responsive ranges can be adjusted for different applications with different applied pressure ranges. With the incorporation of a polymeric cushion as the mechanical buffer layer around the conductive PU composite, the dynamic pressure-responsive range could be further increased. Compared to our previous work, the all-polymer pressure sensors described in the present work showed greater reproducibility when subject to repetitive cycling tests and exhibited greater continuous linear response range.