Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease: A systematic review

Over the years, probiotics have been used in the treatment of a variety of diseases. The use of probiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease has caught on over the last decade or so. This review was performed to determine whether administration of probiotics produced a lasting clinical benefit in the treatment of periodontal disease. A MEDLINE, Cochrane database and a hand search was performed on human randomized placebo controlled trials using probiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease. A total of thirteen papers which addressed the question of the use of probiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease were retrieved. Most of the studies reviewed showed only a short term benefit with regards to reduction in gingival inflammation and probing depth reduction. Lasting clinical benefits were not seen in any of the studies. At least four different combinations and strains of probiotics have been used in the studies. There also existed significant heterogeneity in the methodology of the studies reviewed. It was concluded that current regimens of probiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease produce only short-term clinical and microbiologic benefits.
Corporate Governance and the Timeliness of Financial Reporting: A Comparative Study of Selected EU and Transition Economy Countries

Timeliness of financial reporting is an attribute of good corporate governance. Shareholders and other stakeholders need information while it is still fresh and the more time that passes between year-end and disclosure, the more stale the information becomes and the less value it has. Corporate governance is a relatively new concept for transition economies. Prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union there were no profit-making corporations, no shareholders and no need to report financial results except to the government. All that has changed. In order to raise capital, corporations need to convince potential investors that an investment in their company will be safe. That requires financial reporting standards that can be trusted and financial information that is reported in a timely manner. But the culture of former communist countries is not to disclose information. That mentality is changing as their formerly closed economies open up to investment from the west. This paper examines the timeliness of financial reporting in several transition economies that are new European Union members and makes comparisons to companies in four older members of the EU. The goal of the paper is to determine whether there is a significant difference in the timeliness of financial reporting between the two groups of companies. The paper also reports on the relative market share of the accounting firms that audit companies in the European transition economies.
Properties of isolated adult rat muscle fibres maintained in tissue culture.

1. Adult rat skeletal muscles were dissociated by collagenase treatment and trituration, and the isolated muscle fibres were maintained in vitro for 2‐3 weeks. At various stages, the fibres were examined physiologically and morphologically. 2. The isolated fibres underwent some changes characteristic of muscle denervated in vivo. For instance, input resistance increased and extrajunctional acetylcholine (ACh) receptors appeared. In addition, the beginning stages of apparent muscle fibre fragmentation were observed. 3. In other respects, the cultured isolated fibres behaved differently than in vivo denervated fibres. Fibrillation developed only occasionally in vitro. The onset of ACh supersensitivity was slower (6 days) than after denervation in vivo (2‐3 days). Some fibres developed localized regions of destriation, which apparently was due to loss of in‐register alignment of myofibrils.
Comprehensive Evaluation: A Holistic Approach to Evaluating Domestic Violence Offender Programmes

This article argues that the focus on behavioural outcomes in evaluations of domestic violence offender programmes has been too narrow, and that a more holistic approach incorporating investigation of the psychological characteristics of offenders and treatment characteristics may be required to determine what works, for whom, and under what circumstances. To this end, one interpretation of a comprehensive evaluation framework is outlined. The article hypothesises the insights to be gained by assessing the contribution of several potential mediating variables of the treatment process in the evaluation of these programmes. These variables are the heterogeneity of treatment targets in the target population; motivation to change; programme integrity variables; and therapeutic factors. The article concludes that only by implementing theoretically informed, multifaceted evaluations will we move closer to understanding the process of successful rehabilitation.
CORPORATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: A COMPARISON BETWEEN SLOVENIA AND ROMANIA

Entrepreneurship development is an imperative agenda for the improvement of competitiveness of current and future EU member countries. Corporate entrepreneurship activities and orientations can be considered important predictors of organizationa l performance. Hypotheses on the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship (organizational-level entrepreneurial behaviors) and performance elements and between alliance and corporate entrepreneurship elements were developed and tested. The analyses were done by using questionnaire data collected in two countries: Slovenia and Romania. Findings indicated very minor differences in corporate entrepreneurship and alliance item means between the two countries. Innovation in products and services can be considered crucial for performance of firms and economic growth. Strategic alliance relationships can be important for corporate entrepreneurship development.
Impact of Family Business Characteristics on Succession Planning: A Case Study in Tehran Industrial Towns

Successor planning process in family businesses is recognized as one of the most important phases of family business lifecycle. Family businesses play a vital role in developing regional and global economy and fuel the creation of new jobs, new business growth and increase in entrepreneurial activities. In this study, it was attempted to investigate the impact of family business characteristics on successor planning process in such businesses in Tehran industrial towns in Iran. The data were collected from the study sample by using questionnaires. Statistical population of this research consists of managers or supervisors from 68,000 industrial units in Tehran. Industrial Towns are selected and sample population is identified as 120 samples. The findings indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between business family characteristics especially the tendency of trusted people to succeeding and successor planning. In the meantime, constituents such as family commitment to business and the tendency of trusted people to succeeding affect successor planning directly.
A New Medical Device, Based on Rigenera Protocol, in the Management of Complex Wounds

Injury to the skin provides a unique challenge, as wound healing is a complex and intricate process. Acute wounds have the potential to move from into to chronic wounds, requiring the physician to have a thorough understanding of outside interventions to bring these wounds back into the healing cascade. The development of new and effective interventions in wound care remains an area of intense research. For this purpose, we aimed to report the use of a new medical device, called Rigeneracons® (Human Brain Wave srl, Turin), in the management of complex wounds of different etiology in two subjects where the wound healing process was very difficult. Rigeneracons® devices are based on Rigenera protocol that consists in the use of a cell population enriched of progenitor cells able to improve a tissue repair. By these case reports, we demonstrated the efficacy of Rigenera protocol in improving wound healing process through application of a cell suspension rich of progenitors cells in two different subjects that are donor and acceptor of these micro-grafts.
Consumption of Specific Tourist Products - the Value of Participation in Mega-event and its Influence in shaping visitor loyalty to a destination

is paper aims to answer the question of whether a mega-event can act as an incentive for tourists to return to a previously visited destination. In order to nd an answer to this research question, hypotheses were proposed with the aim of revealing dependencies between selected aspects of consumption of tourist products such as UEFA European Football Championships (EURO). e pertinent analyses were performed on the basis of research conducted in Krakow in 2012. In order to verify six of the main hypotheses of a lack of relationships between variables X i , Spearman’s rank correlation coe cient was used wherever possible; in other cases the test c was used (and to calculate the strength of correlation, the V-Cramer coe cient was used). e analyses carried out con rmed prior theoretical constatations that satisfaction with a stay in a destination concurrently hosting a mega-event translates into improvement of that destination’s image and greater loyalty among tourists; and that the better the image of a mega-event venue, the stronger the e ect of the tourist’s loyalty towards that place. e research shows also that the higher the frequency of visits to the venue of a mega-event, the longer the time spent in that place.
Defining a Healthy Organisation in Primary Care: A Qualitative Interview Study

Abstract This study aimed to qualitatively develop a conceptual framework for organizational health, within the setting of GP practices in the UK, through a qualitative interview study utilizing aspects from grounded theory. Data saturation was reached after 33 interviews revealing six themes: Strategy, Resources, Leadership, Staff Wellbeing, Capacity for change and Ways of working. The structure of each theme is discussed in detail. By unpicking the elements of organizational health in GP practices in this way, we hope to shift focus from considering down-stream clinical outcomes in isolation to practices taking a more long-term view centered around fostering ongoing high performance.
What are the levels of customer satisfaction within the waste disposal industry.

South Africa's re-integration into the global economy and the international political arena has brought about an active growth of business locally and internationally. Local companies are expanding into new markets and regions which require them to follow internationally acceptable and approved waste disposal policies in their production of goods and services. To achieve compliance, it is necessary that companies have the appropriate support and backup from waste disposal companies. Also, increasing pressure from environmental groups and government agencies makes it a prerequisite that a company's waste is properly disposed of in the most efficient, lawful and economical way. This research dissertation is aimed at identifying the key factors that impact on the levels of service in the waste industry and an attempt at evaluating the effects of the service levels to determine what actions are necessary to improve the levels of service in the waste industry. As a result, this research was carried out amongst producers of waste in certain areas of KwaZuluNatal. Various techniques were evaluated in researching how to measure service quality. The most reliable measuring instrument to gauge service quality was found to be the SERVQUAL system. This measuring instrument was evaluated and then modified to suit the particular needs of the waste industry. The SERVQUAL system is a multi-item scale for measuring consumers perceptions of service quality. A sample of 75 companies was selected and senior management was interviewed. Based on the statistical analysis, the discrepancy between service expectations and service delivery in the waste industry is wide. Urgent attention needs to be focused on service delivery, especially reliability, assurance and responsiveness by waste disposal companies.
The dynamics of firm size and wage costs The Danish manufacturing sector

This is a first draft presenting methodological considerations and preliminary results of a work in progress. As shown by previous empirical investigations and as discussed in many models, features of organizations such as human capital stock, management practices, organizational structure and organization of work do affect the relationship between employment, labour costs and performance. These effects play, presumably, different roles in firms acting in different industries and operating at different scales. We want to investigate if, and to what extent, these phenomena shape the relationship between employed workforce and output. In other terms, we are interested in investigating how the efficiency in the use of the labour input scales withe the size of the firm. Various methods for determining the relationship among such variables are then discussed and the heterogeneity of the relationship between value added and employment across industries in the Danish manufacturing sector is demonstrated.
Direct Versus Video Laryngoscopy Using the C-MAC for Tracheal Intubation in the Emergency Department, a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND Direct laryngoscopy (DL) has long been the most common approach for emergency endotracheal intubation, although the use of video laryngoscopy (VL) is becoming more widespread. Current observational data suggest that VL has higher first-pass success, although randomized trials are lacking. OBJECTIVES The objective was to compare first-pass success in patients undergoing emergency intubation with DL or VL using a C-MAC device. METHODS This was an open-label, prospective, randomized, controlled trial in an academic emergency department of patients undergoing emergency intubation with a plan of DL for the first attempt. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either DL or VL using a C-MAC device for the first intubation attempt. The primary outcome was first-pass success. Secondary outcomes included time to intubation, development of aspiration pneumonia, and hospital length of stay (LOS). The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT01710891. RESULTS A total of 198 patients were enrolled and intubated with either DL (n = 95) or VL (n = 103). First-attempt success was 86 and 92% for the DL and VL groups, respectively (difference = -5.9%, 95% confidence interval = -14.5% to 2.7%, p = 0.18). Time to intubation, rates of aspiration pneumonia, and hospital LOS were not different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS In patients undergoing emergency intubation in whom DL was planned for the first attempt, we did not detect a difference between VL or DL using the C-MAC device in first-pass success, duration of intubation attempt, aspiration pneumonia, or hospital LOS.
The function of the upstream region of the σ;54‐dependent Klebsiella pneumoniae nifL promoter is sensitive to DNA supercoiling

The positive control protein NTRC activates transcription from the σ;54‐dependent nifL and glnAp2 promoters of Klebsiella pneumoniae by binding to upstream enhancer‐like sequences and contacting downstream bound σ;54‐RNA polymerase via looping of the intervening DNA. In contrast to the glnAp2 promoter, the activity of the nifL promoter is very sensitive to changes in DNA supercoiling both in vivo and in vitro. We have shown previously that the downstream elements of the nifL promoter are involved in the supercoiling response. In this study we find that the upstream region of nifL influences the supercoiling response of a hybrid nifL‐ginAp2 promoter both in vivo and in vitro, demonstrating that the nifL upstream region also confers supercoiling sensitivity. DNA supercoiling did not appear to influence binding of NTRC to its sites in the nifL upstream region, suggesting that another function of this region, most probably DNA loop formation, is sensitive to changes in DNA topology.
The Perception of COVID-19 among Italian Dentists: An Orthodontic Point of View

COVID-19 has severely impacted dentists, who are at a great risk of infection. This study aimed to investigate if dentists are anxious about returning to their daily activities, and what the perception of the risk is for dentists and orthodontists regarding orthodontic procedures. An online questionnaire, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), was sent to Italian dentists during the final days of the lockdown with items about anxiety, fear, distress, perceived risk for operators, and concerns about orthodontic patients caused by working during the COVID-19 outbreak. Data were analyzed with a chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. The level of significance was set as p < 0.05. A total of 349 dentists completed the survey, including 183 orthodontists. Returning to their daily work activity was a source of anxiety for 192 participants and this was associated with the level of distress (odds ratio (OR) = 3.7; p < 0.001). Most of the orthodontists (67.6%) thought that they would increase the number of working hours during the week (OR = 1.8; p = 0.007). Italian dentists were mostly scared to return to their daily activities because they considered their jobs a high risk to them and their families. Dentists with an exclusive/prevailing orthodontic activity were forced to increase their working day during the week.
The effect of nutrition and exercise training on irisin and semaphorin-3E levels in obese patients

Abstract We aimed to firstly examine the effects of nutrition and exercise training on irisin, Sema-3E, biochemical and inflammatory parameters in obese patients. This study was conducted using 37 individuals were divided into three groups according to body mass index (BMI) as non-obese, 1nd degree and 2nd degree obese individuals. Nutrition and exercise training were applied to groups for eight weeks. Insulin resistance decreased in non-obese and 1st degree obese subjects. HsCRP values decreased only in the second degree obese individuals. Adiponectin values were significantly decreased in all three groups. There was a negative correlation between serum adiponectin and plasma irisin levels both before and after treatment. Sema-3E levels increased significantly in only the first degree obese individuals, whereas plexin-D1 values did not change significantly in any group. Our findings indicate that nutrition and exercise training we apply improved both anthropometric measurements and biochemical parameters in obese and non-obese individuals.
Characterization of polynomial functions and application to time-frequency analysis

We propose necessary and sufficient conditions for a function /spl phi/(t) to be a polynomial and establish a formula that allows us to compute the value of the derivative /spl phi/'(t) of a polynomial at any point in terms of the values of this polynomial. For this purpose, we establish that any polynomial /spl phi/(t) of degree /spl les/Q can be represented as a linear combination of /spl phi/(t-t/sub 1/), . , Q(t-t/sub Q/), where t/sub 1/, . , t/sub Q/ denote arbitrary parameters. A similar property is established for the derivative /spl phi/'(t). Some signal processing applications of these results are discussed,.
The Informational Content Of The VaR Measures Associated With The Trading Activities Of Canadian Banks

This paper examines the informational content and the usefulness of Canadian banks' market risk public disclosures. Risk managers use Value at Risk (VAR) as a measure of the dollar amount of a large potential loss to a bank's trading income and common shareholders' equity as a result of extreme and low-probability market price changes. Five different VAR metrics (high, low, range of estimates, average and end-of-period values) are now published and recognized benchmarks for measuring market risk exposure, and its potential impact on a bank's financial position. At the explicit request of regulators, financial analysts and competitive pressures, most large commercial banks in North America are now reporting the five forms of VAR numbers described above in their quarterly and annual financial reports. To examine preliminary evidence on the informational content of such public financial disclosures, we composed a sample of seven of Canada's largest commercial banks. In particular, we investigate if "ex ante" VAR numbers help financial analysts, investors, and regulators to explain the subsequent variability of commercial banks' trading income and of their ratio of market value to book value of common shareholders' equity over time.
Down in the Slumps: The Role of Credit in Five Decades of Recessions

We investigate the role of private sector credit in shaping the severity of recessions. Using a sample of 130 downturns in 26 advanced economies since the 1970s, we assess whether the growth or level of credit is the better predictor of the severity of a recession. In addition to GDP we examine other metrics of severity, including unemployment and labour productivity. We find that a period of rapid credit growth in the immediate run-up to a recession predicts a deeper and longer downturn than when credit growth has been subdued, whether associated with a systemic banking crisis or not and whether that credit growth reflects borrowing by households or businesses. Credit growth is a more statistically and economically significant predictor of a recession’s severity than the level of indebtedness, though there is some evidence that the effect of a credit boom is greater when leverage is high. A build-up in credit predicts worse recessions in terms of lower GDP per capita, higher unemployment and lost labour productivity.
Perception of effort in morning-type cyclists is lower when exercising in the morning

Abstract A recent study found that South African endurance athletes are likely to be morning-types and carry the PER35 allele, which has been associated with a preference for mornings. The aim of this study was to measure the response of morning-type cyclists to a standardised bout of exercise performed at different times of the day. Participants ncluded 20 trained male cyclists (age: 39.8 ± 7.7 years, VO2max: 51.0 ± 7.0 ml · kg−1 · min−1, training: 166 ± 98 km · wk−1), categorised as morning-types (mean Horne–Östberg score: 68.3 ± 5.5) and carrying the PER35 allele. They completed a 17-min sub-maximal cycling test at 60%, 80% and 90% of maximum heart rate (HRmax) at 06h00, 10h00, 14h00, 18h00 and 22h00. These morning-type cyclists reported higher ratings of perceived exertion when cycling at 60% (P = 0.044), 80% (P < 0.001) and 90% (P < 0.001) of HRmax during the evening (18h00 and 22h00) compared to the other sessions (0600, 10h00 and 14h00). This was despite absolute power output, speed and cadence displaying no time-of-day differences. Thus, morning-type cyclists perceive the same relative intensity workload to be harder in the evening compared to the morning. This may have implications for both training and competition scheduling, and highlights the importance of considering individual chronotype in sports in which diurnal variation may be relevant to training and competition.