Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Economic Growth in Laos

This paper identifies the key determinants of economic growth in Laos, using annual timeseries data from 1980 to 2010. To avoid the problems of non-stationary associated with time series analysis, the Dickey-Fuller unit roots statistic is checked in order to ascertain whether the variables are stationary. This prevents problems of spurious results in the regressions by transforming the dependent and independent variables in the first different operator form. This paper contributes on the on-going research issue whether foreign aid and trade liberalization help developing countries to foster their growth. The findings show that trade openness and foreign aid contribute to economic growth in Laos. Furthermore, foreign direct investment, domestic investment, government expenditure, labour force and being a member of ASEAN also found to have positive effects on the performance of the economy, whereas the population growth has a negative impact. This is in line with the argument that a large population is related to the capacity of government expenditure to provide the people with social services efficiently, thereby negatively impact development. To sustain a high rate of growth, this paper suggests improving the trade policy orientation, based on value-added products for exporting, together with investment policy adoption and tourism promotion based on the potential resources of the country. The foreign aid allocation should be focused on specific areas, such as (1) promoting economic growth and (2) direct intervention for the poor, and ensured the positive effectiveness with accountability and transparency methods for aid allocation.
Naturalistic observations of elicited expressive communication of children with autism

This study observed expressive communication of 17 Australian and 15 Taiwanese children with autism who were mute or had limited spoken language during 2 hour regular school routines and analyzed teacher instructions associated with elicited expressive communication. Results indicated: (a) the frequency of occurrence of elicited expressive communication was very low; (b) the incidence of elicited expressive communication was negatively correlated with autism severity; (c) verbal prompt and a combination of verbal prompt and modeling were the most common types of teacher instruction and the use of physical prompt was a rate event; (d) modeling and verbal prompt were positively correlated with speech and unaided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and a combination of verbal prompt and modeling was positively associated with aided AAC; and (e) modeling, verbal prompt, and a combination of modeling and verbal prompt were positively correlated with requesting function and commenting function was positively correlated with modeling and verbal prompt.
Physiotherapy as a first point of contact in general practice: a solution to a growing problem?

Aim To evaluate the clinical effectiveness, patient satisfaction and economic efficacy of a physiotherapy service providing musculoskeletal care, as an alternative to GP care. Background There is a growing demand on general practice resources. A novel ‘1st Line Physiotherapy Service’ was evaluated in two GP practices (inner city practice, university practice). Physiotherapy, as a first point of contact, was provided as an alternative to GP care for patients with musculoskeletal complaints. Participants A convenience cohort sample of over 500 patients with a musculoskeletal complaint was assessed within the physiotherapy service. For the economic evaluation a cohort of 100 GP patients was retrospectively reviewed. Method Clinical outcome measures were collected at assessment, one and six months following assessment. Patient satisfaction was collected at assessment. An economic evaluation was undertaken on the physiotherapy cohort of patients and compared to a retrospective cohort of patients (n=100) seen by a GP. This evaluation considered only the health care perspective (primary and secondary care). Societal issues such as absence from employment were not considered. Results There were no adverse events associated with the physiotherapy service. Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the physiotherapy service. Patients managed within the 1st Line Physiotherapy Service demonstrated clinical improvements (EQ-5D-5L, Global Rating of Change) at the six-month point. There was a statistically significant difference in favour of the physiotherapy groups using a non-parametric bootstrap test; inner city practice, mean difference in costs=£538.01 (P =0.006; 95% CI; £865.678, £226.98), university practice mean difference in costs=£295.83 (P=0.044; 95% CI; £585.16, £83.69). Conclusion The limitations of this pragmatic service evaluation are acknowledged. Nevertheless, the physiotherapy service appears to provide a safe and efficacious service. The service is well received by patients. There appear to be potential financial implications to the health economy. Physiotherapists, as a first point of contact for patients with musculoskeletal-related complaints, could contribute to the current challenges faced in primary care.
Mobile shopping motivation: an application of multiple discriminant analysis

Purpose – This study aims to examine mobile shoppers' shopping motivations compared with those of non‐mobile shoppers (i.e. potential adopters) and to identify driving motivations for consumers to use the mobile shopping channel.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 400 mobile service users was drawn from a purchased consumer panel who completed a web‐based survey. Multiple discriminant analysis was used to analyze the data.Findings – The results indicate that idea, efficiency, adventure, and gratification shopping motivations are significant determinants of mobile shoppers, implying that those shopping motivations are push factors of mobile shopping.Research limitations/implications – The sample of this study consists primarily of US consumers with the largest group of respondents aged 19 to 30 years old; thus, the result may have a limited application to other countries and other age groups. Future research is encouraged to categorize mobile shopping service characteristics into shopping motivations.
Investigation of the rotating arc plasma generated in transverse magnetic field (TMF) contacts of vacuum interrupter

The present paper deals with the problem of the TMF interruption systems breaking capability concerning vacuum circuit breakers. The main goal is a better understanding of the physical phenomena taking place during the interruption process, for high currents, corresponding to short-circuit regime in the electrical networks. The arc appearance and its behaviour were explored with a dedicafed optical sqstem. An example of spatial and temporal distribution of the arc light intensity is presented. Specific peculiarities of the optical spectra recorded in the proximi@ of the short circuit current zero (C.Z.) moments are reported. Different current interruption situations are correlated with plasma spectral diagnosis. On this basis the authors try to define a set of plasma parameters which are critical in the studied interruption processes.
Corporate social responsibility in B2B relationships: Examining the effects of multifaceted supplier CSR on business customers trust

Abstract This study presents a model which integrates supplier CSR reputation, business customer trust and relationship commitment. In detail, while a supplier’s economic and legal CSR reputations are hypothesized to affect a business customer’s credibility-based trust in a focal supplier, ethical and philanthropic CSR reputations are hypothesized to affect benevolence-based trust. The proposed framework was tested using data from 129 buying firms based in Germany. Results showed that a supplier’s legal CSR reputation influenced a business customer’s credibility-based trust. In contrast, a supplier’s ethical and philanthropic CSR reputations were found to influence a business customer’s benevolence-based trust. No significant relationship was found between a supplier’s economic CSR reputation and credibility-based trust. In response to increasing calls to stretch the research scope of CSR concepts from consumer research to B2B marketing research, this study offers empirical evidence suggesting that supplier CSR may have positive effects on business customers’ outcomes, as reflected in increased levels of business customer trust in buyer–supplier relationships.
Manometry combined with cervical puncture in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Objective: To determine by cerebral venography and manometry in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension the cause of the previously demonstrated venous hypertension in the superior sagittal and proximal transverse sinuses. Methods: Cerebral venous sinus pressure was measured before and immediately after C1-2 puncture with removal of 20 to 25 mL of CSF. Results: Lowering the intracranial pressure by lateral C1-2 puncture during manometry has shown that the venous hypertension resolves immediately. Conclusion: These studies indicate that the venous hypertension is due to compression of the transverse sinuses by raised intracranial pressure and not due to a primary obstructive process in the cerebral venous sinuses.
MOLECULAR GENETIC ANALYSIS OF NEUROPEPTIDE Y ( NPY ) GENE IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIA

Cardiac arrhythmia is any group of conditions in which the electrical activity of the heart is irregular or is faster or slower than normal. In a normal resting adult the heart rate should be with in 60 beats to 100 beats per minute. In arrhythmia, the heart rate either goes beyond 100 or below 60 beats per minute and this is called tachycardia and bradycardia respectively. Some of the symptoms of arrhythmia may be palpitations, feeling light headed, and oozing consciousness, shortness of breath and chest pain. Cardiac arrhythmias constitute a major cause of death and disability, with an estimated 300,000 cases of sudden cardiac death annually in the United States alone (1). The heart is powered by an electrical impulse that signals the heart’s four chambers to contract, each at a proper time. This can be measured using an Electrocardiogram (ECG). The electrical activity seen is created by sequential and sometimes simultaneous activity of a number of channels in the muscle membrane of the heart tissue which allow certain ions to cross into or out of the cell. These may be sodium, calcium,
Splenic rupture as the presenting symptom of blastic crisis in a patient with Philadelphia‐negative, bcr‐abl‐positive ET

Glomerular abnormalities in S-b thal patients were also evident; in fact, 4 patients had mild proteinuria while six more patients also had microal-buminuria. Serum erythropoietin (EPO) levels were higher in S-b thal patients than in normal subjects but lower than expected for the degree of anemia. There was a strong correlation between hemoglobin concentration and EPO levels ( R 4 0.48, P < 0.01) which was stronger in patients with GFR less than 80 ml/min. This finding supports the notion that low EPO production for the hematocrit value is to some extent responsible for the anemia and the EPO concentration becomes the important limiting factor in red-cell production when renal insufficiency is present. Finally, despite the lack of significant differences in plasma renin activity (PRA) between patients and controls, serum aldosterone levels were higher in S-b thal patients. This increase is possibly indicative of an increased serum-independent direct secretion of aldosterone in response to a tubular dys-function-mediated increase in serum potassium
Efficiency, flexibility, or both? Evidence linking strategy to performance in small firms

This paper analyzes small firm performance in relation to efficiency and flexibility strategies. Using configuration theory, the authors propose that small firms that pursue efficiency strategies or flexibility strategies outperform those that attempt to pursue both. Additionally, size is used as a configurational attribute to develop competing hypotheses on whether efficiency strategies or flexibility strategies are better suited for small firm performance. In two samples of 200 and 144 privately‐held small firms, firms that mixed efficiency and flexibility strategies significantly underperformed. No significant performance differences were found between firms utilizing only efficiency strategies and those utilizing only flexibility strategies. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of a single swab in multi-microbe or flex trans transport medium for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis by Roche Amplicor PCR and culture in specimens from two different patient populations

The Roche Amplicor PCR increased the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis compared with culture in promptly processed clinical specimens from a local clinic (100 and 86.5%, respectively) and in samples with delayed processing transported from distant facilities (100 and 72.7%, respectively). A single swab collected in culture transport medium was used. Two media, Multi-Microbe and Flex Trans, were tested and found to be equally acceptable.
Ownership Structure and Stock Market Returns

Ownership structure matters for stock market returns. Based on a dataset of 1,565 small, medium and large sized European firms, over the period 1993-2006 family firms generate higher returns than non-family firms. Abnormal returns are statistically and economically significant. These results are robust to various specifications and hold after adjusting for industry average returns. However, the differences in performance do not seem to be completely explained by Fama and French factors model. In countries with stronger minority shareholders protection, family firms have, on average, lower returns than in countries with weak minority shareholders protection. Finally, over the period 1993-2006 the presence of an institutional blockholder in the ownership structure negatively impacts firms’ stock returns.
Examining the influences of news use patterns, motivations, and age cohort on mobile news use: The case of Hong Kong

Adopting perspectives from media displacement, complementary uses, and uses and gratifications theories, this study examines the relationships and dynamics between mobile news use and use of other mediums for accessing the news. Findings from a national sample in Hong Kong, which has among the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the world, found support for all perspectives. Those in the 18–34 and 35–54 cohorts were mostly multiplatform users of news, yet subgroup analyses reveal different patterns of complementary uses and displacement. Moreover, results showed that different gratifications predict mobile hard news use and mobile soft news use. Implications and future prospects for mobile news are discussed.
Morphine Synovial Fluid Concentrations After Intravenous Regional Limb Perfusion in Standing Horses.

OBJECTIVE To determine synovial concentrations of morphine after intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) with morphine or morphine in combination with gentamicin in clinically healthy, standing sedated horses. STUDY DESIGN Experimental. ANIMALS Adult horses (n = 6). METHODS IVRLP was performed using 0.1 mg/kg morphine (M) in standing sedated horses. After a 3-week washout period, IVRLP was performed on the same forelimb with a combination of 0.1 mg/kg morphine and 1 g gentamicin (M/G). Synovial fluid from the middle carpal joint of the perfused limb and jugular blood samples were collected immediately before each perfusion and 20 minutes, and 2, 8, and 24 hours after IVRLP. Morphine and gentamicin concentrations were determined by ELISA. Data were assessed using 2-way repeated measures ANOVA with significance set at P ≤ . 05. RESULTS Synovial fluid morphine concentrations were greatest 20 minutes after perfusion. Mean ± SD peak synovial morphine concentrations over 12 perfusions were 3903 ± 4881 ng/mL. There was no significant difference in morphine synovial concentrations after M or M/G. Plasma morphine concentrations peaked within 2 hours of perfusion (range, 11-63 ng/mL). Mean peak gentamicin concentrations in synovial fluid were 76,315 ± 39,809 ng/mL. IVRLP morphine did not cause clinically apparent adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS IVRLP in standing sedated horses results in measurable levels of morphine in synovial fluid and synovial concentrations of gentamicin after perfusion in combination with morphine are equivalent to those previously reported.
The role of investment banking in systemic risk profiles. Evidence from a panel of EU banking sectors

The goal of this study is to identify empirically how non-traditional activities affect directly the risk profiles and profitability of the banking sector. Through a dataset that covers 2678 European banks spanning the period 1996–2011 and the methodology of panel regression, the empirical findings document that investment banks have a negative effect on systemic risk in the banking sector. To show the heterogeneity of systemic risk determinants, the study sample was divided according to the economic development of a country into two groups: advanced and developing countries. We examine the implications of banks’ activity and risk-taking that manifest themselves as spreading and growing instability in the banking system. Then we explore the implications of the interaction between banking risk and structural, macroeconomic and financial market determinants. The findings have implications for both bank risk management and regulators. This paper advances the agenda of making macroprudential policy operational.
The Effect of State and Local Sales Taxes on Employment at State Borders

This paper estimates the effect of sales taxes on employment at state borders using county-level quarterly data and a newly developed data set of local tax rates. Sales tax increases, relative to cross-border neighbors, lead to losses of employment, as well as payroll and hiring, but these effects are only found in counties with large shares of residents working in another state. The effects also represent an upper-bound, largely driven by employment shifting across the state border. We also find that employment in food and beverage stores is negatively affected when cross-border neighbors adopt low sales tax rates on food.
Telomere capping proteins are structurally related to RPA with an additional telomere-specific domain

Telomeres must be capped to preserve chromosomal stability. The conserved Stn1 and Ten1 proteins are required for proper capping of the telomere, although the mechanistic details of how they contribute to telomere maintenance are unclear. Here, we report the crystal structures of the C-terminal domain of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Stn1 and the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Ten1 proteins. These structures reveal striking similarities to corresponding subunits in the replication protein A complex, further supporting an evolutionary link between telomere maintenance proteins and DNA repair complexes. Our structural and in vivo data of Stn1 identify a new domain that has evolved to support a telomere-specific role in chromosome maintenance. These findings endorse a model of an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of DNA maintenance that has developed as a result of increased chromosomal structural complexity.
Question-based Acquisition of Conceptual Indices for Multimedia Design Documentation

Information retrieval systems that use conceptual indexing to describe the information content perform better than syntactic indexing methods based on words from a text. However, since conceptual indices represent the semantics of a piece of information, it is difficult to extract them automatically from a document, and it is tedious to build them manually. We implemented an information retrieval system that acquires conceptual indices of text, graphics and videotaped documents. Our approach is to use an underlying model of the domain covered by the documents to constrain the usds queries. This facilitates question-based acquisition of conceptual indices: converting user queries into indices which accurately model the content of the documents, and can be reused. We discuss Dedal, a system that facilitates the indexing and retrieval of design documents in the mechanical engineering domain. A user formulates a query to the system, and if there is no corresponding index, Dedal uses the underlying domain model and a set of retrieval heuristics to approximate the retrieval, and ask for confirmation from the user. If the user finds the retrieved information relevant, Dedal acquires a new index based on the query. We demonstrate the relevance and coverage of the acquired indices through experimentation.
Occurrence of Root Caries in Relation to Dental Health Behavior

We studied the relationship between the occurrence of untreated root caries and a subject's dental health habits, such as the frequency of tooth-brushing, the avoidance of sugar, and regularity of dental visits. A representative sample of 5028 adults was examined. Information on dental health habits was collected by professional interviewers one to six weeks before the clinical examination. A high frequency of tooth-brushing was strongly related to a low occurrence of root caries. The use of sugar in coffee or tea was strongly associated with root caries occurrence among men. The use of sweets was related to root caries occurrence moderately in men but not at all in women. Regular dental check-up behavior was strongly related to an infrequent occurrence of root caries. It was concluded that dental health behavior influences root caries occurrence and that caries on root surfaces is associated with poor dental health habits. Age and gender differences in root caries occurrence, reported earlier, may relate to different dental health behavior of women and men.
High Performance Work System, HRD Climate and Organisational Performance: An Empirical Study.

Purpose – This paper aims to study the relationship between high-performance work system (HPWS) and organizational performance and to examine the role of human resource development (HRD) Climate in mediating the relationship between HPWS and the organizational performance in the context of the power sector of India. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical research paper has been conceptualized on the basis of extensive literature survey and examined through a case-based approach. Data and information collected to examine strength of the proposed hypothesis in the context of a power-based company in India. Findings – Agreeing with most of the research, HPWS is found to be positively related with organizational performance. The result does not agree with the HPWS research conducted in Asian countries. Taking clues from “Black Box” approach, the role of HRD Climate as a mediating factor has been studied. The result proved that HPWS influences organizational performance through a supportive development en.