Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
De Vega annuloplasty and Carpentier-Edwards ring annuloplasty for secondary tricuspid regurgitation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY Residual or recurrent tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has been reported after several types of surgical repair. The development of late TR is an important complication of left heart surgery. The results of De Vega annuloplasty were compared with those obtained after Carpentier-Edwards ring (CE ring) annuloplasty in patients with secondary TR. METHODS The records of 45 patients who underwent surgery for secondary TR between January 1995 and July 2000 were reviewed retrospectively. Twenty-eight patients underwent De Vega annuloplasty, and 17 had a CE ring annuloplasty. The groups were similar with respect to associated cardiac lesions. No significant preoperative differences were observed in NYHA functional class, TR grade, and pulmonary artery pressure between the two groups. RESULTS One CE patient died of left ventricular dysfunction after postoperative bleeding. The 28 De Vega patients and remaining 16 CE patients had an uneventful recovery, and were discharged. Tricuspid ring size after repair was similar between groups. Mean (+/- SD) follow up in the entire patient cohort was 39+/-23 months (range: 6 to 75 months). TR recurrence was rated as grade II or III in 13 patients (45%) after De Vega annuloplasty, but was grade II or III in only one patient (6%) patient after CE ring annuloplasty. There was a significant difference in TR recurrence between the groups (p = 0.027), but no significant difference in NYHA class. CONCLUSION CE ring annuloplasty significantly decreased the recurrence of TR; thus, CE ring annuloplasty is superior to De Vega annuloplasty in patients with secondary TR.
The Proportion and Social Capital of Outside Directors and Their Impacts on Firm Value: Evidence from Korea

This study examines the effects of outside directors' proportion and their social capital on firm value using a sample of 473 large, publicly traded Korean companies from 1998 through 2003. Outside director proportion, which is defined as the ratio of outside directors to the total number of directors of a company, is regarded as a proxy of board independence. Outside director social capital, which is defined as the degree to which outside board members have outside contacts in the external environment, is regarded as a proxy of board's ability to extract valuable resources or information from the environment. It is hypothesised that both the proportion of outside directors to the total directors and outside director social capital will be positively associated with firm value. This study reports strong GLS evidence of the relationship between outside director social capital and firm value but no significant relationship between outside director proportion and firm value.
The Forgotten History of Domestic Debt

The literature on domestic debt default is sparse, as are the data. We compile a database on public debt that spans the nineteenth century to 2010. Our findings are as follows. First, domestic debt accounts for almost two-thirds of public debt. Second, the data help to explain the puzzle of why countries default on external debts at seemingly low debt thresholds. Third, domestic debt (which is often larger than the monetary base in the run-up to high inflation) has largely been ignored in the inflation literature. Last, the view that domestic residents are junior to external creditors does not find broad support.
The Call, Sinking Fund, and Term-To-Maturity Features of Corporate Bonds: An Empirical Investigation

Abstract Do bond-issuing firms attempt to choose the call, sinking fund, and term-to-maturity features of bonds to improve shareholder wealth? This paper develops and tests two hypotheses about the determinants of bond features using a conditional logistic model. The model is estimated on a sample of bonds issued between 1982 and 1986. Model estimates show that a bond's call, sinking fund, and term-to-maturity features are statistically related to the issuing firm's retention ratio, ratio of convertible to long-term debt, two-year change in net operating income, and whether the firm is listed on the NYSE and included in the S&P400. These findings support the view that firms financing highquality projects, but facing information asymmetries, choose shorter-term (medium-term) callable bonds with and without the sinking fund feature.
Life-Cycle Changes in Consumption Behavior: Age-Specific and Regional Variations

type="main" xml:lang="en"> ABSTRACT: While research conducted over the last two decades has pointed to the important role played by household consumption in regional economic models, little attention has been directed to the consumption impacts associated not only with income changes, but also life-cycle changes. Using Japanese data, this paper explores some of the implications of life-cycle changes on consumption behavior using a modified AIDS (Almost Ideal Demand System) estimation system. Testing is directed to differences in age-specific consumption behavior and the potential differences in consumption by age and province.
The Price of Inequality

The top 1 percent of Americans control 40 percent of the nation's wealth. And, as Joseph E. Stiglitz explains, while those at the top enjoy the best health care, education, and benefits of wealth, they fail to realize that "their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live. " Stiglitz draws on his deep understanding of economics to show that growing inequality is not inevitable: moneyed interests compound their wealth by stifling true, dynamic capitalism. They have made America the most unequal advanced industrial country while crippling growth, trampling on the rule of law, and undermining democracy. The result: a divided society that cannot tackle its most pressing problems. With characteristic insight, Stiglitz examines our current state, then teases out its implications for democracy, for monetary and budgetary policy, and for globalization. He closes with a plan for a more just and prosperous future.
Maggot debridement therapy with Lucilia cuprina: a comparison with conventional debridement in diabetic foot ulcers

This is prospective case–control study of more than 18 months performed to assess the effectiveness of maggot debridement therapy (MDT) with the sterile larvae of Lucilia cuprina (a tropical blowfly maggot) for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Literature thus far has only reported results with the temperate maggot, Lucilia sericata. This study documents outcome in diabetic foot wounds treated with maggot debridement versus those treated by conventional debridement alone. In this series of 29 patients treated with MDT, 14 wounds were healed, 11 were unhealed and 4 were classified under others. The control group treated by conventional debridement had 30 patients of which 18 wounds were healed, 11 unhealed and 1 classified under others. There was no significant difference in outcome between the two groups. The conclusion that can be made from this study is that MDT with L. cuprina is as effective as conventional debridement in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. It would be a feasible alternative to those at high risk for surgery or for those who refuse surgery.
Perceptions and attitudes of tourism students in Turkey

Purpose – To investigate the main expectations of students from the tourism industry who are studying at the Akdeniz University School of Tourism and Hotel Management in Antalya.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire containing 16 closed questions and a multi‐item attitude scale was used for 689 students ranging from the first class to the fourth class.Findings – The results generally show negative perceptions and attitudes toward the tourism industry, but some positive perceptions and attitudes are also apparent. Positive emotions were usually mentioned by students who had chosen the tourism and hotel management school within their first three rank order in the university entrance exam, who had chosen the school willingly, and who had carried out their practical work experience outside Turkey.Research limitations/implications – It is not possible to generalize the findings to other tourism schools, but the findings can be evaluated as a useful source of information regarding the perceptions and at.
Average Inflation Targeting

The analysis of this paper demonstrates that when the Phillips curve has forward-looking components, a goal for average inflation—i.e., targeting a j-period average of one-period inflation rates—will cause inflation expectations to change in a way that improves the short-run trade-off faced by the monetary policymaker. Average inflation targeting is thus an example of a "modified" loss function, which when implemented in a discretionary fashion results in more efficient outcomes from the standpoint of the true social objective (inflation targeting under commitment), than the discretionary pursuit of the true objective itself. In purely forward-looking models, average inflation targeting is dominated by price level targeting. But we also demonstrate in a micro-founded model where the Phillips curve has both forward- and backward-looking components that there are cases when the average inflation target provides more efficient outcomes than both "ordinary" one-period inflation targeting and price level targeting.
Health and socio-economic impact of alcohol in a typical Russian city : identifying dimensions of alcohol use among Russian men and their effects upon health and employment

Male life expectancy in Russia is extremely low for an industrialised country. Alcohol is an important contributory factor to low life expectancy and an important health determinant in Russian men. Conventional methods of measuring alcohol consumption may not fully capture distinctive aspects of Russian drinking. The aim of this PhD was to identify latent dimensions of alcohol use and to investigate their socio-demographic correlates and their effects on health and employment among working-age men (aged 25-60) in Izhevsk, Russia. The data used were from the Izhevsk Family Studies (IFS -1 and IFS-2). IFS-1 included a cross-sectional survey of 1941 working-age men resident in Izhevsk (2003-6). Controls were followed up at IFS-2 (2008-10). Three latent dimensions of beverage alcohol intake (beer, wine and spirit intake) were constructed from questionnaire responses on frequency, usual volume and maximum volume of each beverage and one latent dimension of acute alcohol-related dysfunction from responses on frequency of hangover, excessive drunkenness, sleeping in clothes because of drunkenness and failing family or personal obligations because of drinking. The relationship between these latent dimensions of alcohol use, socio-demographic factors, employment and cardiovascular risk factors were investigated using structural equation modelling. The latent factors of beverage alcohol intake were strong predictors of alcohol-related dysfunction, with spirit intake being the most influential. Alcohol-related dysfunction showed a strong association with education which was only partly explained by beverage alcohol intake and other observed aspects of alcohol consumption. Alcohol-related dysfunction was a strong predictor of employment status and an important mediator of the relationship between alcohol intake and employment. All four latent variables showed similar associations with serum lipids. Beer intake, spirit intake and alcohol-related dysfunction were strongly associated with hypertension. Hazardous alcohol consumption in Russian men strongly influenced employment status and cardiovascular risk factors. A latent variable approach to measuring alcohol use particularly acute alcohol-related dysfunction provided information of the relationship between alcohol, health and socio-economic circumstances in Russian men beyond that obtained using more conventional observed measures such as total volume of ethanol.
`Portfolio Workers': Autonomy and Control amongst Freelance Translators

Recent literature has begun to disaggregate groups of the `self-employed without employees' to examine in greater detail what determines their working conditions. This article continues this trend by presenting the findings of a survey of professional translators and discussing their status as `homeworkers', `teleworkers', and `portfolio workers'. It reveals that freelance translators enjoy higher levels of autonomy and control over their working conditions than other comparable self-employed groups. This is largely because the nature of their expertise and their relationship with clients create inelasticities in the supply of their skills. The more successful are then able to use their market position to exert substantial control over areas like pay and deadlines. In addition, the lack of a traditional career structure means that many translators have actively chosen freelance work and that even those who were originally forced into it would not now take an in-house job. The article concludes that labour market characteristics are a key factor in determining differences in working conditions between various groups of `portfolio workers'.
Recognizing Financial Distress Patterns Using a Neural Network Tool

This study builds neural networks (NNs) which estimate the future financial health of firms. A neural network is a relatively new mathematical approach for recognizing discriminating patterns in data. We use NNs here to identify financial data patterns which consistently distinguish generally healthy firms from distressed ones. The purpose is to detect early warning signals of distressful conditions in currently viable firms. Being able to form highly reliable early forecasts of the future health of firms is critical to bank lending officers, investors, market analysts, portfolio managers, insurers, and many others in the field of finance.
RESEARCH ON THE DETERMINANTS OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION: A CONTINGENCY APPROACH

This paper examines different methodologies used in quantitative empirical studies attempting to identify the distinctive characteristics of innovative firms. Despite the research effort, the statistical analysis results are inconsistent. The reasons for this inconsistency were explored and can be attributed to (i) methodological differences in the studies, such as the varying definitions and measurements of innovation and (ii) different characteristics of firms targeted such as size, sector and geographical region. A portfolio model synthesising the various research results is developed, which is not meant to be universally applicable but instead can be used as a platform for country or industry specific studies. To illustrate the application of the proposed contingency approach, the author presents a comparative review of results from two recent studies using portfolio models in Iran and Greece.
Angiogenesis and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factors A and C in squamous cell carcinoma of the piriform fossa.

BACKGROUND Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and invasion. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is a prime mediator of tumor angiogenesis; VEGF-C, another member of the closely related VEGF family of proteins, has major effects on lymphatic endothelial cells and may be important in the process of lymphatic metastasis. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the expression of these cytokines in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and to ascertain the effects of these proteins on lymphatic metastasis and vascular angiogenesis. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of microvessel density and the expression of VEGF-A and VEGF-C. SETTING An academic referral center. Subjects Thirty-four patients with stage T2 to T4 squamous cell carcinoma of the piriform fossa. INTERVENTIONS Expression of VEGF-A and VEGF-C was determined by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens. Angiogenesis was measured as microvessel density by staining endothelial cells for platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1/CD31. RESULTS Of the 34 tumors, 21 had clinicoradiologic evidence of lymphatic metastasis. Expression of VEGF-C was associated with lymphatic metastasis (P<.001), but not with microvessel density. The VEGF-A expression correlated with microvessel density (P<.001), but neither VEGF-A expression nor microvessel density was associated with lymphatic metastasis. CONCLUSIONS The expression of VEGF-C is associated with lymphatic metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of the piriform fossa. This is not secondary to effects on vascular angiogenesis and is hypothesized to be due to effects on lymphatic endothelial cells.
The Incentives for Resale Price Maintenance under Imperfect Information

This paper considers both the incentives for and the welfare effects of resale price maintenance (RPM) in retail markets characterized by imperfect consumer information. In markets where point-of-sale information on the product is essential for sales and information on prices is costly, RPM permits manufacturers with some monopoly power to resolve two incentive conflicts with retailers. First, because retailers with price-setting powers do not appropriate the gains in profit to an upstream manufacturer from actions taken to increase demand, their incentives to inform consumers of the product and to set low prices are inadequate. This purely vertical externality results in the classic “double mark-up” of final prices. Second, when consumers' costs of price search vary, stores offering low prices and no information can exist in the market equilibrium. These discount houses free-ride on the informational services of high-price informing retail outlets — a horizontal externality. In the imperfect information setting of this paper, (1) administered pricing improves monopolists' profits by resolving the incentive conflict; (2) the profitable use of a price floor reduces the maximum retail price charged and may reduce the average retail price; (3) price floors or administered prices can be Pareto-improving and more likely welfare (surplus)-improving; (4) price floors are welfare-improving.
A developmental framework for induced pluripotency

During development, cells transition from a pluripotent to a differentiated state, generating all the different types of cells in the body. Development is generally considered an irreversible process, meaning that a differentiated cell is thought to be unable to return to the pluripotent state. However, it is now possible to reprogram mature cells to pluripotency. It is generally thought that reprogramming is accomplished by reversing the natural developmental differentiation process, suggesting that the two mechanisms are closely related. Therefore, a detailed study of cell reprogramming has the potential to shed light on unexplained developmental mechanisms and, conversely, a better understanding of developmental differentiation can help improve cell reprogramming. However, fundamental differences between reprogramming processes and multi-lineage specification during early embryonic development have also been uncovered. In addition, there are multiple routes by which differentiated cells can re-enter the pluripotent state. In this Review, we discuss the connections and disparities between differentiation and reprogramming, and assess the degree to which reprogramming can be considered as a simple reversal of development. Summary: This Review explores the differences and similarities between the biological processes driving developmental cell differentiation and those mediating cell reprogramming.
Blood, Timber, and the State in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

West Kalimantan (West Borneo) has a history of violent communal conflict.1 It also has extensive forests that have been looted for decades. The argument will be that these two are linked, but not by the grievances of the forest dwellers. Except in its first few days, the two main episodes of 1997 and 1999 were not driven mainly by grievances among marginal groups. Rather, explanations based on the ‘resource curse’ carry more weight. These focus attention on the contested nature of the state, rather than on rebellious activities of marginal groups. When state institutions were thrown into disarray by the sudden resignation of President Suharto in 1998, Dayak militants already close to state power rewrote the rules of local politics by demonstratively ‘cleansing’ certain areas of an unpopular immigrant minority. This theatrical manoeuvre impressed political rivals sufficiently to allow Dayaks to gain control over several timber-rich districts, which had a thriving black economy. Malays later imitated these techniques to stem the tide.
The Century Ahead: Searching for Sustainability

The global future lies before us as a highly uncertain and contested landscape with numerous perils along the way. This study explores possible pathways to sustainability by considering in quantitative detail four contrasting scenarios for the twenty-first century. The analysis reveals vividly the risks of conventional development approaches and the real danger of socio-ecological descent. Nonetheless, the paper underscores that a Great Transition scenario—turning toward a civilization of enhanced human well-being and environmental resilience—remains an option, and identifies a suite of strategic and value changes for getting there. A fundamental shift in the development paradigm is found to be an urgent necessity for assuring a sustainable future and, as well, a hopeful opportunity for creating a world of enriched lives, human amity, and a healthy ecosphere.
Reperfusion induces sublethal endothelial injury.

BACKGROUND Endothelial cells are pivotal in regulating thrombosis and hemostasis. In this study, we sought to characterize endothelial dysfunction and endothelial cell injury in vitro after hypoxia/reoxygenation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECs) were exposed to 120 min of hypoxia followed by reoxygenation. The release of thrombomodulin (TM) and the production of prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) were measured. Endothelial cell injury in hypoxia/reoxygenation was measured by two assays, the Fura-2 release assay and the 51chromium (51Cr) release assay. RESULTS TM release from ECs during normoxic incubation was undetectable, while it was slightly increased during hypoxic incubation. After reoxygenation, the release of TM increased, and it became significantly higher at 120 min after reoxygenation compared with hypoxic incubation. The production of PGI2 significantly decreased during hypoxic incubation and further decreased within 30 min after reoxygenation, but returned to normoxic levels at 120 min after reoxygenation. In the Fura-2 release assay, a rapid and significantly greater release of Fura-2 was observed in hypoxia/reoxygenation compared with hypoxic incubation. In the 51Cr release assay which demonstrates cell death, 51Cr release did not increase in hypoxia/reoxygenation. CONCLUSIONS The present study suggests that 120 min of hypoxia/reoxygenation induces endothelial dysfunction of ECs but does not cause cell death.
State-of-the-art current research in international entrepreneurship: A citation analysis

This article applies a literature-based analysis in its discussion of the research field of international entrepreneurship. It uses bibliometric citation analysis as its primary investigative method. The basis of the citation analysis was formed by articles coming from a number of electronic publication databases that contained the term “international entrepreneurship” in their titles, and which could thus be clearly categorized into this research field. The 40 publications identified in this manner resulted in a database of 2,659 citations. Upon observing the citation analysis and the clusters of topics that result, it becomes clear that the research on international entrepreneurship is influenced by the scientific fields of international business, entrepreneurship theory, SME internationalization, and born global/international new venture theory.