Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adverse selection and the economic limits of market substitution : An application to e-commerce and traditional trade in used cars

Adverse selection induces economic limits to market substitution. If quality uncertainty persists in both internet and traditional marketplaces, a second-best equilibrium with parallel market segments may arise. Positive trade in parallel segments implies that the information cost advantage of one marketplace is exactly offset by a more severe adverse selection problem associated with non-observable quality variables. The electronic marketplace providing dominant search means contains all segments, while the traditional market may lack some segments. These missing segments are characterized by low quality expectations given the vector of advertised quality signals. The analytic results are confirmed by an empirical investigation of used-car trade. Thus, the study also provides an estimate of the price differential between the electronic and the traditional marketplace.
Effect of whole body resistance training on arterial compliance in young men

The effect of resistance training on arterial stiffening is controversial. We tested the hypothesis that resistance training would not alter central arterial compliance. Young healthy men (age, 23 ± 3.9 (mean ±s.e.m.) years; n= 28,) were whole‐body resistance trained five times a week for 12 weeks, using a rotating 3‐day split‐body routine. Resting brachial blood pressure (BP), carotid pulse pressure, carotid cross‐sectional compliance (CSC), carotid initima–media thickness (IMT) and left ventricular dimensions were evaluated before beginning exercise (PRE), after 6 weeks of exercise (MID) and at the end of 12 weeks of exercise (POST). CSC was measured using the pressure‐sonography method. Results indicate reductions in brachial (61.1 ± 1.4 versus 57.6 ± 1.2 mmHg; P < 0.01) and carotid pulse pressure (52.2 ± 1.9 versus 46.8 ± 2.0 mmHg; P < 0.01) PRE to POST. In contrast, carotid CSC, β‐stiffness index, IMT and cardiac dimensions were unchanged. In young men, central arterial compliance is unaltered with 12 weeks of resistance training and the mechanisms responsible for cardiac hypertrophy and reduced arterial compliance are either not inherent to all resistance‐training programmes or may require a prolonged stimulus.
Affective Reactivity of Symptoms as a Process Discriminator in Schizophrenia

Evidence from naturalistic and laboratory studies indicates that schizophrenic symptoms are exacerbated by stress or arousal of negative affect in some patients and not in others. Affective reactivity of symptoms may reflect a pathophysiological process or set of processes present only in a subset of cases of schizophrenia and, therefore, may constitute a dimension potentially relevant to subtyping efforts aimed at discriminating separate processes within the disorder. This paper reviews the evidence a) that affective reactivity of symptoms exists in some but not all schizophrenic patients, b) that this dimension corresponds with other variables that also are putative process discriminators, and c) that it is associated with a more global pathological reactivity to sensory and affective stimuli. Hypotheses as to its biological substrata, relevance to treatment, and importance to larger diagnostic issues are discussed.
Fast and Slow Learning from Reviews

This paper develops a model of Bayesian learning from online reviews, and investigates the conditions for asymptotic learning of the quality of a product and the speed of learning under different rating systems. A rating system provides information about reviews left by previous customers. A sequence of potential customers decide whether to join the platform. After joining and observing the ratings of the product, and conditional on her ex ante valuation, a customer decides whether to purchase or not. If she purchases, the true quality of the product, her ex ante valuation, an ex post idiosyncratic preference term and the price of the product determine her overall satisfaction. Given the rating system of the platform, she decides to leave a review as a function of her overall satisfaction. We study learning dynamics under two classes of rating systems: full history, where customers see the full history of reviews, and summary statistics, where the platform reports some summary statistics of past reviews. In both cases, learning dynamics are complicated by a selection effect — the types of users who purchase the good and thus their overall satisfaction and reviews depend on the information that they have available at the time of their purchase. We provide conditions for asymptotic learning under both full history and summary statistics, and show how the selection effect becomes more difficult to correct for with summary statistics. Conditional on asymptotic learning, the speed (rate) of learning is always exponential and is governed by similar forces under both types of rating systems, though the exact rates differ. Using this characterization, we provide the rate of learning under several different types of rating systems. We show that providing more information does not always lead to faster learning, but strictly finer rating systems always do. We also illustrate how different rating systems, with the same distribution of preferences, can lead to very fast or very slow speeds of learning.
Predictors of Functional Outcome after Emergency Carotid Artery Stenting and Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis for Treatment of Acute Stroke Associated with Obstruction of the Proximal Internal Carotid Artery and Tandem Downstream Occlusion

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients who develop severe stroke symptoms due to acute internal carotid artery occlusion eventually in combination with a thromboembolic obstruction of the middle cerebral artery incur a major risk of developing extensive MCA infarction with a poor outcome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome for patients with tandem occlusions in the MCA and/or distal ICA, retrospectively, who had undergone stent implantation in the proximal segment of the ICA in addition to intra-arterial thrombolysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients with tandem occlusions of the MCA and/or distal ICA and acute occlusion of the proximal ICA underwent stent implantation for the proximal ICA occlusion and IAT for the tandem occlusion. Clinical outcome measures were assessed on admission and at discharge by using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale as well as 3 months after treatment by using the modified Rankin Scale. RESULTS: The median NIHSS score on admission was 12 (range, 6–22). All patients had patent flow into the M1 and ICA after carotid artery stent placement and IAT. After the procedure, 19 patients (54.3%) were TICI grade III; 7 (20.0%), TICI grade IIb; and 9 (25.7%), TICI grade IIa. Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 1 patient (2.9%). The overall mortality rate was 11.4% (4/35). At 3-month follow-up, the median NIHSS score was 4 (range, 1–17). NIHSS score at admission and TICI grade were all found to be independently associated with an unfavorable outcome at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Initial stroke severity, degree of successful revascularization, and the side of ischemia were found to independently predict the functional outcome at 3 months after treatment.
Organization of oligodendroglial membrane sheets: II. Galactocerebroside: Antibody interactions signal changes in cytoskeleton and myelin basic protein

Antibodies to galactocerebroside (GalC) cause patching of this surface glycolipid over internal domains of myelin basic protein (MBP), which are demarcated by a network of microtubules. The patching occurs whether or not second antibody is present, but the process is accelerated by the presence of second antibody. GalC patching results in disruption of microtubules in the lacy networks in oligodendroglial membrane sheets and in the eventual fusion of MBP domains, similar to the effects of colchicine (Dyer and Benjamins, 1989). Antibodies to GalC also disrupt F‐actin in the lacy networks. Since colchicine does not alter the distribution of F‐actin, anti‐GalC is causing F‐actin redistribution by a mechanism other than microtubule depolymerization. Extended exposure to anti‐GalC results in coalescence of surface GalC patches concomitant with fusion of internal MBP domains. When anti‐GalC is applied to induce GalC patching in cells previously treated with cytoskeletal inhibitors, patching is altered. After colchicine treatment, GalC surface staining is granular; i.e., patching is totally disorganized. Following cytochalasin B treatment, most membrane sheets display a few very large patches rather than the normal multiple, small patches. These GalC surface patterns are similar to the MBP distributions following the respective drug treatments (Dyer and Benjamins, 1989). Thus, the pattern of GalC distribution in the presence of antibody always reflects the organization of the underlying MBP domains; in turn, the organization of the MBP domains is determined by the lacy networks of microtubules in the oligodendroglial membrane sheets.
Fall and fracture rates following a change from carpet to vinyl floor coverings in a geriatric rehabilitation hospital. A longitudinal, observational study

Objective: To investigate whether changing from 5 mm thick carpet tiles to vinyl on a concrete subfloor would alter fall or fracture rates. Design: Longitudinal, observational study. Setting: Six wards (129 beds) of a geriatric rehabilitation hospital. Subjects: All inpatients during this time. Interventions: The floor covering was changed from 5 mm carpet tiles to vinyl on these wards when they were closed for other maintenance. This occurred in stages from November 2007 to December 2009. Measures: Falls are routinely reported using a quality improvement event reporting form. Fall and fracture rates were calculated in the 12 months prior to and following the change in floor covering on each ward. Results: There were 854 falls on the carpet tiles in the 12 months prior to the flooring change and 878 falls on the vinyl in the 12 months after (19.5 and 19.6 falls/1000 bed days, respectively, [P = 0.95] NS. Fifteen fractures occurred on carpet and 11 fractures on vinyl, [P = 0.39] NS. Using run charts there were no detectable trends in either the fall or fracture rates following the change in flooring surface. Conclusion: There may be no difference in fall rates or fractures on carpet or vinyl floor covering of similar thickness and subfloor type.
The Human Genome Project: An Historical Perspective for Social Workers

Having mapped the human genome, the Human Genome Project maintains that certain genes can be linked to specific diseases and certain forms of human behavior. This breakthrough, it is hoped, will lead to the effective treatment, even the elimination of serious, debilitating illnesses for all groups of people. However, because the project conjures up memories of eugenics, the project raises concerns about its potential for identifying and linking diseases and social conditions (e.g., criminal behavior) to certain groups. This article places the Human Genome Project in historical context in terms of its resemblance to the eugenics movement in America and a period in social work history when the profession embraced eugenics and was guided by the movement's premises in its response to poor people.
CYTOLOGICAL EFFECT OF VIRUS INFECTION IN FIVE CROP SPECIES

Meiotic abnormalities and pollen sterility due to virus infection in Capsicum annuum L. , Carica papaya L. , Lablab purpureus L. , Lycopersicon esculentum L. , and Solanum melongena L. were studied. Comparison in with unaffected plants showed that virus infected plants, asynapsis, multivalents and lower chiasma frequencies were present. Frequencies of chromosomal irregularities and pollen sterility were high in virus infected plants. Different crop plant species extensively cultivated for vegetable in Bangladesh are found to be infected by viruses, resulting in the decrease of growth and development and ultimately reducing their yield. Only a few reports are available about the effect of viral diseases on the gametogenesis of plant. Kostoff (1933) studied the effect of mosaic virus infection on tobacco and reported a host of abnormalities in all the stages of meiosis. Caldwell (1952) also observed a complete breakdown of meiosis in tomato plants infected by virus. The effect of virus on Capsicum annuum studied by Swaminathan et al. (1959) showed reduced chiasma frequency, irregular anaphase separation and poor seed set. Kaul (1968) studied the effect of infection with mosaic virus on the meiotic process of Datura quarcifolia and reported complete asynapsis at diakinesis and metaphase-1 and presence of 24 univalents. Wilkinson (1953) observed nuclear abnormalities in L. esculentum along with pollen sterility and disruption of reproductive mechanism due to viral infection. It is known that increase in meiotic abnormalities caused an increase of pollen sterility (Reddy and Rao 1982). In view of these reports, the present investigation was undertaken to study the cytological effects of virus infection in meiotic cells of five plant species from Bangladesh. Both normal and virus infected Capsicum annuum L. , Carica papaya L. , Lablab purpureus L. , Lycopersicon esculentum L. and Solanum melongena L. were used as experimental materials for the present study. To study the chromosome association, chiasma frequency and meiotic abnormalities, young flower buds of suitable sizes from both normal and viral infected plants were collected from 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. These were fixed in 1 : 3 acetoalcohol to which a small amount of ferric acetate (1 g in 500 ml acetoalcohol) was added imparting a straw colour. After 48 hours of fixation young flower buds were rinsed with distilled water and they were preserved in 70% ethanol and kept in a refrigerator till used. Temporary slides were prepared from suitable anthers with 2% acetocarmine by using smear technique. To study pollen sterility, the mature anthers of both normal and virus infected plants were collected at the time of anthesis. The anthers were fixed in 70% ethanol directly and kept in refrigerator till used. Temporary slides were prepared from mature anthers by using 1% acetocarmine smear technique. *Corresponding author: E-mail: <muddeen05@yahoo.com>. Department of Crop Science & Technology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh.
Telomerase-based immunotherapy of cancer

The progression from the cloning of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) in 1997 to the first clinical trials of hTERT as an antitumour immunotherapy target has been swift. hTERT is overexpressed in the vast majority of human cancers yet has limited expression in normal adult tissue. It plays a critical role in oncogenesis and may be expressed by cancer stem cells. However, despite being a self antigen, hTERT is immunogenic both in vitro and in vivo. Several Phase I studies of hTERT immunotherapy have been completed in patients with breast, prostate, lung and other cancers, and clinical and immunological results are encouraging. Immunotherapy induces functional, antitumour T cells in patients in the absence of clinical toxicity. The opportunity for vaccinating individuals as an immunoprevention strategy can also be envisioned for hTERT-based therapies.
Evolution of pregnancies and initial follow-up of newborns delivered after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the in vivo development of embryos conceived after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), as well as obstetric outcome, occurrence of chromosomal abnormalities, and rate of congenital malformations in neonates born as a result of this treatment. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING University-based in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic. PATIENTS A total of 751 couples in whom the male partners were presumed to be the cause of repeated failed IVF attempts or whose semen parameters were unacceptable for conventional IVF treatment. INTERVENTIONS Analysis of pregnancies resulting from 987 ICSI cycles; pregnancy outcome data were obtained from the records of obstetrician-gynecologists and/or pediatricians. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pregnancy rates, obstetric outcome, and frequency of chromosomal abnormalities and congenital malformations. RESULTS The overall clinical pregnancy (fetal heartbeat) rate was 44.3%, with a resultant delivery rate per ICSI cycle of 38.7% (n=382). In 8 of 11 miscarriages for which cytogenetic data were available, an autosomal trisomy was found, and 7 additional pregnancies were terminated because of a chromosomal abnormality after prenatal diagnosis. There was an equal distribution of vaginal vs cesarean deliveries (n=192 and n=190, respectively). Of the 578 neonates resulting from treatment by ICSI, 15 (2.6%) presented with congenital abnormalities (9 major and 6 minor abnormalities). However, this frequency of malformations is lower than that observed in offspring born after standard IVF at our institution. Furthermore, when pregnancy outcome of ICSI vs IVF was analyzed in terms of semen origin, no differences were found in the frequency of miscarriages or in the rate of congenital malformations. CONCLUSIONS The evolution of pregnancies and occurrence of congenital malformations following treatment by ICSI were within the range observed with standard in vitro fertilization.
Guatemalans’ Practices for Health Promotion and the Meaning of Respect Afforded them by Health Care Providers

This descriptive study, the second part of a multinational study of Central Americans and Mexicans, describes Guatemalans’ practices for health promotion and wellness, disease and illness prevention, and the meaning of respect afforded them by health care providers. Understanding a person’s beliefs and values when planning nursing and health care interventions helps the caregiver provide culturally acceptable care that improves clients’ satisfaction and health status. Culturally respectful, acceptable, and appropriate care conserves the utilization of human, material, and financial resources. There were 25 participants in this sample. This study uses selected primary and secondary characteristics of culture and selected domains from the Purnell model for cultural competence as guides for questionnaire development, review of the literature, data analysis, and discussion of the findings.
Estrutura Hidroquímica e Biomassa Planctônica no Norte da Baía de Todos os Santos, Bahia, Brasil.

Os objetivos deste trabalho foram analisar o padrao de distribuicao espacial e sazonal da biomassa fitoplanctonica, microplanctonica e mesoplanctonica, descrever a estrutura hidroquimica da massa d’agua e analisar a relacao entre os niveis de biomassa planctonica e as caracteristicas ambientais na Baia de Todos os Santos (Bahia, Brasil). As amostras foram coletadas entre fevereiro/94 e dezembro/95, em 5 estacoes de amostragem, durante 8 cruzeiros. O fitoplâncton (clorofila a) e o zooplâncton (biomassa de micro e de mesoplâncton) foram coletados atraves de garrafa de van Dorn e de rede conica, com malhas de 100 µm e 200 µm respectivamente. No estudo hidrografico as seguintes variaveis foram avaliadas: profundidade, temperatura de superficie, salinidade, pH, saturacao de oxigenio, transparencia, solidos totais em suspensao, amonia, ortofosfato, silicato, carbono orgânico particulado, fenois e oleos e graxas. A massa de agua tropical presente no norte da Baia de Todos os Santos foi caracterizada como agua costeira. Os resultados demonstram que existem diferencas significativas, sazonais e espaciais, principalmente nas variaveis hidroquimicas e secundariamente nos niveis de biomassa planctonica. A analise estatistica multivariada revelou 2 agrupamentos entre as estacoes de amostragem; o grupo 1, formado pelas estacoes sob influencia de atividades de refino (estacao 1) e extracao de petroleo (estacao 4). O grupo 2 formado pelas estacoes sob influencia de atividades de transporte de petroleo (estacoes 2 e 3) e pela estacao referencia (estacao 5). Palavras chave: Biomassa fitoplanctonica, microfitoplanctonica e mesoplanctonica; hidrologia.
Prevalence of, and risk factors for, upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding in critically ill pediatric patients

ObjectiveTo determine the occurrence of, and risk factors for, the development of upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding in critically ill pediatric patients. DesignProspective, descriptive, comparative study. SettingICU in a tertiary care pediatric hospital affiliated with a university. PatientsAll patients <19 yrs of age who were admitted to the ICU for a 4-month period (n = 429) were eligible for inclusion. A total of 221 patients were excluded for reasons listed below. Thus, 208 patients were studied. InterventionNone. Measurements and Main ResultsPatients were evaluated for overt upper GI bleeding as indicated by coffee ground material or bright red blood in gastric aspirates or black, tarry stools. Excluded were patients who were transferred out of the ICU within 24 hrs of admission, were receiving medications that would alter their risk for upper GI bleeding, or had a GI tract surgical procedure. Patients were categorized by diagnoses and analyzed for relative risk for upper GI bleeding. Of the 208 patients included, 25% had evidence of upper GI bleeding. There was no association between upper GI bleeding and age, weight, race, or sex. Diagnoses independently associated with an increased risk for upper GI bleeding were: circulatory shock, an operative procedure 3 hrs in duration, and trauma. No clinically important sequelae were directly attributable to upper GI bleeding in this group of patients; however, intervention with antacids and histamine-2 receptor (H-2) antagonists likely decreased the progression of GI bleeding. ConclusionsOvert evidence of upper GI bleeding is not uncommon in critically ill pediatric patients. Certain diagnoses or risk factors may predispose these patients to develop upper GI bleeding.
Quantitative motor assessment in FALS mice: a longitudinal study

WE have evaluated the G1H line of transgenic mice overexpressing a familial ALS mutation of SOD1 (Gly93→Ala) in tasks assessing different aspects of motor function to determine how early these deficits could be detected and their order of appearance. The earliest deficits were observed in tests of muscle strength and coordination as early as 8 weeks of age and their development appeared to be biphasic, whereas spontaneous activity was not impaired until 15 weeks of age. These studies show that, in addition to the previously demonstrated histological and electromyographic deficits, this transgenic mouse also presents changes in motor function reminiscent of the human disease, reinforcing and extending its validity as an animal model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) and allowing the investigation of novel drug treatment for ALS.