Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Continuous effect of pit and fissure sealing on S. mutans presence in situ.

PURPOSE The effect of sealants on S. mutans presence in situ was investigated. METHODS Four intact, fully erupted first permanent molars in each of 74 children, aged 6-8 years were required for inclusion in the study. Baseline examination included deft and plaque index. S. mutans presence on occlusal surfaces of the molars was evaluated, using a microbial replica method. Immediately after sealing the first permanent molars on one side, S. mutans presence in situ was re-evaluated, as well as three and six months thereafter. Three months after the initiation of the study, S. mutans presence was evaluated on the molars of the unsealed side, which were consequently sealed and re-evaluated immediately, and three months later. RESULTS Positive correlation was found between deft scores, plaque indices and microbial replica values, at baseline. Sealing caused a significant reduction in S. mutans levels on the treated occlusal surfaces, in vivo (P < 0.001), which lasted, in most cases, up to six months. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that sealants enable a prolonged reduction of S. mutans presence in situ, indicating an additional prevention effect, by reducing one source of dissemination.
High-Performance Metal–Insulator–Metal Capacitors With $\hbox{HfTiO}/\hbox{Y}_{2}\hbox{O}_{3}$ Stacked Dielectric

The HfTiO/Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> stacked dielectric is proposed as the dielectric of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor. Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> is more thermodynamically stable than HfTiO as contacting with TaN electrode. Interfacial layer thickness and leakage current density can be reduced by inserting a thin Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> layer between HfTiO and TaN. The negative quadruple voltage coefficient of capacitance (VCC-α) of Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> cancels out the positive VCC-α of HfTiO to achieve low VCC-α. The MIM capacitor structure with HfTiO/Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> dielectric shows a capacitance density that is higher than 11 fF/μm<sup>2</sup> and VCC-α that is lower than 1222 ppm/V<sup>2</sup>. The leakage currents at -1 and -2 V are 6.4 and 14 nA/cm<sup>2</sup>, respectively. These results suggest that the HfTiO/Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> stacked dielectric is a promising candidate for MIM capacitors.
The Effects of Private Equity Investors on the Governance of Companies

An increasingly important external control mechanism affecting the governance of young and fast growing companies worldwide is the emergence of institutional and private equity investors, as equity owners. Institutional investors have the potential to influence management’s activities directly through their ownership, and indirectly by trading their shares (Gillan and Starks, 2003). As a result, companies backed by private equity investors represent a fruitful environment to investigate the use and efficiency of a multitude of control mechanisms. However the surge over the last 30 years in investment activity by private equity investors at large, has given rise to an increased specialization that nowadays profoundly distinguishes business angels from venture capitalists and buyout specialists. While these investors share common traits such as a value maximization approach, risk-return informed decisions, and a finite investment horizon, the monitoring and control mechanisms associated with their stage focus and consequent risk-return profile are substantially different. In this paper we aim at presenting an up-to-date review of the main theoretical contributions and empirical results in this active and growing field of research.
Supply Chain Operations in the Philippines: A Survey

This study was conducted to determine the extent of adoption of supply chain operations by selected Philippine manufacturing and service organizations, particularly in the areas of demand and supply management. It looked into the motivations of organizations for adopting them. This paper also identified areas where companies can establish links with two important stakeholders in the value chain-the suppliers and the customers. Seventy-nine companies-representing the food processing, pharmaceutical, garments, publishing, semiconductor/electronics, food service, and other industries- participated in the study. Descriptive analyses and regression analyses were conducted to test the study's hypotheses. Results show that supply chain operations, particularly demand management and supply management, are still conducted in the traditional and conventional way. Very few industries also reported adopting supply chain operations that use information technology (IT). Philippine companies have yet to fully adopt and fully explore a lot of supply chain operations based on supply chain management (SCM) principles. The Philippine manufacturing and service industries still need to be exposed to the strategic value of these SCM-based supply chain operations.
Forecast of non‐alcoholic beverage sales in Taiwan using the Grey theory

This study applied the GM(1,1) model of Grey theory to forecast sales of eight sub‐category non‐alcoholic beverages in Taiwan between 2001 and 2003. According to our measured results, the accuracy of the new forecasting model exceeds 95 per cent. The validity of predictions using the new model is clearly high. The model estimates that the total beverages market will grow, but growth rates will vary for individual sub‐categories. In relation to current growth, from 2001 to 2003, tea drinks, carbonated drinks, functional drinks and sports drinks will experience decreased market growth, while bottled water and fruit and vegetable juices will be a high growth market and coffee drinks and other drinks will enjoy improved sales. These results provide a valuable reference for the Taiwanese beverage industry developing marketing plans.
The incidence of delirium in patients pretreated with statins who remain in an intensive care unit after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE To determine the association between the preoperative administration of statins and postoperative delirium in a prospective cohort of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS All adult patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit following cardiac surgery between January and June 2011 were included. Delirium was screened during the postoperative period using the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) and Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC). RESULTS A total of 169 patients underwent elective cardiac surgery, and 40.2% of the patients were treated preoperatively with statins. Delirium was identified using the CAM-ICU in 14.9% of patients not taking preoperative statins in comparison with 11.8% of the patients taking statins (p = 0.817). Using the ICDSC, delirium was identified in 18.8% of patients not taking statins in comparison with 10.3% of the patients taking statins (p = 0.191). CONCLUSION The use of preoperative statins is not correlated with postoperative delirium in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
The Animosity Model of Foreign Product Purchase: An Empirical Test in the People's Republic of China

The authors provide an initial test of the animosity model of foreign product purchase in the People's Republic of China. In contrast to Shimp and Sharma's (1987) CETSCALE, the model predicts that animosity toward a foreign nation will affect negatively the purchase of products produced by that country independently of judgments of product quality. The model was tested using mainland Chinese consumers’ attitudes toward Japan and Japanese products. Structural equation modeling supports the model and shows that animosity has a significant impact on buying decisions above and beyond the effect of consumer ethnocentrism. Furthermore, these results were not cohort-specific. The measurement of cross-national hostility enables managers to understand better the purchase behavior of consumers in the international marketplace.
Effects of selenium compounds on induction of DNA damage by broadband ultraviolet radiation in human keratinocytes

Summary Background Ultraviolet radiation (UVR), a ubiquitous environmental genotoxin for the skin, produces DNA damage. The trace element selenium induces synthesis of the glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase enzyme families. These selenoenzymes detoxify a range of toxic compounds generated by free radicals.
Central Bank preferences and monetary rules under the inflation targeting regime in Brasil

The estimated interest rate rules are reduced form equations and for that reason they do not directly reveal anything about the structural parameters of monetary policy. In this paper, we seek to further elucidate the Brazilian monetary policy under the inflation targeting regime by calibrating Central Bank preferences. More specifically, we calibrate the policymaker’s loss function by choosing the preference parameter values which minimize the deviation between the optimal and actual paths of the basic interest rate (Selic). Our results indicate that the Central Bank has adopted a flexible inflation target regime and placed some greater weight upon inflation stabilization. We also find out that the monetary authority’s concern with interest rate smoothing has been far deeper than with output stabilization.
The Effect of Interaction Quality on Trust, Loyalty and Cross-Selling

The benefits accruing from service excellence are well-documented in the literature but controversy exists as to the exact relationship between the quality of interaction, trust and loyalty. With the hair care industry as the empirical base, 150 questionnaires were administered. The paper discusses the strategic importance and role of interaction quality, as it is found to significantly influence trust and behavioral loyalty and to have a stronger effect on these than perceived service outcome. The results also reveal gender differences and suggest that trust plays both a direct and a mediating role, and enhances cross-selling opportunities of tangible products sold at hair salons.
A Review of Economic Factors Influencing Voluntary Carbon Disclosure in the Property Sector of Developing Economies

Global warming has consequences on the environment and economy; this led to the establishment of United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol. These two agreements were to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions which are responsible for climate change and global warming. Developing countries under the protocol are not obligated to reduce or disclosure GHG emission, so their participation in the protocol is on voluntary mitigation bases. This study intends to examine economic factors that influence voluntary carbon disclosure in the property sub-sector of developing countries based on annual report of listed property companies in Malaysia. Signaling theory addresses the problem of information asymmetry in the society. Disclosure is an effective tool to overcome information imbalance among different market participants. The study hypothesizes that the economic factors that influence voluntary carbon information disclosure in developing countries are: [1] the company's size; this is because a large-sized company have more resources to cover the cost of reducing pollution. [2] The company's gearing status; where there is no sufficient information disclosure in a highly geared company will result to an increased agency cost. [3] Profitability; profits grants companies a pool of resources for mitigation activities and environmental reporting. Also, carbon disclosure acts as a means for achieving public confidence and legitimacy. [4] Liquidity: Companies that are highly liquid will disclosure more information to distinguish themselves from other companies that are less liquidity. This is correlated to environmental disclosure. [5] Financial slack affects companies’ ability to participate in green technology projects that enable a reduction in emission.
Farmers\' Perceived Agricultural Input Factors Influencing Adoption And Production Of Food Crops In Akure Area Of Ondo State, Nigeria

The study investigated agricultural input factors influencing adoption and production of food crops in Ondo State, Nigeria. Data from 120 randomly selected farmers were used for the study. Findings show that the major inputs used by the respondents are improved seeds (89.2%), fertilizer (66.7%) and agrochemicals (59.1%) with private agencies as the major source (55.0%). Use of improved varieties influenced food crops production while tractor, fungicides and herbicides had low influence on food crops production. Major input factors responsible for non-utilization of food crop technologies are unavailability, inaccessibility, high cost and knowledge of the inputs. Adoption was significantly correlated with cost and unavailability of inputs in all the crops, knowledge of input in cowpea (r = 0.3165) and with labour in root crops (r = 0.3346). There is a need for government to reorganize input distribution system, review policy on fertilizer subsidy and use of cooperative societies by farmers should be encouraged. Keywords : Farmers, Agricultural Input Factors, Adoption, Food Crops Production Global Approaches to Extension Practice Vol. 2 (1) 2006: pp. 1-8
The Marketing Communications Revolution – A Leviathan Unveiled?

Identifies and analyses various mechanisms designed to inform, persuade, remind, and influence consumers in relation to their attitudinal and consumption needs. Technological developments, media and message proliferation and clutter, and increasingly accessible media vehicles on the one hand, coupled with market saturation, shortening product life‐cycles, and marketing warfare on the other, are creating a new and complex situation. Traditional forms of marketing communication are giving way to continuous, multi‐media techniques – possibly a form of modern leviathan. Despite consumers taking avoidance measures, they are inevitably exposed to a high level of promotional communication which can be potentially conceptualized as a form of pollution. This may be highly damaging, contributing to increased social dissatisfaction and a reduction in the quality of consumer decision making.
Genotypic distribution of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in northern Thailand

Background Multidrug/extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR-TB) is a major public health problem, and early detection is important for preventing its spread. This study aimed to demonstrate the distribution of genetic site mutation associated with drug resistance in M/XDR-TB in the northern Thai population. Methods Thirty-four clinical MTB isolates from M/XDR-TB patients in the upper northern region of Thailand, who had been identified for drug susceptibility using the indirect agar proportion method from 2005 to 2012, were examined for genetic site mutations of katG, inhA, and ahpC for isoniazid (INH) drug resistance and rpoB for rifampicin (RIF) drug resistance. The variables included the baseline characteristics of the resistant gene, genetic site mutations, and drug susceptibility test results. Results All 34 isolates resisted both INH and RIF. Thirty-two isolates (94.1%) showed a mutation of at least 1 codon for katG, inhA, and ahpC genes. Twenty-eight isolates (82.4%) had a mutation of at least 1 codon of rpoB gene. The katG, inhA, ahpC, and rpoB mutations were detected in 20 (58.7%), 27 (79.4%), 13 (38.2%), and 28 (82.3%) of 34 isolates. The 3 most common mutation codons were katG 315 (11/34, 35.3%), inhA 14 (11/34, 32.4%), and inhA 114 (11/34, 32.4%). For this population, the best genetic mutation test panels for INH resistance included 8 codons (katG 310, katG 340, katG 343, inhA 14, inhA 84, inhA 86, inhA 114, and ahpC 75), and for RIF resistance included 6 codons (rpoB 445, rpoB 450, rpoB 464, rpoB 490, rpoB 507, and rpoB 508) with a sensitivity of 94.1% and 82.4%, respectively. Conclusion The genetic mutation sites for drug resistance in M/XDR-TB are quite variable. The distribution of these mutations in a certain population must be studied before developing the specific mutation test panels for each area. The results of this study can be applied for further molecular M/XDR-TB diagnosis in the upper northern region of Thailand.
Strategic Management of Crises in Small and Medium Businesses

"Strategy is when you run out of ammunition but keep firing anyway"e; Anonymous The main purpose of this study was to analyse what strategies small and medium businesses actually adopt when confronted with a major crisis such as a fire, flood or similar catastrophe, and determine what factors proved vital to the survival of the business. Up until this study, the research in the area has been focused on large public companies. This study extends the earlier research in a number of areas, including the Resource Based Perspective Model, Dynamic Capabilities Theory, Business Continuity Planning, Benchmarking, and Stakeholder Theory, as well as Risk Diversification and Insurance, but with a strong focus on small and medium enterprises. The primary aim of the research was to develop a Crisis Management Model that can be utilised by small and medium enterprises to minimise the risk associated with losses caused by disasters such as fire. Bearing in mind that it is estimated that over 93% of all businesses in Australia fall within the definition of a small or medium enterprise, the study is considered important, as it adds to the existing body of knowledge on this important sector of the national economy. To develop such a model, many components of earlier models of strategic management were tested for relevance to the manager during a major crisis in the business. This extended to identifying the key stakeholders and the critical variables to business survival. Data was gathered from twelve small or medium enterprises, which had experienced a major fire or similar crisis within five years prior to the company being studied. A qualitative approach was taken, which involved interviews and in-depth analysis of twelve case studies. The study found that the owners and managers of small and medium businesses rated the development of a Crisis Management Model as a crucial management tool to assist them to fight for the survival of their business following a crisis. Even those owners that found that the business, for whatever reason, could not be saved, needed to develop a modified plan that strategically addressed the owners' withdrawal from the enterprise. Based on the research, which included a comprehensive literature review, a new strategic benchmarking model - the Crisis Management Model for Small and Medium Enterprises - has been developed for the management of a significant business crisis, particularly one resulting from an insured peril. The model is also expected to be pertinent for an operational unit of a large corporation. Further, while the model was primarily developed to assist in business survival, it has equal application in the situation of business failure as a methodology of implementing an exit strategy, following a crisis. The testing of the Crisis Management Model for Small and Medium Enterprises, developed in this study, is recommended as the subject of further research.
The Ubiquity of Micrometer-Sized Dust Grains in the Dense Interstellar Medium

Dust to Dust Recently, the so-called coreshine effect was identified in a nearby interstellar cloud. The coreshine effect refers to the scattering of mid-infrared light by micron-sized dust grains in the densest regions of molecular clouds, the places where stars and planets are known to form. Using data from the Spitzer telescope, Pagani et al. (p. 1622) now show that, rather than being limited to one single molecular cloud, the coreshine effect is common all over our galaxy, but is not universal and could be used to learn about the properties of star-forming cores and the dust therein. The light scattered by small dust grains can tell us about the properties of star-forming regions in our Galaxy. Cold molecular clouds are the birthplaces of stars and planets, where dense cores of gas collapse to form protostars. The dust mixed in these clouds is thought to be made of grains of an average size of 0.1 micrometer. We report the widespread detection of the coreshine effect as a direct sign of the existence of grown, micrometer-sized dust grains. This effect is seen in half of the cores we have analyzed in our survey, spanning all Galactic longitudes, and is dominated by changes in the internal properties and local environment of the cores, implying that the coreshine effect can be used to constrain fundamental core properties such as the three-dimensional density structure and ages and also the grain characteristics themselves.
Reflectin genes and development of iridophore patterns in Sepia officinalis embryos (Mollusca, Cephalopoda)

Background: In the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, iridescence is known to play a role in patterning and communication. In iridophores, iridosomes are composed of reflectins, a protein family, which show great diversity in all cephalopod species. Iridosomes are established before hatching, but very little is known about how these cells are established, their distribution in embryos, or the contribution of each reflectin gene to iridosome structures. Results: Six reflectin genes are expressed during the development of iridosomes in Sepia officinalis. We show that they are expressed in numerous parts of the body before hatching. Evidence of the colocalization of two different genes of reflectin was found. Curiously, reflectin mRNA expression was no longer detectable at the time of hatchling, while reflectin proteins were present and gave rise to visible iridescence. Conclusion: These data suggest that several different forms of reflectins are simultaneously used to produce iridescence in S. officinalis and that mRNA production and translation are decoupled in time during iridosome development. Developmental Dynamics 242:550–561, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Competitive Advantage, Organizational Innovation and Profitability: Evidence from Nigeria

This paper considers the relationship between competitive advantage, innovation strategy and profitability level of firms. Previous studies asserts that competitive advantage can be achieved by creating value( innovation), for the end customers, which is greater than that offered by competitors.The data used in this study work was primary. The data were generated by conducting a survey design with a well-structured questionnaire distributed among respondents within the scope of this study. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient, and regression analysis.It was deduced that competitive advantage and innovation strategy are both statistically significant to achieving high and persistent profitability level. Both variables are therefore needed by firms in other tom attain their goal and meet up with the need of their shareholder.
Mapping service quality in the tourism industry

This study suggests a new approach to the exploratory and evaluative research of service‐quality dimensions by employing correspondence analysis (CA). Although several studies have investigated the service quality of service providers using descriptive measures and statistical tests, this study presents a graphical interpretation of SERVQUAL data to aid managerial decision‐making in the tourism industry. This paper also examines the expectations and perceptions of two distinct groups by determining the differences between German and Russian tourists’ evaluations of service‐quality dimensions in tour operators. The study concludes that CA can be used effectively in evaluating the service‐quality and displaying the differences in the expectations/perceptions of distinct consumer groups. Managerial implications for travel administrators are discussed. Tour operators should consider cultural differences in service‐quality evaluations.