Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PRESENCE OF RABIES NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES IN WILD CARNIVORES FOLLOWING AN OUTBREAK OF BOVINE RABIES

In an outbreak of bovine rabies in Argentina, a study was made of vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) and wild carnivores. Rabies antibody rates of high prevalence were found in the bats, foxes (Dusicyon gymnocercus) and skunks (Conepalus chinga). The outbreak was part of an extensive continuing epizootic of vampire transmitted bovine rabies which may have also involved other vectors in the area of this study. Consumption of dead and dying bats by the carnivores is the suggested means of passage of rabies virus from vampire bats to foxes and skunks. Given optimum conditions it is conceivable that some outbreaks in carnivores may begin in this way.
A Model of Optimal Human-Capital Accumulation and the Wages of Young High School Graduates

This paper estimates the parameters of Ben-Porath's model of optimal accumulation of human capital over the life cycle. A discrete-time version of the model is presented, and previous estimates of its parameters are considered. Using longitudinal data on wages of young white high school graduates, these parameters are reestimated. The point estimates of the two key parameters (the discount rate and the elasticity of investment costs with respect to investments) are implausible on a priori grounds, confirming the essentially negative conclusions of earlier studies.
Medical Students and Acupuncture: A Short Sharp Placement Experience!

Background Acupuncture and other complementary therapies (CTs) have become increasingly popular, with patients calling for more integrated care. It is questionable whether doctors know enough about these therapies to provide balanced and informed advice to patients and, given that most will come across patients accessing CTs, this is an area of concern. Method This was an exploratory study of 40 students attending a placement at a CT service within an acute hospital trust in the UK. A questionnaire was given at the start of placement to record their scepticism towards CTs on a 0–10 scale and again, on placement completion. Result Of the students attending, 73% (n=29) completed the questionnaire. There was a statistically significant reduction in scepticism scores assessed before and after placement (p<0.001). Of the respondents, 90% (n=26) were shown or attempted acupuncture. 76% of students reported that the placement would definitely influence the rate of CT referrals in their future practice. Conclusion The placement experience provided students an opportunity to reconsider their attitudes towards CTs. The study was limited to one site and students independently elected to participate in the experience. Similar exposure could be of value to the wider medical student population, ultimately leading to more informed advice available to patients. Future research should include greater numbers, which could include a multi-site study.
Analyzing the Modification of the Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Flagellar Filament

The unsheathed flagellar filament of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is composed of two highly homologous flagellins, FlaA, and the major structural unit, FlaB. We identified a gene cluster, SO_3261-SO_3265 (now sfmABCDE), that is required for the formation of a fully functional filament and for motility. The predicted function of the corresponding gene products strongly indicated a role in flagellin modification. Accordingly, loss of sfmABCDE results in a significant mass shift of both FlaA and FlaB. Mass spectroscopy analysis and single residue substitutions identified five serine residues in both flagellins that are modified via O-linkage. Modeling of the flagellin structures strongly suggests that at least four of the modified residues are exposed to the filament’s surface. However, none of the five serine residues solely is crucial for function and assembly. Structural analysis of the flagellin modification revealed that it likely contains a nonulosonic acid (274 Da) linked to each glycosylated serine. The putative nonulosonic acid is further substituted with a 236 Da moiety which can carry additional methyl groups (250 Da, 264 Da). In addition, at least 5 lysine residues in FlaB and one in FlaA were found to be methylated. Based on homology comparisons we suggest that smfABCDE is required for species-specific flagellin modification in S. oneidensis MR-1.
A Valuation Formula for Firms in the Early Stage of Their Lifecycle

We develop a valuation formula for analyzing high growth firms using the stages of an industry lifecycle. Our model is best suited for start-up firms with low (or negative) earnings and low sales. Our formula uses start-up firm data and captures the firm’s growth potential by incorporating data about two key stages along the lifecycle. One stage corresponds to the largest firm in the industry and the other to the firm situated at the inflection point of the S-shaped curve describing the lifecycle. We test the formula by examining the biotechnology industry in the late 1990s. An empirical analysis of the biotechnology industry reveals an important correlation between market values growth rates and assets growth rates, which is predicted by our formula. We find that on average, our formula underestimates the actual market value of biotechnology start-up firms by about 15%.
Risk factors for intravesical recurrence in patients with high-grade T1 bladder cancer in the second TUR era.

OBJECTIVE We aimed to elucidate risk factors for intravesical recurrence of high-grade T1 bladder cancer in the second transurethral resection era. METHODS The analysis included 73 patients with high-grade T1 bladder cancer on initial transurethral resection. The median follow-up period was 49.2 months. Recurrence-free survival, progression-free survival and risk factors related to the presence of residual tumors or recurrence-free survival were statistically analyzed. RESULTS The pathological findings for second transurethral resection were pT0 36 (49%), pTis/a 21 (29%), pT1 13 (18%) and pT2 3 (4%), respectively. The risk factor for residual tumors at second transurethral resection was the presence of concomitant carcinoma in situ at the initial transurethral resection (P < 0.01). The bladder was preserved in all 57 patients with pT0/is/a tumors on second transurethral resection, and 43 patients (75%) received intravesical BCG therapy. Of these patients, 3-year recurrence-free survival and 3-year progression-free survival rates were 81 and 96%, respectively. In addition, the presence of pTis/a residual tumors on second transurethral resection had a significant impact on the recurrence. Five of the 13 patients with pT1 on second transurethral resection were immediately treated by radical cystectomy or radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy, and two (25%) of the eight who were treated by intravesical BCG therapy had progression including distant metastasis. CONCLUSIONS High recurrence-free survival and progression-free survival were achieved by a second transurethral resection and intravesical BCG therapy in the patients with pT0/is/a on the second transurethral resection. In this group, the residual tumors at second transurethral resection are risk factors for intravesical recurrence.
Health values of patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.

BACKGROUND Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection report a reduction in health status, but it is not known how they value their state of health. We assessed health utilities directly from patients with HCV infection. METHODS One hundred twenty-four patients with chronic HCV infection representing a cross section of disease severity were administered a disease-specific version of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, the Beck Depression Inventory, and 3 direct health value measures, including the Rating Scale, Time Trade-off (TTO), and Standard Gamble (SG). Correlation among measures and factor analysis was performed. RESULTS The mean modified Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey scores were lower than normative population values, particularly on the Physical Component Summary scale. This scale was poorly correlated with the Rating Scale, TTO, and SG scores among HCV-infected subjects. The mean +/- SE TTO score was 0.83 +/- 0.02, and the mean +/- SE SG score was 0.79 +/- 0.02. The TTO and SG scores failed to show significant variability in relation to disease activity as determined by serum alanine aminotransferase level, histologic stage, and presence of decompensated liver disease. The Beck Depression Inventory was significantly inversely correlated with the TTO and SG. CONCLUSIONS Although quality of life is compromised in patients with chronic HCV infection, patient-derived health utilities are not strongly associated with health status or clinical measures. Utility measures obtained from patients with HCV differ significantly from previous surrogate measures of health values. Such differences in utilities could affect decision analyses and cost-effectiveness analyses of treatment interventions for individuals with HCV infection.
Increased Immunoglobulin E is associated with low respiratory functional in asthma patients

Asthma is a disease that is associated with inflammation airway. The study objective was to determine whether the serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration was associated with marker indicative in respiratory functional in men with asthma. For this purpose, we measured fasting serum IgE levels in 44 middle-aged men with mild to moderate asthma and 30 none-asthma subject that matched for age and sex. In addition, all patients underwent a resting spirometry test for measuring FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC as markers indicative in respiratory functional. Pearson correlations were used to establish the relationship between IgE concentrations with spirometry markers in asthma patients. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. The statistical findings showed that an IgE concentration in asthmatic patients was significantly higher than healthy individuals. Compared with healthy subjects, asthma patients had lower level of FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC. A negative association was observed between serum IgE and FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC.Based on this data, it was concluded that IgE may be
A Risk Index for Sternal Surgical Wound Infection After Cardiovascular Surgery

Abstract Objectives: To identify factors that increase the risk of sternal surgical wound infection after cardiovascular surgery and to develop a bedside clinical risk index using these factors. Design: A risk index was developed using clinical data collected from a cohort of 11,508 cardiac surgery patients and validated using three independent subsets of the data. With two of these subsets, we derived a logistic regression equation and then modified the scoring algorithm to simplify the calculation of patient risk scores by clinicians. The final subset was used to validate the index. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (aROC) curve was the primary measure of goodness of fit. Setting: Toronto General Hospital, a teaching hospital and the largest center for cardiac surgery in Ontario, Canada. Patients: Cardiac surgery patients receiving cardiopulmonary bypass between April 1, 1990, and December 31, 1995, who survived at least 6 days after surgery. Results: Variables that were used to construct the risk index included reoperation due to complication (odds ratio, 4.3; range, 1.9 to 8.5), diabetes (odds ratio, 2.4; range, 1.5 to 3.7), more than 3 days in the intensive care unit (odds ratio, 5.4; range, 3.2 to 8.7), and use of the internal mammary artery for revascularization (odds ratio, 3.2; range, 1.7 to 5.8). Validation showed that the index had an aROC curve of 0.64. Conclusions: The risk index described in this article allows clinicians to quickly stratify patients into four risk groups associated with an increasing risk of sternal surgical wound infection. It may be used perioperatively or as part of a wound infection surveillance system.
COMPUTERIZED SEMEN ANALYSIS (CASA): EFFECT OF SEMEN CONCENTRATION AND CHAMBER DEPTH ON MEASUREMENTS

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of sample concentration and chamber depth on the performance of a real-time analysis computer-assisted semen analysis system, the Hobson Sperm Tracker. Fresh semen samples were provided by patients or donors who attended the author's clinic. The samples were used to estimate total concentration, percentage motility, and sperm kinematics. A considerable variation was found in total concentration and motility recordings between manual and computerized analysis, which was more profound in high-density samples (>80 x 10(6) sperm/mL). The sperm motion parameters were significantly different between low- and high-density samples. This difference could not have been due to sample variation since it was also observed after 1:10 dilution of dense samples. The results indicate that a real-time analysis system can be used clinically for semen analysis over a wide range of sperm concentration. However, high sperm concentration can distort sperm count, motility, and sperm kinematics recordings.
Role of home and host country innovation systems in r&d internationalisation: a patent citation analysis

This paper has three novelties. First, we argue that any given R&D facility’s capacity to exploit and/or augment technological competences is a function not just of its own resources, but the efficiency with which it can utilise complementary resources associated with the relevant local innovation system. Just as asset-augmenting activities require proximity to the economic units (and thus the innovation system) from which they seek to learn, asset-exploiting activities draw from the parent’s technological resources as well as from the other assets of the home location’s innovation system. Furthermore, we argue that most firms tend to undertake both asset exploiting and augmenting activities simultaneously. Second, we use patent citation data from the European Patent Office to quantify the relative asset augmenting vs. exploiting character of foreign-located R&D. Third, we do so for European MNEs located in the US, as well as US MNEs located in Europe. Our results indicate that both EU (US) affiliates in the US (EU) rely extensively on home region knowledge sources, although they appear to exploit the host country knowledge base as well.
A Molecular Phylogenetic Study of the Tribe Corallineae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) with an Assessment of Genus‐Level Taxonomic Features and Descriptions of Novel Genera

A multigene phylogeny using COI‐5P (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1), psbA (PSII reaction center protein D1), and EF2 (elongation factor 2) sequence data for members of the tribe Corallineae was constructed to assess generic boundaries. We determined that traditional reliance on conceptacle position as an indicator of generic affinities in the Corallineae is not supported and taxonomic changes are required. We found that species currently assigned to Pseudolithophyllum muricatum resolved within the Corallineae in all analyses. This is the first record of crustose members in the subfamily Corallinoideae. Further‐more, the genus Serraticardia was polyphyletic; we propose to synonomize Serraticardia with Corallina, transfer the type species S. maxima to Corallina (C. maxima (Yendo) comb. nov.), and describe the new genus Johansenia for S. macmillanii (J. macmillanii (Yendo) comb. nov.). Our molecular data also indicate that species in the genus Marginisporum have evolutionary affinities among species of Corallina and these genera should also be synonymized. This necessitates the combinations C. aberrans (Yendo) comb. nov. for M. aberrans (Yendo) Johansen & Chihara, C. crassissima (Yendo) comb. nov. for M. crassissimum (Yendo) Ganesan, and C. declinata (Yendo) comb. nov. for M. declinata (Yendo) Ganesan. Corallina elongata was divergent from all other members of Corallina and is transferred to a new genus, Ellisolandia (E. elongata (J. Ellis & Solander) comb. nov). In addition, COI‐5P and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) data combined with morphological characters were used to establish that rather than the four Corallina species recognized in Canada, there are nine.
Does China really lose from RMB revaluation? Evidence from some export industries

This study attempts to examine the impacts of Real Exchange Rate (RER) misalignment on China's export performance. Using the SUR methodology coupled with disaggregate panel export data, it shows that China's export sector may not necessarily lose from the Central Government's decision to revalue its RMB against the US dollar because the negative impact of the RER appreciation on Chinese exports may be diluted by the positive impacts attributing to a reduction in the RER misalignment.
BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CULTURE ON EIGHTH GRADERS' ACADEMIC PREPAREDNESS FOR COLLEGE BY THE TWELFTH GRADE

Title of Document: BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CULTURE ON EIGHTH GRADERS’ ACADEMIC PREPAREDNESS FOR COLLEGE BY THE TWELFTH GRADE. Erin Ward Bibo, Ph.D., 2012 Directed By: Professor Alberto F. Cabrera, Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education This study used a general two-level model to explore data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988-1992 to determine the extent to which studentlevel (parental involvement) and school-level (school culture of college preparedness) factors individually and collectively influenced eighth grade students’ eventual academic preparedness for college by the time they reached the twelfth grade. The study’s models supported my foundational hypothesis that the middle school years play a critical role in preparing students for college. That said, the impacts of both parental involvement and school culture, at the middle school level, appear to have a very trivial influence, on average, on students’ eventual levels of academic readiness for college. The study’s models’ random effects results, however, paint a slightly more complex picture. These resulted indicated that, at some schools within the study, some or all of the four parental involvement variables had a statistically significant impact on students’ eventual ACRES scores. While I was unable to determine whether these significant effects were mostly positive or negative, it certainly supports the notion that parental involvement indeed plays an important role in preparing students to be academically prepared for college. Additionally, the study determined that students’ middle school grades had the most positive influences on ACRES scores, and student poverty levels and first-generation status were associated with the most negative impacts on students’ academic preparedness for college. The study concludes by calling on policymakers, educational leaders, teachers, and parents to focus their time, attention, and resources on the middle school years to improve students’ eventual academic readiness for college. BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CULTURE ON EIGHTH GRADERS’ ACADEMIC PREPAREDNESS FOR COLLEGE BY THE TWELFTH GRADE.
Croatian Social Policy: The Legacies of War, State-building and Late Europeanization

This article outlines the differences and commonalities between social policy developments in Croatia and those in Central Europe. In Croatia, issues such as national identities and the redefinition of citizenship, war, state-building and crisis management have produced a complex mix of statist centralization and parallelism of welfare actors at the central and local level. While subject both to neo-liberal pressures to privatize provision, and later to European Union influences, both of these came later, and were more mediated, than in Central Europe. Croatia forms a bridge to studying the uneven welfare arrangements of other countries in South-East Europe, marked as they are by complex governance arrangements and the presence of social development and postwar reconstruction discourses.
Explaining financial difficulties based on previous payment behavior, management background variables and financial ratios

Abstract This paper shows evidence that it is possible to explain financial difficulties in small and medium sized firms based on non-financial variables. The results indicate that the estimated model based on non-financial variables classified firms even better than the financial ratio model, especially when classifying bankrupt firms and firms with payment delays. The best overall classification was achieved using the model combining financial ratios and non-financial variables. The non-financial variables measuring the number of payment delays were statistically the most important. The main implication of the results is that non-financial variables embrace important information in attempts to explain financial difficulties, and this should be of interest given that payment behavior variables (payment delays and payment disturbances) may occur more frequently than the publication of intermittent financial statements.
Production control under uncertainty: Closed-loop versus open-loop approach

A basic production system facing two types of uncertainty (shocks), multiplicative and additive, is considered. The former is due to a stochastic yield; the other to a stochastic demand. The objective of the production system is to choose a production rate (control) that minimizes expected inventory and production costs. Stochastic production control is typically considered the prerogative of closed-loop or on-line approaches. However, in certain manufacturing systems, information about inventory levels may at best be imprecise. Moreover, the production rate cannot be instantaneously adjusted in response to inventory updates. This warrants the exploration of an open-loop or off-line control methodology. In the comparative analysis of the two approaches presented in this paper, the probability distribution of inventories is characterized, the damage associated with the inability to adjust production is assessed, and the conditions at when the gap between the two approaches are insignificant are highlighted. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of IIE Transactions for the following free supplemental resource: Appendix]
Organizing for Worldwide Effectiveness: The Transnational Solution

To be competitive in an increasingly complex international environment, companies with worldwide operations must achieve global coordination and national flexibility simultaneously. Traditional organizational forms, however, have tended to provide one or the other attribute. The authors illustrate this point through the experience of two major competitors in consumer electronics: Philips, a classic "multinational" company whose decentralized federation structure is well suited to facilitating national flexibility, and Matsushita, a "global" company with a centralized hub configuration that provides it with great efficiency. The authors then describe an emerging model—the "transnational" organization whose structure is based on an integrated network of worldwide operations. The transnational firm requires both effective corporate management that does not impede national flexibility and efficient country management that does not prevent global coordination.