Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attitudes of African-American parents about biobank participation and return of results for themselves and their children

Introduction Biobank-based research is growing in importance. A major controversy exists about the return of aggregate and individual research results. Methods The authors used a mixed-method approach in order to study parents' attitudes towards the return of research results regarding themselves and their children. Participants attended four 2-h, deliberative-engagement sessions held on two consecutive Saturdays. Each session consisted of an educational presentation followed by focus-group discussions with structured questions and prompts. This manuscript examines discussions from the second Saturday which focused on the benefits and risks of returning aggregate and individual research results regarding both adults (morning session) and children (afternoon session). Attitudes were assessed in pre-engagement and post-engagement surveys. Results The authors recruited 45 African-American adults whose children received medical care at two healthcare facilities on the South Side of Chicago that serve different socioeconomic communities. Three dominant themes were identified. First, most participants stated that they would enrol themselves and their children in a biobank, although there was a vocal minority opposed to enrolling children, particularly children unable to participate in the consent process. Second, participants did not distinguish between the results they wanted to receive regarding themselves and their children. Supplemental survey data found no attitudinal changes pre-engagement and post-engagement. Third, participants believed that children should be allowed access to their health information, but they wanted to be involved in deciding when and how the information was shared. Discussion Participant attitudes are in tension with current biobank policies. An intensive educational effort had no effect on their attitudes.
Transduction of Escherichia coli by bacteriophage P1 in soil

Transduction of Escherichia coli W3110(R702) and J53(RP4) (10(4) to 10(5) CFU/g of soil) by lysates of temperature-sensitive specialized transducing derivatives of bacteriophage P1 (10(4) to 10(5) PFU/g of soil) (P1 Cm cts, containing the resistance gene for chloramphenicol, or P1 Cm cts::Tn501, containing the resistance genes for chloramphenicol and mercury [Hg]) occurred in soil amended with montmorillonite or kaolinite and adjusted to a -33-kPa water tension. In nonsterile soil, survival of introduced E. coli and the numbers of E. coli transductants resistant to chloramphenicol or Hg were independent of the clay amendment. The numbers of added E. coli increased more when bacteria were added in Luria broth amended with Ca and Mg (LCB) than when they were added in saline, and E. coli transductants were approximately 1 order of magnitude higher in LCB; however, the same proportion of E. coli was transduced with both types of inoculum. In sterile soil, total and transduced E. coli and P1 increased by 3 to 4 logs, which was followed by a plateau when they were inoculated in LCB and a gradual decrease when they were inoculated in saline. Transduction appeared to occur primarily in the first few days after addition of P1 to soil. The transfer of Hg or chloramphenicol resistance from lysogenic to nonlysogenic E. coli by phage P1 occurred in both sterile and nonsterile soils. On the basis of heat-induced lysis and phenotype, as well as hybridization with a DNA probe in some studies, the transductants appeared to be the E. coli that was added. Transduction of indigenous soil bacteria was not unequivocally demonstrated. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Power and Trust/Transparency: A Force to Be Reckoned With When Applied to Internal Strategic Communication In the Department of Defense

Power and Trust/Transparency: A Force to Be Reckoned with when Applied to Internal Strategic Communication within the Department of Defense Mandy Seeley Department of Communications, BYU Master of Arts This Master’s Thesis sets out to learn why internal strategic communication is not improving as quickly as one might hope in one office of the Department of Defense. Many articles support the need for improved internal strategic communication. But during the author’s summer internship, she noted the communications team struggled to make this happen. The author therefore wondered why these communication professionals were not successful. What is hindering their success? Two earlier research papers showed trust, transparency, leadership, diversity and conflict were all connected to internal strategic communicationeither positively or negatively. But one new theme arose from these studies: that of power. The current study employs an exploratory case study to look more closely at why power may be a factoras well as exploring any other possible reasons in order to answer why internal communication is not improving very quickly in this one office. Current and former members of a strategic communication team were asked for their opinions through open ended survey questions about experiences they had illuminating these concepts. Those responses were triangulated with documents and participant observation. This study illustrates that themes including lack of trust, transparency, empowerment, and inappropriate use of power, all play a role in the success or failure of internal strategic communication. The literature helps explain why these themes are having such an impact.
Chile: A Strategy to Promote Innovative Small and Medium Enterprises

With its strong export orientation and emphasis on competitiveness, the Chilean economic model has been the envy of its neighbors for more than a decade. However, there are underlying vulnerabilities. Historically, exports have been concentrated in mining and agriculture, sectors dominated by large firms that do not generate a large share of employment. Small and medium enterprises play a key role in employment generation and economic decentralization in Chile, yet their employment was stagnant between 2000 and 2004. Based on work completed in 2003, this study provides a review of the Chilean government's substantial investment in programs that support small and medium enterprises. This review of government programs confirms the importance of coordination and an overarching strategy, in the form of a National Innovation System, led by a single institution. The review also finds that demand-driven programs were more likely to be sustainable. Finally, the study demonstrates that Chile (and other countries with many support programs for small and medium enterprises in place) needs an integrated management information system to analyze, assess, coordinate, and streamline the program portfolio for small and medium enterprises in the future.
Beyond the Arrow effect: income distribution and multi-quality firms in a Schumpeterian framework

This paper introduces multi-quality firms within a Schumpeterian framework. Featuring non-homothetic preferences and income disparities in an otherwise standard quality-ladder model, I indeed show that the resulting differences in the willingness to pay for quality among consumers generate both positive investments in R&D by industry leaders and positive market shares for more than one quality, hence allowing for the emergence of multi-product firms within a vertical innovation framework. This positive investment in R&D by incumbents is obtained with complete equal treatment in the R&D field between the incumbent patentholder and the challengers: in our framework, the incentive for a leader to invest in R&D stems from the possibility for an incumbent having innovated twice in a row to efficiently discriminate between rich and poor consumers displaying differences in their willingness to pay for quality. I hence exemplify a so far overlooked demand-driven rationale for innovation by incumbents. I am then also able to analyze the impact of inequality both on long-term growth and on the allocation of R&D activities between challengers and incumbents. I find that redistributive policies generally lead to an increase in the long-run growth rate, and to variations in the share of the overall R&D expenditures being undertaken by incumbents.
Modelling Epidemiological Data Using Box-Jenkins Procedure

In this paper, the Box-Jenkins modelling procedure is used to determine an ARIMA model and go further to forecasting. We consider data of Malaria cases from Ministry of Health (Kabwe District)-Zambia for the period, 2009 to 2013 for age 1 to under 5 years. The model-building process involves three steps: tentative identification of a model from the ARIMA class, estimation of parameters in the identified model, and diagnostic checks. Results show that an appropriate model is simply an ARIMA (1, 0, 0) due to the fact that, the ACF has an exponential decay and the PACF has a spike at lag 1 which is an indication of the said model. The forecasted Malaria cases for January and February, 2014 are 220 and 265, respectively.
Theoretical Background of Dividend Taxation

The article deals with dividends and their distribution from investors from a theoretical point of view. Some studies try to analyzed the reaction of the market on the dividend announcement and found out the change of dividend policy is associated with abnormal returns around the dividend announcement date. Another researches directly questioned the investors about their dividend preference and beliefs. Investors want the dividend from many reasons (e.g. some of them explain the dividend preference by the existence of transaction cost; investors prefer the dividend today, because there is less risky; the managers have private information about the firm). The most controversial theory of dividend policy was developed by Modigliani and Miller (1961) who demonstrated that in the perfect and complete capital markets the dividend policy is irrelevant and the value of the company is independent of its payout policy. Nevertheless, in the real world the capital markets are imperfect, because of asymmetric information, transaction costs, incomplete contracting possibilities and taxes. Keywords—dividend distribution, taxation, payout policy, investor, Modigliani and Miller theorem
High Prevalence of SV40 Infection in Patients with Nodal Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma But Not Acute Leukemia Independent of Contaminated Polio Vaccines in Taiwan

Recent studies have linked simian virus 40 (SV40) to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), especially in countries in which people were exposed to contaminated polio vaccines prior to 1963. In Taiwan, nearly all children were not exposed to contaminated polio vaccine during this period; the relationship between SV40 infection and hematological malignancies is unclear and deserves to be studied. Using PCR amplification of SV40 large T antigen DNA, confirmed by Southern blot hybridization and sequence analysis, 91 frozen lymph nodes from NHL patients were examined. Thirteen (14.3 percent) showed positive for SV40. All other test samples, including diagnostic bone marrow from patients with acute leukemia, peripheral blood from 10 relatives of SV40 positive-patients and 91 age-matched normal volunteers, and 5 reactive hyperplastic lymphoid tissues, showed negative. These results may reflect that human-to-human transmission of SV40 is independent of contaminated polio vaccines; and SV40 is possibly associated with the development of NHL in Taiwan (p = 0.0001). Prospective studies are needed to determine the prevalence of SV40 infections in our and other human populations and to explore the means of transmission of the virus.
Financial crises, moral hazard and the "speciality" of the international interbank market: further evidence from the pricing of syndicated bank loans to emerging markets

We analyse the evolution of emerging market loan spreads at a more disaggregated level than other current studies, providing statistical support to the assumption of the "speciality" of the international interbank market, to the extent that the pricing of interbank credit is insensitive to the nature (public or private) of the borrower. In sharp contrast, the public or private nature of other borrowers, such as corporates or financial firms, causes significant differences in spreads. These results could be interpreted as evidence of the possible role played by implicit government guarantees in the international interbank market, which lower the incentives for participants to monitor counterpart risk very closely. Furthermore, the specificity of banks is witnessed by the fact that only spreads on loans to emerging market banks clearly declined following the 1995 Mexican bailout, whereas evidence on the pricing of lending to corporates and financial firms is more ambiguous. Although, on the one hand, this might support the view that financial assistance from the IMF gives rise to moral hazard, on the other hand, contrary to expectations, spreads on loans to Asian banks, the major candidates in the current policy debate on moral hazard, have been unaffected by the IMF's response to Mexico's crisis.
Dividend policy and behaviour, and security price reaction to the announcement of dividends in an emergency market : a study of companies listed on the Dhaka stock exchange

'The harder we look at the dividend picture, the more it seems like a puzzle, with pieces that just don't fit together'(Black 1976, p. 5). A number of researchers provide insights, theoretical as well as empirical, into the dividend policy puzzle. However, the issue as to why firms pay dividends is as yet unresolved. Several rationales for the corporate dividend policy propose in the literature, but there is no unanimity among researchers. Everyone, however, agrees that the issue is important, as dividend payment is one of the most commonly observed phenomenon in corporations worldwide. Several studies have been conducted on dividend policy and behaviour, and security price reaction to the announcement of dividends but a very few studies have been conducted on emerging markets, therefore, a quite lot of issues of the emerging markets are still unresolved. Therefore, the existing published evidence is of limited relevance in identifying the appropriate dividend policy and behaviour, and security price reaction to the announcement of dividends in an emerging market. The objectives of this thesis are threefold: firstly, to identify the detenninants of dividend policy, secondly, to investigate the dividend behaviour, and thirdly, to identify the security price reaction to the announcement of dividends in an emerging market. The empirical results identify leverage, size, insider ownership, and collateralizable assets as the major determinants of dividend policy. However, the empirical results document that dividend decision is primarily governed by cash flow for measuring the capacity of the companies to pay dividends and dividends paid in the previous years, i. e. , lagged dividends. The empirical results also identify Britain's (1966) partial adjusted model as the best-fit dividend behavioural model. Furthermore,as insiders trade in the market, so, information used to be adjusted with the share prices before announcement and consequently dividend announcement does not carry any new information to the market. Therefore, the empirical results document no significant impact of dividend announcements on the security prices of an emerging market. Finally, the empirical results identify that the emerging markets are inefficient.
Ménière's disease: A long-term follow-up study of bilateral hearing levels

Conclusion. It is suggested that a holistic factor – such as psychological stress – is involved in Menière's disease (MD) and that the pathological changes in MD may be a result not only of endolymphatic hydrops but also of disorders affecting the entire cochlea. Patients and methods. Changes in the hearing of 51 patients with unilateral MD were investigated to ascertain the correlation between changes in hearing loss (a) in the affected ear vs the contralateral ear and (b) at low frequencies vs high frequencies. Results. About half of the MD patients showed a significant positive correlation between the hearing level in the affected ear and that in the contralateral ear and also between the average hearing level at lower frequencies and that at 8 kHz. These tendencies were more pronounced in patients with severe fluctuation of hearing and/or severe hearing loss.
Cytoplasmic and nuclear localization of cadherin in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) gonads

Cadherins are crucial molecules mediating cell—cell interactions between somatic and germline cells in insect and mammalian male and female gonads. We analysed the presence and localization of cadherins in ovaries of honeybee queens and in testes of drones. Transcripts representing two classical cadherins, E‐cadherin (shotgun) and N‐cadherin, as well as three protocadherins (Starry night, Fat and Fat‐like) were detected in gonads of both sexes. Pan‐cadherin antibodies, which most probably detect a honeybee N‐cadherin, were used in immunolocalization analyses. In the germarium of ovarioles, cadherin‐IR (cadherin immunoreactivity) was evidenced as homogeneously distributed in the cytoplasm and as nuclear foci, in both germline and somatic cells. It was also detected in polyfusomes and ring canals. In testiolar tubules, cadherin‐IR showed a cytoplasmic and nuclear distributon alike in ovaries. The unexpected nuclear localization and cytoplasmic distribution in ovaries and testes were corroborated by immunogold electron microscopy, which revealed cadherin aggregates associated with electron‐dense nuclear structures. With respect to cadherin localization, the honeybee differs from Drosophila, the model for gametogenesis in insects, raising the question as to how differences among solitary and social species may be built into and generated from the general architecture of polytrophic meroistic ovaries. It also indicates the possibility of divergent roles for cadherin in the functional architecture of insect gonads, in general, especially in taxa with high reproductive output.
Environmental management accounting implementation in environmentally sensitive industries in Malaysia

This research investigates the level of EMA implementation in companies within environmentally sensitive industries in Malaysia, as well as gaining insights into pressures for implementation. It was found that there are elements of environmental-related management accounting within some of the organizations in which interviews were conducted. Implementation was driven by a motivation to reduce costs rather than environmental conservation. Apart from that, companies‟ reactions to environmental issues stem from pressures from customers who demand environmentally sensitive workplaces, procedures and processes in the companies with which they are in business.
Variation in and relationships among feeding, chewing, and drinking variables for lactating dairy cows.

Twelve Holstein cows (63 DIM; 6 primiparous) were offered a common diet and monitored for 21 d (11 d of adaptation, 10 d of collection) with a data acquisition system to measure continuously feed and water intakes and chewing behavior. Objectives were to examine relationships among feeding behavior variables for noncompeting cows producing various quantities of milk and to determine experimental designs with adequate power to detect reasonable treatment differences in future experiments. Coefficients of variation across cows ranged from 5 to 41% for the variables studied. Milk production was correlated positively with DMI and water intake within and across parities. For multiparous cows, production was related positively to meal size (r = .78) and length of eating bouts (r = .75) and unrelated to meal number and eating rate. For primiparous cows, production tended to be related positively to meal number (r = .55) and eating rate (r = .87) and unrelated to meal size. Rumination and total time spent chewing per unit of DMI were correlated negatively (r = -.58) with milk production within and across parities. These correlations suggest that differences exist among cows for chewing efficiency. Reasons why high producing cows consume and chew more effectively deserve further study. Contrast differences of 10% of means for variables examined had an 80% probability of detection with a Latin square design utilizing 12 cows monitored for 5 d.
Tracheostomy in a Neuro-Intensive Care Setting: Indications and Timing

A retrospective review was made of 49 survivors who were mechanically ventilated for more than 48 hours in the neurosurgical ICU. Thirty-two patients (Gp I) were successfully extubated, 9 patients (Gp II) underwent tracheostomy after one or more failed extubations, and 8 patients (Gp III) underwent elective tracheostomy. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores at extubation were 11.3±2.8 (mean (SD) for Gp I vs 7.8±2.7 for Gp II (P= n.s.) and at elective tracheostomy (Gp III) was 5.4±2.3. Incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia were 35% in Gp I vs 100% of patients in Gp II and III (P<0.05). Reasons for reintubation in 7 of 9 patients (Gp II) were upper airway obstruction and tenacious tracheal secretions while 14 of 17 patients were weaned off the ventilator within 48 hours of tracheostomy. The length of stay in ICU was 16.8±7.1 days in Gp II vs 11.7±2.9 days in Gp III (P<0.05). In our study, elective tracheostomy for selected patients with poor GCS scores and nosocomial pneumonia has resulted in shortened ICU length of stay and rapid weaning from ventilatory support.
The Critical Path to Corporate Renewal

"The Critical Path to Corporate Renewal" is a practical and effective agenda for revitalizing the corporation. Through an in depth analysis of six companies that have undergone fundamental changes, the authors describe what works and what doesn't in corporate renewal. It describes the many common errors companies make in getting started. The human sources of competitive advantage - coordination, commitment, and competence - cannot be enhanced through programs. Successful corporate renewal occurs only when plants, divisions, and departments involve employees. That must be done through a carefully designed series of steps - the critical path - led by unit general managers. Companies that have followed this strategy have flatter and less hierarchical organizations, employees who take initiative to reduce costs and improve quality, and enhanced teamwork at all levels.
Product Standards and Export Diversification

This paper examines the impact of voluntary standards on trade studying textiles, clothing, and footwear sectors. It hypothesizes that internationally harmonized standards can reduce the fixed cost burden facing exporting firms, thus encouraging greater market entry and a corresponding increase in product variety on the import side. The data bear out this contention, providing the first evidence on the links between international harmonization and extensive margin trade growth. Moreover, the income level of the exporting country—as a proxy for its ability to adapt to foreign standards—has a major impact on the effect of standards. For an average low income country, a 1% reduction in the total number of European Union standards is associated with a 0.6% increase in export variety, while a 1% increase in the proportion of European Union standards that are internationally harmonized leads to a 0.8% increase in export variety. These effects are weaker, and even reversed, for high income countries.