Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating competing models of alcohol-related harm.

This paper summarizes “Evaluating Competing Models of Alcohol-Related Harm” of the International Workshop on Consumption Measures and Models for Use in Policy Development and Evaluation, May 12-14, 1997, Bethesda, MD. The session chair was Thomas Greenfield; presenters were Gerald Williams, Thomas Greenfield, Lorraine Midanik, Kathryn Graham, Jurgen Rehm, Anders Romelsjo, Deborah Dawson, Klaus Makela, Tim Stockwell, and Paul Gruenewald; and discussants were Tim Stockwell, Timo Alanko, and Eric Single.
The Kentucky Encyclopedia

"The Kentucky Encyclopedia"'s 2,000-plus entries are the work of more than five hundred writers. Their subjects reflect all areas of the commonwealth and span the time from prehistoric settlement to today's headlines, recording Kentuckians' achievements in art, architecture, business, education, politics, religion, science, and sports. Biographical sketches portray all of Kentucky's governors and U.S. senators, as well as note congressmen and state and local politicians. Kentucky's impact on the national scene is registered in the lives of such figures as Carry Nation, Henry Clay, Louis Brandeis, and Alben Barkley. The commonwealth's high range from writers Harriette Arnow and Jesse Stuart, reformers Laura Clay and Mary Breckinridge, and civil rights leaders Whitney Young, Jr., and Georgia Powers, to sports figures Muhammad Ali and Adolph Rupp and entertainers Loretta Lynn, Merle Travis, and the Everly Brothers. Entries describe each county and county seat and each community with a population above 2,500. Broad overview articles examine such topics as agriculture, segregation, transportation, literature, and folklife. Frequently misunderstood aspects of Kentucky's history and culture are clarified and popular misconceptions corrected. The facts on such subjects as mint juleps, Fort Knox, Boone's coonskin cap, the Kentucky hot brown, and Morgan's Raiders will settle many an argument. For both the researcher and the more casual reader, this collection of facts and fancies about Kentucky and Kentuckians will be an invaluable resource.
Diagnostic usefulness of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire for the detection of hazardous drinking and dependence on alcohol among Spanish patients

Objective: To check the validity of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) among Spanish adult citizens. Methods: This is a descriptive observational study. The surveyed group comprised patients aged 18–80 years who went to their doctors’ surgeries at two primary care centres located in Cordoba (Spain). We examined the psychometric properties of AUDIT and its capacity to correctly diagnose alcohol abuse or dependence, as defined by DSM-IV, ICD-10, and hazardous drinking. Results: Six hundred and fourteen patients were studied (mean age 43±1.43 years). At a cut-off value of 7 points, the sensitivity of AUDIT in detecting hazardous drinking was 91.7%, and its specificity 91.9%; the area below the curve was 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.937–0.975). To detect possible dependence, the optimum cut-off value was 6 points. According to ICD-10, sensitivity was 81.6%, specificity 82.3%, and the area under the curve 0.885 (95% CI 0.848–0.923; p<0.001), whereas according to DSM-IV criteria, sensitivity was 88.3%, specificity 83.1%, and the area under the curve 0.918 (95% CI 0.885–0.951). Conclusion: The high criterion-related validity of AUDIT was proven, regardless of the gold standard used.
High Technology Industry in a Peripheral Area: The Case of Plymouth

GRIPAIOS P., BISHOP P., GRIPAIOS R. and HERBERT C. (1989) High technology industry in a peripheral area; the case of Plymouth, Reg. Studies 23, 151–157. This paper presents a profile of high technology industry in Plymouth based upon the results of a postal survey and a series of interviews. Our results suggest that, despite recent growth, Plymouth has not yet created an interlinked high technology sector. The firms in our sample operate in diverse areas, purchase little from the local economy and are concerned about the lack of local suppliers. However, the attractive local environment and the availability of relatively cheap labour are important locational advantages. Finally, we discuss our results within the context of similar studies of other areas. GRIPAIOS P., BISHOP P., GRIPAIOS R. et HERBERT C. (1989) L'industrie a haute technologie dans une zone peripherique: cas d'etude de Plymouth, Reg. Studies 23, 151–157. A partir des reponses a une enquete par correspondance et d'une serie d'interviews cet .
The Law and Large-Block Trades

Although these issues have been analyzed by legal scholars since Andrew Berle and Gardiner Means in 1932, no systematic empirical evidence has been collected. We investigate the validity of this belief, as well as broader implications of the law on large-block trades, by analyzing 106 trades of at least 5% of common stock of exchange-listed firms between 1978 and 1982. We find that, when block sellers receive premium, stock prices typically increase but not to the price per share received by the blockholders. We argue that this tension is resolved by assigning a different set of rights and obligations to large-block shareholders when they act as managers.
Cities, Agglomeration And Spatial Equilibrium

220 million Americans crowd together in the 3% of the country that is urban. 35 million people live in the vast metropolis of Tokyo, the most productive urban area in the world. The central city of Mumbai alone has 12 million people, and Shanghai almost as many. We choose to live cheek by jowl, in a planet with vast amounts of space. Yet despite all of the land available to us, we choose to live in proximity to cities. Using economics to understand this phenomenon, the urban economist uses the tools of economic theory and empirical data to explain why cities exist and to analyze urban issues such as housing, education, crime, poverty and social interaction. Drawing on the success of his Lindahl lectures, Edward Glaeser provides a rigorous account of his research and unique thinking on cities. Using a series of simple models and economic theory, Glaeser illustrates the primary features of urban economics including the concepts of spatial equilibrium and agglomeration economies. Written for a mathematically inclined audience with an interest in urban economics and cities, the book is written to be accessible to theorists and non-theorists alike and should provide a basis for further empirical work.
Activity tracking: barriers, workarounds and customisation

Activity trackers are increasingly popular, but they have high levels of abandonment and little evidence exists to suggest why this is. This paper explores barriers to engagement with activity trackers. We extend previous research by not only characterising the barriers users experienced, such as tracking accuracy and device aesthetics, but also by reporting the workarounds they created. We discuss implications for the design of activity tracking systems by reflecting on these workarounds, the potential for activity tracker design to help overcome existing barriers, and how customisation could play a role.
The Economics of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Firm‐Level Perspective Survey

This paper analyzes the economics of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as a private response to market imperfections in order to satisfy social preferences. Depending on whether they affect regulation, competition or contracts, market imperfections driving CSR decisions are classified in three categories: public goods and bads and altruism; imperfect competition; and incomplete contracts. We successively present these drivers of CSR decisions and highlight the nature of incentives (external or internal) at work and the testable (and tested) hypotheses in the reviewed studies. We finally review the link between CSR and financial performance, as well as between CSR and social and environmental performance. A twofold discrepancy appears in the literature, opening future research paths: a disconnection between our understanding of CSR drivers and CSR impacts; and a knowledge gap between CSR financial and social consequences, the latter having received little attention.
Palpitations are predictive of future atrial fibrillation. An 11-year follow-up of 22,815 men and women: the Tromsø Study

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia which increases morbidity and mortality. Identification of risk factors is therefore important. We examined the impact of palpitations and cardiovascular risk factors in prediction of AF (all types) and lone AF in a large population-based cohort. Design: We carried out a prospective population-based cohort study. Methods: A total of 22,815 participants from a population survey in 1994–1995 were followed-up for a mean of 11.1 years. Mean age at baseline was 46 years. Measurements of height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and information on palpitations, diabetes, angina, myocardial infarction, and antihypertensive treatment were obtained at baseline. The outcome measure was first-ever AF, documented on an electrocardiogram. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for AF. Results: Palpitations were associated with increased risk of AF in both women (HR 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29–2.02) and men (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.54–2.35). For hypertension the HR for AF was 1.98 (1.46-2.69) in women and 1.40 (1.13-1.74) in men. The HR for 1 SD increase in body mass index (BMI) was 1.16 (1.06–1.27) in women and 1.47 (1.32–1.63) in men. Body height and BMI were associated with increased risk for lone AF in men. Conclusion: Palpitations, hypertension and BMI were predictive of future atrial fibrillation in both sexes.
Simulation of anaerobic digestion of cattle manure.

IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 (ADM1) was used to simulate the anaerobic digestion process of cattle slurry. The model was applied to 200 l single stage completely stirred tank reactor. The simulation results of pH, biogas flow rate, acetate and methane concentration were under study. Ammonia inhibition constant was optimized during this study to improve modelling results compared to measurements of acetate concentration. Maximum methane yield during experiment was 291 l (kg VSadded) -1 at organic loading rate 2.0 kg VS (m 3 d) -1 .
IgA1 proteases of oral streptococci: ecological aspects.

The ecology and identity of IgA1 protease-producing streptococci in the human oral cavity were studied in an attempt to obtain insight into the significance of IgA1 proteases for host-parasite relationships. Contrary to previous observations, a detailed taxonomic analysis of oral streptococci revealed that all strains of S. sanguis and S. oralis ("S.mitior") produced IgA1 protease. In addition, IgA1 protease activity was observed in some isolates of S.mitis. Of the streptococci that initiate plaque formation on dental enamel 88% (median value) had IgA1 protease activity. Low proportions of the streptococci that colonize the tongue and oropharyngeal mucosae produced IgA1 protease, in contrast to 60% of streptococci isolated from buccal mucosa. The IgA1 proteases from S. sanguis I-III, S. sanguis IV, S. oralis, and S.mitis were distinct as revealed by studies using enzyme-neutralizing antibodies.
Facilitating change in the educational experiences of professional footballers: The case of Scottish football

This paper evaluates the delivery of learning opportunities for footballers within the Scottish professional football industry. Theoretically, the paper draws on Prochaska and DiClemente's ‘stages of change’ model and Miller and Rollnick's ‘motivational’ and ‘brief intervention’ techniques to scrutinize Scottish professional football's engagement with lifelong learning cultures within its labour force. Empirically, a two-level research strategy was employed. First, elite interviews were undertaken with strategic stakeholders drawn from the professional game in Scotland. Second, a single case study of a Scottish League Division One club was undertaken, including short interviews with a range of players and club officials. The study found that by introducing carefully designed interventions aimed at particular stages of change, professional footballers can be encouraged to participate in meaningful learning activities for the duration of their football careers. Success is dependent upon motivational techniques being introduced at the most apposite time and with appropriate resources.
Inhibition of COX‐2 reduces the age‐dependent increase of hippocampal inflammatory markers, corticosterone secretion, and behavioral impairments in the rat

Brain aging as well as brain degenerative processes with accompanying cognitive impairments are generally associated with hyperactivity of the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal axis, the end product of which, the glucocorticoid hormone, has been warranted the role of cell damage primum movens (“cascade hypothesis”). However, chronic inflammatory activity occurs in the hippocampus of aged rats as well as in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. The concomitant increase in the secretion of the glucocorticoid hormone, the endogenous anti‐inflammatory and pro‐inflammatory markers, has prompted us to investigate the two phenomena in the aging rat, and to work out its meaning. This study shows that: (I) interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) increase with age in the rats hippocampus, and (II) chronic oral treatment with celecoxib, a selective cycloxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) inhibitor, is able to contrast the age‐dependent increase in hippocampal levels of pro‐inflammatory markers and circulating anti‐inflammatory corticosterone, provided that it is started at an early stage of aging. Under these conditions, age‐related impairments in cognitive ability may be ameliorated. Taken together, these results indicate that there is a natural tendency to offset the age‐dependent increase in brain inflammatory processes via the homeostatic increase of the circulating glucocorticoid hormone. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Poly(Lactic-co-Glycolic) Acid Nanovaccine Based on Chimeric Peptides from Different Leishmania infantum Proteins Induces Dendritic Cells Maturation and Promotes Peptide-Specific IFNγ-Producing CD8+ T Cells Essential for the Protection against Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis

Visceral leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania (L.) donovani and L. infantum protozoan parasites, can provoke overwhelming and protracted epidemics, with high case-fatality rates. An effective vaccine against the disease must rely on the generation of a strong and long-lasting T cell immunity, mediated by CD4+ TH1 and CD8+ T cells. Multi-epitope peptide-based vaccine development is manifesting as the new era of vaccination strategies against Leishmania infection. In this study, we designed chimeric peptides containing HLA-restricted epitopes from three immunogenic L. infantum proteins (cysteine peptidase A, histone H1, and kinetoplastid membrane protein 11), in order to be encapsulated in poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles with or without the adjuvant monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) or surface modification with an octapeptide targeting the tumor necrosis factor receptor II. We aimed to construct differentially functionalized peptide-based nanovaccine candidates and investigate their capacity to stimulate the immunomodulatory properties of dendritic cells (DCs), which are critical regulators of adaptive immunity generated upon vaccination. According to our results, DCs stimulation with the peptide-based nanovaccine candidates with MPLA incorporation or surface modification induced an enhanced maturation profile with prominent IL-12 production, promoting allogeneic T cell proliferation and intracellular production of IFNγ by CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. In addition, DCs stimulated with the peptide-based nanovaccine candidate with MPLA incorporation exhibited a robust transcriptional activation, characterized by upregulated genes indicative of vaccine-driven DCs differentiation toward type 1 phenotype. Immunization of HLA A2.1 transgenic mice with this peptide-based nanovaccine candidate induced peptide-specific IFNγ-producing CD8+ T cells and conferred significant protection against L. infantum infection. Concluding, our findings supported that encapsulation of more than one chimeric multi-epitope peptides from different immunogenic L. infantum proteins in a proper biocompatible delivery system with the right adjuvant is considered as an improved promising approach for the development of a vaccine against VL.
Foreign direct investment and international stock market integration

This paper examines whether foreign direct investment between countries fosters stock market integration. Empirical tests demonstrate that both the flow and the level of bilateral foreign direct investment between countries explain country-pair stock market integration. More specifically, higher bilateral foreign direct investment levels and flows increase Australia’s stock market integration with its major trade partners.
Growth performance, nutrients digestibility, and blood metabolites of lambs fed diets supplemented with probiotics during pre- and post-weaning period

Objective Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects on growth performance, digestibility, and blood metabolites of lambs during pre- and post-weaning period of inclusion of a commercial probiotic (PRO) containing a mixture of two strains of Pediococcus, Pediococcus acidilactici (1×106 colony-forming unit [cfu]/g) and Pediococcus pentosaceus (1.3×106 cfu/g), with dextrose as the carrier compound compared to a diet based on concentrate mixture and wheat straw. Methods In exp. 1, 24 male lambs of about 15±2.6 d age and initial body weight (BW) of 5.52±0.6 kg were randomly allocated into three groups. One group received control diet without additives, and remainders received control diet supplemented with 0.5 or 1 g PRO/lamb/d. Daily feed intake and biweekly BW were recorded. In exp. 2, five lambs, (initial BW = 29.72±1.15 kg, age = 6.54±0.32 mo) were used as experimental animals in a digestion trial. They were fed the same diets as in Exp. 1. Results The supplementation of PRO did not result in any significant differences in milk intake, average daily gain (ADG), or total gain between treatments during the pre-weaning period. Total dry matter intake tended to be greater (p = 0.07) with addition of PRO in the post-weaning diets. During post-weaning phase, the final BW, ADG, total gain, and feed conversion ratio of the lambs receiving PRO treatments tended to be greater (p≤0.10) than the control group. Addition of PRO in post-weaning diet decreased (p≤0.01) blood urea and cholesterol concentrations. With the exception of ether extract digestibility, all nutrients digestibility were improved with inclusion PRO in the post-weaning diets. Conclusion Lambs that received PRO in post-weaning diet appeared to show a better performance than lambs in pre-weaning period. Addition of the probiotic in the post-weaning diet trended towards improved dry matter intake, growth performance, feed conversion ratio, and nutrients digestibility.
Treating Osteoarthritis With Cyclooxygenase-2–Specific Inhibitors: What Are the Benefits of Avoiding Blood Pressure Destabilization?

Osteoarthritis and hypertension are highly prevalent among older Americans. Anti-inflammatory medications can destabilize blood pressure control. We estimated the decreased cardiovascular risk, premature mortality, and direct health care costs that could be avoided if blood pressure control is not destabilized among hypertensive Americans taking cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)–specific inhibitors for osteoarthritis. Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) provided the distribution of cardiovascular risk factors among American adults with osteoarthritis and hypertension. The Cardiovascular Disease Life Expectancy Model was used to estimate the impact of a 2.26% increase in systolic blood pressure on the basis of results of a randomized trial comparing COX-2–specific inhibitors. A similar analysis was completed for American adults with osteoarthritis and untreated hypertension (≥140/90 mm Hg). Among 7.3 million Americans with treated hypertension, maintaining blood pressure control would avoid >30 000 stroke deaths and 25 000 coronary deaths resulting in >449 000 person years of life saved and $1.4 billion in direct health care cost savings. When an additional 3.8 million Americans with untreated hypertension are considered, maintaining blood pressure control could prevent >47 000 stroke deaths, 39 000 coronary deaths, and result in 668 000 person years of life saved and >$2.4 billion in direct health care cost savings. We conclude that even a small increase in systolic blood pressure among hypertensive Americans with osteoarthritis may substantially increase the clinical and economic burden of cardiovascular disease. Maintaining blood pressure control may be associated with substantial benefits.
Polyomavirus enhancer activator 3 protein promotes breast cancer metastatic progression through Snail‐induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition

Polyomavirus enhancer activator 3 protein (Pea3), also known as ETV4, is a member of the Ets‐transcription factor family, which promotes metastatic progression in various types of solid cancer. Pea3‐driven epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been described in lung and ovarian cancers. The mechanisms of Pea3‐induced EMT, however, are largely unknown. Here we show that Pea3 overexpression promotes EMT in human breast epithelial cells through transactivation of Snail (SNAI1), an activator of EMT. Pea3 binds to the human Snail promoter through the two proximal Pea3 binding sites and enhances Snail expression. In addition, knockdown of Pea3 in invasive breast cancer cells results in down‐regulation of Snail, partial reversal of EMT, and reduced invasiveness in vitro. Moreover, knockdown of Snail partially rescues the phenotype induced by Pea3 overexpression, suggesting that Snail is one of the mediators bridging Pea3 and EMT, and thereby metastatic progression of the cancer cells. In four breast cancer patient cohorts whose microarray and survival data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, Pea3 and Snail expression are significantly correlated with each other and with overall survival of breast cancer patients. We further demonstrate that nuclear localization of Pea3 is associated with Snail expression in breast cancer cell lines and is an independent predictor of overall survival in a Chinese breast cancer patient cohort. In conclusion, our results suggest that Pea3 may be an important prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for metastatic progression of human breast cancer. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Effect of Workplace Education on Earnings, Turnover, and Job Performance

This article examines the impact of a workplace education program at two companies (one in the manufacturing sector, the other in the service sector). We examine a broad range of outcome variables, including earnings, turnover, performance awards, job attendance, and subjective performance measures. We estimate a small, positive impact of the program on earnings at the manufacturing company but an insignificant impact at the service company. Trainees were equally likely to exit the company as nontrainees. We also find that the training had a positive association with the incidence of job bids, upgrades, performance awards, and job attendance.