Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental production of fatal mucosal disease in cattle

Three outbreaks of mucosal disease were investigated. Careful examination of 47 cattle that were persistently viraemic with bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV) revealed no clinical disease, no or low levels of BVDV antibody and only non-cytopathic virus in their blood. The four animals with mucosal disease all showed clinical disease and both cytopathic and non-cytopathic virus in their blood. Following post mortem examination, there were particularly high levels of cytopathic virus in gut tissue. A hypothesis for the induction of mucosal disease is suggested. It states that animals become persistently infected with non-cytopathic virus following in utero infection and when, in post natal life, they become superinfected with a cytopathic virus, then mucosal disease ensues. The experimental reproduction of mucosal disease in support of this hypothesis is described.
A Note on Forecasting the Rate of Change of the Price of Oil: Asymmetric Loss and Forecast Rationality

We study whether forecasts of the rate of change of the price of oil are rational. To this end, we consider a model that allows the shape of forecasters’ loss function to be studied. The shape of forecasters’ loss function may be consistent with a symmetric or an asymmetric loss function. We find that an asymmetric loss function often (but not always) makes forecasts look rational, and we also report that forecast rationality may have changed over time.
The Accord: Background Changes and Aggregate Outcomes

Over the last several decades tbe role of incomes policy has been a critical issue in an understanding of Australian workplace and macroeconomic relationships. A significant institutional reform was the Prices and Incomes Accord, which began with the election of the Labor government in 1983, and ended with the change of govern ment in 1996. What follows is a discussion of the circumstances that led to the adoption of the Accord, and an analysis of some of its consequences for strikes and wages. Several themes are explored. One is that the success of incomes policies depends on economic, political and industrial relations factors. A second is that the origin and maintenance of the Accord depended on the Labor government's commitment to wage restraint, which had its intellectual underpinnings in corporatism. The Accord changed over thirteen years, and the industrial system became more directed to enterprise bargaining. While this might imply that it became increasingly difficult to have low strike and wage outcomes, the changes in industrial and economic relationships seem to be permanent. Conjectures are offered to explain this outcome.
SPORICIDAL ACTIVITY OF LOCAL ANAESTHETICS AND THEIR BINARY COMBINATIONS WITH PRESERVATIVES

The sporicidal activity of a 1% solution of five local anaesthetics and five preservatives (cetrimide, chlorocresol, chlorhexidine, phenoxyethanol and phenylmercuric nitrate) at their commonly used concentrations, alone and in binary combinations, was determined against Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger spores at different temperature levels by surface viable count technique. The sporicidal activity of all tested systems was temperature dependent and A. niger spores were much more sensitive to the effect of the test systems than B. subtilis spores. The temperatures at which 99% kill is achieved after 30 min exposure were calculated. For local anaesthetics used singly against A. niger the recorded temperatures were 30°C for amethocaine, 45°C for amylocaine, 43°C for cincochaine, 48°C and 50°C for lignocaine and procaine, respectively. A control temperature of 58°C for saline solution was observed. Much higher temperatures were recorded for B. subtilis spores. Cincochaine was the most effective local anaesthetic with a recorded temperature of 60°C for a 99% kill while amylocaine and amethocaine showed temperatures of 84 and 90°C respectively. Procaine, lignocaine as well as the control saline solution recorded temperatures higher than 100°C.
Prescribing versus describing: testing image restoration strategies in a crisis situation

Purpose – Image restoration theory has become a dominant paradigm for examining corporate communication in times of crises. However, much insight gleaned from scholarly research in this area remains descriptive – simply recounting how certain corporations or companies communicated during times of crisis – rather than prescriptive. Therefore, to provide more direct guidance to corporations and organizations, this paper offers the first empirical test of Benoit's five image restoration strategies vis‐a‐vis each other simultaneously within the context of a single crisis situation.Design/methodology/approach – An experimental investigation that measures consumers' reactions to differentially manipulated crisis‐communication messages. Methods of data analysis include ANOVA and post hoc comparisons of means.Findings – Results indicate that the strategy of reducing the offensiveness of the event consistently led to higher reputation‐related perceptions of a company than did the other four strategies – denial, ev.
Factors Affecting Knowledge Transfer in Public Organization Employees

Managing knowledge is considered an essential resource for both public and private sector organizations. Effective transfer of knowledge (KT) among the employees could give a better platform in public entities to serve its clients in a more innovative and efficient way. In the context of Southeast Asia, studies on KT in public offices in Brunei compared to that in Singapore and Malaysia is relatively low. This study has made an attempt to investigation the relationship between cultural elements (trust, communication between employees, rewards and learning & development) and Knowledge Transfer with organizational socialization as a moderating variable. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted to collect responses from a range of public sector employees. In results the findings reveal that there is a significant relationship between learning & development and KT, but the hypotheses related to the other three variables: trust, communication and reward remain insignificant. On the other hand with the moderating effect trust shows significant influence over KT in building relationship with help of socialization.
Business plan competitions in tertiary institutions: encouraging entrepreneurship education

The development of entrepreneurial skills and knowledge is a priority for governments that want to encourage an innovative and enterprising society. Furthermore, education institutions are becoming increasingly required by employers to produce graduates that have practical, real‐world skills. Business plan competitions, although primarily aimed at producing start‐ups, have been found to provide a range of benefits to participants, the most important being the development of entrepreneurial skills, access to mentors, opportunity for networking and increased self‐confidence and risk‐taking propensity.
The conserved DNA-binding domains encoded by the herpes simplex virus type 1 ICP4, pseudorabies virus IE180, and varicella-zoster virus ORF62 genes recognize similar sites in the corresponding promoters

Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), pseudorabies virus (PRV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) are all classified as Alphaherpesvirinae. Each of these five viruses encodes an essential immediate-early (IE) regulatory protein referred to as HSV-1 ICP4, HSV-2 ICP4, PRV IE180, VZV ORF62 protein, and EHV-1 IE1, respectively. These five proteins share extensive homology with each other in domains referred to as regions 2 and 4. The HSV-1 ICP4 region 2 domain contains residues that are required for the DNA-binding capability of ICP4. In this report, we describe the expression of region 2 domains from the ICP4, IE180, and ORF62 genes as fusion proteins in Escherichia coli. DNA-binding assays revealed that each of these region 2 fusion proteins binds to a sequence that overlaps the transcription start site in the promoter for the gene encoding the corresponding protein. Each of the sites with high affinity for one or more of these fusion proteins contains the sequence 5'-ATCGT-3'. This sequence spans the mRNA cap site in the HSV-2 ICP4 gene promoter and is immediately upstream from the transcription start site in the EHV-1 IE1 gene. These results suggest that formation of a specific complex between an IE protein and its own gene promoter may be a common mechanism used by Alphaherpesvirinae to autoregulate transcription of an essential IE gene.
You've Come a Long Way, Baby? Persistent Gender Inequality in University Enrolment and Completion in Canada, 1979–2004

We examine 25 years of Statistics Canada data on university undergraduate enrolment and gradation rates from 1979 to 2004 by employing field-specific indices of association that measure the under- or overrepresentation of women in a particular field relative to the gender composition in all fields. Our findings reveal patterns of convergence and divergence but, most consistently, of steadiness with respect to gender integration. An overall index of association for undergraduate enrolment indicates that over 25 years gender segregation has decreased by only 5 percent. The comparable figure for degree completion is 13 percent. Spectacular increases in enrolment and completion by women have not been translated into gender integration within most fields of study, suggesting that different structures of opportunities within higher education continue to perpetuate gender inequities in the labour market.
Erythropoietin increases platelet reactivity and platelet counts in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis: a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study

Background : Patients with liver cirrhosis have a complex haemostasis disturbance including thrombocytopenia and abnormal bleeding time. Erythropoietin is the primary stimulator for erythrocyte production and also induces megakaryocyte formation. In healthy men erythropoietin increased platelet count and platelet reactivity.
The Emerging Flexible Organization: Perspectives from Silicon Valley

Many enterprises, public and private alike, are in the midst of fundamental organizational changes. These cover a spectrum of initiatives—ranging from downsizing and delayering to the creation of team-based networks, partnerships, and alliances—and involve a fundamental reassessment of employment security, critical competencies, and career trajectories. Collectively, these trends highlight some of the limitations of our traditional approaches for managing continuous, rather than periodic, ransformations. High-technology firms in Silicon Valley are experimenting with flexible organizational building blocks, designed to address novel tasks, "kaleidoscopic" change, and continuous innovation. This article describes the building blocks of flexible organizational designs.
Basic LMS Architecture for Learner-Centric LearnFlows or How Reusable Learning Objects Fit into Co-Constructivist Learning Processes

The discussions about learning management systems and reusable learning objects primarily focus on technical standardization issues. Standards such as SCORM or LTSC-LOM will yield benefits for content maintenance and exchange of learning objects between publishers, services providers, and technical platforms. Pedagogic questions, e.g., how standardized learning objects can be used to guide learners through a number of learning experiences towards enhanced levels of knowledge and competency, are neglected. Furthermore, there are competing standards and the complexity of processes, subsystems, and functions in learning systems will make the implementation of standards challenging. The paper outlines the present state of standardization efforts and confronts technical standards with the complexity of a learning model for adult learners. It is proposed to use a workflow/learn-flow engine as a core module of learning management systems together with different types of learning objects. Functions and processes of a learn-flow driven LMS are outlined.
Regulatory T cells: first steps of clinical application in solid organ transplantation

Solid organ transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end‐stage organ failure. To prevent rejection of the transplanted organ continuous treatment with immunosuppressive medication is needed. Immunosuppression may be harmful to the transplant recipient, increasing the risk of cancer, infections and cardiovascular disease. To improve transplant and patient survival, there is a need for an immune‐modulatory regimen that is not only potent in preventing rejection of the transplanted organ, but has less side effects compared to current immunosuppressive regimens. Increasingly, transplantation research focusses on regulatory T cell (Treg) therapy to achieve this aim, in which Treg are used as a strategy to allow reduction of immunosuppression. Currently, the first clinical trials are underway investigating the safety and feasibility of Treg therapy in renal transplantation. This review gives an overview of the rationale of using Treg therapy in transplantation, previous experience with Treg therapy in humans, and the expected safety, potential efficacy and cost‐effectiveness of Treg therapy in solid organ transplantation.
Bank Risk-Taking, Securitization, Supervision and Low Interest Rates: Evidence from the Euro Area and the U.S. Lending Standards

Using a unique dataset of the Euro-area and the U.S. bank lending standards, we find that low (monetary policy) short-term interest rates soften standards for household and corporate loans. This softening--especially for mortgages--is amplified by securitization activity, weak supervision for bank capital, and low monetary policy rates for an extended period. Conversely, low long-term interest rates do not soften lending standards. Finally, countries with softer lending standards before the crisis related to negative Taylor rule residuals experienced a worse economic performance afterward. These results help shed light on the origins of the crisis and have important policy implications. The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. , Oxford University Press.
Discussion Paper 248 / 2009 Trade with China and Skill Upgrading : Evidence from Belgian Firm Level Data

We use Belgian firm level data over the period 1996-2007 to analyze the impact of imports from China and other low wage countries on firm growth, exit, and skill upgrading. We distinguish the impact of imports into two different channels: industry-level import competition and firm-level outsourcing. We find that imports from China are much more important than imports from other low-wage countries. Industry-level import competition from China reduced firm employment and induced skill upgrading. Import competition from China alone can explain around 30 percent of the total skill upgrading in Belgian manufacturing during 19962007. Our IV results confirm the ambiguous role of outsourcing in firm employment growth, but we also find that outsourcing to China will increase the relative employment of non-production workers and is beneficial for firm survival.
The effect of dexmedetomidine infusion on propofol requirement for maintenance of optimum depth of anaesthesia during elective spine surgery

Background: Maintenance of adequate depth of anaesthesia in spine surgery is vital to prevent awareness, to reduce stress response and possible autonomic instability frequently associated with spine surgery. Dexmedetomidine, a α2-adrenoceptor agonist with analgesic and sedative adjuvant property has been found to reduce dose requirement of multiple anaesthetic agents both for induction and during the maintenance of anaesthesia. Aim: The aim of this study is to observe the effect of dexmedetomidine, on the requirement of propofol for induction and maintenance of adequate depth of anaesthesia during spine surgery. Methods: It was a prospective, randomised, double-blinded, parallel group, placebo controlled and open-lebel study in tertiary care hospital. A total of 70 patients aged 20-60 years, American Society of Anaesthesiologists GradeI and II, scheduled for elective spine surgery were randomly allocated into two groups. Each patient of Group D (n=35) received an initial loading dose of dexmedetomidine at 1 μg/kg over 10 min, started 15 min before induction of anaesthesia followed by an infusion at a rate of 0.2 μg/kg/h. Patients of Group P (n=35) received the same volume of 0.9% normal saline solution as placebo. Requirement of propofol at induction and during maintenance was calculated maintaining bispectral index between 40 and 60. P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Mean requirement of propofol was found to be lessened by 48.08% and 61.87% for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia respectively while using dexmedetomidine. Conclusion: Administration of dexmedetomidine significantly reduces the requirement of propofol while maintaining desired depth of anaesthesia without any significant complication.
The Puzzle of Group Ranch Subdivision in Kenya's Maasailand

This article explores the motivations underlying Maasai pastoralists' support for the subdivision and parcellization of their collectively held group ranches, an outcome that is inconsistent with theoretical expectation. Examining four group ranches that formed part of the wave of subdivisions that occurred in the 1980s, it finds that Maasai herders were inclined to support subdivision in order to capture gains in a new property assignment or to reduce distributional disadvantages within the status quo. Importantly, however, subdivision also emerged as a critical defensive strategy against internal and external threats to Maasai land claims. Incorporating this defensive strategy (aimed at securing individual claims) within the individual's calculus for seeking exclusive rights provides insights into why a theoretically unexpected property rights transformation took place.
Life Cycle, Mortgage Payment, and Forced Savings

A common puzzling phenomenon over the household survey of Taiwan is that the renters' saving rate is higher than that of the owners', while the latter has a higher average income than the former. One reason for this feature is that certain housing owners have to pay a greater amount of mortgage payment that is not included in saving. And on the other hand, the saving decision is correlated with the tenure decision, while the tenure decision is also correlated with the household's life cycle, in addition to income. And therefore, when one tries to estimate the correct saving rate, he or she has to consider the household's life cycle as well. In this study, we apply a data set of the household survey of Taiwan to investigate the correlation of life cycle, mortgage payment, and forced savings. First of all, we estimate the saving rate in a traditional way, and then estimate the saving rate after the adjustment of mortgage payment. To figure out the correct saving rate with the tenure decision, we evaluate different households' saving behaviors according to different cohorts, and consequently, we could check how life cycle plays its role in this model. And our finding is, that for every cohort, the forced savings is significant for owners with mortgage and for renters as well.
Low fasting serum triglyceride level as a precocious marker of autoimmune disorders.

The authors recently reported the occurrence of low fasting serum triglyceride (TG) and high free fatty acid (FFA) levels in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. TG estimation in diverse groups of patients with autoimmune disease or hyperactive immune response confirmed the occurrence of a similar decrease of TG. In some patients, serum FFA level was also evaluated. TG value in lean and obese patients was compared with that in lean (n = 108) and obese (n = 208) control subjects without autoimmune disease. In patients affected by autoimmune chronic thyroiditis with enhanced concentration of antithyroglobulin antibodies and without thyroidal failure (n = 24), lean and obese patients had reduced TG (-69/%, P < .01 and -52%, P < .0001, respectively). Both lean and obese patients affected by chronic active B or C hepatitis (n = 26), with autoantibodies and without signs of hepatic insufficiency or cirrhosis, presented reduced TG (-57%, P < .01 and -61%, P < .001, respectively). A marked TG decrease (-73%, P < .001) was observed in the lean patients affected by lupus-like syndrome (n = 7). The lean and obese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis (n = 11) showed TG decrease (-66%, P < .01 and -55%, P < .05, respectively). In patients affected by anamnestic allergy or atopic dermatitis/asthma (n = 66), both lean and obese, TGs were reduced (-67%, P < .0001 and -62%, P < .001, respectively). In isolated cases of diverse autoimmune diseases (scleroderma, APECED [autoimmune polyendocrinopathy, candidiasis, and ectodermal dystrophy], urticaria or urticarial vasculitis, Reiter or Sjogren syndromes, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barré syndrome) (n = 14), decreased TG was also observed both in the lean and obese subjects (-59%, P < .01 and -57%, P < .01, respectively). Concerning FFA (n = 69), value in lean patients (n = 22) vs that in lean controls (n = 18) was increased (520 +/- 31 vs 299 +/- 30 mcEq/L, +74%, P < .001), whereas value in obese patients (n = 18) vs that in obese control subjects (n = 11) was decreased (542 +/- 34 vs 774 +/- 62, -30%, P < .01). This opposite behavior of FFA in lean and obese patients needs to be confirmed. Data in this study seem to indicate that low TG value may be a precocious marker of autoimmunity or immune system hyperreactivity.
Circuit Breakers and Market Volatility: A Theoretical Perspective

This paper examines ex ante effects of "circuit breakers" (mandated trading halts). We show that circuit breakers, by causing agents to suboptimally advance trades in time, may have the perverse effect of increasing price variability and exacerbating price movements. We next consider a situation in which a circuit breaker causes trading to be halted in both a "dominant" (more liquid) and a "satellite" market. As agents switch from the dominant market to the satellite market, price variability and market liquidity decline on the dominant market and increase on the satellite market. To ADDRESS GROWING CONCERNS among market participants about excessive short-run price swings, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has recently introduced "circuit breakers," which mandate trading halts for a stipulated period of time if the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) moves by more than a certain amount over the previous day's close.1 In its report to the NYSE, the Market Volatility and Investor Confidence Panel recommended the adoption of more stringent circuit breakers than those currently in place.2 Circuit breakers have also affected trading regulations on regional markets (e.g., the Philadelphia, Midwest, and Pacific stock exchanges) and on markets for derivative securities. For example, whenever the NYSE halts trading in a