Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biofilm formation by Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major healthcare-associated disease worldwide. Recurring infections and increasing antibiotic resistance have complicated treatment of CDI. While C. difficile spores are important for transmission and persistence of CDI, other factors such as gut colonization and formation of bacterial communities in the gut may also contribute to pathogenesis and persistence, but have not been well investigated. Recently, we reported that important clinical C. difficile strains are able to form composite biofilms in vitro. C. difficile biofilm formation is a complex process, modulated by several different factors, including cell surface components and regulators. We also reported that bacteria within biofilms are more resistant to high concentrations of vancomycin, the antibiotic of choice for treatment of CDI. Here we summarize our recent findings and discuss the implications of biofilm formation by this anaerobic gut pathogen in disease pathogenesis and treatment.
Impact of Executive Functioning and Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on Children's Peer Relations and School Performance

This study examined the predictive relations from symptoms of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and executive functioning (EF) to social and school functioning in 112 (62 girls) school children. High levels of teacher and parent ratings of ADHD symptoms at the ages of 8–81/2 years, and poor EF measured at the age of 81/2, were associated with poor social functioning measured by peer nominations and poor teacher ratings of school functioning at the age of 91/2. ADHD symptoms independently predicted social and school functioning, whereas EF independently predicted only school functioning. Interaction effects between ADHD and EF and between EF and gender were found: At high levels of symptoms of inattention, the poorer the EF, the greater the need for special education. At high levels of symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity, the poorer the EF, the higher the levels of physical aggression. Girls with poor EF were less accepted by peers than equivalent boys.
Relationship among Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbopelvic Sagittal Alignment in Healthy Adults

Purpose. To evaluate the association between cervical sagittal alignment and thoracic/lumbopelvic sagittal alignment in healthy Japanese adults. Methods. 30 male and 22 female healthy adults aged 22 to 50 years were recruited. Spinal parameters were measured on radiographs, including the cervical sagittal vertical axis, sagittal vertical axis, C7 tilt angle, Ishihara index for cervical lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, and pelvic incidence. Results. The C7 tilt angle positively correlated with the Ishihara index (r=0.52, p<0.0001) and thoracic kyphosis (r=0.53, p<0.0001). The Ishihara index positively correlated with thoracic kyphosis (r=0.34, p=0.01) and C7 tilt angle (r=0.52, p<0.0001). Pelvic incidence positively correlated with sacral slope (r=0.45, p=0.001), lumbar lordosis (r=0.26, p=0.07), and pelvic tilt (r=0.29, p=0.03). Compared with men, women had a smaller Ishihara index (0.07 vs. 0.001, p=0.03), thoracic kyphosis (30.5° vs 24.1°, p=0.02), and C7 tilt angle (23.1° vs. 16.8°, p=0.02). Women had less cervical lordosis and thoracic kyphosis, that is, a straighter cervico-thoracic sagittal alignment. Conclusion. In healthy Japanese adults, cervical sagittal alignment is associated with thoracic sagittal alignment but not with lumbopelvic alignment.
Lifestyle Oriented Small Tourism Firms

Small tourism firms in attractive tourism destinations are often generically described as ‘lifestyle’ oriented. A discourse on what the prefix ‘lifestyle’ means, when attached to small tourism firms in different economic and social contexts has been developing for a decade now, reaching a point of complexity and contradiction. In order to explore this ubiquitous, yet nebulous term, the relevant literature and associated discourse is reviewed with the aim of understanding the motives, meanings, values and contexts of these lifestyle oriented small tourism (LOST) firms. It is concluded that there are many deficiencies in both the conceptualization as well as the content of current research in this increasingly important area. A multi-disciplinary and systemic model for understanding the interactions and interdependencies of the different dimensions of LOST firms is presented.
The Probability of Leaving a Low-Paid Job in Spain: The Importance of Switching into Permanent Employment

This paper is aimed at analyzing the opportunities of getting a better paid job for those workers at the bottom of the earnings distribution. For this purpose I use the European Community Household Panel Survey (ECHP, 1995-2001), from which a sample of Spanish workers aged 16-64 years old has been drawn. The econometric technique consists of a Heckman selection probit model that allows me to account for the endogeneity of initial conditions. Results show that switching into permanent contract, either when remaining with the current employer or when changing employer significantly increases the likelihood of leaving a low pay situation.
Markets: The Credit Rating Agencies

This paper will explore how the financial regulatory structure propelled three credit rating agencies -- Moody's, Standard & Poor's (S&P), and Fitch -- to the center of the U.S. bond markets -- and thereby virtually guaranteed that when these rating agencies did make mistakes, these mistakes would have serious consequences for the financial sector. We begin by looking at some relevant history of the industry, including the series of events that led financial regulators to outsource their judgments to the credit rating agencies (by requiring financial institutions to use the specific bond creditworthiness information that was provided by the major rating agencies) and when the credit rating agencies shifted their business model from "investor pays" to "issuer pays. " We then look at how the credit rating industry evolved and how its interaction with regulatory authorities served as a barrier to entry. We then show how these ingredients combined to contribute to the subprime mortgage debacle and associated financial crisis. Finally, we consider two possible routes for public policy with respect to the credit rating industry: One route would tighten the regulation of the rating agencies, while the other route would reduce the required centrality of the rating agencies and thereby open up the bond information process in a way that has not been possible since the 1930s.
Challenges and Strategies to Educational Change - School Based Curriculum

Since taking responsibility for government in 1997, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has launched a series of education reform measure. In the Learning to Learn, Consultation Document (Curriculum Development Council, 2001), the policy of school based curriculum is advocated. The aim is to allow "schools to have more autonomy in choosing some contents more relevant to their students so long as they are in line with the curriculum aims, strands, principles of learning/teaching, with justifiable modifications that suit their students most" (CDC, 2000:47). This paper reports a case study of a local primary school in implementing the school based curriculum in General Studies (GS) in the past three years. The methodology employed includes interviewing different stakes-holders, i.e. head teacher, GS panel, level co-coordinators and subject teachers so as to study why they initiated such educational change, the strategies teachers employed and difficulties they encountered. Parents and students were also invited to fill in questionnaire to tell their perception of school based curriculum and learning in GS lessons. A model is thus presented. It is hoped that the analysis will provide insight for teachers and administrators who want to initiate educational change in schools. In order to institutionalize educational change, teachers have to find meaning in the process of educational change, supported by the administration and facilitated by coherent school policies.
Birth Outcome of Children Fathered by Men Treated with Systemic Corticosteroids during the Conception Period – A Cohort Study based on Nationwide Data

Information on the safety of paternal use of medications prior to the time of conception is limited, and there is little available evidence regarding possible adverse effects of paternal use of systemic corticosteroids (SCS). In this cohort study, based on nationwide data, we examined the association between paternal use of SCS prior to conception and adverse birth outcome. The study includes data from all singletons born in Denmark from 1 January 1997 through 2013 (N = 1,013,994). Children fathered by men who redeemed a prescription of SCS within 3 months before conception (N = 2380) constituted the exposed groups. The outcome was congenital abnormalities (CAs), pre‐term birth and small‐for‐gestational age (SGA). We adjusted for co‐variates in multi‐level logistic regression analyses. The adjusted odds ratios for pre‐term birth and SGA were 0.81 (95% CI: 0.55–1.21) and 1.06 (95% CI: 0.68–1.64), respectively. The adjusted odds ratios for CAs were 1.08 (95% CI: 0.87–1.40) in children fathered by men who redeemed one prescription within 3 months before conception and 1.33 (95% CI: 0.99–1.79) in children fathered by men who redeemed two or more prescriptions. This study is the largest to date examining the effect of paternal use of SCS prior to conception on birth outcome. We found no significantly increased risk of pre‐term birth or SGA. In children of fathers who redeemed at least two prescriptions of SCS within 3 months before conception, we found an increased risk of CAs, though not statistically significant. The types of CAs did not show a distinct pattern.
How Well Do Financial and Macroeconomic Variables Predict Stock Returns: Time-Series and Cross-Sectional Evidence

Recent evidence of mean reversion in stock returns has led to an explosion in the development of forecasting variables. This paper evaluates the relative performance of these many variables in both time-series and cross-sectional setups. We collect the different measures and compare their forecasting ability for stock returns, and we examine the forecasting variables’ ability to reduce pricing errors in the conditional C-CAPM. A key result of the analysis is that the traditional pricedividend ratio performs surprisingly well compared to the many new forecasting variables. We also find that at short and mid-range horizons Lettau and Ludvigson’s (2001a) consumption-aggregate wealth variable offers the strongest forecasting ability, although this variable’s predictive ability is sensitive to the sample period chosen. At longer horizons, price-normalized variables such as the traditional price-dividend ratio, the price-consumption ratio of Menzly et al. (2004), and the price-output variable of Rangvid (2006) outperform the other variables. These variables also turn out to be superior in reducing pricing errors in the conditional C-CAPM. Thus, the same set of variables dominate in both time-series and cross-sectional settings
Social capital in divided societies: Development of a social capital questionnaire in Northern Ireland

The population of Northern Ireland is highly divided by religion across multiple aspects of social life including residence, education and employment. Increased understanding of the bonds between and across religious groups may shed light on the nature of group relations within this society. The social capital questionnaire (SCQ) was adapted for use in this religiously divided society. A 44 item pilot measure was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques with two independent samples (N1 = 204, N2 = 251). EFA identified nine factors while confirmatory factor analysis revealed an acceptable model fit of an eight factor solution. Social capital was lower among individuals from religiously segregated areas. Sex-differences in social capital suggest that females may play an important role in the development and maintenance of social capital stocks within and across the religious divide in Northern Ireland. Variations in the factor structure of the SCQ suggest that social capital may be structured differently in different cultures, and highlights the need to develop measures specific to the country or culture of interest.
Malignant Tumors of the Hand and Wrist

&NA; Malignant tumors in the hand and wrist compose a wide variety of lesions involving skin, soft tissues, and bone. Although these lesions are found elsewhere in the body, many have unique characteristics at this anatomic location. Skin tumors predominate; the most common are squamous cell carcinomas, followed in frequency by basal cell carcinomas and malignant melanomas. Other soft‐tissue malignancies are less common but may present more difficult diagnostic problems. They often appear as painless masses that sometimes have been present for months or even years and deceptively appear to be benign. A missed or delayed diagnosis of these tumors can have devastating consequences. Bone malignancies involve both primary lesions, of which chondrosarcomas are the most common, and metastatic lesions. Regardless of cell type, treatment of malignant tumors in the hand and wrist requires special considerations because of the important function of these structures. Orthopaedic surgeons should be familiar with the spectrum of these tumors, the work‐up necessary to arrive at a precise diagnosis, and the treatment that will achieve the most favorable outcome.
Avian Influenza H6 Viruses Productively Infect and Cause Illness in Mice and Ferrets

ABSTRACT Influenza pandemic preparedness has focused on influenza virus H5 and H7 subtypes. However, it is not possible to predict with certainty which subtype of avian influenza virus will cause the next pandemic, and it is prudent to include other avian influenza virus subtypes in pandemic preparedness efforts. An H6 influenza virus was identified as a potential progenitor of the H5N1 viruses that emerged in Hong Kong in 1997. This virus continues to circulate in the bird population in Asia, and other H6 viruses are prevalent in birds in North America and Asia. The high rate of reassortment observed in influenza viruses and the prevalence of H6 viruses in birds suggest that this subtype may pose a pandemic risk. Very little is known about the replicative capacity, immunogenicity, and correlates of protective immunity for low-pathogenicity H6 influenza viruses in mammals. We evaluated the antigenic and genetic relatedness of 14 H6 influenza viruses and their abilities to replicate and induce a cross-reactive immune response in two animal models: mice and ferrets. The different H6 viruses replicated to different levels in the respiratory tracts of mice and ferrets, causing varied degrees of morbidity and mortality in these two models. H6 virus infection induced similar patterns of neutralizing antibody responses in mice and ferrets; however, species-specific differences in the cross-reactivity of the antibody responses were observed. Overall, cross-reactivity of neutralizing antibodies in H6 virus-infected mice did not correlate well with protection against heterologous wild-type H6 viruses. However, we have identified an H6 virus that induces protective immunity against viruses in the North American and Eurasian lineages.
Drivers and Outcomes of Long‐Term Orientation in Cooperative Relationships

We argue in this paper that a buyer may deliberately develop long‐term orientation as a governance mechanism to deal with risks arising from exchange hazards, and to reduce the opportunistic behaviour of a supplier. While the exchange hazards of asset specificity pose a safeguarding problem, those of market uncertainty pose an adaptation problem. We test our model on a sample of 221 procurement partnerships. Our results show that satisfactory prior history of a supplier, asset specificity of the buyer and market uncertainty are all positively related to a buyer's long‐term orientation towards a supplier. Consistent with the idea that asset specificity and market uncertainty pose different governance problems, we find that satisfactory prior history reduces the positive relationship between asset specificity and a buyer's long‐term orientation, but enhances the positive relationship between market uncertainty and a buyer's long‐term orientation. We also find that a buyer's long‐term orientation fully mediates the relationship between satisfactory prior history and a supplier's opportunistic behaviour. Finally, implications on the theory and the practices of relationship governance are discussed.
Asset Pricing in Partially Segmented Markets: Evidence from the Finnish Market

This paper analyzes asset pricing in a partially segmented market where citizens of a small country are allowed to hold only their domestic securities, whereas the rest of the investors (“foreigners”) are essentially allowed to hold all securities. In this market setting it may occur that the citizens of the small country are willing to pay less for their domestic securities than are the foreign investors. The paper derives equilibrium required rates of return for different investors in this market setting which perfectly occurred in Finland and tests this equilibrium model using data from the Finnish stock market. Empirical results are consistent with the hypotheses derived from the model.
Voluntary Disclosure of Balance Sheet Information in Quarterly Earnings Announcements

We investigate a pervasive voluntary disclosure practice ? managers including balance sheets with quarterly earnings announcements. Consistent with expectations, we find that managers voluntarily disclose balance sheets when current earnings are relatively less informative, or when future earnings are relatively more uncertain. Specifically, balance sheet disclosures are more likely among firms: (1) in high technology industries; (2) reporting losses; (3) with larger forecast errors; (4) engaging in mergers or acquisitions; (5) that are younger; and (6) with more volatile stock returns. This is consistent with managers disclosing balance sheets in response to investor demand for value relevant information to supplement earnings.
Implementing ISO 9000: A study of its benefits among Australian organizations

This paper aims to establish the benefits which may accrue from the adoption of ISO 9000 standards and to identify further the potential problems associated with the development and maintenance of these standards. The overall objective is to develop an understanding of the most eff ective means of introducing and maintaining a quality management system in ways that will maximize benefits to the organization. The paper first presents a review of the literature which establishes the major reasons for, and the benefits of, the introduction of ISO 9000. This is followed by the results of an Australian survey on the adoption of ISO 9000 standards. This survey is part of larger study investigating the impediments to the adoption of quality management practices in Australian firms. A content analysis to identify strategic business benefits and operational business benefits is then carried out on 50 case studies of Australian businesses which had introduced quality assurance and/or had achieved third-party certif.
An analysis of new firm survival using a hazard function

A unique data set is used to provide a detailed examination of the survival of newly established manufacturing firms in north-east England. Using data on 781 firms established between 1973 and 2001, log-logistic hazard models are estimated separately for (i) micro-enterprises and (ii) small and medium establishments (SMEs). Both micro-enterprises and SMEs show clear evidence of positive duration dependence, followed by negative duration dependence. We find the two firm types are differentially affected by firm-specific and macro-economic variables. Increases in initial plant size impact negatively on micro-enterprise survival and positively on SME survival.
Strategic Candidates, Campaign Dynamics, and Campaign Advertising in Gubernatorial Races

Political campaigns are dynamic struggles between candidates to define the informational context for voters. Although much research describes how campaigns unfold or explores their effects on voters, less attention has been given to developing and testing a dynamic theory of candidate interaction during campaigns. In this study, the authors examine three different theories of candidate behavior, testing each using data on the TV advertisements aired in 23 gubernatorial elections held in 2002. The analysis examines both the total advertising efforts and the total negative advertising efforts of candidates in these races, differentiating between candidates based on partisanship, incumbency status, and whether they won or lost. The authors find support for all three theories, demonstrating their complementary nature and the value of analyzing campaigns as dynamic processes.
Blunted Heart Rate Circadian Rhythms in Small for Gestational Age Infants during the Early Neonatal Period

Abstract Infants born with intrauterine growth restriction are at increased risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes in neonatal and later life. Although circadian rhythm is a prognostic marker of cardiovascular health, the concern over the circadian rhythm of these infants is rarely observed. To determine the influence of intrauterine growth retardation on the pattern of circadian rhythm, heart rate (HR) circadian rhythmicity was analyzed in 39 small for gestational age (SGA; birth weight and height below <−2.0 standard deviation score [SDS]) and 117 appropriate for gestational age (AGA; >−1.5 to <1.5 SDS) infants within 72 hours of birth using spectral analysis and cosinor analysis. Amplitude, midline estimating statistic of rhythm, and acrophase calculated from circadian rhythm were analyzed with clinical variables. A significant HR circadian rhythm was observed in 23.1% of the SGA and 24.8% of the AGA group without significant differences; however, SGA infants exhibited remarkable smaller amplitudes compared with AGA in all gestational age (GA) groups (p < 0.001). Amplitudes in AGA infants were positively correlated with the GA or body composition relevant variables (p < 0.001, respectively), but not SGA infants. The blunted HR circadian rhythmicity in SGA infants showed in this study might indicate the vulnerability to pathophysiological condition and could potentially refer to cardiovascular disease in later life.
Consumer Acceptance of Genetically Modified Foods in Korea: Factor and Cluster Analysis

This study extends biotechnology discourse to cover South Korea in the Asian sub-continent showing a marked difference in perceptions between traditional and GM foods. Factor analysis suggests South Koreans may treat foods that are locally produced and those with no artificial flavors or colorings preferentially to GM foods. Additionally, South Koreans have concerns about perceived risks related to biotechnology, and, given a choice, they may pay more to avoid GM foods. Cluster analysis results yielded four consumer segments: (a) ardent supporters of the attribute of “naturalness” in foods, (b) those apprehensive about biotechnology, (c) the food adventurous, and (d) information seekers about biotechnology.