Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spouses’ Quality of Life 1 Year after Stroke: Prediction at the Start of Clinical Rehabilitation

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this prospective study was to identify early predictors of spouses’ quality of life at 1 year after stroke. Methods: At the start of clinical rehabilitation patient and caregiver characteristics, psychological factors, harmony in the relationship and social support were assessed. One year after stroke, caregiver burden (Caregiver Strain Index), life satisfaction (Life Satisfaction Checklist) and depressive symptoms (Goldberg Depression Scale) were assessed in 187 participants. Multiple regression analyses were performed. Results: About 80% of the spouses reported low quality of life on one or more of the measures; 52% reported depressive symptoms, 54% significant strain and only 50% was satisfied with life as a whole. The regression analysis identified ‘passive coping strategy of the caregiver’ as the most important predictor. ADL dependency was the only baseline patient characteristic significantly related to burden and life satisfaction, but explained just 0–4% of the variance. Conclusions: A large proportion of caregivers perceive impaired quality of life 1 year after stroke. Caregivers at risk should be identified at the start of rehabilitation by means of coping measurement instruments or selected anamneses on coping.
Managing Social and Environmental Performance: Do Companies Have Adequate Information?

The commonwealth government has again explored the issue of mandatory social and environmental reporting by companies. This paper reviews the for-and-against arguments. We investigate the capacity for Australian organisations to voluntarily provide adequate social and environmental information by undertaking an analysis of current reporting practices with a focus on the reporting of performance-related information. To understand whether Australian companies are achieving best practice we benchmark disclosure against a sample of British companies.
Scales of governance and environmental justice for adaptation and mitigation of climate change

Global climate change is a significant challenge to structures of governance at all temporal and spatial scales, particularly in the area of managing natural resources. Advances in understanding of the nature of observed and future climate change has led to a realization that significant future impacts are inevitable and increased efforts towards understanding the process of adaptation to the threatened impacts are required. This paper examines the issue of scale of governance relevant for adaptation. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary mechanism for co-ordinating international action on the threat of global climate change. The Convention process perceives adaptation as a further rationale for international transfers, in this case to compensate for and prepare for potential or realised impacts. This approach can be justified by recourse to the idea that enhancing sustainable development will enhance adaptive capacity and that planned activities are a key part of overall adaptation. But many adaptations to climate change will be spontaneous actions to perceived and actual risks in the environment. Thus institutional and economic parameters determine the underlying vulnerability and adaptive capacity of societies. I therefore argue that an understanding of adaptation processes allows interventions and planned adaptations at the most appropriate scales. I illustrate these arguments with reference to adaptation in agriculture and outline the insights from interdisciplinary development studies that can inform the climate change debates. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Economics of Hiv/Aids: A Survey

This article surveys the main economic issues associated with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, paying special attention to sub-Saharan Africa. It explores the economic and behavioural determinants of HIV transmission, the microeconomics of market failures associated with high HIV prevalence, the prospects for regional development from a macroeconomic perspective and the efficient design of policies for coping with the epidemic. In line with the recent appeal by the UN Secretary General, the article argues that, without a decisive effort to halt HIV/AIDS, people living in the region are bound to experience a further fall in their standard of living in both relative and absolute terms. However, to be effective, anti-AIDS programmes must be rooted in sound economic principles. Copyright Overseas Development Institute, 2003.
Predominance of Th1 cytokine in peripheral blood and pathological tissues of patients with active untreated adult onset Still’s disease

Objective: To determine the type 1 T helper (Th1)/type 2 T helper (Th2) balance in the peripheral blood (PB) and pathological tissues of patients with active untreated adult onset Still’s disease (AOSD). Methods: The percentages of interferon γ (IFNγ)- and interleukin (IL)4-producing Th cells in the PB of 20 patients with active untreated AOSD, 20 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 20 healthy controls were determined by intracellular staining and flow cytometry. Serum levels of IL18 and soluble IL2 receptor were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Levels of IFNγ and IL4 messenger (m) RNA expression were examined by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in biopsy specimens of evanescent rash and synovitis from 8 patients with AOSD. Results: Significantly higher IFNγ-producing Th cells and Th1/Th2 ratio in PB were found in patients with AOSD than in healthy controls. Percentages of IFNγ-producing Th cells and Th1/Th2 ratio in PB correlated significantly with clinical activity score and serum IL18 levels in patients with AOSD. Increased ratio of Th1/Th2 cytokine transcripts was seen in the biopsy specimens of evanescent rash and synovitis from patients with AOSD compared with normal skin controls and patients with OA. Th cell cytokine pattern in PB and cytokine mRNA expression in synovium were similar for patients with AOSD and with RA. After 3 months’ treatment, clinical remission was associated with a marked decrease in the percentages of cytokine-producing Th1 cells, but not of the Th2 cells. Conclusion: A predominance of Th1 cytokine may precipitate the pathogenesis of AOSD.
The Opportunity Cost of a Mean‐Variance Efficient Choice

The mean-variance criterion is one of the most frequently used methods for selecting investment portfolios. Yet, because it is an approximation of an investor's maximum expected utility choice, some theoreticians and practitioners have criticized the approach. This paper examines the investment loss that different investors experience by accepting a mean-variance efficient portfolio. Simulated security returns with extreme distributional characteristics are used to determine the extent of an investor's loss. The results indicate that even under very unreasonable investment distributional assumptions, an investor's loss by accepting a mean-variance efficient choice rarely exceeds a small fraction of one percent per invested dollar. Copyright 1991 by MIT Press.
Critical literature review on maturity models for business process excellence

Maturity models are a useful way for an organisation to assess their processes and the overall maturity levels of the organisation. However, finding the most appropriate maturity model is not an easy task especially for practitioners in industry. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to critically review, compare and contrast the existing maturity models in quality/operations management topics. This paper has reviewed the most common maturity models including but not limited to Bessant's continuous improvement capability model, Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) which is the most common model in the literature. The authors have observed a lack of maturity models for process management. Therefore, the future plan for this research is to develop a maturity model for a specific area in process management, which is Lean Six Sigma (LSS), as this is the main area of interest for the authors.
Trade Execution Costs and Market Quality after Decimalization

Abstract This study assesses trade execution costs and market quality for NYSE and Nasdaq stocks before and after the 2001 change to decimal pricing. Several theoretical predictions are confirmed. Quoted bid-ask spreads declined substantially on each market, with the largest declines for heavily traded stocks. The percentage of shares receiving price improvement increased on the NYSE, but not on Nasdaq. However, those trades completed at prices within or outside the quotes were improved or disimproved by smaller amounts after decimalization, and trades completed outside the quotes saw the largest reductions in trade execution costs, as a class. Effective bid-ask spreads as a percentage of share price, arguably the most relevant measure of execution costs for smaller trades, averaged 0.33% on a volume-weighted basis after decimalization for both NYSE and Nasdaq stocks. There is no evidence of systematic intraday reversals of quote changes on either market, as would be expected if decimalization had damaged liquidity supply.
Transforming growth factor‐β expression in human retinal pigment epithelial

 cells is enhanced by Toxoplasma gondii: a possible role in the immunopathogenesis of retinochoroiditis

Retinochoroiditis caused by Toxoplasma gondii infection results in inflammation and necrosis of the retina. We have used human retinal pigment epithelial cultures (HRPE) as an in vitro model to investigate the role of TGF‐β in T. gondii‐induced retinochoroiditis. RT‐PCR analyses showed enhanced steady state levels of TGF‐β1 and TGF‐β2 mRNA in T. gondii‐infected HRPE. Uninfected HRPE secrete TGF‐β1 in a latent form while 10–30% of the secreted TGF‐β2 was in the active form. T. gondii infection induced a significant increase (P < 0·01) in total TGF‐β1 and TGF‐β2 secretion by HRPE. In addition, soluble extracts of T. gondii (ST) stimulated secretion of both TGF‐β1 and TGF‐β2 significantly (P < 0·01). Interestingly, T. gondii infection as well as ST of the parasites completely inhibited secretion of the active form of TGF‐β2. Studies evaluating the effect of TGF‐β on T. gondii replication in HRPE revealed that TGF‐β enhanced parasite replication. The interactions between host retinal cells and T. gondii may play an active role in the pathogenesis of retinochoroiditis.
A Comparative Study of the Importance of Hotel Selection Components by Turkish Business Travelers

Abstract The study surveyed 612 Turkish business travelers to determine the importance they placed on hotel selection attributes. Twelve major factors emerged including service, price and value, security, extra amenities, technology, room comfort, food and beverage, complimentary goods, parking, location, health sensitivity, and single sensitivity. Further analysis suggested that there are significant differences between male and female business travelers in five of the twelve factors: Security, food and beverage, complimentary goods, parking, and health sensitivity
Can financial development cure the Dutch disease

We argue that, in improving the efficient allocation of resources, financial sector development should dampen the appreciation effect of capital inflows. Using dynamic panel data techniques, the paper finds that the exchange rate appreciation effect of FDI inflows is indeed attenuated when financial and capital markets are larger and more active. The main implication of these results is that one of the main dangers associated with large capital inflows in emerging markets-the destabilization of macroeconomic management due to a sizeable appreciation of the real exchange rate-can be mitigated partly by means of developing a deep financial sector.
Comprehensive genetic dissection of the magnetosome gene island reveals the step-wise assembly of a prokaryotic organelle

Although membrane-bounded compartments are commonly considered a unique eukaryotic characteristic, many species of bacteria have organelles. Compartmentalization is well studied in eukaryotes; however, the molecular factors and processes leading to organelle formation in bacteria are poorly understood. We use the magnetosome compartments of magnetotactic bacteria as a model system to investigate organelle biogenesis in a prokaryotic system. The magnetosome is an invagination of the cell membrane that contains a specific set of proteins able to direct the synthesis of a nanometer-sized magnetite crystal. A well-conserved region called the magnetosome island (MAI) is known to be essential for magnetosome formation and contains most of the genes previously implicated in magnetosome formation. Here, we present a comprehensive functional analysis of the MAI genes in a magnetotactic bacterium, Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1. By characterizing MAI deletion mutants, we show that parts of its conserved core are not essential for magnetosome biogenesis and that nonconserved genes are important for crystal formation. Most importantly, we show that the mamAB gene cluster encodes for factors important for magnetosome membrane biogenesis, for targeting of proteins to this compartment and for several steps during magnetite production. Altogether, this genetic analysis defines the function of more than a dozen factors participating in magnetosome formation and shows that magnetosomes are assembled in a step-wise manner in which membrane biogenesis, magnetosome protein localization, and biomineralization are placed under discrete genetic control.
Striatal GABAergic Neuronal Activity Is Not Reduced in Parkinson's Disease

The content of y‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the activities of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were measured in whole putamen obtained at autopsy from 13 patients dying with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and 13 appropriate control subjects. Mean GABA content was significantly elevated (by 28%) in the putamen of the Parkinson's disease patients. TH activity was markedly reduced, while there was no significant reduction of GAD activity in the putamen of these patients. GABA content was also measured in both sides of the striatum in rats which had received unilateral injections of 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) in the vicinity of the axons of the nigrostriatal projection. Mean GABA content was found significantly elevated (by 33%) in the ipsilateral striatum. Loss of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons, in both human Parkinson's disease and in the rat 6‐OHDA model, is accompanied by increased striatal GABA content. The assumption that GABAergic neurotransmission is reduced in the striatum in Parkinson's disease may not be correct.
The association of depression status with menopause symptoms among rural midlife women in China.

OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the association of depression with menopausal status and some menopause symptoms (vasomotor symptoms and poor sleep). METHODS A total of 743 participants aged 40-60 years were recruited. Depression status was evaluated by using Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Sleep quality and vasomotor symptoms were evaluated by specific symptoms questionnaire. RESULTS The prevalence of depression among participants was 11.4%. Depression was found more likely to occur in participants with poor sleep (OR, 6.02; 95%CI, 3.61, 10.03) or with vasomotor symptoms (VMS) (OR, 2.03; 95%CI, 1.20, 3.44) after controlling for age, education level, marital status, menopause status, monthly family income and chronic diseases. Menopause status was not associated with depression. Stratification analysis showed a significant association between poor sleep and depression across different menopause stages, while VMS were associated with depression only in premenopausal status. CONCLUSION The majority of Chinese rural midlife women do not experience depression. The relationship between depression, VMS and sleep disturbances tends to change with menopausal status in Chinese rural midlife women.
Legal Regime, Size, and Liquidity Factors in Asset Pricing

This study contrasts the ability of three liquidity constructs, the price-impact measure of Amihud (2002), the volume based turnover ratio, and the recently developed trading speed measure of Liu (2006) in explaining total trading costs for four large African emerging markets, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and South Africa, as well as London and Paris. A new legal regime factor is also developed to capture the often substantial differences in returns between markets with either civil or common law origin. The evidence suggests that the Amihud construct outperforms other liquidity measures in Africa while the Amihud and Liu measures are better in London and Paris. Furthermore the incorporation of size, liquidity and legal regime valuation factors within a multifactor CAPM pricing model reveals that size and liquidity factors are significant in capturing the cross-section of returns across the sample universe. The legal regime factor offers improves performance with larger stocks. However, it is significant in capturing the cross section of returns in country portfolios. Costs of equity are found to be lowest for London, Paris and Morocco and highest for Egypt, Kenya and South Africa.
A Foreign-Policy Model of the Distribution of British Bilateral Aid, 1960–70

As a consequence of Truman's Point Four Program of 1949, the provision of economic assistance to independent low-income countries became the official policy of the United States. In the early and mid-1950s economic development assistance, though growing, received relatively little attention as the Korean war turned the USA's foreign aid in the direction of military assistance. However, by the start of the 1960s, the transfer of economic assistance from high-income to low-income countries had developed into an institutionalized relationship. Economic assistance was clearly distinguished from military assistance and administered separately; the USA's monopoly of aid was decreasing as other high-income countries, partially under the USA's pressure, were establishing their own aid programmes; and the volume of aid and the number of recipients were increasing.
Inward Foreign Direct Investment and Industrial Restructuring: Micro Evidence - The Slovenian Firms’ Growth Model

We examine the impact of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) on the growth of local firms in terms of employment and total factor productivity (TFP) for the Slovenian manufacturing sector in the 1994-2003 period. The theoretically predicted channels through which inward FDI affects the firm dynamics in a host country prove to be in general significant. First, there is evidence of the direct impact of foreign firms through so-called direct technology transfer as foreign-owned firms have higher growth of TFP compared to domestically-owned firms after controlling for other determinants. Secondly, the entry of foreign firms stimulates the re-shuffling of the resources from less to more efficient local firms. The firm selection process is, namely, characterised by the least efficient firms experiencing a drop in their employment growth upon a foreign firm’s entry. Thirdly, regarding the productivity spillover effects from foreign to local firms we provide indirect evidence that they mostly operate through vertical linkages rather than within the same industry. In general, it seems that not all firms are equally able to benefit from foreign firms’ presence and that absorptive capacity plays an important role.
Intercountry adoption of Eastern European children in New Zealand: Issues of culture

Virtually all of the research on the ethnic identity development of children in intercountry adoption (ICA) has been on transracial adoptions (TRA). Little is known about the ethnic socialisation of internationally adopted children, raised in racially similar adoptive homes. Within the TRA literature, it has been found that transracially adopted children tend to ethnically identify with the white majority culture. That tendency has also been linked to adoptive parents’ attitudes about the birth culture, and speculation that most parents are assimilating their children to the dominant culture. Research on TRA has also revealed that despite low ethnic identification, most adoptees score highly on indices of self-concept. In the present study, 162 New Zealand adoptive families of European descent, with children adopted predominately from Eastern Europe, were surveyed concerning their experiences and attitudes about the importance of their children's birth culture. Results from the surveys showed that the majority of families engaged in a range of cultural activities, and made efforts to socialise with people of their child’s birth ethnicity. In addition, most of the adoptive parents expressed a desire that their children ethnically identify with the birth culture, as well as with the New Zealand culture. Almost all of the families researched the birth country before travelling to collect their children, and most parents kept part or all of their child’s original name. A sub-sample of 52 of the adopted children was also interviewed in a second phase of the study. Measures of ethnic identity were obtained, using the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (Phinney, 1992), as were adjustment scores, using the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale (Piers, 1984). Findings revealed that overall, the children had moderate identification with the birth culture, and moderate to high self-concept scores, which were not correlated with one another other.
Reporting Discretion and Private Information Communication Through Earnings

We model a two-period pure exchange economy where a risk averse manager, who has private information regarding future earnings, is required to issue an earnings report to investors at the end of each period. While the manager is prohibited from directly disclosing her private information, she is allowed to bias reported earnings in the first period, subject to GAAP rules that require that a specified proportion of the bias be reversed subsequently. We show there is a minimum threshold of reversal, such that, when the proportion of required reversal is above this threshold, the manager smooths income and communicates her private information through reported earnings. Consequently, the market attaches greater weight to reported earnings than under a regime that allows no discretion. When the required reversal is below the minimum threshold, the manager increases reported earnings without limit and the equilibrium degenerates. When the manager is not endowed with any private information, the market unravels the "true" earnings and price is unaffected by earnings management. Our results underscore the importance of both allowing and restricting reporting discretion through formal mechanisms.
Globalisation and the Adoption of ICTs in Nigerian SMEs

The study aims at investigating the factors that affected the degree of adoption of new technologies in Nigerian SMEs. New technologies are by and large dominated by ICTs. Data for the analysis come from sixty-seven SMEs located in Aba, Ibadan, Lagos and Nnewi. One of the major factors inhibiting ICT diffusion and intensive utilisation is poor physical infrastructure represented by adequate and uninterrupted electricity supply and communication connectivity infrastructure. Findings of multivariate analysis suggest that firm-level variables such as financial capacity and technological absorptive capacity influenced the intensity of the adoption of ICTs. The results also suggest that globalisation of the Nigerian economy also influenced the adoption of new technologies. The study concludes that SMEs need institutional support in terms of human resource development for the augmentation of their competitiveness in the domestic as well as international markets.