Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Burden of Illness in UK Subjects with Reported Respiratory Infections Vaccinated or Unvaccinated against Influenza: A Retrospective Observational Study

Objective Detailed data are lacking on influenza burden in the United Kingdom (UK). The objective of this study was to estimate the disease burden associated with influenza-like illness (ILI) in the United Kingdom stratified by age, risk and influenza vaccination status. Methods This retrospective, cross-sectional, exploratory, observational study used linked data from the General Practice Research Database and the Hospital Episode Statistics databases to estimate resource use and cost associated with ILI in the UK. Results Data were included from 156,193 patients with ≥1 general practitioner visit with ILI. There were 21,518 high-risk patients, of whom 12,514 (58.2%) were vaccinated and 9,004 (41.8%) were not vaccinated, and 134,675 low-risk patients, of whom 17,482 (13.0%) were vaccinated and 117,193 (87.0%) were not vaccinated. High-risk vaccinated patients were older (p<0.001) and had more risk conditions (p<0.001). High-risk (odds ratio [OR] 2.16) or vaccinated (OR 1.19) patients had a higher probability of >1 general practitioner visit compared with low-risk and unvaccinated patients. Patients who were high-risk and vaccinated had a reduced risk of >1 general practitioner visit (OR 0.82; p<0.001). High-risk individuals who were also vaccinated had a lower probability of ILI-related hospitalisation than individuals who were high-risk or vaccinated alone (OR 0.59). In people aged ≥65 years, the mortality rate was lower in vaccinated than unvaccinated individuals (OR 0.75). The cost of ILI-related GP visits and hospital admissions in the UK over the study period in low-risk vaccinated patients was £27,391,142 and £141,932,471, respectively. In low-risk unvaccinated patients the corresponding values were £168,318,709 and £112,534,130, respectively. Conclusions Although vaccination rates in target groups have increased, many people are still not receiving influenza vaccination, and the burden of ILI in the United Kingdom remains substantial. Improving influenza vaccination uptake may have the potential to reduce this burden.
The Association between Auditor Industry Specialization and Firms' Disclosure of Internal Control Weaknesses

In this paper, we examine the association between auditor industry specialization and the disclosure of internal control weaknesses (ICWs) by firms that filed first‐time Section 404 reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Using both univariate and logistic regression analyses, we find that firms audited by industry specialist auditors are more likely to report ICWs than firms audited by non‐specialist auditors. Our results therefore provide further evidence that industry specialist auditors are quality differentiated.
Attribution of atmospheric CO2 and temperature increases to regions: importance of preindustrial land use change

The historical contribution of each country to today’s observed atmospheric CO2 excess and higher temperatures has become a basis for discussions around burden-sharing of greenhouse gas reduction commitments in political negotiations. However, the accounting methods have considered greenhouse gas emissions only during the industrial era, neglecting the fact that land use changes (LUC) have caused emissions long before the Industrial Revolution. Here, we hypothesize that considering preindustrial LUC affects the attribution because the geographic pattern of preindustrial LUC emissions differs significantly from that of industrial-era emissions and because preindustrial emissions have legacy effects on today’s atmospheric CO2 concentrations and temperatures. We test this hypothesis by estimating CO2 and temperature increases based on carbon cycle simulations of the last millennium. We find that accounting for preindustrial LUC emissions results in a shift of attribution of global temperature increase from the industrialized countries to less industrialized countries, in particular South Asia and China, by up to 2–3%, a level that may be relevant for political discussions. While further studies are needed to span the range of plausible quantifications, our study demonstrates the importance of including preindustrial emissions for the most scientifically defensible attribution.
Sell‐side analysts' creation of value – key roles and relational capital

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to increase the transparency of the value‐creation chain in the stock market. It aims to: conceptualize the value‐added through the relational capital, inductively develop models on how values are created, and discuss the values created for the analyst firm, the clients and investors in the stock market in general.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a case study of sell‐side analysts at a big Swedish investment bank and their work with real life situations of changes in recommendations.Findings – The findings of the case study indicate that analysts, through their relational capital, access competitive advantages needed for remaining on a highly competitive market. They get access to value‐added information and knowledge and also business for the firm. This helps them to fulfill the three roles played, i.e. as information intermediaries, knowledge builders and businessmen. However, the analysts' dependencies, due to their relational capital and the an.
Low Prevalence of Antibodies to Preerythrocytic but Not Blood-Stage Plasmodium falciparum Antigens in an Area of Unstable Malaria Transmission Compared to Prevalence in an Area of Stable Malaria Transmission

ABSTRACT In areas where levels of transmission of Plasmodium falciparum are high and stable, the age-related acquisition of high-level immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to preerythrocytic circumsporozoite protein (CSP) and liver-stage antigen 1 (LSA-1) has been associated with protection from clinical malaria. In contrast, age-related protection from malaria develops slowly or not at all in residents of epidemic-prone areas with unstable low levels of malaria transmission. We hypothesized that this suboptimal clinical and parasitological immunity may in part be due to reduced antibodies to CSP or LSA-1 and/or vaccine candidate blood-stage antigens. Frequencies and levels of IgG antibodies to CSP, LSA-1, thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP), apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA-1), erythrocyte binding antigen 175 (EBA-175), and merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) were compared in 243 Kenyans living in a highland area of unstable transmission and 210 residents of a nearby lowland area of stable transmission. Levels of antibodies to CSP, LSA-1, TRAP, and AMA-1 in the oldest age group (>40 years) in the unstable transmission area were lower than or similar to those of children 2 to 6 years old in the stable transmission area. Only 3.3% of individuals in the unstable transmission area had high levels of IgG (>2 arbitrary units) to both CSP and LSA-1, compared to 43.3% of individuals in the stable transmission area. In contrast, antibody levels to and frequencies of MSP-1 and EBA-175 were similar in adults in areas of stable and unstable malaria transmission. Suboptimal immunity to malaria in areas of unstable malaria transmission may relate in part to infrequent high-level antibodies to preerythrocytic antigens and AMA-1.
The Role of Emotional Commitment in Relationship Marketing: An Empirical Investigation of a Loyalty Model for Casinos

This study examines the antecedents and consequences of commitment to hotel casinos targeting local customers. To accomplish this goal, a model of loyalty was developed and tested to understand the behavioral outcomes (benefits) of building relationships with lo- cal customers and what elements contribute to these behavioral outcomes. The results of path analysis showed that emotional attachment is a key mediating variable between attitudinal antecedents (trust and switching costs) and behavioral variables (proportion of visit, word of mouth, cooperation, time spent in casinos, and other product usage). The most influential variables on behavioral outcomes of loyalty were found to be trust and emotional attachment. The study contributes to services and casino marketing by validating empirical linkages in gaming context and providing empirical support for conceptualized differential effects of trust and switching cost on emotional attachment and behavioral outcomes of loyalty in services marketing literature. Theoretical and practical implications and future research issues are discussed.
Recovery of left ventricular function following discontinuation of anthracycline chemotherapy in children.

Echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular (LV) performance was performed in 41 children during and following anthracycline chemotherapy. Prior to treatment LV function was normal in all patients; LV shortening fraction was 35.2 +/- 0.7% and percent of predicted velocity of circumferential fiber shortening was 110 +/- 20%. However, the indices measured concurrent with the final anthracycline dose (mean = 308 +/- 16 mg/sq m) demonstrated a significant decline in LV function. The LV shortening fraction had decreased to 29.5 +/- 0.8% and percent of predicted velocity of circumferential fiber shortening decreased to 94 +/- 4% (P less than .01). Four of the eight patients with evidence of significant LV dysfunction had received thoracic or upper abdominal irradiation. Following cessation of anthracycline therapy, LV function improved within one to six months and had returned to normal in all but two patients, both of whom received irradiation. Echocardiography is useful for the identification of anthracycline-induced LV dysfunction. With discontinuation of further anthracycline administration the functional decline in LV performance appears to be reversible.
The Impact of Minimum Wages in Mexico and Colombia

Divergent trends in the real value of the minimum wage in Mexico and Colombia in the 1980s provide an opportunity for evaluating the impact of minimum wages on developing economies. Using panel data for each country, substantial disemployment effects of minimum wages are found in Colombia, where the impact is estimated at roughly 2%–12% over the 1981–87 period. In Mexico, minimum wages have had no effect on wages or employment in the formal sector. The key explanation for the different impact is that the minimum wage is an effective wage in Colombia but not in Mexico.
The Disconnected Brain and Executive Function Decline in Aging

Abstract Higher order speeded cognitive abilities depend on efficient coordination of activity across the brain, rendering them vulnerable to age reductions in structural and functional brain connectivity. The concept of “disconnected aging” has been invoked, suggesting that degeneration of connections between distant brain regions cause cognitive reductions. However, it has not been shown that changes in cognitive functions over time can be explained by simultaneous changes in brain connectivity. We followed 119 young and middle‐aged (23‐52 years) and older (63‐86 years) adults for 3.3 years with repeated assessments of structural and functional brain connectivity and executive functions. We found unique age‐related longitudinal reductions in executive function over and above changes in more basic cognitive processes. Intriguingly, 82.5% of the age‐related decline in executive function could be explained by changes in connectivity over time. While both structural and functional connectivity changes were related to longitudinal reductions in executive function, only structural connectivity change could explain the age‐specific decline. This suggests that the major part of the age‐related reductions in executive function can be attributed to micro‐ and macrostructural alterations in brain connectivity. Although correlational in nature, we believe the present results constitute evidence for a “disconnected brain” view on cognitive aging.
The Effectiveness of Strategic Political Management: A Dynamic Capabilities Framework

We present a dynamic capabilities framework to explain the effective strategic management of the political environment. We argue that the effectiveness of political strategies will be a function of firms' dynamic political management capabilities and propose four firm-level strategies—proactive, defensive, anticipatory, and reactive— for managing the political environment effectively. We develop propositions to explain how particular dynamic capabilities are associated with the effectiveness of alternative political strategies and conclude with suggestions for future research into effective strategic political management.
"Cleaning and Ironing… with a Smile": Migrant Workers in the Care Industry in France

This article aims to contribute to current debates about the “international division of care,” by dealing with the development of the “care industry” as an employment sector for migrants. Most studies focus on the traditional forms of domestic service in the private sphere: this obscures employment in other settings such as companies providing home-based domestic service. In France, this sector has been dynamic in recent years, thanks to public policies that have aimed to promote employment through tax exemptions. The article analyzes the intensification of work in such companies, which is based on time constraints and the pressure of customer demand. It also compares this sector with work in other settings such as living-out cleaning jobs in direct employment. It identifies similarities and discontinuities between the two sectors with regard to the forms of labor control, the ideology through which work relationships are constructed, and the employees’ strategies.
The first year of Health Improvement Programmes; views from Directors of Public Health.

BACKGROUND The White Paper The new NHS, modern, dependable gave the strategic lead at the local level in the new National Health Service to Health Authorities (Boards in Scotland and Northern Ireland). They are expected to lead the development of strategies that will identify the health needs of local people and what has to be done to meet them. These Health Improvement Programmes (HImPs) will be the local strategy for improving health and health care and the means to achieve national targets for each Health Authority or Board area. METHOD To assess the strengths and weaknesses of HImP production for 1999, a questionnaire survey was carried out of Health Authorities or Boards throughout the United Kingdom. Participants were all district Directors of Public Health (DsPH) or Chief Administrative Medical Officers (CAMOs). The main outcome measures were the opinions of DsPH or CAMOs on the successes and failures of their local HlmP process. RESULTS Ninety-three (83.8 per cent) DsPH responded. In just over half of all Health Authorities or Boards (56 per cent) the DsPH had taken the lead in producing the HlmP. Many aspects of the HlmP process went well, including multiagency 'stakeholder' involvement and partnership working, good project management, and agreeing a limited set of priorities for action. Key problems included: the short timescale and late Departments of Health guidance; difficulty in obtaining commitment from some local 'stakeholders'; linking HlmP aspirations with service and financial planning and securing funding for HlmP priority developments. Action plans to improve health and health care services were well developed in 40.5 per cent of HlmPs. This was less so for social services (8.3 per cent). It was too soon to assess the impact of HlmPs on the public's health. CONCLUSIONS DsPH or CAMOs and local 'stakeholders' have been on a learning curve for HlmP production during 1999. Lessons learnt will translate into better HlmPs for next year. DsPH urged the Departments of Health to fully support HlmPs through resources and management processes so that HlmPs can realize their potential benefits for local populations.
Adverse Selection, Public Information, and Underpricing in IPOs

This paper generalizes the informational environment of the Rock model to address empirical evidence and conjectures that cannot be addressed within the standard model based on informed and uninformed investors such as underpricing being positively related to market returns observed prior to the IPO, the number of IPOs being positively related to market returns, underpricing being partly predictable based on public information, and the return to uninformed participation being negative overall but positively related to market returns observed prior to the IPO. Finally, the model suggests that a positive relation between market returns and underpricing need not represent an inefficiency in the pricing of IPOs.
Experimental His‐Bundle Pacing: Histopathological and Electrophysiological Examination

His‐bundle pacing gives a more physiological ventricular contraction in comparison to right ventricular apical pacing. However the problems of lead fixation and stability of long‐term His‐bundle pacing are yet unsolved. We used six adult beagles, in which a screw‐in lead was anchored in the His‐bundle region for observation of the pacing conditions and histopathologic changes of the conduction system over the course of 2 months. In the results, a satisfactory fixation was obtained using a conventional screw‐in lead and no histological influence on the conduction system was observed. The pacing threshold at the time of implantation was 1.15 ± 0.69V (3.23 ± 3.08 mA) in the pulse width of 0.5 ms. R wave amplitude, the impedance and slew rate were 7.28 ± 2.04 mV, 409 ± 102 Ohm, and 0.65 ± 0.41 V/s, respectively. Two months later, these parameters changed to 2.83 ± 1.06 V (10.4 ± 5.71 mA), 5.63 ± 1.62 mV, 310 ± 71.3 Ohm, and 0.49 ± 0.22 V/s, respectively. These results suggest the feasibility of clinical application of permanent His‐bundle pacing.
Neuroimaging of inhibitory control areas in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who were treatment naive or in long-term treatment.

OBJECTIVE Difficulty with response inhibition is a cardinal symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), combined type. Prefrontal and cingulate brain regions are known to be involved in inhibitory control. Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) might establish if these regions differ in their activity in ADHD children relative to healthy comparison subjects. METHOD Fifteen healthy comparison subjects and 17 children with ADHD, combined type, completed fMRI studies while performing the Stop Signal Task. Eight ADHD subjects were treatment naive; the remainder had a history of long-term treatment with stimulants, but they were medication free at the time of the fMRI. No subject had a learning disorder or a comorbid psychiatric condition (other than oppositional defiant disorder in the ADHD subjects). RESULTS Both the ADHD and comparison subjects activated the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on "stop" trials relative to "go" trials; this increase was greater in ADHD subjects. When inhibition was unsuccessful (relative to successful inhibition), healthy comparison subjects strongly activated the anterior cingulate cortex and the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. In contrast, the ADHD subjects did not show these differences. Activations in treatment-naive and ADHD subjects treated in the long term did not differ significantly in any brain regions. CONCLUSIONS In relation to comparison subjects, ADHD subjects failed to activate the anterior cingulate cortex and the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex after unsuccessful inhibition. These findings appear in treatment-naive ADHD individuals and are unlikely to be an artifact of long-term treatment with stimulants or of abrupt termination of stimulants before imaging.
Risk factors that affect metabolic health status in obese children

Abstract Background: While some obese children are metabolically healthy (MHO), some have additional health problems, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and hepatosteatosis, which increase mortality and morbidity related to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) during adulthood. These children are metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) children. In this study we assessed the factors that affect metabolic health in obesity and the clinical and laboratory findings that distinguish between MHO and MUO children. Methods: In total, 1085 patients aged 6–18 years, with age- and sex-matched BMI exceeding the 95th percentile were included in the study (mean 11.1±2.9 years, 57.6% female, 59.7% pubertal). Patients without dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hepatosteatosis, or hypertension were considered as MHO. Dyslipidemia was defined as total cholesterol level over 200 mg/dL, triglyceride over 150 mg/dL, LDL over 130 mg/dL, or HDL under 40 mg/dL. Insulin resistance was calculated using the homeostasis model of assesment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index. Hepatosteatosis was evaluated with abdominal ultrasound. Duration of obesity, physical activity and nutritional habits, screen time, and parental obesity were questioned. Thyroid and liver function tests were performed. Results: Six hundred and forty-two cases (59.2%) were MUO. Older age, male sex, increased BMI-SDS, and sedentary lifestyle were associated with MUO. Excessive junk food consumption was associated with MUO particularly among the prepubertal obese patients. Conclusions: Our results revealed that the most important factors that affect metabolic health in obesity are age and BMI. Positive effects of an active lifestyle and healthy eating habits are prominent in the prepubertal period and these habits should be formed earlier in life.
The Consumption-Tightness Puzzle

This paper introduces a labour force participation choice into a standard labour market matching model embedded in a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium set-up. The participation choice is modelled as a trade-off between forgoing the expected benefits of being search active and engaging in costly labour market search. In contrast to models with constant labour force participation, the model that we analyse induces a symmetry in firms' and workers' search decision since both sides of the labour market vary search effort at the extensive margins. We show that this set-up is (a) of considerable analytical convenience, and (b) that the introduction of a participation choice leads to a strong tendency for procyclical unemployment, very low volatility of labour market tightness, and for a positively sloped Beveridge curve. These implications are summarized by a linear relationship between the vu-ratio and the marginal utility of consumption that we refer to as the consumption-tightness puzzle given its counterfacutal implications. Moreover, we show that this relationship survives a number of extentions of the standard model and that it derives from the allowance for an endogeneous labour market participation choice.
Changing returns to education in Portugal during the 1980s and early 1990s: OLS and quantile regression estimators

This paper examines the evolution of the returns to education in Portugal over the 1980s and early 1990s. The main findings indicate that the returns to education have increased, particularly after joining the European Union in 1986. Since this occurred along with an increase in the level of education within the labour force, the process is most likely demand driven. The results also indicate that modelling on average (i.e. OLS) misses important features of the wage structure. Quantile regression (QR) analysis reveals that the effect of education is not constant across the conditional wage distribution. They are higher for those at higher quantiles in the conditional wage distribution. Wage inequality expanded in Portugal over the 1980s and the returns to education had an important role in this process.