Strategies For Extension Research Articles

Half-life extension via ABD-fusion leads to higher tumor uptake of an affibody-drug conjugate compared to PAS- and XTENylation.

A critical parameter during the development of protein therapeutics is to endow them with suitable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Small protein drugs are quickly eliminated by kidney filtration, and in vivo half-life extension is therefore often desired. Here, different half-life extension technologies were studied where PAS polypeptides (PAS300, PAS600), XTEN polypeptides (XTEN288, XTEN576), and an albumin binding domain (ABD) were compared for half-life extension of an anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) affibody-drug conjugate. The results showed that extension with the PAS or XTEN polypeptides or the addition of the ABD lowered the affinity for HER2 to some extent but did not negatively affect the cytotoxic potential. The half-lives in mice ranged from 7.3 h for the construct including PAS300 to 11.6 h for the construct including PAS600. The highest absolute tumor uptake was found for the construct including the ABD, which was 60 to 160% higher than the PASylated or XTENylated constructs, even though it did not have the longest half-life (9.0 h). A comparison of the tumor-to-normal-organ ratios showed the best overall performance of the ABD-fused construct. In conclusion, PASylation, XTENylation, and the addition of an ABD are viable strategies for half-life extension of affibody-drug conjugates, with the best performance observed for the construct including the ABD.

Preparing Future Teachers for Inclusive Education – Conceptual Frameworks and Curriculum Opportunities

In the context of global interest in inclusive education, the demand for effective teacher training on inclusion in education has grown significantly. This paper aims to identify opportunities for engaging pre-service teachers in learning about inclusive education within Romania’s existing initial teacher education curriculum. The analysis delves into the curricula of psycho-pedagogical training programs (Level I and II) offered by universities through the Teacher Education Departments and the curricula of four subjects included in the teacher training program (Level I). Specific subject contents suitable for an infusion approach of inclusive education are identified. The study suggests learning activities that can be integrated into the analysed subjects’ curriculum. The proposed approach and activities represent valuable resources for university teachers involved in psycho-pedagogical training programs, offering adaptable strategies for university teaching practice and potential extension to other disciplines with necessary adjustments.

Food and Nutritional Security Impact of Exploiting Opportunities and Developing Strategies in Increase Yam (Dioscorea Spp.) Production in Ethiopia

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine the prospects available and to provide solutions for increasing yam production in Ethiopia. To design strategies to boost production of underutilized food and nutritional security crops like yams in Ethiopia, it is necessary to first understand the gaps and opportunities. Design/Methodology/Approach: I began by reviewing the literature on yam production challenges and solutions from throughout the world. I’ve also looked at the global yam production trend, with a particular focus on Ethiopian yam production. Then I went over and over the yam production constraints in Ethiopia, analyzing them and coming up with strategies to improve yam production. Findings: The availability of a widely diverse landrace, large tracts of arable land, and newly released cultivars holds much promise for Ethiopia’s yam production. Practical Implication: This paper proposes that (1) increasing yam land cover; (2) increasing research investments in seed tuber production technologies and the development of biotic and abiotic stress-resistant varieties; and (3) increasing seed tuber production cooperatives of farmer-preferred varieties will significantly increase yam production in Ethiopia. Theoretical Implication: Efforts to investigate, invest in the development/adoption, and promote the use of yam technology could assist Ethiopia in improving food security by increasing yam production. Originality/Value: Understanding the opportunities and proposing strategies for agricultural research, extension, and development policies in Ethiopia helps them focus on the importance of research, yam technology adoption and extension, and seed producing cooperatives for increased yam productivity and production in Ethiopia.

Measuring product lifetime extension potential by increasing the expected product lifetime: Methodology and case study

AbstractUnderstanding the factors affecting consumer replacement behavior is important in extending the product lifetime in a circular economy. Although such factors have been widely investigated, methodologies to quantitatively measure the potential of changes in these aspects are scarce. They help to consider effective strategies for product lifetime extension. This study focused on the expected product lifetime and constructed a framework to analyze this potential, using air conditioners in Japan as a case study. When the expected product lifetime increased by 1, 2, and 3 years, the mean actual product lifetime rose by 0.9, 1.8, and 2.72 years, respectively, whose values can be sufficiently recognized as potentials for product lifetime extension. The results indicate that products and services for product lifetime extension can actually be used by consumers. Therefore, business strategies for product lifetime extension can increase resource efficiency and potentially strengthen competitiveness in future resource constraint economies.

The Clinician's Guide to Baseball Pitching Biomechanics.

Improper baseball pitching biomechanics are associated with increased stresses on the throwing elbow and shoulder as well as an increased risk of injury. Previous studies quantifying pitching kinematics and kinetics were reviewed. Clinical review. Level 5. At the instant of lead foot contact, the elbow should be flexed approximately 90° with the shoulder at about 90° abduction, 20° horizontal abduction, and 45° external rotation. The stride length should be about 85% of the pitcher's height with the lead foot in a slightly closed position. The pelvis should be rotated slightly open toward home plate with the upper torso in line with the pitching direction. Improper shoulder external rotation at foot contact is associated with increased elbow and shoulder torques and forces and may be corrected by changing the stride length and/or arm path. From foot contact to maximum shoulder external rotation to ball release, the pitcher should demonstrate a kinematic chain of lead knee extension, pelvis rotation, upper trunk rotation, elbow extension, and shoulder internal rotation. The lead knee should be flexed about 45° at foot contact and 30° at ball release. Corrective strategies for insufficient knee extension may involve technical issues (stride length, lead foot position, lead foot orientation) and/or strength and conditioning of the lower body. Improper pelvis and upper trunk rotation often indicate the need for core strength and flexibility. Maximum shoulder external rotation should be about 170°. Insufficient external rotation leads to low shoulder internal rotation velocity and low ball velocity. Deviation from 90° abduction decreases the ability to achieve maximum external rotation, increases elbow torque, and decreases the dynamic stability in the glenohumeral joint. Improved pitching biomechanics can increase performance and reduce risk of injury. Level C.

English-7 The Merger and Acquisition Financial Performance Analysis of Conventional and Islamic Banks CASE OF KASB AND BANK ISLAMI

Abstract
 Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) are known as one of the major useful practice and strategies for market development, market penetration, extension and growth of the firm. (M&A) strategies have commonly used and adopted in all over the world, these (M&A) practice also adopted in Pakistan by many firm, recently in telecommunication sector (M&A) adopted by Mobilink and Warid Telecom. This study purposes to evaluate and analysis the impact of (M&A) on Islamic banking if commercial bank merged with Islamic Bank by using the analysis of event study for the period of 2011 - 2017, In this paper Meezan bank limited data also analysis and Meezan bank limited result set as industry bench mark. Our findings indicate that merger of the company no relation or very week relation with Profitability.

Strategic Brand Extension and Organizational Performance of Selected Beverage Firms in Nigeria

This study investigates the impact of strategic brand extension on organizational performance of selected beverage firms in Nigeria. The brand concept has come a long way especially during the product marketing times, where branding and management of brands played a huge role in creating differentiation and product preference in consumers’ mind. Brand extensions as a contemporary concept maximizes on brand name equity already established. Core brand names that customers are familiar with aid products newly entering the market and enable them quickly capture new market segments. Locally, adequate research attention has not been directed in area of strategies for brand extension. There appears to be existing gap for a study to be developed that looks into how strategies on brand extension affects local firm performance. The main focus of this study therefore, is to investigate the importance of strategic brand extension on the performance of beverage production companies in Nigeria. The sample size was determined using Taro Yemen's approach, and respondents were chosen using the survey research design method. The statistical approaches used were simple percentages and multiple regressions. According to the findings, all of the variables studied in this study, such as category expansion, line extension, existing family brand, and brand awareness, were positive and significant drivers to marketing performance. Brand awareness, existing family brand extension, and category extension have the most influence, followed by line growth. The study discovered that features of brand growth strategy have a positive impact on soft drink businesses' marketing success in Nigeria. As a result, the study recommends that a new or existing soft drink company in Nigeria work hard to develop a brand expansion strategy in order to increase marketing performance, among other things.

STRATEGIES FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE WINTER SEASON AT MOUNTAIN RESORTS IN BULGARIA

The achievement of the sustainable development of mountain tourist resorts is questionable in the light of global warming. Increasing average temperatures is a precondition of the additional shortening of the winter tourist season at mountain territories in Bulgaria. The goal of the present publication is to extract strategies for extension of the winter season at mountain resorts in Bulgaria, by proposing effective mechanisms, based on the tourists' preferences and the abilities of tourist entrepreneurs. Based on expert analysis of Bulgarian tourist resorts, personal researches and experience in the researched topic, we determine alternative sources of offering and organization of event as the main possibilities of extending the season. The effect of this research can go in two directions: on one hand, by identifying and discussing the basic concept of seasonality, it will contribute to the enrichment of scientific knowledge in the field with potential for future research. On the other hand, it can be beneficial to destination managers as it will offer a better understanding of the importance of holding unique events to shape the destination's image, reduce seasonality and develop a sustainable economy based on tourism.

Stay close but not too close: The role of similarity in the cross-gender extension of patronymic brands

This research builds on similarity theory in order to understand the key success factors of brand naming strategies for the cross-gender extension of female patronymic brands targeting men. Study 1 demonstrates that the most common naming strategy – adding a “Men” descriptor to the brand name – does not significantly increase brand attitude as the perceived brand masculinity cannot be enhanced for men. Study2 extends Study1 by testing two more distant brand naming strategies: (1) dropping the first name and (2) using brand initials. The results show an inverted-U relationship pattern that reveals the key role of similarity: Dropping the first name has the most positive impact on brand extension attitude, purchase intention, and spillover effect. By contrast, the strategy using brand initials is too dissimilar from the initial brand name to be attractive to men. These findings provide managerial implications for practitioners considering a cross-gender brand extension strategy.

How far does the tree affect the crop in agroforestry? New spatial analysis methods in a Faidherbia parkland

The trees in agroforestry plots create spatial heterogeneity of high interest for adaptation, mitigation, and the provision of ecosystem services. But to what distance, exactly, from the tree? We tested a novel approach, based upon geostatistics and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) sensing, to infer the distance at which a single agroforestry tree affects the surrounding under-crop, to map yield, litter (i.e. stover) and compute crop-partial Land Equivalent Ratio (LERcp) at the whole-plot level.In an agro-silvo-pastoral parkland of semi-arid western Africa dominated by the multi-purpose tree Faidherbia albida, we harvested the pearl-millet under-crop at the whole-plot scale (ca. 1 ha) and also in subplot transects, at three distances from the trunks. We observed that the yield was three times higher below the tree crown (135.6 g m−2) than at a distance of five tree-crown radii from the trunk (47.7 g m−2). Through geostatistical analysis of multi-spectral, centimetric-resolution images obtained from an UAV overflight of the entire plot, we determined that the ‘Range’ parameter of the semi-variogram (assumed to be the distance of influence of the trees on the Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) was 17 m. We correlated the yield (r2 = 0.41; RRMSE = 48 %) and litter production (r2 = 0.46; RRMSE = 35 %) in subplots with NDVI, and generated yield and litter maps at the whole-plot scale. The measured whole-plot yield (0.73 t ha-1) differed from the one estimated via the UAV mapping by only 20 %, thereby validating the overall approach. The litter was estimated similarly at 1.05 tC ha-1 yr-1 and mapped. Using a geostatistical proxy for the sole crop, LERcp was estimated 1.16, despite the low tree density.This new method to handle heterogeneity in agroforestry systems is a first application. We also propose strategies for extension to the landscape level.

MEBAUAC: Methodology for elaborating a baseline of the accomplishment of university accreditation criteria

El objetivo del estudio fue proponer y aplicar una metodología rápida para elaborar una línea de base del cumplimiento de los criterios de acreditación universitaria en las carreras universitarias con la percepción de los profesores y las autoridades académicas y aplicarla a una ciudad. MEBAUAC es original y ha permitido el establecimiento de una línea de base. No se encontraron metodologías similares anteriores. El instrumento de la evaluación es original y se aplicó a la evaluación del cumplimiento de los criterios de acreditación universitaria de carreras de ingeniería con una muestra de 73 profesores y autoridades académicas de carreras de ingeniería en Lima, capital del Perú. Utilizando la metodología propuesta, se obtuvieron los resultados de los siguientes criterios: (a) el conocimiento de las estrategias adecuadas de los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje por parte de los profesores, (b) la implementación de programas de bienestar (biblioteca, artes, atención de la salud, recreación actividades, etc.), (c) planificación a largo plazo, (d) elaboración de planes de estudio de acuerdo con los requisitos del mercado laboral, (e) aplicación de estrategias adecuadas para los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje, (f) tutoría, (g) extensión universitaria y proyección social, (h) espacios y equipamiento y (i) relaciones con grupos de interés. Las investigaciones futuras sobre la evaluación del proceso de acreditación deben tener en cuenta los enfoques para las escuelas universitarias, las autoridades gubernamentales y los investigadores interesados.

Recent Advances in Half-life Extension Strategies for Therapeutic Peptides and Proteins.

Peptides and proteins are two classes of molecules with attractive possibilities for therapeutic applications. However, the bottleneck for the therapeutic application of many peptides and proteins is their short halflives in vivo, typically just a few minutes to hours. Half-life extension strategies have been extensively studied and many of them have been proven to be effective in the generation of long-acting therapeutics with improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in half-life extension strategies, illustrate their potential applications and give some examples, highlighting the strategies that have been used in approved drugs and for drugs in clinical trials. Meanwhile, several novel strategies that are still in the process of discovery or at a preclinical stage are also introduced. In these strategies, the two most frequently used half-life extension methods are the reduction in the rate of renal clearance or the exploitation of the recycling mechanism of FcRn by binding to the albumin or IgG-Fc. Here, we discuss half-life extension strategies of recombinant therapeutic protein via genetic fusion, rather than chemical conjugation such as PEGylation. With the rapid development of genetic engineering and protein engineering, novel strategies for half-life extension have been emerged consistently. Some of these will be evaluated in clinical trials and may become viable alternatives to current strategies for making next-generation biodrugs.

Factors Affecting Research and Extension Linkage in Veterinary Universities in India

The effective research-extension linkage in agriculture and veterinary universities depends on multiple factors. To analyze such factors, the present study was carried out with a sample of 80 researchers and 40 extensionists from four veterinary universities in India. The correlation and regression analysis revealed that most of the dimensions of functional R-E linkage were less affected by the selected profile characteristics of respondents. Their information accessibility, job-experience, training/seminar familiarity and perception of management have a positive and significant relationship with linkage strength. So, these factors should be addressed by the university to strengthen and design effective linkage strategies for research and extension.

Machine Learning Approach to RF Transmitter Identification

With the development and widespread use of wireless devices in recent years (mobile phones, Internet of Things, Wi-Fi), the electromagnetic spectrum has become extremely crowded. In order to counter security threats posed by rogue or unknown transmitters, it is important to identify RF transmitters not by the data content of the transmissions but based on the intrinsic physical characteristics of the transmitters. RF waveforms represent a particular challenge because of the extremely high data rates involved and the potentially large number of transmitters present in a given location. These factors outline the need for rapid fingerprinting and identification methods that go beyond the traditional hand-engineered approaches. In this study, we investigate the use of machine learning (ML) strategies to the classification and identification problems, and the use of wavelets to reduce the amount of data required. Four different ML strategies are evaluated: deep neural nets (DNN), convolutional neural nets (CNN), support vector machines (SVM), and multi-stage training (MST) using accelerated Levenberg-Marquardt (A-LM) updates. The A-LM MST method preconditioned by wavelets was by far the most accurate, achieving 100% classification accuracy of transmitters, as tested using data originating from 12 different transmitters. We discuss strategies for extension of MST to a much larger number of transmitters.

Characterization of temporal variations and feedback timescales of exhaust gas recirculation gas properties using high-speed diode laser absorption spectroscopy for next-cycle control of cyclic variability

Dilute combustion offers efficiency gains in boosted gasoline direct injection engines both through knock-limit extension and thermodynamic advantages (i.e. the effect of γ on cycle efficiency), but is limited by cyclic variability at high dilution levels. Past studies have shown that the cycle-to-cycle dynamics are a combination of deterministic and stochastic effects. The deterministic causes of cyclic variations, which arise from feedback due to exhaust gas recirculation, imply the possibility of using active control strategies for dilution limit extension. While internal exhaust gas recirculation will largely provide a next-cycle effect (short-timescale feedback), the feedback of external exhaust gas recirculation will have an effect after a delay of several cycles (long timescale). Therefore, control strategies aiming to improve engine stability at dilution limit may have to account for both short- and long-timescale feedback pathways. This study shows the results of a study examining the extent to which variations in exhaust gas recirculation composition are preserved along the exhaust gas recirculation flow path and thus the relative importance and information content of the long-timescale feedback pathway. To characterize the filtering or retention of cycle-resolved feedback information, high-speed (1–5 kHz) CO2 concentration measurements were performed simultaneously at three different locations along the low-pressure external exhaust gas recirculation loop of a four-cylinder General Motors gasoline direct injection engine using a multiplexed two-color diode laser absorption spectroscopy sensor system during steady-state and transient engine operation at various exhaust gas recirculation levels. It was determined that cycle-resolved feedback propagates through internal residual gases but is filtered out by the low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation flow system and do not reach the intake manifold. Intermediate variations driven by flow rate and compositional changes are also distinguished and identified.

Strategies for Enhancing University Extension's Role as an Agricultural Information Source

In this article, we identify factors contributing to the low use of Extension as an information source for farm management decisions and make recommendations for how to increase use of Extension in the context of midwestern row crop agriculture. Results from our mixed-methods analysis show that conservative recommendations, declines in public funding, and the perception of "cutting-edge" private sector information contribute to low use of Extension. We recommend changes to Extension at system and ground levels that could potentially increase its use among farmers. As many of the issues facing farmers and Extension span the nation, our findings and recommendations likely apply to a number of geographic and agricultural contexts.

Site-specific controller design for monopile offshore wind turbines

The fatigue life of offshore wind turbine (OWT) support structures is sensitive to variations in site-specific conditions such as the water depth and soil properties. Site condtions may vary significantly within a wind farm, and they may change throughout the lifetime of the OWT. This paper analyses how control strategies for fatigue life extension can compensate for differing fatigue loads due to varying site conditions. Control strategies applicable for both power production and idling situations are analysed, and methodology to reduce undesirable side-effects is proposed. The design case is a 10 MW monopile OWT located in 30 m water depth at the Dogger Bank in the North Sea, and results are based on time-domain simulations performed using an aero-hydro-servo-elastic simulation tool. The results show that, when all the investigated control strategies are utilized, a fatigue damage reduction over the 20-year lifetime of approximately 50% is possible. Furthermore, it is shown that adverse side-effects such as wear of pitch actuators and fluctuations in the power output can be significantly reduced by limiting the use of control strategies to some predefined situations. With only moderate cost to other system components, the control system is able to compensate for 20% variation in soil stiffness, and 5% (1.5 m) variation in water depth.

Chemical Strategies for Half-Life Extension of Biopharmaceuticals: Lipidation and Its Alternatives

Strategies for half-life extension are often required in the design of new biopharmaceuticals. This Viewpoint focuses on chemical moieties that convey protraction by albumin binding or by self-assembly to form larger structures, with GLP-1 and insulin as examples.

Evolutionary Biology of Diet, Aging, and Mismatch

Author(s): Rutledge, Grant Allen | Advisor(s): Rose, Michael R | Abstract: The search for a diet or supplement that improves healthspan in humans has been daunting. This dissertation applies theory on the evolution of aging to understand what diets are best for extending healthspan. Chapter 1 reviews strategies for healthspan extension using diet and supplementation from the standpoint of evolutionary biology. Then it introduces a new evolutionary strategy for dietary enhancement of healthspan. Our intuitive understanding of adaptation by natural selection is dominated by the power of selection at early ages in large populations. Yet, as the forces of natural selection fall with adult age, we expect adaptation to be attenuated with age. Explicit simulations of age-dependent adaptation suggest that populations adapt to a novel environment quickly at early ages, but only slowly and incompletely at later adult ages. Chapter 2 tests for age-dependent adaptation in laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster. The results show clear age-specificity of adaptation in two examples of evolution in response to dietary transition. In the first example, populations perform better on an ancestral, long-abandoned, fruit diet compared to an evolutionarily recent fruit diet, only at later ages. In the second example, the gain and loss of urea adaptation is strongest at early ages and weakest at later ages. Chapter 3 evaluates the effects of combining both diet and botanical supplementation on Drosophila healthspan. One botanical extract, derived from Rosa damascena, decreases survivorship when added to an ancestral diet, but increases lifespan when added to an evolutionarily recent diet. Another botanical, derived from Rhodiola rosea, extends life-span by approximately 20% with a 20% decrease in average fecundity. In addition, there is evidence of an antagonistic effect when these botanicals are combined, supporting the “Poisoned Chalice” hypothesis that novel combinations of substances may produce adverse physiological responses. Chapter 4 studies the effects of evolutionary history on phenotypic convergence in D. melanogaster populations selected for desiccation resistance and larval urea tolerance. We find that extreme selection can have long-lasting impacts on phenotypic differentiation, particularly for longevity, even after a few hundred generations of relaxed selection.

Experimental investigation of diesel/gasoline dual-fuel premixed compression ignition strategies for high thermal efficiency and high load extension

In this study, two different operating strategies of gasoline and diesel dual-fuel premixed compression ignition (PCI) were investigated by using a single cylinder compression ignition engine. Verification of high thermal efficiency potential under the low load condition and the suppression of the maximum in-cylinder pressure rise rate (PRRmax) under the relatively high load condition were considered in this study. Two approaches to implement dual-fuel PCI were considered. The first approach (A-mode PCI) was an early diesel injection with very leaner overall equivalence ratio condition. In this case, a high exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rate was not needed because lean premixed combustion promised to provide low nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions. The second method (B-mode PCI) involved the use of a high EGR rate to moderate dual-fuel combustion with adjusting diesel injection timing. The first operating strategy prolonged the ignition delay via early diesel injection and lean mixture condition; in this manner, a high EGR helped to increase ignition delay. The experimental result showed that the A-mode PCI strategy promised higher gross indicated thermal efficiency (GIE) than that of the B-mode PCI. However, the B-mode PCI strategy provided a lower PRRmax than that of the first case. By applying the A-mode PCI, which was implemented by the early diesel injection with overall lean premixed combustion, a high GIE of 47.8 % could be obtained under low speed and low load condition. In addition, the dual-fuel PCI operating range could be increased using a gross indicated mean effective pressure (gIMEP) of 14 bar at 2000 r/min with a low PRRmax of 7 bar/deg (constraint 10 bar/deg) by applying the B-mode PCI strategy, which split the heat release rate (HRR) peaks to enable smooth combustion.