Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Generics and New Goods in Pharmaceutical Price Indexes

We examine the issue of new goods and price indexes for the important and tractable case of generic and branded drugs. By treating generics as entirely distinct goods and "linking them in" to indexes with fixed weights, the standard price indexes fail to reflect the substantial welfare gains to those consumers who, like the FDA, regard generic and branded versions of a drug as being perfect substitutes. We discuss the treatment of heterogenous consumers in constructing aggregate price indexes, and then, using detailed data on wholesale prices of two anti-infective drugs, present calculations of various alternatives to the official indexes. These reflect both heterogeneity of tastes for brandedness, and also the empirically important phenomenon of diffusion of generic drugs into the market following patent expiration. We find very significant differences: for one of the drugs studied, the standard price index rose by 14% over the sample period, while our preferred alternative index fell by 48%.
The Effect of Legislation on Corporate Disclosure Practices

This article investigates the effect of the Financial Reporting Act of 1993 (FRA) on mandatory disclosure practices of companies listed on the New Zealand Exchange Limited. The FRA gave statutory backing to financial reporting standards in New Zealand and made non-compliance illegal. Using both univariate and multivariate analyses, we examine the association between (a) the levels of compliance with mandatory disclosure by the companies in our sample, and (b) disclosure regulatory regimes that prevailed in New Zealand before and after the implementation of the FRA. We find that mean corporate disclosure compliance levels in the periods after the enactment of the FRA are significantly higher than those in the periods before the enactment of the legislation. After controlling for the effects of other mandatory disclosure-related variables documented in prior studies, we also find that the improvement in corporate disclosure compliance behaviour is the result of the implementation of the FRA. Alternative specifications of the primary regression model indicate that those findings are robust.
Determinants of the Issuance of Put/Call Convertibles in the Non-Financial Sector of the US Market

Abstract The aim of this article is to characterize and show the differences between issuers of ordinary convertibles and convertibles with attached put/call provisions (put/call convertibles). The research was carried out on a sample of 379 firms in the US market, outside the financial sector, between 2002 and 2011. It turns out that the issuers of put/call convertibles are the companies with a higher risk exposure, associated with, inter alia, a higher level of indebtedness and worse ratio between the issue value to the fixed assets value. Adding the put/call provisions is aimed at decreasing issuers’ risk exposure, which may increase the market demand for this type of convertible securities Streszczenie Celem artykułu jest scharakteryzowanie i wykazanie różnic między emitentami zwykłych obligacji zamiennych i obligacji zamiennych z dołączoną opcją put/call. Badanie zostało przeprowadzone na podstawie 379 emitentów tych instrumentów na rynku amerykańskim w latach 2002-2011 spoza sektora finansowego. Okazuje się, że decyzje o emisji put/call convertibles podejmują spółki obarczone wyższym ryzykiem inwestycyjnym, o czym świadczy m.in. wyższy poziom zadłużenia czy gorsza relacja wartości emisji to wartości aktywów trwałych. Dołączenie opcji call/put do zwykłych obligacji zamiennych ma na celu obniżenie ryzyka inwestycyjnego emitenta, co może spowodować zwiększenie popytu na ten rodzaj papierów wartościowych ze strony inwestorów.
The Diagnostic Accuracy of Colposcopy in Previously Treated Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Objective. To determine whether colposcopy is reliable in diagnosing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in women who have undergone a previous cervical excision biopsy. Materials and Methods. A prospective study of women attending the colposcopy clinic at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire was performed between January 1998 and December 1999. Results. A clear histological diagnosis of the grade of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia was available for 469 in the treatment-naive group and 58 in the treatment group. &kgr; coefficients comparing the colposcopic impression (negative, low-grade, high-grade, or invasion) with histological diagnosis showed that there was no difference between the treatment-naive group, weighted &kgr; = 0.46, and the previous treatment group, weighted &kgr; = 0.47. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of colposcopy for any cervical diseasein the treatment-naive women were 93.9%, 51.9%, 96.7%, and 34.1%, respectively, compared with 77.6%, 66.7%, 86.4%, and 35.3% in previously treated women. The sensitivity of colposcopy fell when it was used to differentiate normal and low-grade disease from high-grade disease and invasion: 82.4%, 55.9%, 82.6%, and 49.6% for treatment-naive women, compared with 61.5%, 84.2%, 60.0% and 51.6%, respectively, for the previous treatment group. Conclusions. Previous treatment to the cervix does not seem to impair the ability of colposcopy to differentiate normal cervix from all grades of cervical abnormality in women where the squamocolumnar junction is visible. However, there is a suggestion that the sensitivity of colposcopy to differentiate negative/low-grade disease from high-grade disease/invasion is lower in previously treated women.
Co‐integration constraint and forecasting: An empirical examination

Does co-integration help long-term forecasts? In this paper, we use simulation, real data sets, and multi-step-ahead post-sample forecasts to study this question. Based on the square root of the trace of forecasting error-covariance matrix, we found that for simulated data imposing the 'correct' unit-root constraints implied by co-integration does improve the accuracy of forecasts. For real data sets, the answer is mixed. Imposing unit-root constraints suggested by co-integration tests produces better forecasts for some cases, but fares poorly for others. We give some explanations for the poor performance of co-integration in long-term forecasting and discuss the practical implications of the study. Finally, an adaptive forecasting procedure is found to perform well in one- to ten-step-ahead forecasts. Copyright 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Response to Dr. Ari Brown and the Immunization Action Coalition

Thoughtful House Center for Children 3001 Bee Cave Rd. Austin, TX 78746 Phone: +1 512 732 8400 A.W. –Director, M.B. –Advisory Board, A.R. –Dir. of Operations, D.H. –Dir. of Technology, J.J.–Executive Board Member, C.S. –Cantab Corresponding Author, Email: drcarolstott@impexus.co.uk Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, University of Kentucky Executive Director, Defeat Autism Now! Chairman, Coalition for Safe Minds
Remission of histiocytic ulcerative colitis in Boxer dogs correlates with eradication of invasive intramucosal Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND Historically, histiocytic ulcerative (HUC) (or granulomatous) colitis of Boxer dogs was considered an idiopathic immune-mediated disease with a poor prognosis. Recent reports of dramatic responses to enrofloxacin and the discovery of invasive Escherichia coli within the colonic mucosa of affected Boxer dogs support an infectious etiology. HYPOTHESIS Invasive E. coli is associated with colonic inflammation in Boxer dogs with HUC, and eradication of intramucosal E. coli correlates with clinical and histologic remission. ANIMALS Seven Boxer dogs with HUC. METHODS Prospective case series. Colonic biopsies were obtained at initial evaluation in 7 dogs, and in 5 dogs after treatment with enrofloxacin. Biopsies were evaluated by standardized histopathology, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with probes to eubacteria and E. coli. RESULTS Intramucosal E. coli was present in colonic biopsies of 7/7 Boxers with HUC. Clinical response was noted in all dogs within 2 weeks of enrofloxacin (7 + or - 3.06 mg/kg q24 h, for 9.5 + or - 3.98 weeks) and was sustained in 6 dogs (median disease-free interval to date of 47 months, range 17-62). FISH was negative for E. coli in 4/5 dogs after enrofloxacin. E. coli resistant to enrofloxacin were present in the FISH-positive dog that relapsed. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The correlation between clinical remission and the eradication of mucosally invasive E. coli during treatment with enrofloxacin supports the causal involvement of E. coli in the development of HUC in susceptible Boxer dogs. A poor response to enrofloxacin treatment might be due to colonization with enrofloxacin-resistant E. coli.
Trends in Antimicrobial Susceptibilities among Enterobacteriaceae Isolated from Hospitalized Patients in the United States from 1998 to 2001

ABSTRACT Longitudinal surveillance of Enterobacteriaceae for antimicrobial susceptibility is important because species of this family are among the most significant and prevalent human pathogens. To estimate rates of in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility among hospitalized patients in the United States, data from The Surveillance Network were studied for 14 agents tested against 10 species of Enterobacteriaceae (n = 384,279) isolated from intensive-care-unit (ICU) patients and non-ICU inpatients from 1998 to 2001. Cumulative susceptibility (percent) data for all species of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from ICU patients and non-ICU inpatients, respectively, were ranked as follows: ampicillin-sulbactam (45.5 and 57.2) ≪ ticarcillin-clavulanate (74.8 and 83.5) < trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (87.0 and 84.5) ≅ cefotaxime (82.9 and 92.6) = ceftazidime (82.3 and 91.0) = ceftriaxone (86.5 and 93.9) = piperacillin-tazobactam (83.5 and 90.5) < levofloxacin (89.3 and 90.6) = ciprofloxacin (91.0 and 91.7) < gentamicin (91.8 and 94.3) < cefepime (95.0 and 97.9) < amikacin (98.5 and 99.2) < imipenem (100 and 100) = meropenem (100 and 100). Of those agents studied only susceptibilities to ciprofloxacin (94 to 89%) and levofloxacin (93 to 89%) decreased in a stepwise manner from 1998 to 2001. Decreased fluoroquinolone susceptibility was most pronounced for Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Enterobacter cloacae. For all species of Enterobacteriaceae, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance was more commonly observed in isolates with a single-drug resistance phenotype while gentamicin and fluoroquinolone resistances were more common in isolates resistant to at least one additional class of antimicrobial agent. Ongoing surveillance of Enterobacteriaceae will be particularly important to monitor changes in fluoroquinolone susceptibility, as well as changes in the prevalence of isolates resistant to multiple classes of antimicrobial agents.
The influence of a different accounting system on informative value of selected financial ratios

Abstract In recent global world the importance of financial markets is growing as well as the amount of capital distributed through these markets. To enable optimal efficiency of these markets the best investment opportunities has to be chosen. An alternative how to compare and select suitable companies to invest in is represented by a financial analysis of financial statements. The results of financial ratios are mainly influenced by the presumptions according to those the financial statements have been prepared. Therefore, in this article there is analysed if and eventually how significant the input data, influence the results of financial ratios. Firstly, the description of financial ratios that are used in following analysis is made. After that, there are analysed the requirements of Czech legislation and IAS/IFRS and their influence on financial statements. Then, the influence of five selected accounting transaction on balance sheets and income statements that are prepared once according to the Czech.
Arthroscopic Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Quadriceps Tendon Autograft

Background Various autografts or allografts have been used for posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction. Quadriceps tendon-patellar bone autograft is considered a good graft choice. Hypothesis Quadriceps tendon-patellar bone graft for PCL reconstruction can achieve a satisfactory clinical outcome after 3 years postoperatively. Study Design Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Methods From 1996, the graft has been used in 32 patients. Twenty-nine patients with a minimum of 3 years of follow-up were analyzed. Results Twenty-four (83%) patients achieved good or excellent results by Lysholm knee rating. Sixteen (55%) patients could return to moderate or strenuous activity. Twenty-five (86%) patients had ligament laxity of less than 5 mm. Twenty-four (83%) patients were rated as normal or nearly normal by International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) guidelines. Twenty-four (83%) and 26 (90%) patients could achieve recovery of extensor and flexor muscle strength to 80% or more of normal knee, respectively. A statistically significant difference exists in thigh girth difference, extensor strength, and flexor strength before and after reconstruction. Conclusion Our study revealed satisfactory clinical subjective and objective results at a minimum 3 years follow-up. Quadriceps tendon autograft has the advantage of being self-available, a relatively easier arthroscopic technique, and having a suitable size, making it an acceptable graft choice for PCL reconstruction.
CYP2A6 Genotype and Smoking Behavior in Current Smokers Screened for Lung Cancer

Functional CYP2A6 genetic variation partially determines nicotine metabolism. In 2005, we examined functional CYP2A6 variants associated with reduced metabolism (CYP2A6*2, CYP2A6*9, CYP2A6*4), smoking history, and change in smoking in 878 adult smokers undergoing lung cancer screening in an urban setting. At one year, 216 quit smoking for more than 30 days while 662 continued smoking. Compared to subjects who smoked 30 cigarettes per day at baseline, the odds of a reduced metabolism genotype was 52% higher in subjects smoking 20–29 cigarettes per day and 86% higher in subjects smoking less than 20 cigarettes per day (p-trend = 0.016). Reduced metabolism genotypes appeared unrelated to quitting. Though related to smoking dose, CYP2A6 may not influence cessation.
Does cross-cultural adjustment coincide with career capital growth? Evidence from Vienna, Austria

Using a sample of 154 employed expatriates, who have lived in Vienna, Austria, for up to 10 years, this paper explores if and to what extent career competency growth and cross-cultural adjustment coincide. Cognitive and affective aspects of cross-cultural adjustment to relationships, day-to-day interactions and general living conditions are analysed. The study uncovers details about the relationship between the cognitive and affective dimensions of cross-cultural adjustment and the development of knowing-how, knowing-whom and knowing-why. The most important result is that principally the affective dimension of cross-cultural adjustment relates to gains in career capital.
The Strength of Strong Ties: How Women Become Supporters of Australian Rules Football

Two glaring omissions in the research on sports fans are on women fans and on how people become fans. In this paper we begin to address both of these issues by examining how women become fans of Australian rules football (AFL). From data generated in single-person and focus group interviews with women AFL supporters conducted in Victoria and NSW, we use their accounts to map-out four ways in which they became fans. We show that at the heart of each of these paths to fandom are the close ties that the women formed in their social networks – either as children through their kin, or later in life through others that entered their networks. Women become fans, we argue, because of the strong social ties that they have with people who are existing fans.
Validating Restaurant Service Quality Dimensions

Abstract Service-based industries such as hotels and restaurants are spending a tremendous effort to measure and improve the service quality of their businesses. Service quality is one of the key factors in achieving competitive advantages in the restaurant industry since high service quality presumably results in increased customer satisfaction, and thus increased future patronage. The purpose of this study was to examine the two generic service-quality dimensions: physical quality and staff behavior/attitude in restaurants by employing the confirmatory factor analysis approach. The findings indicated that the two-factor model of restaurant service quality was successfully validated and also, the predictive accuracy of the model was established.
Targeting Sectors for Foreign Capital Inflow in a Small Developing Economy

We argue, in a model with trade and unemployment, that exogenous inflow of foreign capital may deliver the desired result when it flows to a protected intermediate-goods sector. Whether foreign investment should be directed towards an intermediate-goods sector or to a final-goods sector depends on the technological specifications of either type of goods as well as on the existing set of trade policies. Copyright 1997 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Explaining Activity and Exploring Experience-findings from a Survey of Union Learning Representatives

This article draws on data from one of the largest surveys to date of union learning representatives (ULRs) in order to build a unique picture of ULR experience and activity. It is found that ULRs made a contribution to increased diversity and represented an injection of ‘new blood’ within workplace union structures. Moreover, ULRs with no previous union involvement were just as likely to be active in promoting learning as their more experienced colleagues. At the same time, we found that a significant minority of trained ULRs were not active in union learning. While ULR activity was not confined within traditionally unionised settings, active and effective ULRs were most likely to be found in workplaces with substantive structures and institutions that underpinned union learning and reflected a clear commitment from the employer. ULR activity was more difficult to start and to sustain in workplaces in which this support was absent. The article concludes that in order for ULR activity to permeate such environments, some degree of additional statutory support may be necessary.
Brain Information Sharing During Visual Short-Term Memory Binding Yields a Memory Biomarker for Familial Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) as a disconnection syndrome which disrupts both brain information sharing and memory binding functions. The extent to which these two phenotypic expressions share pathophysiological mechanisms remains unknown. OBJECTIVE To unveil the electrophysiological correlates of integrative memory impairments in AD towards new memory biomarkers for its prodromal stages. METHODS Patients with 100% risk of familial AD (FAD) and healthy controls underwent assessment with the Visual Short-Term Memory binding test (VSTMBT) while we recorded their EEG. We applied a novel brain connectivity method (Weighted Symbolic Mutual Information) to EEG data. RESULTS Patients showed significant deficits during the VSTMBT. A reduction of brain connectivity was observed during resting as well as during correct VSTM binding, particularly over frontal and posterior regions. An increase of connectivity was found during VSTM binding performance over central regions. While decreased connectivity was found in cases in more advanced stages of FAD, increased brain connectivity appeared in cases in earlier stages. Such altered patterns of task-related connectivity were found in 89% of the assessed patients. CONCLUSIONS VSTM binding in the prodromal stages of FAD are associated to altered patterns of brain connectivity thus confirming the link between integrative memory deficits and impaired brain information sharing in prodromal FAD. While significant loss of brain connectivity seems to be a feature of the advanced stages of FAD increased brain connectivity characterizes its earlier stages. These findings are discussed in the light of recent proposals about the earliest pathophysiological mechanisms of AD and their clinical expression.
Structure-absorption relationships of a series of 6-fluoroquinolones

The physicochemical constants and some structural parameters (topological, steric, and electronic) of eight third-generation monofluorate quinolones (six uncommercialized and two used clinically [ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin]) were determined: pKa, intrinsic solubility (S0), chromatographic capacity factor, partition coefficient (P), valency molecular connectivity, molecular volume, molecular surface area, dipolar moment, and charges associated with each atom of the molecule. The apparent intestinal absorption rate constants (K(abs)) in rat (in vivo perfusion) and the MICs at which 90% of the isolates are inhibited (MIC90s) against 100 Escherichia coli strains were also determined. We sought to establish simple nonlinear and multiple linear correlations between K(abs), on the one hand, and lipophilic parameters and other physicochemical and structural parameters estimated. Of the nonlinear functions examined, the hyperbolic had the best correlation between K(abs) and P, which was in accordance with the Wagner-Sedman (J. G. Wagner and A. J. Sedman, J. Pharmacokinet. Biopharm. 1:23-50, 1973) equation, whereas, after application of the stepwise multiple linear regression method, a multiple linear correlation with some predictive value could be established only between K(abs) as a dependent variable and log P and log S0 as independent variables. In conclusion, the K(abs) and MIC90 of the quinolone CNV 8902 suggest that it is a sufficiently interesting compound to warrant the investigation of its potential therapeutic use orally.
An Equilibrium Model of Search Unemployment

This paper develops a simple general equilibrium model with sequential search in which a nondegenerate wage offer distribution is endogenously determined. We use this model to analyze the comparative statics effects of increases in unemployment compensation on the unemployment rate and aggregate welfare taking into account the induced change in the wage offer distribution. Our results differ significantly from the predictions of the standard "partial-partial" model. For example, one can expect a selective increase in unemployment compensation, made available to those who impute a relatively low value to leisure, to decrease the equilibrium rate of unemployment.
[Working memory and executive functions in hyperthyroid patients with Graves' disease].

AIM The aim of the study was to assess working memory and executive dysfunctions, as well as the intensity of depressive symptoms in hyperthyroid patients with Graves' disease compared to healthy persons. METHOD Thirty (30) patients with Graves' disease (20 female, 10 male), aged 18-55, participated in the study. The control group consisted of 31 healthy persons matched by age, gender and educational level with the examined group. The assessment of working memory and executive functions was estimated by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the N-back test. The intensity of depressive symptoms was assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS In comparison to healthy subjects, significant disturbances of working memory and executive functions were noted in hyperthyroid patients with Graves' disease. Longer disease duration was associated with worse results in neuropsychological tests, while higher educational level of the patient resulted in better test outcomes. In the group of patients with Graves' disease, 1/3rd of them presented with a significant intensity of depression symptoms; additionally, the intensity of depression symptoms correlated with cognitive function impairments in the whole group of the patients studied.