Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Facility characteristics associated with hospitalization of nursing home residents: results of a national study.

OBJECTIVES To test the effect of facility characteristics on the probability of hospitalization of nursing home residents, controlling for resident characteristics and the competing risk of death. RESEARCH DESIGN Study data were derived from the evaluation of the implementation of the Resident Assessment Instrument, the Minimum Data Set (MDS) in 1993. The data consisted of 2080 residents in 253 NHs as well as the annual On-Line Survey Certification of Automated Records (OSCAR). MEASURES Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the effects of selected resident and facility characteristics on hospitalization or death within 6 months of baseline, adjusting for the complex sampling design (using SUDAAN). RESULTS By controlling for resident demographics, advance directives, diagnoses, selected clinical signs, and type of payer, we found that homes with special care units, more physicians (above the median 0.08 FTE physicians on staff or contract), and any physician extenders (nurse practitioners or physician assistants) were less likely to hospitalize their residents. Homes in which over 3.6% of the residents received respiratory treatment were more likely to hospitalize their residents. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that Medicare HMOs should consider the capacity of nursing facilities, especially in terms of medical care capacity and clinical resources, to limit hospital admissions.
Aflatoxin M1 in raw cow and buffalo milk in Shush city of Iran

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination is evaluated in 120 samples of raw milk from cow and buffalo (60 each), collected randomly in the Shush (southwest Iran). Enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to analyse AFM1 in the samples. AFM1 was detected in 44 (69%) raw cow milk samples with a mean of 55 ng/l at a range of 3.6–419 ng/l) and in 46 (79%) raw buffalo milk samples with a mean of 116 ng/l at a range of 13–423 ng/l. In all samples, the AFM1 concentration was lower than the Iranian national standard and FDA limit of 500 ng/l. According to the European Union and Codex Alimentarius Commission, 18 (28%) and 32 (52%) of cow and buffalo raw milk samples are above the 50 ng/l limit, respectively. Results showed that AFM1 contamination of raw milk could pose a problem for public health, since all age groups, including infants and children, consume this product.
Vertebral trabecular bone microscopic tissue elastic modulus and hardness do not change in ovariectomized rats

Ovariectomized rats have been used extensively and have received substantial acceptance as animal models for postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, little is known about the microscopic tissue properties of rat vertebral bone, especially during osteoporosis caused by estrogen depletion. This study applied a new nanoindentation technique to quantify the microscopic mechanical properties of vertebral trabecular bone tissue in ovariectomized rats. Seventeen‐week‐old Sprague‐Dawley rats underwent an ovariectomy. After death at 37 weeks, the fraction of the trabecular bone area of the lumbar vertebrae (L4) was measured with scanning electron microscopy and the elastic modulus and hardness were determined with the nanoindentation technique. The bone area fraction was reduced significantly after the ovariectomy. However, the elastic modulus and hardness did not change significantly at the microscopic level. The results indicate that estrogen‐dependent osteoporosis in rats manifests in a loss of bone mass whereas the elastic and hardness properties of the surviving bone tissue remain relatively unchanged.
Importance-performance analysis of retail website service quality

This study intends to empirically explore the customer’s perceived ranking of the importance of a range of on-line services, and their perceptions of the retailers’ performance in delivering these services. An online questionnaire survey has been conducted to gather the data from respondents. The data was analysed using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). The findings suggest areas of e-service quality where retailers could improve, based on the customers’ perceptions of the retailers’ performance against the importance of some e-service quality features and/or services on offer. Consequently, this study highlights that retailers should take active steps to understand their customers’ requirements, before developing an online customer services strategy. From a practical perspective, retailers could also apply the questionnaire developed for this study to canvas the opinions of customers, to help identify areas in which their performance needs to be improved.
[Effects of psychosocial factors on recurrent aphthous ulcer].

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of patients' psychosocial background on the recurrence of aphthous ulcer (RAU). METHODS A total of 105 patients with RAU and 100 normal subjects of the control group were evaluated for psychosocial background. All subjects were required to complete the EPQ questionnaire, the SCL 90 questionnaire, and the enquired data were analyzed by using chi-square test. RESULTS Special personality and social factors in RAU patients might be reasons leading to the occurrence of this disease (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Psychosocial disorder caused by stresses of social life events on the people with special personality could impact the occurrence of RAU.
Case–Control Studies and Risk Factors for Cataract in Two Population Studies in Nigeria

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine and investigate the risks associated with cataract in South Western and North Central Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based, case–control study was conducted in Lagos (Lagos group), South Western Nigeria, and Kano (Kano group), North Central Nigeria. In this study, 530 subjects with visually impairing cataracts (study group) and 530 age- and sex-matched controls (control group) were recruited from patients aged 40 to 89 years attending the ophthalmology clinics at the same hospital. All subjects were examined for the presence/absence of cataract and interviewed about their educational achievements, diarrhea/dehydration crises, urban/rural residence, and ophthalmological conditions. A standardized questionnaire was administered to all subjects. Logistic regression analysis with age adjustment, literacy, outdoor work, body mass index, crowding, regular vegetable intake, heavy alcohol, and cigarette intake was performed. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Using multivariate regression analysis, after adjustment for age and other demographics factors, low education and no education [adjusted odds ratios (OR) = 2.42 for the Lagos group and 4.10 for Kano group] and a positive history of diarrhea or dehydration crises (adjusted OR = 1.31 for the Lagos group and 2.12 for Kano group) were associated with an increased risk for cataract. Senile cataracts were more common among the Fulani ethnic group (adjusted OR = 2.21) of North Central Nigeria. However, rural or urban residence did not reveal any positive risk for cataract. Conclusion: The risk of cataract in North Central Nigeria is similar to that in South Western Nigeria. Cataracts were strongly associated with increasing age, with peak age of 55 years and were more common in those with lower education, severe diarrhea and among the members of Fulani in North Central Nigeria.
Finance in family firms: generation does matter

This paper analyses the effect of the desire to perpetuate family control on the financial structure of family firms across generations. We test this effect in a sample where both family and non-family firms have the same level of ownership concentration. We verify that the desire for family control gives rise to financing preferences in line with the pecking order theory. Since the desire for family control persists across generations, these financing preferences remain the same. However, we find that generational transitions weaken family bonds, and thus reduce the family members' capacity for sacrifice, leading to variations in their weighting of the financing sources.
Don't mind your steps: Activity trackers for the assessment of physical activity in health studies

Assessing a person's physical activity is an important challenge in health studies. However, questionnaires are often inaccurate, precise monitoring devices such as high-end activity monitors are expensive and obtrusive to use, and more easily available measures such as step count are often too simple for meaningful conclusions. We therefore investigated whether data available from modern low-cost activity trackers can be used to estimate calories burnt in physical activity for cardiac prevention. We collected ground truth data from 8 users covering 157 activities on 50 days. We implemented a threshold approach for step data analysis and compared the results with the user's annotations. Compared to the commonly used IPAQ questionnaire our approach is more reliable. Our result indicates that low-cost activity trackers are a feasible tool for assessing physical activity in certain settings.
Safety and Efficacy of Subcutaneous Golimumab in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis despite Methotrexate Therapy: Final 5-year Results of the GO-FORWARD Trial

Objective. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of golimumab (GOL), a human antitumor necrosis factor antibody, in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) despite methotrexate (MTX) therapy through 5 years in the GO-FORWARD trial. Methods. Patients with active RA despite MTX therapy were randomly assigned to receive placebo + MTX (Group 1), GOL 100 mg + placebo (Group 2), GOL 50 mg + MTX (Group 3), or GOL 100 mg + MTX (Group 4). Patients in groups 1, 2, and 3 with inadequate response could enter early escape at Week 16 to GOL 50 mg + MTX or GOL 100 mg + MTX, and all remaining Group 1 patients crossed over to GOL 50 mg + MTX at Week 24. The blind was maintained through the 52-week database lock, after which treatment adjustments were permitted. Adverse events (AE) were monitored through Week 268. Efficacy was evaluated using the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20/50/70 responses and a 28-joint Disease Activity Score using C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP). Response rates at Week 256 were analyzed by an intent-to-treat analysis. Results. A total of 444 patients were randomized, and 313 received GOL through Week 252; 301 patients completed the safety followup through Week 268. Infections were the most common type of AE; 172 patients (39.6%) had ≥ 1 serious AE. No unexpected safety signals were observed. At Week 256, ACR20/50/70 responses were achieved by 63.1%, 40.8%, and 24.1%, respectively, of all randomized patients. About 78% of all patients achieved a good or moderate DAS28-CRP response. Conclusion. Improvements in the signs and symptoms of RA were maintained through 5 years. AE through 5 years were consistent with earlier reports of the GO-FORWARD trial; no apparent increased risk was observed over time.
Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Etiology, Epidemiology, and Prognosis Factors

A prospective study of 132 patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) treated in the ICU was carried out to determine the causative agents, the value of the clinical, biological, and radiologic features in predicting the etiology, and to define prognostic factors. The study group included 98 men and 34 women (mean age: 5±18 years). The most frequent underlying condition was COPD (51 patients, 39 percent). On admission, 35 patients were in shock, 71 were mentally confused, and 81 (61 percent) required mechanical ventilation during their hospitalization. The clinical, laboratory, and radiologic parameters were of little value for predicting the etiology in patients with severe CAP. An etiologic diagnosis was made in 95 (72 percent) patients. The most frequent pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae (43 cases [45 percent]), Gram-negative bacilli (14 cases [15 percent]), and Haemophilus influenzae (14 cases [15 percent]) Mortality was 24 percent. It was significantly associated with a age more than 60 years, septic shock, impairment of alertness, mechanical ventilation requirement, bacteremic pneumonia, and S pneumoniae or Enterobacteriaceae as the causes of the pneumonia. Recommendations for antibiotic chemotherapy in patients with severe CAP admitted to the ICU are included.
Mortgage Debt, Consumption, and Illiquid Housing Markets in the Great Recession

Using a quantitative heterogeneous agents macro-housing model and detailed microdata, this paper studies the drivers of the 2006–2011 housing bust, its spillovers to consumption and the credit market, and the ability of mortgage rate interventions to accelerate the recovery. The model features tenure choice between owning and renting, rich portfolio choice, long-term defaultable mortgages, and endogenously illiquid housing from search frictions. The equilibrium analysis and empirical evidence suggest that the deterioration in house prices and liquidity, transmitted to consumption via balance sheets that vary in composition and depth, is central to explaining the observed aggregate and cross-sectional patterns. (JEL E23, E32, E44, G21, R31)
GMM Estimation of a Money-in-the-Utility-Function Model: The Implications of Functional Forms

This paper studies consumer demand for real balances by allowing money to enter directly into an aggregate utility function as an asset that provides liquidity services. The essay extends existing literature by investigating a money-in-the-utility-function model under a variety of specifications of the representative agent's objective function. The empirical analysis employs the generalized-method-of-moments technique to estimate the coefficients of the Euler equations derived from the structural model. The parameter estimates are compared across specifications of the utility function and across data sets. The results provide some support for the view that the liquidity services provided by real balances contribute to utility.
Developing Corporate Governance Research Through Qualitative Methods: A Review of Previous Studies

Manuscript Type Review Research Question/Issue The article is concerned with the prevalence, character, and development of qualitative research within the field of corporate governance. The paper provides an overview of published qualitative research in the field of corporate governance based on a structured literature search of papers published in scholarly peer-reviewed journals between 1986 and 2011. Research Findings/Insights A fine-grained search based on key words resulted in a sample of 78 qualitative corporate governance studies. A review and content analysis of these studies show that qualitative studies in governance have grown in number since the 1990s, but remain a small fraction of the published work on corporate governance. Studies are mostly developed by UK and European scholars, published in European journals and tend to explore boards of directors more than other governance related actors and mechanisms. These studies utilize a range of disciplines, predominantly management, adopting a wide range of methods, the most prevalent being that of the interview, often in combination with other methods to get a better account of the empirical phenomenon. Theoretical/Academic Implications The search reveals an eclectic range of theories, spanning several disciplines, which is serving to generate, elaborate, and refine theorizing about corporate governance and the associated meanings, mechanisms, processes and relationships. There is much scope and need for more qualitative studies of significant rigor and relevance which explore the array of interactions and processes involved in corporate governance, across different levels of analysis and contexts. Practitioner/Policy Implications After over two decades of research and reform of corporate governance, problems of practice remain, and corporate governance prescription via codes and other forms of regulation is increasing in search of better governance. Qualitative research can assist policy-makers and practitioners to develop more efficient governance mechanisms, by shedding light on the efficacy of policy prescription. Qualitative research provides a basis for rethinking and challenging some of the dominant assumptions and meanings about how governance actors and institutions actually function.
Implementing intentions to drink a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution during exercise

Abstract In this study, we examined the effectiveness of a theory-based psychological implementation intention strategy on the volume and frequency of intake of a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution by participants engaged in submaximal exercise. Thirty-five participants were randomly assigned to an implementation intention or control condition. Participants assigned to the implementation intention condition were required to write down when and where they would carry out their intention to drink a sports drink in the upcoming exercise trial. Participants completed self-report measures of intentions, the psychological antecedents of intentions, and past behaviour for sports drink use and physical activity before and after receiving the experimental manipulation. Participants then engaged in a one-hour submaximal exercise trial on a cycle ergometer and had free access to a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution throughout. The frequency and volume of sports drink consumed by participants over the course of the trial was recorded. Participants also provided pre- and post-trial urine samples, which were tested for osmolality. Experimental participants imbibed a significantly greater volume of sports drink and had significantly higher urine osmolality than controls. The intervention had no effects on psychological variables. Results support the use of implementation intentions to effectively promote sports drink intake among sports participants.
Work Environment and Participation: The Case of Teachers in Denmark and New Zealand

Employees' participation in decision making at work is often identified as a key element in work environment quality. In this comparative case study, the focus is on teachers' work in Denmark and Zealand. The substantial variations in work environment quality found across four schools are shown to be associated with corresponding differences in participation. In particular, perceived work environment quality is associated with collective and representative forms of participation.
Comparing CSR communication on corporate web sites in Sweden and Spain

Purpose – This study investigates the use of the internet by the largest companies based in Sweden and Spain to communicate their engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Its purpose is to analyse to what extent, if any, are there differences in the CSR communication on the web sites companies from these two countries. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines CSR communication on the internet by companies based in Sweden and Spain. Non-parametric statistics are used to analyse some factors that influence disclosure, namely country, industry affiliation, profitability, and size. Findings – Findings suggest that in spite of the existence of a high degree of similarity between CSR communication practices, companies from Spain place social responsibility information in more prominent sections and devote more space to said information. Swedish companies are found to disclose more their codes of conduct/ethics and CSR-related press clips and published articles. Research limitation.
Managing the health Millennium Development Goals -- the challenge of management strengthening: lessons from three countries.

Achieving the health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will require a significant scaling up of health service delivery in many countries. The number of competent managers will also have to be scaled up at the same time - managers are an essential resource for ensuring that priority needs are met and resources are used effectively. A variety of considerations needs to be taken into account when strengthening management including: ensuring an adequate number of managers at all levels of the health system; building existing managers own competences; improving management support systems (systems to manage money staff information supplies etc.); creating a more supportive work environment (what is expected from managers; the rules under which managers work; their relationship with local government and other actors; supervision and incentives for improving their performance). (excerpt)
The Youth Training Scheme and the School-to-Work Transition

Data from the Youth Cohort Study of Britain are used to estimate hazard functions for time to first job by school leavers. Participants in the Youth Training Scheme (YTS) are compared with non-participants. When time taken to obtain a job is modeled, YTS trainees obtain jobs at a slower rate than non-trainees even when time spent on YTS is excluded. However, female YTS trainees obtain 'good' jobs at a faster rate than non-trainees when time spent on YTS is excluded. Our main results are robust to the inclusion of a selectivity effect, and to the inclusion of local labor market conditions as a time-dependent covariate. Copyright 1994 by Royal Economic Society.
Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy: consensus recommendations on diagnosis, assessment and management

Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is common, is associated with significant reduction in quality of life and poses major treatment challenges to the practising physician. Although poor glucose control and cardiovascular risk factors have been proven to contribute to the aetiology of DPN, risk factors specific for painful DPN remain unknown. A number of instruments have been tested to assess the character, intensity and impact of painful DPN on quality of life, activities of daily living and mood. Management of the patient with DPN must be tailored to individual requirements, taking into consideration the co‐morbidities and other factors. Pharmacological agents with proven efficacy for painful DPN include tricyclic anti‐depressants, the selective serotonin and noradrenaline re‐uptake inhibitors, anti‐convulsants, opiates, membrane stabilizers, the anti‐oxidant alpha‐lipoic acid and topical agents including capsaicin. Current first‐line therapies for painful DPN include tricyclic anti‐depressants, the serotonin and noradrenaline re‐uptake inhibitor duloxetine and the anti‐convulsants pregabalin and gabapentin. When prescribing any of these agents, other co‐morbidities and costs must be taken into account. Second‐line approaches include the use of opiates such as synthetic opioid tramadol, morphine and oxycodone‐controlled release. There is a limited literature with regard to combination treatment. In extreme cases of painful DPN unresponsive to pharmacotherapy, occasional use of electrical spinal cord stimulation might be indicated. There are a number of unmet needs in the therapeutic management of painful DPN. These include the need for randomized controlled trials with active comparators and data on the long‐term efficacy of agents used, as most trials have lasted for less than 6 months. Finally, there is a need for appropriately designed studies to investigate non‐pharmacological approaches. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Unstable EMS

FROM THE STANDPOINT OF EUROPEAN MONETARY AFFAIRS, 1992 opened with a bang and closed with a whimper. In January, the European monetary system (EMS) celebrated five years of exchange rate stability: sixty full months without a realignment. The month before, the representatives of European Community (EC) member-states initialed the Treaty on Economic and Monetary Union concluded at Maastricht in the Netherlands. The transition to European monetary union (EMU) appeared to be fully underway. By the end of the year, the European monetary system had enduredindeed, was continuing to experience-the most severe crisis in its fourteen-year history. Two of ten currencies, the Italian lira and the British