Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Absence of serological evidence for human Neospora caninum infection

zoan parasite, is recognised as an important cause of bovine abortions on a worldwide basis, induding Northern Ireland (McNamee and others 1996). By analogy with the closely related Toxoplasma gondii, a carnivorous definitive host has been suspected to be involved in the lifecycle ofN caninum (Anderson and others 1991, Marsh and others 1995). Dogs have recently been shown to fulfil this role, shedding faecal oocysts for up to 27 days after oral infection (McAllister and others 1998). The zoonotic potential of Tgondii is well recognised, with a congenital infection rate ofup to 65 per cent following exposure ofsusceptible females, with possible sequelae including prematurity, intrauterine growth retardation, and retinochoroiditis (Frenkel 1990). In contrast, the zoonotic potential of N caninum is unknown (Dubey and Lindsay 1996). However, it has been shown to be capable of infecting a wide range of species (Dubey and Lindsay 1996), including non-human primates. Barr and others (1994) successfully infected rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) fetuses both by in utero inoculation and transplacentally, following intramuscular and intravenous inoculation of pregnant females. The consequences ofhuman infection could be serious, given that congenital infections in successive pregnancies have been described in dogs and cattle (Bjerkas and others 1984, Barr and others 1993), and that repeat abortions have been described in cattle (Anderson and others 1995). To investigate the zoonotic potential ofNcaninum, a survey was performed to examine human sera, from both the general population and agricultural workers, for serological evidence of infection. To provide comparative data, sera were also tested for antibodies to Tgondii. Two discrete panels of human sera were tested. Panel I consisted of 199 sera aliquots collected during blood donor sessions in Northern Ireland during the latter half of 1996. Panel II consisted of 48 sera from agricultural workers who had tested positive for farmer's lung during 1994 and 1995. Serological testing for N caninum antibodies was performed by indirect fluorescent antibody testing (IFAT) on Teflon-masked multiwell slides coated with N caninuminfected Vero cells (VMRD) following standard procedures (McNulty and Allan 1984). Sera were tested at a dilution of 1/160, and counterstained with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated goat anti-human immunoglobulin G (IgG) serum (GAHuIgG-FITC; Sigma) at a dilution of 1/200. One well on each slide was incubated with aNcaninum positive reference bovine serum (vMRD) and counterstained with FITC-conjugated goat antibovine IgG1/2 serum (vMRD). A further well on each slide, incubated with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and counterstained with GAHuIgG-FITC, was used
Payout Policy and Cost of Capital

In this paper we examine the impact of payout policy on cost of capital. Using forward-looking implied cost of capital as a measure of expected returns, we examine the cross-sectional relation between cost of capital and (a) the level of payout and (b) the distribution policy choice between dividends and repurchases. We initially find that the cost of capital is decreasing in the level of payout, consistent with the maturity hypothesis but once we control for direct measures of risk the result reverses. We further find that, in general, the higher the dividend intensity in the payout the lower the cost of capital despite the tax disadvantage of dividends. To counter the off-setting effects of the various alternative hypotheses in the overall sample, we conduct further analysis of the distribution policy across sub-samples based on growth, leverage, analyst coverage, size, earnings volatility, and institutional ownership. We find no support for the tax hypothesis that predicts cost of capital should be increasing in dividend intensity. We however find that firms use dividends to successfully mitigate the agency costs of free cash flows consistent with the agency hypothesis. The evidence regarding the information hypothesis, that dividends are preferred under asymmetric information, is mixed.
In-House Implications of a 1-Year Retrospective Analysis of the Psychiatric Consultation-Service in a German University Hospital

Objective: Due to major differences in patient populations, consultants and hospital settings of single-centres structured analyses of the psychiatric consultation-service (PCS) might be considered as an internal statistical appraisal for quality and efficacy improvements of the focused PCS. Method: The patient population given by the original documentation schedules of psychiatric consultations performed in the University hospital of Ulm in the year 2008 were analysed for the following variables: sex, age, requesting department, based problem or consultation query, allocated psychiatric diagnosis, therapeutic suggestion, occurrence and number of psychiatric consultations within the same case, acuteness level, diagnosis according to ICD-10 F and therapeutic recommendation. Results: In a total of n = 656 consultations most frequent questions were for: “medication”, “diagnostic suggestions” and “no specific question”, whereupon “no question” was given in 19%. A statement concerning the urgency-level of the consultation was present in 10.5%. Organic mental disorders, mood disorders, neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders formed 72% of all diagnoses. Pharmacotherapy was most frequently recommended. The detected shortcomings were mostly the result of heterogenous documentation. Conclusions: Frequent absence of relevant information throughout the consultation process gives reason for interdisciplinary arrangements to create a rational algorithm for PCS. Based on our findings standardization of our consultation reports was established by means of a standard form and a pocket-booklet which provides diagnostic guidelines and therapeutic recommendations.
Heterogeneous Penalties and Private Information

The theoretical framework of the adequacy or otherwise of fine reductions under the EU and US Leniency Programmes has been explored widely. However, the characteristics of the reporting cartel members remain unexplained. This is the first paper to develop a model where cartel members are heterogeneous in terms of the cartel fine and have private information on the probability of conviction. It is shown that firms which receive higher fines, have a lower equilibrium threshold for reporting. To validate this result and analyze the sources of fine heterogeneity, data for EU and US cartels are used. Being the first reporter is shown to be correlated with recidivism, leadership and reductions received outside the Leniency Programme. Some characteristics of the cartels where reporting occurred are also unveiled. Identifying the characteristics of the reporting firms is vital to dissolve and dissuade cartels and the wider policy implications of these findings are discussed in the paper.
Quadriceps activation following knee injuries: a systematic review.

CONTEXT Arthrogenic muscle inhibition is an important underlying factor in persistent quadriceps muscle weakness after knee injury or surgery. OBJECTIVE To determine the magnitude and prevalence of volitional quadriceps activation deficits after knee injury. DATA SOURCES Web of Science database. STUDY SELECTION Eligible studies involved human participants and measured quadriceps activation using either twitch interpolation or burst superimposition on patients with knee injuries or surgeries such as anterior cruciate ligament deficiency (ACLd), anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLr), and anterior knee pain (AKP). DATA EXTRACTION Means, measures of variability, and prevalence of quadriceps activation (QA) failure (<95%) were recorded for experiments involving ACLd (10), ACLr (5), and AKP (3). DATA SYNTHESIS A total of 21 data sets from 18 studies were initially identified. Data from 3 studies (1 paper reporting data for both ACLd and ACLr, 1 on AKP, and the postarthroscopy paper) were excluded from the primary analyses because only graphical data were reported. Of the remaining 17 data sets (from 15 studies), weighted mean QA in 352 ACLd patients was 87.3% on the involved side, 89.1% on the uninvolved side, and 91% in control participants. The QA failure prevalence ranged from 0% to 100%. Weighted mean QA in 99 total ACLr patients was 89.2% on the involved side, 84% on the uninvolved side, and 98.5% for the control group, with prevalence ranging from 0% to 71%. Thirty-eight patients with AKP averaged 78.6% on the involved side and 77.7% on the contralateral side. Bilateral QA failure was commonly reported in patients. CONCLUSIONS Quadriceps activation failure is common in patients with ACLd, ACLr, and AKP and is often observed bilaterally.
Explaining educational differences in sickness absence: a population-based follow-up study.

OBJECTS There is a marked socioeconomic gradient in sickness absences, but the causes of this gradient are poorly understood. This study examined the role of health and work-related factors as determinants of educational differences in long-term sickness absence in an 8-year follow-up. METHODS The study comprised a population-based sample of 5835 Finns aged 30-64 years (participation 89%, N=3946) in a register-based 8-year follow-up. This is a novel method to predict the population average of sickness absence days per working year (DWY) based on the expected outcome values using Poisson and gamma regression models. RESULTS The difference in the DWY between the lowest and highest educational level was clear among both men (3.2 days/year versus 8.0 days/year) and women (women 4.4 days/year versus 10.1 days/year). Adjusting for physical working conditions, health status and health behavior, and obesity attenuated the differences. Psychosocial working conditions had only a minor effect on the association. After adjusting for health and work-related factors, the difference attenuated by 1.8 days and 2.6 days among men and women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that improvements in physical working conditions and reducing smoking, particularly among employees with a low level of education, may markedly reduce educational differences in sickness absence.
Uteroplacental blood flow measured by placental scintigraphy during epidural anaesthesia for caesarean section

The uteroplacental blood flow was measured before and during epidural anaesthesia for caesarean section in 11 women. The blood flow was measured with dynamic placental scintigraphy. After an i.v. injection of indium‐113m chloride, the gamma radiation over the placenta was recorded with a computer‐linked scintillation camera. The uteroplacental blood flow could be calculated from the isotope accumulation curve. The anaesthesia was performed with bupivacaine plain 0.5%, 18–22 ml and a preload of a balanced electrolyte solution 10 ml/kg b.w. was given. The placental blood flow decreased in eight patients and increased in three with a median change of – 21%, not being statistically significant. No correlation between maternal blood pressure and placental blood flow was found.
Leverage and Debt Maturity: The Implication of Size and Market Quotation

This thesis aims to add empirical evidence to the corporate finance literature by looking at the financing decisions with a specific application to small companies in the context of the UK relatively highly regulated Main market, versus the lightly regulated Alternative Investment Market (AIM). I do this by gathering data on all quoted dead and alive companies in both markets from 1995 to 2008. I then split my sample firms in each market into different size groups and test my hypothesis within and across each group and each market. The thesis consists of six chapters. After an introductory chapter, I review the existing literature on capital structure and debt maturity controversies with an emphasis on recent empirical work. The next three chapters consist of three research papers. The first paper looks at the capital structure decisions of companies quoted in AIM and Main market across different size groups. In the second research paper, the maturity structure of debt is investigated in both markets. The third research paper tests the determinants of the delisting decision, particularly the effect of leverage using a sample of AIM companies. In the last chapter, I provide a summary of the main conclusions of the study and highlight some promising ideas for future research.
Shareholder Value and the Articulation of P/B and Stock Return in Egypt’s Case50 Index

This study examines the contribution of fundamental financial information to shareholders value in Egypt stock exchange. The sample consists of the thirty one non financial firms included in the stock market index CASE50. The results indicate that certain financial fundamentals are quite informative, thus contribute to shareholder value significantly. Regarding the classification of financial fundamentals, the results indicate that shareholder value is significantly associated with firms’ liquidity, assets efficiency, expense control and leverage. The merits of this paper are three fold. First, this paper is the first study in the Egyptian index that addresses how to support shareholder value, which is one of the fundamental targets of the investment in financial markets. Second, the paper presents a proof that the P/B ratio (being a proxy for shareholder value) takes into account the stock returns as well. This renders the P/B ratio very good proxy for the measurement of shareholder value. Third, the estimation procedure addresses the true relationship between the variables through examining the exponential relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The results indicate that the exponential relationship improves the results significantly. Certain policy implications are drawn to support the credibility and informativeness of the shareholder value in the CASE50 index.
QUANTIFICATION OF LEISHMANIA INFANTUM PARASITES IN TISSUE BIOPSIES BY REAL-TIME POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION AND POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION–ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY

Most of the experimental studies of Leishmania spp. infection require the determination of the parasite load in different tissues. Quantification of parasites by microscopy is not very sensitive and is time consuming, whereas culture microtitrations remain laborious and can be jeopardized by microbial contamination. The aim of this study was to quantify Leishmania infantum parasites by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific DNA TaqMan® probes and to compare the efficacy of detection of this technique with a PCR–enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). For this purpose, spleen and liver samples from L. infantum–infected mice were collected during a 3-mo longitudinal study and analyzed by both methods. PCR– ELISA failed to quantify Leishmania spp. DNA in samples with very low or very high numbers of parasites. Real-time PCR was more sensitive than PCR–ELISA, detecting down to a single parasite, and enabled the parasite quantification over a wide, 5-log range. In summary, this study developed a method for absolute quantification of L. infantum parasites in infected organs using real-time TaqMan® PCR.
Where do you run after you run for cover? The impact on premium changes on the characteristics of the privately insured in Australia

We develop and estimate a model of individual decisions to enrol in private health insurance in Australia in order to understand the effect of three specific government programs that changed the structure of premiums facing consumers. The three reforms encompass incomebased subsidies to purchasing health insurance, an across-the-board 30% reduction in premiums, and a selective age-based increase in premiums for new entrants. Our model of the timing of the insurance choice enables us to understand how particular aspects of the reforms affected the age and income distribution of those with private cover. Together the reforms achieved significant increases in enrolment and a reduction in the average age of enrolees over a five year period. Despite expectations that the more favourable selection resulting from the public subsidies would cause insurance premiums to stabilize, or even to fall, they have continued to increase at a rate well in excess of the CPI. Understanding how changes in enrolment are related to family characteristics, and the impact of the insurance reforms on enrolment, is an important policy issue both in Australia and overseas.
Quantum Superposition in the Retina: Evidences and Proposals

The retina is a light-sensitive layer is structured at the plane outer segments of an array of millions of individual nano-antennas. Apparently, the retina is one of the best known quantum detectors with rod cells able to respond to a single photon. It seems, the retina is an excellent photon counter and quantum processing of information occurs within the retina and subsequent processing of information at the level of neural membranes decrease the quantum efficiency. In this article we review on some evidences of quantum processing in the retina and finally propose some proposal experiments and ideas to detect quantum superposition in the retina.
The ocular pathology of type A Niemann-Pick disease. A light and electron microscopic study.

Niemann-Pick disease, a disorder of sphingomyelin metabolism due to lack of the enzyme sphingomyelinase, has been known for many years to cause storage of sphingomyelin and cholesterol in brain and abdominal viscera. A cherry-red spot has indicated retinal involvement, as toell. The present pathologic findings in the eyes of a patient loith Type A Niemann-Pick disease confirm recent clinical impressions of more widespread ocular involvement. Sphingolipid storage in corneal stroma and endothelium and lens epithelium offers an explanation for the subtle opacities seen in these structures clinically. The further involvement of iris sphincter muscle, ciliary epithelium, retinal pigment epithelium, and vascular endothelium has no recognized clinical counterpart, but is consistent with the normal wide distribution of sphingomyelin as a constituent of cytoplasm and cell membranes in animal tissues.
Measuring Service Quality: A Test-retest Reliability Investigation of Servqual

The SERVQUAL scale has been widely used by both academics and practising managers to measure service quality, but recent research has raised concerns about the reliability of SERVQUAL. Using the test-retest correlation method, this paper assesses short and long range stability of SERVQUAL. The results indicate that the SERVQUAL scale is not stable over time as revealed by the insignificant correlation between the test scores and retest scores. Although items in the expectation battery of the SERVQUAL scale remain fairly stable over time, the performance items are subject to instability even in a one-week test-retest interval. These results seem to cast doubt on the usefulness of using SERVQUAL performance items to measure service quality.
PENGARUH NILAI TUKAR RUPIAH TERHADAP RETURN SAHAM DENGAN PROFITABILITAS SEBAGAI VARIABEL INTERVENING

Returns and profitability is the target to be achieved by all companies. Many things affect the return of which is the exchange rate. The research is aiming to determine the effect of the exchange rate on stock returns in the stock exchanges of Indonesia hospitality industry with profitability as an intervening variable The population in this research are all the companies in the hospitality industry are listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the period 2012-2013. The data is analyzed by path analysis (path analysis), supported by SPSS version 17.0 The results of this study shows that: (1) exchange rate negative effect on the profitability of return while positive impact on return. (2) the effect of the exchange rate returns through greater profitability than the direct effect of exchange rate on return. Recommended for future research to increase the variables that affect the return and also expand the sample to the research results could be better.
A study of the action of amlodipine on adrenergically regulated sodium handling by the kidney in normotensive and hypertensive rats

1 An investigation was undertaken to examine the effect of calcium channel blockade, induced by amlodipine, on the ability of the renal sympathetic nerves to cause an antidiuresis and anti‐natriuresis in normotensive Sprague Dawley and spontaneously hypertensive rats anaesthetized with pentobarbitone. 2 Low frequency renal nerve stimulation in normotensive rats, which did not change renal blood flow, caused a 15% reduction in glomerular filtration rate and was associated with falls in urine flow of 37%, absolute sodium excretion of 47%, and fractional sodium excretion of 38%. The magnitude of these renal excretory changes was unaffected by prior administration of amlodipine at either 200 μg kg−1 plus 50 μg kg−1 h−1 or 400 μg kg−1 plus 100 μg kg−1 h−1. Amlodipine given in the higher dose, decreased basal levels of blood pressure and increased basal urine flow and sodium excretion. 3 In spontaneously hypertensive rats, renal nerve stimulation minimally affected renal haemodynamics but decreased urine flow, absolute and fractional sodium excretion by 29%, 31% and 24%, respectively. 4 Similar renal nerve stimulation in spontaneously hypertensive rats given amlodipine at 200 μg kg−1 plus 50 μg kg−1 h−1 or 400 μg kg−1 plus 100 μg kg−1 h−1 caused minimal changes in renal haemodynamics and in the excretion of water and sodium. The higher dose of drug resulted in decreased blood pressure and increased basal rates of urine flow and sodium excretion. 5 These data show that in spontaneously hypertensive rats but not normotensive rats, calcium channel blockade inhibited the ability of the renal nerves to stimulate the reabsorptive processes for sodium at the renal tubule. This indicated that in spontaneous hypertension the post‐receptor mechanisms had changed and become more dependent on the inward movement of calcium.
Relation of Chlamydia Pneumoniae Infection to Documented Coronary Artery Disease in Shiraz, Southern Iran

The possibility that infectious agents may trigger a cascade of reactions leading to inflammation, atherogenesis, and vascular thrombotic events has recently been raised. Chlamydia pneumoniae is one of those that have received the most investigative attention with respect to coronary artery disease (CAD). This study was undertaken for the first time in Shiraz, Iran to determine this relationship. A case-control study was conducted in 167 subjects (81 women and 86 men) who underwent coronary angiography at cardiac catheterization laboratories of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Hospitals. Immunoglobulin G (IgG), and IgA antibodies to C. pneumoniae antigen were estimated in baseline serum samples from 109 patients (mean age 57 years) experiencing a coronary event and from their matched controls (n=58, mean age 50 years) by ELISA method. The prevalence of IgG and IgA antibodies to C. pneumoniae did not show any case-control differences (82.6% vs 74.1% and 22% vs 15.5%, respectively). These results suggest that although C. pneumoniae was highly prevalent among these patients, it did not appear to be associated with angiographically documented CAD and cannot be regarded as a positive predictor for the development of acute coronary syndrome.