Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of psoriasis with coronary artery, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular diseases and mortality.

OBJECTIVE To examine the cardiovascular risk factors in patients with psoriasis and the association between psoriasis and coronary artery, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular diseases. DESIGN Observational study. SETTING Large Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. PATIENTS The study included 3236 patients with psoriasis and 2500 patients without psoriasis (controls). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, codes, we compared the prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and other vascular diseases as well as mortality between patients with psoriasis and controls. RESULTS Similar to previous studies, we found a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking in patients with psoriasis. After controlling for these variables, we found a higher prevalence not only of ischemic heart disease (odds ratio [OR], 1.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51-2.11) but also of cerebrovascular (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.33-2.17) and peripheral vascular (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.32-2.82) diseases in patients with psoriasis compared with controls. Psoriasis was also found to be an independent risk factor for mortality (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.56-2.21). CONCLUSIONS Psoriasis is associated with atherosclerosis. This association applies to coronary artery, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular diseases and results in increased mortality.
Treatment of PTSD: stress inoculation training with prolonged exposure compared to EMDR.

The effectiveness of Stress Inoculation Training with Prolonged Exposure (SITPE) was compared to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Twenty-four participants who had a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were randomly assigned to one of the treatment conditions. Participants were also their own wait-list control. Outcome measures included self-report and observer-rated measures of PTSD, and self-report measures of depression. On global PTSD measures, there were no significant differences between the treatments at the end of therapy. However on the subscale measures of the degree of intrusion symptoms, EMDR did significantly better than SITPE. At follow-up EMDR was found to lead to greater gains on all measures.
Linking Credit with other Markets: A Review of the Issues in Rural Economies

This article uses the lens of information asymmetry and transaction costs to explore the problems of rural credit markets in less-developed countries. We show that in the absence of efficient markets in factor services, interlinked credit seems to provide a good solution to the typical problems of poor agrarian economies. These issues include seasonality, non-standard factor services, uncertain input supply, adverse price fluctuations, and the opportunistic behaviour of transacting agents. The article also postulates a theoretical model of interlinked credit with the output market as a direction of future research and makes few policy recommendations.
IMPROVED PHAGOCYTE RESPONSE BY CO-AMOXICLAV IN RENAL TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS1,2

Background. Infectious diseases are a major source of morbidity and mortality for immunosuppressed transplant recipients and the antimicrobial chemotherapy can be often less effective in these individuals, because the contribution of underlying host defenses is absent. Methods. The influence of co-amoxiclav on the functions of polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNs) from renal transplant recipients were investigated. Results. PMNs from renal transplant recipients showed a diminished phagocytic activity with reduced phagocytosis and bactericidal activity against intracellular Klebsiellapneumoniae, compared to that seen with PMNs from healthy subjects. Co-amoxiclav significantly elicited the functions of PMNs from uremic patients, resulting in an increased percentage of ingested klebsiellae and in a higher bactericidal effect (98–99%), compared with the drug-free control system. When PMNs were collected from renal transplant recipients treated with co-amoxiclav a significant high increase in both phagocytosis and killing activity were detected, showing the co-amoxiclav capability of “restoring” even in vivo the depressed primary functions of PMNs. Conclusions. The interesting beneficial properties of co-amoxiclav, which result in restoring the phagocyte-dependent response in renal transplant patients both in vitro and in vivo, may make this drug more suitable for the treatment of infections in patients with defects of phagocyte functions.
Entry into New Niches: The Effects of Firm Age and the Expansion of Technological Capabilities on Innovative Output and Impact

We provide evidence that young firms systematically differ from older firms in their innovative output when they enter ‘new to the firm’ technological niches. We analyze data from 128 biotechnology firms since their inception and track these firms over time. Our analyses reveal that the organizational age at which the firm branches into new technological niches significantly influences its innovative activity. We refine the focus of the extant literature by separately examining the effects of branching on the quantity of innovative output, and the impact that this output has on the technology domain. Subsequent to branching into new niches, we find that older firms have a higher quantity of output than their younger counterparts; whereas young firms tend to outpace their older rivals with higher impact. The implications of these findings for the literature on dynamic capabilities and entrepreneurship are discussed.
The Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Banking Sector in Nigeria

The global financial crisis, which was caused by the collapse of the economic ideology of free market forces, has the potential to escalate into unmanageable proportions for the Nigeria Financial System dominated by banking sector. The risk of global economic crises has heightened; global aggregate demand has fallen while commodity prices collapsed. Because the global economy is inter-related, the Nigeria banking system is vulnerable. If the situation is not tamed, it would snowball into worse scenario for the Nigeria banking system and the entire economy. This study examined the impact of global financial crises on the Nigeria banking system. The study revealed that the financial crisis has caused depression of the Nigerian capital market and drop in the quality of part of the credit extended by banks for trading in the capital market, exchange rate risk tightening of liquidity, greater loan-loss provisioning, slower growth rate of banks’ balance sheet in response to the crisis and higher provisioning leading to lower profitability among others. It was recommended that the federal government should implement the 7-point agenda, put up proactive measures to conserve the foreign reserves and timely injection of liquidity into the banking system.
Mass customization and strategic benefits: a case study in Brazil

This article presents an overview of the academic debate about mass customization (MC). The objective is to describe how the MC strategy was introduced in a Brazilian company and the results obtained, relating them to theoretical considerations. This is illustrated through a case study in an industry of the Brazilian household appliances sector. The context was the launch of a totally customized product, to be sold on the Internet to consumers with high purchasing power, with the strategic use of IT. The aim was to create value for these customers by reinforcing the brand's own values using a clear differentiation strategy. MC is already used alongside conventional strategies in a growing number of worldwide organizations, but in Brazil the use of this tool is still in its infancy, hence the importance of this study. Its qualities have transformed it into a valuable marketing device in the search for consumer loyalty. This has the effect of strengthening the brand, drawing customers into a closer relationship and making it a powerful tool for sustaining company competitiveness, via a differentiation strategy.
The Biopersistence of Canadian Chrysotile Asbestos Following Inhalation: Final Results Through 1 Year After Cessation of Exposure

Chrysotile asbestos, a serpentine mineral, has been shown to be notably different from amphibole asbestos such as amosite, crocidolite, and tremolite in that chrysotile once inhaled is rapidly removed from the lung while the amphiboles persist. This has been demonstrated for three different chrysotile samples from Canada, the United States, and Brazil. The initial results of the inhalation biopersistence study on the Canadian chrysotile were reported earlier. This article presents the full results through 365 days after cessation of exposure. In order to fully understand the dynamics of the clearance of chrysotile from the lung, the study included a standardised inhalation biopersistence study following the recommendations of the European Commission (EC) Interim Protocol for the Inhalation Biopersistence of synthetic mineral fibers () in which the lungs were digested to evaluate fiber content remaining. In addition, confocal microscopy was used to examine lungs in three dimensions to determine where and what size the remaining fibers were in the lung tissue. The results showed that Canadian chrysotile is cleared from the lung with a clearance half-time of 11.4 days for the fibers longer than 20 μm. Canadian chrysotile clears in a range similar to that of glass and stone wools. It remains less biopersistent than ceramic and special purpose glasses and considerably less biopersistent than amphibole asbestos. At 1 yr after cessation of exposure, no long (L>20 μm) chrysotile fibers remained in the lung. In contrast, with amosite asbestos there were 4 × 105 long fibers (L>20 μm) remaining in the lungs at one year after cessation of exposure (). These results fully support the differentiation of chrysotile from amphiboles reported in recent evaluations of available epidemiological studies (; ).
What drives Indian consumer credit card loyalty? The perspective of involvement in reward programmes

This study, from the customer involvement perspective, looks at the impact of reward point programmes on the purchasing behaviour of Indian credit card users. A total of 125 valid responses were collected using an online survey of Indian credit card users. The study found that customers’ involvement is not only low, but also does not affect their loyalty (frequency of card use and usage expenditure). As for redemption behaviour, usage frequency and numbers of credit cards showed significantly positive effects. This study has important implications for both scholars and credit card issuers. Consumers’ responses towards loyalty programmes need more evidence from developing markets and companies should dedicate more resources to understand the involvement process of their targets, as well as the design of programmes.
Service Worker Burnout and Turnover Intentions: Roles of Person-Job Fit, Servant Leadership, and Customer Orientation

This study examines the effects of customer orientation and servant leadership on frontline employees' burnout and, subsequently, on their turnover intentions. Also investigated in the study is the intervening role of person-job fit in the process. Data collected from 530 frontline bank employees in New Zealand serve as the study setting. Results show that both customer orientation and servant leadership significantly reduce burnout and ultimately turnover intentions. Results also show that person-job fit mediates the influences of customer orientation and servant leadership on burnout and turnover intentions. Implications of the results are discussed and future research avenues are offered.
Economics of milk production in plain and hill regions of Uttarakhand state

The present study made efforts to estimate costs and returns from milk production for different species of milch animals maintained by various land holding categories in plain & hill regions of the Nainital District of Uttarakhand state. In Plain region, cost of milk production per litre of milk, for local cow, crossbred cow and buffaloe was computed at Rs 27.61, Rs19.17 and Rs 27.19 respectively. Share of Feed cost in the total cost varied from 61 % (LC) to 64 % (CB& Buff). The share of labour cost ranged between 21 % (Buff) to 23 % (CB). The net returns were negative for the local cows, while, crossbred cows and buffaloes yielded positive net returns. In the case of hill region, cost of milk production per litre of milk, for local cow, crossbred cow and buffaloe was computed at Rs 26.47, Rs19.23 and Rs 26.88 respectively. Share of Feed cost in the total cost varied from 58 % (Buff.) to 64 % (CB). The share of labour cost ranged between 24 % (CB) to 30 % (LC & Buff). From the study, it can be summarized that by and large, irrespective of regions, local cow milk production suffered negative returns due to low productivity and over use of labour.
Cartel Stability in a Dynamic Oligopoly

We study the stability of cartels in a dynamic oligopoly. We use the differential game model of an oligopoly with sticky prices (Fershtman and Kamien 1987). We show that when firms use closed-loop strategies and the rate of increase of the marginal cost is "small enough", the grand coalition (i.e., when the cartel includes all firms) is stable: it is unprofitable for a firm to exit the cartel. Moreover we show that a cartel of 3 firms is stable for any positive rate of increase of the marginal cost: it is not profitable for an insider firm to exit the coalition, nor it is profitable for an outsider firm to join the coalition. When firms use open-loop strategies we show that no cartel is stable.
Travelers' E-Purchase Intent of Tourism Products and Services

The potential of tourism e-commerce can be fully exploited if the online purchase behavior of travelers is well understood. This study tests a model predicting travelers' intent to purchase tourism products and services online using data collected from travelers to Mauritius. Results from the structural equation modeling analysis support seven of the eight proposed hypotheses. Findings suggest that travelers' perceived usefulness, trust, and perceived risks are determinants of attitude to e-purchasing, which in turn significantly influences e-purchase intent. Results also suggest that perceived ease of use exerts a significant influence on perceived usefulness and trust while the latter negatively influences perceived risks. The managerial implications of the findings for online tourism and hospitality vendors and the study's limitations are discussed. Some directions for future research are also presented.
Activity of phospholipase C and release of prostaglandin F2 alpha by endometrial tissue from ewes during the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy.

Oxytocin appears to play an important role in regulating uterine secretion of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) in sheep. Changes in uterine secretion of PGF2 alpha throughout the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy may be due to changes in the intracellular regulatory pathways that control synthesis of PGF2 alpha in response to oxytocin. In this experiment, caruncular endometrial tissue was collected from ewes throughout the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy. Endometrial tissue was incubated in vitro to assess release of PGF2 alpha and activity of phospholipase C (PLC) in response to oxytocin. Release of PGF2 alpha in the presence of arachidonic acid was used to assess the activity of prostaglandin H2 endoperoxide synthase (PGS). In non-pregnant ewes, oxytocin stimulated release of PGF2 alpha from endometrial tissue collected on days 14 and 16, but not on days 4-7, 10 or 12 after oestrus. This coincided with times when oxytocin stimulated the activity of PLC. Release of PGF2 alpha was enhanced by the addition of arachidonic acid to tissues collected on days 12, 14 and 16 after oestrus. As with tissue from nonpregnant ewes, oxytocin could stimulate release of PGF2 alpha on days 14 and 16 of early pregnancy. Yet, oxytocin had no effect on activity of PLC in tissue from pregnant ewes. Release of PGF2 alpha in the presence of arachidonic acid by tissue from pregnant ewes was similar to that in nonpregnant ewes at comparable times after oestrus. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Roentgen determination of the time of closure of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis.

The spheno-occipital synchondrosis is the joint between the basal portions of the sphenoid and occipital bones in that portion of the skull base usually designated as the clivus. The articulation is similar to the cartilaginous junction between the epiphyses and metaphyses of long bones. A synchondrosis is a temporary union since the connecting cartilage becomes ossified with advancing age. While the times of union of epiphyses to primary centers of the skeleton have been widely studied, a paucity of information is available concerning the normal closure of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis. Embryologic and Anatomic Considerations In the human embryo the earliest evidence of the cranium is found in dense masses of mesenchyme which surround the cranial end of the notochord. Cartilage formation in the developing mesenchyme in this area is apparent at the beginning of the second month of embryonic life. During the ninth and tenth weeks of embryonic life, ossification centers begin to appear in the occipital.
A turn on and a turn off: BLT1 and BLT2 mechanisms in the lung

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a potent lipid mediator of inflammation derived from arachidonic acid through the action of 5-lipoxygenase, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several inflammatory diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A high-affinity LTB4 receptor BLT1 has been shown to exert proinflammatory roles. A cyclooxygenase metabolite, 12(S)-hydroxyheptadeca-5Z, 8E, 10E-trienoic acid (12-HHT), is an endogenous ligand for BLT2, a low-affinity LTB4 receptor. The recent study indicated that BLT2 has a protective role in allergic airway inflammation, suggesting different functions between BLT1 and BLT2 in the pathogenesis of asthma. Selective BLT1 antagonists may have a potential therapeutic application in patients with asthma, and BLT2 may represent a novel therapeutic target for lung diseases.
Dopamine and the Origins of Human Intelligence

A general theory is proposed that attributes the origins of human intelligence to an expansion of dopaminergic systems in human cognition. Dopamine is postulated to be the key neurotransmitter regulating six predominantly left-hemispheric cognitive skills critical to human language and thought: motor planning, working memory, cognitive flexibility, abstract reasoning, temporal analysis/sequencing, and generativity. A dopaminergic expansion during early hominid evolution could have enabled successful chase-hunting in the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, given the critical role of dopamine in counteracting hyperthermia during endurance activity. In turn, changes in physical activity and diet may have further increased cortical dopamine levels by augmenting tyrosine and its conversion to dopamine in the central nervous system (CNS). By means of the regulatory action of dopamine and other substances, the physiological and dietary changes may have contributed to the vertical elongation of the body, increased brain size, and increased cortical convolutedness that occurred during human evolution. Finally, emphasizing the role of dopamine in human intelligence may offer a new perspective on the advanced cognitive reasoning skills in nonprimate lineages such as cetaceans and avians, whose cortical anatomy differs radically from that of primates.
Relationship between perceived ethics and trust of Business Social Responsibility (BSR) on performance of SMEs in Nigeria

The significant of Business social responsibility (BSR) in society has led to some postulation that the connection behaviour can ultimately led to attainment of business success over its competitors. This paper examines the relationships between Perceived ethics, Trust of BSR on SMEs performances in the context of Nigeria. The study utilised the structural equation model (SEM). However, the findings reveals that perceived ethics was positively associated with SMEs performances; equally, Trust of BSR is connected with the same performance, while the correlation between perceived ethics and Trust of BSR was not significant. This may indicates that despite SMEs in Nigeria were quickly understand the circumstances of adopting ethical action practices, the concern of social practices is still be deficient. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Do bank bondholders price banks’ ability to manage risk/return?

ABSTRACT In this paper, we empirically investigate whether bank bondholders value risk management, measured as risk-return efficiency (RRE), when pricing bond spreads. Based on a sample of 2,452 bonds issued by 78 European listed banks, for the period 2001–2015, we find evidence that the ability of banks to manage risk affects bond spreads: banks with more capable managers obtain a lower cost of debt. In particular our results show that bank bondholders are even more sensitive to RRE during the crisis period, for relatively poorly rated bonds, for unsecured/subordinated debt, and for long maturity debt. Our findings highlight that bondholders’ monitoring of banks is effective and takes into account the efficiency of risk management during financial and economic downturns, but during sound periods bank bondholders should strengthen their monitoring of risk management.
Bargaining Over a New Welfare State: A Model of the Regional Distribution of New Deal Funds

The goal of this paper is twofold: First, to develop an estimable model of legislative politics in the US Congress. Second, to provide a greater understanding of the objectives behind the New Deal. In the theoretical model, the distribution of federal funds across regions of the country is the outcome of a bargaining game in which the President acts as the agenda-setter and Congress bargains over the final shape of the spending bill. For any given preferences (of the President) and distribution of seats in Congress, the model delivers a unique predicted allocation. Combined with data on New Deal programs, this is used to estimate the objectives of the Roosevelt administration. The results indicate that economic concerns for relief and recovery, though not necessarily for fundamental reform and development, largely drove New Deal spending. Political concerns also mattered, but more on the margin.
Capital Structure and Financing Decisions: New Test for Pecking Order Theory

The pecking order theory, or preferences in terms of sources of finance, is an important proposal to explain the financing decisions, and firm's capital structure. Recent publications had criticized this theory, alleging that it would not be a valid explanation for capital structure decisions, and accusing of methodological flaws in previous proofs. The aim of this article is to test the pecking order propositions, through a new methodology, applied to a sample of companies listed at Sao Paulo stock exchange, in the period 1998-2005. When the complete sample is used, it seems that we cannot reject the pecking order. The adherence is different by sub period, being smaller between 2002 and 2005. But, when the companies are grouped according to size, profitability and growth, it is noticed that the support to the theory, in general, disappears as the companies are more lucrative and of larger size. These results contradict previous studies in Brazil on the pecking order theory and they are in line with recent literature statements about the methodological flaws and the validity of the pecking order as theory able to explain the firm's capital structure.