Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyzing the Main Changes in New Consumer Buying Behavior during Economic Crisis

The negative social effects caused by consumerism and especially hiperconsumerism leaded, in the recent years, to the emergence and rapid growth of economic importance of new types of consumer - the new consumer - whose attitudes, aspirations and purchasing patterns are different from those existing in the past. The paper outlines at first, a portrait of the new consumer, highlighting its main features, derived primarily from the need for authenticity, which distinguishes it from the so-called traditional consumer. Amid global economic crisis, which turned out to be not only a financial crisis, but also one of capitalism, the new consumer behavior has encountered a series of changes. The recession has led the consumers to look for new landmarks: they became more economical, more responsible and more demanding. Research conducted in different countries showed that the recession had a strong economic and social impact on consumers. The paper analyze the results of some research realized in different countries in the recession period in order to highlight the main changes occurred in the new consumer buying behavior and to draw a portrait of him after the economic crisis.
Children presenting to hospital with acute alcohol intoxication

Aims: To investigate the problem of children presenting to hospital with alcohol intoxication. Methods: An observational study was conducted over 18 months profiling children who presented to hospital with acute alcohol intoxication, proved by laboratory tests on blood alcohol levels (BALs). The study was part of a multicentre-funded injury prevention project based on the widely accepted Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Programme. Results: 62 children (31 boys), mean age 14.5 years, presented with alcohol intoxication proved by BALs. The mean BAL was 203 mg/dl (standard deviation (SD) 80.7). As a point of reference, 56 (90%) children had BAL above the UK legal driving limit of 80 mg/dl. The most common type of alcohol consumed was spirits, in the form of whisky, gin, vodka and tequila. No significant association was seen between age and BAL. Children with high alcohol levels were much more likely to have lower Glasgow Coma Scores (p<0.001), but in contrast with conventional teaching, there was no association between blood glucose levels and BALs. The median Glasgow Coma Score on admission to the emergency department was 12. 15 (24%) children had a score ⩽8/15. Injuries were present in 21 (34%) children, most of which were minor injuries. Minor head injury was most common, accounting for 42% of the injuries. The most common cause of injury was a fall. Discussion: The results of this study confirm the heavy use of alcohol by some young children. This highlights a definite problem, which needs to be dealt with by a variety of measures, giving particular consideration to the ease of access to alcohol by children.
Faculty Members Perceptions of their Academic Freedom and its Relationship with Research Output at the Jordanian Universities

The purpose of the study was to identify the perceptions of faculty members at the Jordanian universities of their academic freedom, and to investigate its relationship with research output. The study population consisted of all 4789 faculty members at the Jordanian universities, while the sample consisted of 510 faculty members. Data gathering were done by a questionnaire to identify perceptions held by faculty members regarding their academic freedom. The results revealed that faculty members perceptions for their academic freedom, and their research output were moderate. No significant correlation was found between academic freedom and research achievement for faculty members, whereas significant differences were found in faculty members perceptions towards research achievement among faculty members due to university, in favor of public universities, and due to type of faculty, in favor of humanistic faculties, while no significant differences were found due to academic rank and graduation university.
Who Do You Think Is in Control in Addiction? A Pilot Study on Drug-related Locus of Control Beliefs

Objectives:The drug-related locus of control scale (DR-LOC) is a new instrument for assessing a person’s belief of “being in control” in situations involving drug abuse. It consists of 16-item pairs presented in a forced-choice format, based on the conceptual model outlined by Rotter. The model characterizes the extent to which a person believes that the outcome of an event is under their personal control (internal locus of control) or the influence of external circumstances (external locus of control). Methods:A total of 592 volunteers completed the DR-LOC and the Rotter’s I-E scale. Approximately half of the respondents were enrolled in a drug treatment program for opiates, stimulants and/or alcohol dependence (n=282), and the remainder (n=310) had no history of drug dependence. Results:Factor analysis of DR-LOC items revealed 2 factors reflecting control beliefs regarding (i) the successful recovery from addiction, and (ii) decisions to use drugs. The extent to which a person attributes control in drug-related situations is significantly influenced by their personal or professional experiences with drug addiction. Drug-dependent individuals have a greater internal sense of control with regard to addiction recovery or drug-taking behaviors than health professionals and/or non-dependent control volunteers. Conclusions:The DR-LOC has shown to effectively translate generalized expectancies of control into a measure of control expectancies for drug-related situations, making it more sensitive for drug-dependent individuals than Rotter’s I-E scale. Further research is needed to demonstrate its performance at discriminating between heterogeneous clinical groups such as between treatment-seeking versus non–treatment-seeking drug users.
Foreign aid and ecological outcomes in poorer countries: an empirical analysis

This article examines the relationship between foreign aid and ecological harm in developing countries. The study covers three types of ecological injury: carbon dioxide damage, water pollution and net deforestation. Results based on an empirical model where aid and injury are jointly determined, suggest that aid flows affect ecological conditions in poorer countries as well as being the result of these conditions.
Higher Education and Economic Growth in Africa

Enrollment rates for higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa are by far the lowest in the world at 6%. Yet because of conventional beliefs that tertiary education is less important for poverty reduction, the international development community has encouraged African governments’ relative neglect of higher education. This article challenges beliefs that tertiary education has little role in promoting economic growth and alleviating poverty. First, we review recent evidence that higher education can produce significant public and private benefits. Next, we analyze the relationship between tertiary education and economic growth. We find evidence that tertiary education improves technological catch-up and, in doing so, may help to maximize Africa’s potential to achieve more rapid economic growth given current constraints. Investing in tertiary education in Africa may accelerate technological diffusion, which would in turn decrease knowledge gaps and help reduce poverty in the region. We also review new developments and trends in the higher education scene in Africa.
The impact of service innovation on firm-level financial performance

This article empirically investigates if firms focusing on service innovation perform better financially than firms not focusing on service innovation. Analysis of the financial performance of 3575 Norwegian firms in the manufacturing industries supports the proposition that firms focusing on service innovation have significantly higher growth of operating results than firms not focusing on service innovation. However, this proposition is not supported in a corresponding analysis of 1132 Norwegian firms in the service industries. We elaborate on these results by investigating a variety of performance measures and by comparing the effects of service innovation between manufacturing and service industries. The article contributes to the service innovation measurement literature and to a better general understanding of the determinants of service innovation performance effects.
The Effects of Pharmacological Inhibition of Histone Deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) in Huntington’s Disease Mice

An important epigenetic modification in Huntington’s disease (HD) research is histone acetylation, which is regulated by histone acetyltransferase and histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes. HDAC inhibitors have proven effective in HD model systems, and recent work is now focused on functional dissection of the individual HDAC enzymes in these effects. Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3), a member of the class I subfamily of HDACs, has previously been implicated in neuronal toxicity and huntingtin-induced cell death. Hence, we tested the effects of RGFP966 ((E)-N-(2-amino-4-fluorophenyl)-3-(1-cinnamyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)acrylamide), a benzamide-type HDAC inhibitor that selectively targets HDAC3, in the N171-82Q transgenic mouse model of HD. We found that RGFP966 at doses of 10 and 25 mg/kg improves motor deficits on rotarod and in open field exploration, accompanied by neuroprotective effects on striatal volume. In light of previous studies implicating HDAC3 in immune function, we measured gene expression changes for 84 immune-related genes elicited by RGFP966 using quantitative PCR arrays. RGFP966 treatment did not cause widespread changes in cytokine/chemokine gene expression patterns, but did significantly alter the striatal expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (Mif), a hormone immune modulator associated with glial cell activation, in N171-82Q transgenic mice, but not WT mice. Accordingly, RGFP966-treated mice showed decreased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity, a marker of astrocyte activation, in the striatum of N171-82Q transgenic mice compared to vehicle-treated mice. These findings suggest that the beneficial actions of HDAC3 inhibition could be related, in part, with lowered Mif levels and its associated downstream effects.
Activity of Ertapenem (MK-0826) versusEnterobacteriaceae with Potent β-Lactamases

ABSTRACT Ertapenem (MK-0826; L-749,345), a new carbapenem with a long serum half-life, was tested, in vitro, against β-lactamase-producing bacteria. The new compound had a MIC at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited of 0.06 μg/ml for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing klebsiellas, compared with 0.5 μg/ml for imipenem, 16 μg/ml for cefepime, and >128 μg/ml for ceftazidime and piperacillin-tazobactam. MICs of ertapenem for AmpC-derepressed mutantEnterobacteriaceae were 0.015 to 0.5 μg/ml, whereas imipenem MICs were 0.25 to 1 μg/ml and those of cefepime were 0.5 to 4 μg/ml, and resistance to ceftazidime and piperacillin-tazobactam was generalized. Despite this good activity, the MICs of ertapenem for ESBL-positive klebsiellas mostly were two- to fourfold above those for ESBL-negative strains, and the MICs for AmpC-hyperproducingEnterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii mutants exceeded those for the corresponding AmpC-basal mutants. These differentials did not increase when the inoculum was raised from 104 to 106CFU/spot, contraindicating significant lability. Carbapenemase producers were also tested. The IMP-1 metallo-β-lactamase conferred substantial ertapenem resistance (MIC, 128 μg/ml) in a porin-deficient Klebsiella pneumoniaestrain, whereas a MIC of 6 μg/ml was recorded for its porin-expressing revertant. SME-1 carbapenemase was associated with an ertapenem MIC of 2 μg/ml for Serratia marcescens S6, compared with <0.03 μg/ml for Serratia strains lacking this enzyme. In summary, ertapenem had good activity against strains with potent β-lactamases, except for those with known carbapenemases.
The Growth of Labour Hire Employment in Australia

This Productivity Commission Staff Working Paper ‘The Growth of Labour Hire Employment in Australia’ was released in February 2005. This paper is part of an ongoing labour market research program at the Productivity Commission to examine developments in employment relationships and the implications of these developments for the labour force and the Australian economy. The series seeks to produce analysis to inform the policy debate by characterising how different forms of employment contribute to the Australian economy. This paper examines how the rapid growth of labour hire employment can be attributed to how firms manage their workforce, rather than to changes in the economy’s structure. For example changes in operating environments contributed to firms’ altering of their employment strategy in favour of labour hire workers through the changing industrial relations context and rising competitive pressures. The views expressed in this paper are those of the staff involved and do not necessarily reflect the those of the Productivity Commission. Authors: Laplagne, P., Glover, M. and Fry, T.
Associations of self-reports versus spouse ratings of negative affectivity, dominance, and affiliation with coronary artery disease: where should we look and who should we ask when studying personality and health?

OBJECTIVE Aspects of negative affect and social behavior studied as risk factors for coronary heart disease are usually examined separately and through self-reports. Using structural models of these personality domains, we tested associations of self-reports and spouse ratings of anxiety, depressive symptoms, anger, affiliation and dominance with coronary artery disease (CAD). DESIGN In 154 healthy older couples, the authors tested cross-sectional associations with CAD of three facets of negative affectivity and two dimensions of the Interpersonal Circumplex, (IPC) using scales derived from the NEO-PI-R. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES CAD was quantified as Agatston scores from CT scans of coronary artery calcification (CAC). RESULTS Self-reports were generally unrelated to CAC, whereas spouse ratings were consistently associated, largely independent of potential confounds. When considered simultaneously, anxiety and anger were related to CAC but depression was not. When considered together, both dominance and (low) affiliation were related to CAC. CONCLUSIONS Structural models of negative affectivity and social behavior can facilitate integrative study of psychosocial risk factors. Further, self-report measures of these traits might under-estimate related CHD risk.
Urban Regeneration in Gdańsk, Poland: Local Regimes and Tensions Between Top-Down Strategies and Endogenous Renewal

Based on case studies of the Polish city of Gdańsk, the authors identified problems of post-socialist urban governance that hinder both the development of strategic, long-term approaches to regeneration as well as a reflection of “locale” in urban-regeneration strategies. The paper begins with a description of the demographic, economic and political processes negatively affecting the inner city and that have given rise to response strategies. Three revitalization case studies will be discussed in detail as examples of decidedly top-down approaches. At the same time, the authors also draw attention to more spontaneous processes of regeneration in the form of in-migration of middle-income households to pre-war tenement houses as well as attempts to involve local residents in “community-building” projects. More progressive urban policies that improve key local services, such as the quality of schools, might support endogenous social-regeneration processes even with relatively limited financial resources. Our findings suggest that the regeneration (not only) of post-socialist cities requires flexible policies and comprehensive approaches that make use of synergies emanating from “spontaneous” processes of revitalization. This, however, is contingent upon a gradual change in the “strategic mindsets” of key players.
The impact of macroeconomic announcements on implied volatility

While many studies analyse the impact of scheduled macroeconomic announcements on equity market volatility, few focus on the impact on option implied volatilities. In this study, we examine the link between German and US macroeconomic events and the implied volatility indices DAX Volatility Index (VDAX) and Chicago Board Options Exchange, CBOE Volatility Index (VIX). We find that both indices fall on announcement days, with the strongest reactions occurring during the financial crisis from 2008 to 2009. Further, we identify a volatility spillover effect and significant covariance clustering between VDAX and VIX.
Challenging established narratives on soil erosion and shifting cultivation in Laos

The official environmental discourse in Laos describes a “chain of degradation” stretching from upland shifting cultivation, increased runoff and soil erosion to the siltation of wetlands and reservoirs. This perspective has had wide‐ranging impacts on rural development policy which, in the uplands, has long favoured forest conservation over agriculture. Integrating soil erosion and water sediment data with local perceptions of land degradation in an upland village of northern Laos, this study tests the validity of the official environmental discourse. Biophysical measurements made in a small agricultural catchment indicate a significant correlation between the spatial extent of cultivation and soil erosion rates. However, sediment yields recorded at the outlet of the catchment highlight relatively low levels of off‐site sediment exportation. Furthermore, farmers' perceptions suggest that local land degradation issues and crop yield declines could be less related to soil erosion than to agricultural land shortage, increased weed competition, and fertility losses resulting from the intensification of shifting cultivation. The study concludes that a better understanding and management of land degradation issues can be achieved by developing more inclusive and scientifically‐informed approaches to environmental perceptions and narratives.
Time series analysis of monthly beef cattle prices with nonlinear autoregressive models

This paper analyses the dynamics underlying a time series of the monthly average beef cattle price received by producers in the State of São Paulo (Brazil). The time series under study records monthly prices since 1954. An exploratory analysis suggested that after a period of intense government intervention in the cattle and beef markets, the underlying dynamics seem to be settling to a pattern similar to the one observed prior to that period. In order to try to verify if the underlying dynamics after the interventionist phase are similar to those in former times, a forecasting procedure has been used based on nonlinear autoregressive models. This tye of models were used after the BDS test showed significant results which can be interpreted as nonlinearities in the data. The results discussed in the paper seem to suggest that after a period of intense interventions that lasted over two decades, the current underlying dynamics are close (from a forecasting point of view) to those observed more than thirty years ago.
Determinants of Customer Loyalty and Financial Performance

Recent research in accounting advocates nonfinancial measures of company performance, such as customer satisfaction and loyalty, as useful indicators of aspects of firm performance. But what are the drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty? We provide an integrated causal model of company performance in the personal computer (PC) industry that simultaneously tests links between product value attributes resulting from business process performance, customer loyalty, and financial outcomes. Our results extend prior accounting research (e.g., Banker et al. 2000; Ittner and Larcker 1998) in two directions: (1) by explaining the determinants of customer loyalty, and (2) by clarifying the relation between customer loyalty and measures of financial performance. We report that product value attributes directly and differentially impact levels of customer loyalty as well as prevailing average selling prices. Furthermore, measures of customer loyalty explain levels of relative revenue growth and profitability, a.
Insights from genomes of representatives of the human gut commensal Bifidobacterium bifidum.

Bifidobacteria are bacterial gut commensals of mammals, birds and social insects that are perceived to influence the metabolism/physiology of their host. In this context, members of the Bifidobacterium bifidum species are believed to significantly contribute to the overall microbiota of the human gut at infant stage. However, the molecular reasons for their adaptation to this environment are poorly understood. In this study, we analysed the pan-genome of B. bifidum species by decoding genomes of 15 B. bifidum strains, which highlighted the existence of a conserved gene uniquely present in this bifidobacterial taxon, underscoring a nutrient acquisition strategy that targets host-derived glycans, such as those present in mucin. Growth experiments and corresponding transcriptomic analyses confirmed the in silico data and supported these intriguing and unique host glycan-specific saccharolytic features. The ubiquity of the genetic features of B. bifidum for the breakdown of host glycans was confirmed by interrogating metagenomic datasets, thereby supporting the notion that metabolic access to host-derived glycans is a potent evolutionary force that has shaped B. bifidum genomes and consequently the ecology of the infant intestinal microbiota.
HER-2/neu gene amplification characterized by fluorescence in situ hybridization: poor prognosis in node-negative breast carcinomas.

PURPOSE The HER-2/neu gene codes for a membrane receptor protein that is homologous, but distinct from the epidermal growth factor receptor. This investigation was performed to validate fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) as a sensitive and specific method for assessing HER-2/neu gene amplification in archival tissue and to test whether this alteration is associated with poor prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS HER-2/neu gene amplification was determined by FISH in 140 archival breast cancers, previously characterized for gene amplification by Southern hybridization or dot-blot hybridization, and for gene expression by Northern hybridization, Western immunoblot, or immunohistochemistry. A separate cohort of 324 node-negative breast cancers was assessed for amplification by FISH to determine the utility of HER-2/neu gene amplification. RESULTS Relative to solid-matrix blotting procedures, FISH analysis of HER-2/neu gene amplification showed a sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 100% in 140 breast cancers. Among patients treated by surgery only, the relative risks (relative hazard) of early recurrence (recurrent disease within 24 months of diagnosis), recurrent disease (at any time), and disease-related death were statistically significantly associated with amplification. The prognostic information contributed by HER-2/neu amplification was independent of the other markers studied. CONCLUSION FISH was an alternative technique for determining gene amplification and had some distinct advantages over Southern hybridization. Our results demonstrate that HER-2/neu gene amplification in the absence of adjuvant therapy is an independent predictor of poor clinical outcome and is a stronger discriminant than tumor size. Women with small tumors that had gene amplification were at increased risk of recurrence and disease-related death.