Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Australian GPs are satisfied with their job: even more so in rural areas.

BACKGROUND Australia has seen a constriction of the scope of practice and of professional prerogatives for GPs in the 1990s, which is said to have led to lower job satisfaction, particularly for rural GPs. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine levels of job satisfaction and mental health in a rural and an urban sample of GPs, and to correlate population and practice characteristics with lower job satisfaction and morale. METHODS A postal survey of GP members of two urban and four rural Divisions of General Practice in New South Wales was carried out using the Wall-Cook-Warr scale and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The overall response rate was 74%. RESULTS Both urban and rural Australian GPs were generally satisfied with their jobs; however, rural GPs had significantly higher job satisfaction scores. The highest levels of satisfaction were recorded for factors denoting autonomy. The lowest ranked factors were hours of work, income and government policy in general practice. GPs without psychological disturbance were significantly more satisfied with their work than those who were disturbed. Lower job satisfaction was significantly associated with urban GPs, GPs who worked full-time and those who used a language other than English during consultations. Poor mental health and working in an urban area were predictive of lower job satisfaction in men, and bulk-billing all patients (i.e. not charging patients a co-payment, but making a consolidated claim to the government funder Medicare) and working full-time were predictive of lower job satisfaction in women. CONCLUSIONS Both urban and rural GPs derive a large measure of satisfaction from their job. In particular, rural GPs are satisfied, especially so with their autonomy. Poor mental health was the strongest predictor of lower job satisfaction. The high percentage of GPs with psychological disturbances raises the problem of their access to appropriate mental health services, in particular in rural areas.
Purchasing power parity in ASEAN-5 countries: revisit with cross-sectional dependence and structural breaks

ABSTRACT This paper re-examines the purchasing power parity (PPP) hypothesis for a panel of ASEAN-5 countries. The panel unit root and cointegration tests, which incorporate cross-sectional dependence and multiple structural breaks, are innovatively used for testing the PPP hypothesis. We could not find evidence that supports the existence of a long-run equilibrium between the relative price ratio and the nominal exchange rate for the whole period. Nevertheless, there is evidence of a cointegrating relationship for the post-crisis period. Our finding implies that a flexible exchange rate regime is suitable for the individual ASEAN countries.
The Impact of Government Subsidies on Private R&D and Firm Performance: Does Ownership Matter in China’s Manufacturing Industry?

Government subsidies as a policy instrument are used to alleviate market failure in research and development (R&D) activities. We aim to understand the influence of government subsidies on enterprises’ R&D investment and performance. We are also interested in examining how the attributes of enterprise ownership act as a moderating variable for the relationship between government subsidies, R&D investment, and firm performance. We use firm-level data on China’s manufacturing listed companies from 2011 to 2015. The results show that receiving government subsidies improves private R&D investment and firm performance, and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) can obtain more subsidies than private-owned enterprises (POEs). However, the impact of government subsidies on private R&D investment is stronger in POEs than in SOEs of China. In additional analyses, we also examine this relationship by industry, region, subsidy intensity, and R&D intensity. This study has important policy implications for regulators to improve the effectiveness of government subsidies.
Securitization and Credit Quality in the European Market

We assess the effect of securitization activity on relative credit quality employing a uniquely detailed dataset from the euro-denominated syndicated loan market. We find that at issuance, based on observable characteristics, banks do not seem to select and securitize loans of lower credit quality. Following securitization, the credit quality of borrowers whose loans are securitized deteriorates more than those in the control group. We find that poorer performance by borrowers of securitized loans seems to be connected to banks’ reduced monitoring incentives. Our results are supported by two additional methodologies and robust to controlling for predetermined borrower-lender matching.
Resistance of Helicobacter pylori strains to antibiotics in Korea with a focus on fluoroquinolone resistance

Background and Aim: New regimens, including those with new fluoroquinolones, have been developed to overcome the antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori. We aimed to assess the antibiotic resistance rates, as well as the molecular mechanisms of fluoroquinolone resistance, of the clinical isolates obtained in Korea.
Influence of Industry 4.0 on the Production and Service Sectors in Pakistan: Evidence from Textile and Logistics Industries

This research aims to investigate the role of Industry 4.0 in the production and service sector in Pakistan. It therefore considers five Industry 4.0 factors, namely big data, smart factory, cyber physical systems (CPS), Internet of things (IoT), and interoperability. In order to analyze the role of Industry 4.0, the textile industry is taken as a production industry, while the logistics industry is considered as a service industry. Both are facing various challenges in production and services causing below standard overall performance. To address this issue, a quantitative research approach with cross-sectional research design was selected. First hand data was collected through a survey questionnaire from a total of 224 employees of textile and logistics companies. Smart partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was preferred to analyze the collected data. Findings of the study revealed that Industry 4.0 has a key role in promoting the production and services sector in Pakistan, as it has a significant impact on the overall performance of the considered sectors. This research is one of the pioneer studies that examines the role of Industry 4.0 on the textile and logistics industry of Pakistan. Thus, this research also contributes in a practical dimension by explaining the implementation of Industry 4.0 for improving the performance of the textile and logistics industries.
The Direct Effects of Propofol on Myocyte Contractile Function After Hypothermic Cardioplegic Arrest

Propofol is being used more often in cardiac surgery, particularly after hypothermic, hyperkalemic cardioplegic arrest (HHCA). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of propofol on isolated myocyte contractile function under both normothermic conditions and after simulated HHCA and rewarming. Myocytes were isolated from the left ventricle of eight pigs. Myocyte contractile function was measured under both normothermic conditions and after simulated HHCA (incubation at 4 degrees C for 2 h in crystalloid cardioplegia; K+ = 24 mEq/L) using computer-assisted videomicroscopy in the presence of 2, 4, and 6 micro g/mL propofol (11.2, 22.4, and 33.6 micro M/L, respectively). Isoproterenol (25 nM) was then added and contractile function measurements repeated. Propofol caused significant dose-dependent reductions in myocyte velocity of shortening (baseline = 67 +/- 2 micro m/s; propofol = 2 micro g/mL, 45 +/- 4 micro m/s; and propofol = 6 micro g/mL, 27 +/- 3 micro m/s; P < 0.05). HHCA and rewarming caused a significant reduction in myocyte velocity of shortening (29 +/- 0.9 micro m/s, P < 0.05), with further significant dose-dependent reductions in contractile function after the addition of propofol. Propofol caused a decrease in beta-adrenergic responsiveness under normothermic conditions, but not after simulated HHCA. Results from the present study demonstrated for the first time that the reduction in isolated myocyte contractile function after simulated HHCA is further decreased by propofol administration. (Anesth Analg 1996;83:949-57)
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer - the Matthew mechanism as an approach to explain selection effects and the occurrence of multiple medalists in the "production" of international success in alpine ski racing

The study addresses two questions that are under debate in the literature and exemplifies their examination in alpine ski racing. Firstly, are successful athletes the product of a long-term continuous intervention and/or socialization process or do they rather emerge via repeated selection processes? Secondly, to which extent is a nations’ collective success composed of many athletes’ singular successes or of a few athletes’ multiple successes? The study involved the national squad of the Austrian Ski Federation. Data collection comprised membership in a national squad and World or Olympic medal success and was carried out via document analysis (seasons: 1986-2016). The mean annual athlete turnover rate ranged from 24-57% across squad levels while the turnover rate varied substantially over time within each squad level. Among all national squad athletes, the incidence of being a successful (i.e., medal winning) National Team athlete was 8.9% (95% CI: 6.0%; 12.5%). Twenty-eight athletes won a total of 112 medals, 21 athletes achieved winning two or more medals. The six most successful athletes won 56 medals, comprising 50% of all medals won.The study suggests that successful elite athletes emerge from repeated selection and filtering processes. The observation of multiple medalists and a high concentration of exceptional success among a few athletes is reflected with regard to potential causes that rest on characteristics of the individual athlete, on social mechanisms (e.g., Matthew mechanism) of the elite sports system, or both.
Minimally Invasive Lumbar Fusion

Study Design. Review article. Objectives. To provide an overview of current techniques for minimally invasive lumbar fusion. Summary of Background Data. Minimally invasive techniques have revolutionized the management of pathologic conditions in various surgical disciplines. Although these same principles have been used in the treatment of lumbar disc disease for many years, minimally invasive lumbar fusion procedures have only recently been developed. The goals of these procedures are to reduce the approach-related morbidity associated with traditional lumbar fusion, yet allow the surgery to be performed in an effective and safe manner. Methods. The authors’ clinical experience with minimally invasive lumbar fusion was reviewed, and the pertinent literature was surveyed. Results. Minimally invasive approaches have been developed for common lumbar procedures such as anterior and posterior interbody fusion, posterolateral onlay fusion, and internal fixation. As with all new surgical techniques, minimally invasive lumbar fusion has a learning curve. As well, there are benefits and disadvantages associated with each technique. However, because these techniques are new and evolving, evidence to support their potential benefits is largely anecdotal. Additionally, there are few long-term studies to document clinical outcomes. Conclusions. Preliminary clinical results suggest that minimally invasive lumbar fusion will have a beneficial impact on the care of patients with spinal disorders. Outcome studies with long-term follow-up will be necessary to validate its success and allow minimally invasive lumbar fusion to become more widely accepted.
Polarized TH1 responses by liposome‐entrapped allergen and its potential in immunotherapy of allergic disorders

The conventional immunotherapy used for treating allergic individuals may at times lead to varying degrees of anaphylactic reaction. Liposomes have been proposed as a vehicle for safe and effective allergen‐specific immunotherapy as multiple injections of liposome‐entrapped allergen (LEA) have been shown to reduce specific IgE response and induce specific IgG response in BALB/c mice.
Time-level relationship for lipid peroxidation and the protective effect of alpha-tocopherol in experimental mild and severe brain injury.

OBJECTIVE Oxygen free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation has been proposed to be one of the major mechanisms of secondary damage in traumatic brain injury. The first purpose of this study was to establish the time-level relationship for lipid peroxidation in injured brain tissue. The second purpose was to examine the protective effect of alpha-tocopherol against lipid peroxidation. METHODS For this study, 65 guinea pigs in five groups were studied. Five of the animals were identified as a control group, and the remaining 60 animals were divided equally into four groups (Groups A, B, C, and D). Mild injury (200 g x cm) (Groups A and C) and severe injury (1000 g x cm) (Groups B and D) were produced by the method of Feeney et al. Alpha-tocopherol (100 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally before brain injury in Groups C and D. Five animals from each group were killed immediately after trauma, five after 1 hour, and the remaining five animals after 36 hours. Lipid peroxidation in traumatized brain tissues was assessed using the thiobarbituric acid method. RESULTS In all groups with traumatic brain injuries, levels of malondialdehyde, a lipid peroxidation product, were higher than in the control group. The amount of lipid peroxidation was increased by the severity of the trauma. Alpha-tocopherol significantly suppressed the rise in lipid peroxide levels in traumatized brain tissues. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that lipid peroxidation is increased by the severity of trauma and that alpha-tocopherol has a protective effect against oxygen free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation in mild and severe brain injury.
Intake of fruits, vegetables and selected micronutrients in relation to the risk of breast cancer

High fruit and vegetable intake has been linked with a reduced risk of breast cancer, but evidence is not consistent. We investigated the associations of breast cancer risk with vegetables, fruits and related micronutrient intake in a population‐based case–control study among Chinese women in Shanghai, where dietary patterns differ substantially from other study populations. Included in the study were 1,459 incident breast cancer cases and 1,556 frequency‐matched controls. Usual dietary habits were assessed by in‐person interviews. Logistic regression was used to compute adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to measure strength of the associations. There was no association between breast cancer risk and total vegetable intake. The risk of breast cancer declined, however, with increasing intake of dark yellow‐orange vegetables (trend test, p = 0.02), Chinese white turnips (trend test, p ≤ 0.001), and certain dark green vegetables (trend test, p ≤ 0.001) with adjusted OR in the highest quintile being 0.79 (95% CI = 0.60–0.98), 0.67 (95% CI = 0.53–0.85) and 0.65 (95% CI = 0.51–0.83) respectively. Intake of fruits, except watermelons and apples, was inversely associated with breast cancer risk (p‐values for trend tests ≤0.05). Our study suggests that high intake of certain vegetables and fruits may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Factors affecting international event visitors’ behavioral intentions: the moderating role of attachment avoidance

ABSTRACT This study developed and tested a theoretical framework of event quality, motivation, value, and destination image in order to investigate visitors’ behavioral intentions to revisit an international event, along with the moderating role of attachment avoidance. Results revealed that the relationships among event quality, motivation, value, image, and behavioral intentions were highly significant. Attachment avoidance was additionally found to moderate the relationships between quality and value, motivation and value, value and destination image, and value and behavioral intentions. Findings further provide specific implications for both theoretical insight and marketing practice in the context of annual and international events.
Comparison of the Effects of Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Motor Cortical Excitability

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the effect of transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) with and without a direct current (DC) offset on motor cortical excitability and compare results to transcranial DC stimulation (tDCS). Methods Fifteen healthy participants were tested in a within-subjects design. Motor-evoked potentials were measured before and up to 90 minutes after stimulation using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Five stimulation conditions were examined: sham, 1-mA tDCS, 2-mA tDCS, 2-mA tRNS (with no DC offset), and 2-mA tRNS + 1-mA DC offset. Results There were no significant differences between the stimulation conditions. An analysis of individual stimulation conditions found that there was a significant increase in motor-evoked potential amplitudes after 1-mA tDCS, 2-mA tDCS, and 2-mA tRNS + DC offset when compared with baseline. Sham and 2-mA tRNS did not result in changes in cortical excitability. Conclusions Although differences between the stimulation conditions did not reach a statistical significance, the findings suggest that stimulation involving a DC (tDCS and tRNS + DC offset) but not solely tRNS is more likely to lead to increases in cortical excitability.
Effects of long-term cyclosporin therapy on the periodontium of rats.

BACKGROUND The treatment of cyclosporin A triggers an early bone loss and gingival overgrowth. There is a lack of studies exploring the effects of long-term cyclosporin A therapy on alveolar bone homeostasis and gingival tissue. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term therapy with cyclosporin A on the gingival tissue and on the alveolar bone metabolism in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rats were treated for 60, 120, 180 and 240 days with a daily subcutaneous injection of 10 mg/kg body weight of cyclosporin A. At the end of experimental periods, animals were killed and the serum calcium (Ca(2+)) and alkaline phosphatase levels were measured in all groups. After histological processing, the oral epithelium and the connective tissue, as well as volume densities of alveolar bone (V(b)) and multinucleated osteoclasts (V(o)), were assessed at the region of the lower first molars. RESULTS Significant increases in the serum alkaline phosphatase were observed in those groups that received cyclosporin A therapy. After 60 and 120 days of the treatment with cyclosporin A, evident gingival overgrowth associated with a significant increase of epithelium and connective tissue was observed, as well as a decrease of the densities of bone and an increase of densities of osteoclasts. After 180 and 240 days of the treatment, there was a reduction of the gingival overgrowth associated with significant decreases of epithelium and connective tissue, as well as an increase of bone densities and a decrease of osteoclasts. CONCLUSION Within the limits of this experimental study, it can be concluded that the deleterious periodontal effects of cyclosporin A administration may be time-related side-effects.
Effect of a polyhexamethylene biguanide mouthrinse on bacterial counts and plaque.

OBJECTIVES For various clinical applications, polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) has been used for many years as an antiseptic in medicine. Little is known, however, of its antibacterial activity in the oral cavity and its ability to inhibit plaque formation. In this study, a 0.04% PHMB mouthrinse (A) was compared with a negative control placebo rinse (10% ethanol, flavour) (B) and 2 positive control chlorhexidine rinses, one of which was a 0.12% aqueous solution (C) and the other a commercially available mouthrinse (Skinsept mucosa) diluted to a chlorhexidine concentration of 0.12% (D). MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was a double-blind, randomised 4-replicate 4 x 4 Latin square cross-over design. Plaque regrowth was assessed with the Turesky et al. modification of the Quigley and Hein plaque index. The in vivo antibacterial effect was assessed by taking bacterial counts from the tooth surface (smears from the lingual surface of 16) and mucosa (smears from the buccal mucosa) 4 h after the 1st rinse with the preparations on day 1 and prior to the clinical examination on day 5. 16 volunteers participated, and on day 1 of each study period were rendered plaque-free, ceased toothcleaning, and rinsed 2x daily with the allocated mouthrinse. On day 5, plaque was scored and smears were collected according to the protocol. Washout periods were 9 days. Data were analysed using ANOVA with Tukey HSD adjustment for multiple comparisons (significance level alpha=0.05). RESULTS Mouthrinses A, C, and D were significantly more effective in inhibiting plaque than the placebo (B). Mouthrinse C was significantly better than mouthrinses A and D, while mouthrinses D and A were equally effective in inhibiting plaque. Bacterial count reductions on the tooth surface with mouthrinse C were significantly greater compared to mouthrinse A and the placebo (B). The reduction of bacterial counts on the mucosa with C was significantly greater than with A and B after 4 h and significantly greater than with A, B and D after 5 days. Mouthrinse A reduced bacteria on the mucosa significantly more effectively than the placebo (B) after 4 h and 5 days, while mouthrinse D was more effective than the placebo (B) after 4 h. CONCLUSION The results indicate that a 0.04% PHMB mouthwash inhibits plaque regrowth and reduces oral bacterial counts, and may be used in preventive applications in the oral cavity.
First Level Agenda-Setting: A Study of Press vs. Public Opinion in Kenya

ABSTRACT The present research examines media agenda setting effects in a Kenyan context in 2013 and 2014. Specifically, focusing on the first level of agenda setting, the study investigates whether two national daily newspapers influenced public opinion on six issues of national importance: corruption, devolution, economic crisis, insecurity, poverty, and unemployment. Moreover, the study examines whether the newspapers’ agendas are related in connection to the coverage of the six issues. Findings indicate that the two newspapers had little influence on the opinion of the Kenyan public regarding the six issues. This is based on a low correlation of +. 30 between the two newspapers’ agendas and the public agenda. However, the agendas of the two publications were strikingly similar—yielding a perfect correlation of + 1. This means in their news coverage, the newspapers gave similar weight to the six issues.