Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple Sclerosis Databases: Present and Future

can drive best practice and improvements in patient care based on real-life findings from large patient populations. MS registries can provide information relating to healthcare systems and the provision of treatment and services, as well as their associated impact on overall health and level of disability in the MS patient population. Such data can be used to compare the benefits of different types and levels of healthcare, both within and between regions and countries. For this purpose, the MS Barometer was created by the European MS Platform (EMSP). The Barometer was based on a questionnaire survey conducted in individual countries covering topics such as access to treatment, research agenda, employment, available medications, and more. The results indicated a huge disparity in the provision of MS services across different regions. Countries scoring well were Austria, Germany, Ireland and Sweden among others, while those scoring poorly included Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bulgaria. As an example, the percentage of MS patients receiving disease-modifying therapy varied widely, from 80% in Luxembourg to just 7% in Poland. In an ideal world, healthcare providers in countries scoring poorly on the Barometer with respect
Relations with Lenders and Enterprise Complexity in SMEs

Differences in financial behaviour are explained in the literature by reference to the theory of asymmetrical information, and in particular to the concept of information opacity. The same literature indicates that because SMEs are an opaque type of company, they tend to have relational financial dealings with banks (relationship banking) which allow access to private, exclusive information, thus enabling the bank to cover the hold-up costs associated with information processing. This paper postulates that within the aggregate of SMEs, there are different models of relations between lender and enterprise, based on both opacity and transparency of information. Within the set of SMEs, the companies that adopt transactional banking and market models are associated with the concept of complexity, which denotes intrinsically opaque companies from which lenders request public information. Conversely, those which adopt financial models that mainly focus on developing relationship banking, with the Finance Department playing a fairly marginal role, are classed as simple companies, for which banks adopt an asset-based lending approach involving privileged access to corporate information. This theory was tested on a sample of 1,891 SMEs extracted from the database of the 8th Capitalia survey of manufacturing companies. The study confirmed the existence of four different models of financial behaviour and an association, in the terms set out above, between those models and the level of information transparency, measured in terms of intensity of enterprise complexity and characterised by five distinct groupings. The main finding that emerged is the inadequacy of banks' reliance on size to segment their small and medium-sized corporate customers; they should consequently adopt behavioural segmentation criteria based on the ability to discriminate the level of corporate complexity in order to develop a supply system which is really suited to the characteristics of the chosen SME target.
Are Services Starved of Research? An Analysis of UK Firms' Innovation Linkages with Specialist Knowledge Providers

Using the UK version of the third European Community Innovation Survey (CIS-3), this paper explores the use of specialist knowledge providers in the innovation activities of manufacturing and service firms. Specialist knowledge providers are consultancies, private research organisations and the public science base (i.e., universities and the government research laboratories). These may be engaged in co-operative arrangement for innovation or may be used as informal sources of information for innovation. We find, as anticipated, that amongst other factors specialist knowledge providers are more likely to be engaged by firms with more open approaches to innovation, those with high levels of absorptive capacity, and by those with stronger commitments to innovation. However, beyond this we find significant differences between the types of specialist knowledge providers used by service and manufacturing firms in their innovation activities. Although overall and all else equal, service firms are more likely than manufacturers to use specialist knowledge providers in their innovation activities, they are more likely to engage consultants, whilst their links with research-based organizations, including the public science base, are weaker. The absorptive capacity argument suggests firms are less likely to invest in R&D when there is less external research knowledge to draw on, and we argue the scarcity of relevant external research is an important reason why service firms are less likely to undertake R&D. We conclude by arguing there is a need for forward looking research that is oriented to the needs of services.
ON CO-MORBID BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS

Borderline personality disorder and substance use disorders are two forms of psychological problems that are often diagnosed within the same person. As those people sometimes remain highly stigmatized and largely neglected, and at the same time pose a major public health problem, we decided to focus on this co-morbidity by using developmental psychopathology perspective. The aim of the paper was to present this co-occurrence, explore some of the common risk and protective factors and offer an approach that could be used for preventing both disorders. Potential relatedness of concept of risk and protecting factors, attachment, developmental cascades and preventive intervention was explained by the sequential causal model.
[Recovery of gastrointestinal motility following laparoscopic versus open cholecystectomy].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the recovery of gastrointestinal motility after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and open cholecystectomy (OC). METHODS Motilin (MOT), gastrin (GAS), electrogastrogram (EGG), the peristaltic sound recovery timing (PSRT) and the anorectum exhaust timing (AET) were determined in 30 patients having LC and 18 patients having OC. RESULTS MOT, GAS, EGG frequency and EGG amplitude on the first, second and third day after operation in LC group were not significantly different in comparison with preoperative data (P > 0.05), but significant difference on the first and second postoperative day compared with preoperative data and data of the the LC group (P < 0.05). The PSRT and AET in the LC group were much shorter in comparison with the OC group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The recovery of gastrointestinal motility after LC is earlier than OC, which justifies early feeding for patients after LC.
BUYER–SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS: DERIVED VALUE OVER TWO DECADES

This paper reviews studies of buyer–supplier relationships published in four prominent U.S.-based academic journals between 1986 and 2005. Our review revealed that the focus of academic researchers on types of value being extracted from buyer–supplier relationships changed between 1986 and 2005, as did their interest in the buyer mechanisms implemented to create value in these relationships. Although emphasis has changed over time, we found that scholars have primarily investigated four types of value derived from buyer–suppler relationships: operational performance improvements, integration-based improvements, supplier capability-based improvements and financial performance outcomes. The review also noted that researchers considered more buyer–supplier mutual efforts since 1996 than the earlier decade, but the number of studies investigating buyer practices has declined as a percentage of total publications. We conclude with a discussion of the review's implications for future research and practice.
Impact of Foreign Portfolio Flows on Stock Market Volatility -Evidence from Vietnam

The paper examines the impacts of daily foreign flows on Vietnamese stock market volatility in two different sub-periods from the end of 2005 to 2011. By combining three widely-used econometric tools which are Vector Autoregressive Models, Granger Causality Tests and Impulse Response Functions, we find several interesting facts. First, almost significant relationships between foreign flows and market volatility are short-lived since there are just two significant links found in the weekly dataset and both of them are at lag 1. Second, past foreign flows relate to volatility stronger in the bull market as compared with the bear one: foreign gross purchases, foreign gross sales and foreign net purchases have significant links with volatility and all (Granger) cause market volatility in the bull market. Third, it is shown that market volatility responds positively (10-day accumulated response) to a random shock to all three flows in the first period (or bull market) even though there are individually negative reactions in some days. Finally, opposite to the bull market, an increase in foreign net purchases reduces market volatility in the bear market (negative reaction), indicating that domestic investors are then more prudent in trading and react to changes in foreign net purchases more slowly.
Brand avoidance among Generation Y consumers

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the reasons for brand avoidance among Generation Y consumers. Researchers have traditionally focused on the positive relationship between consumers and brands, but, increasingly, consumers are consciously avoiding brands. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study consisting of both focus groups and interviews was conducted among Generation Y participants. Findings – The findings support previous research that identifies four types of brand avoidance, namely, experiential, identity, moral and deficit-value avoidance. However, the study also suggests that an additional type of brand avoidance, namely, advertising avoidance, also occurs. Aspects of advertising that can contribute to brand avoidance include the content of the advertising, the use of a celebrity endorser and the music in the advertising, as well as the response to the advertising. This study thus proposes an expanded framework of brand avoidance. Research limitations/implications – T.
Photoinduced acute exanthematous pustulosis caused by ciprofloxacin and sunlight exposure

Lasers Surg Med 2007; 39: 358–364. 5 Apfelberg DB, Maser MR, Lash H, White D, Weston J. Preliminary results of argon and carbon dioxide laser treatment of keloid scars. Lasers Surg Med 1984; 4: 283–290. 6 Alster TS, Williams CM. Treatment of keloid sternotomy scars with 585 nm flashlamp-pumped pulsed-dye laser. Lancet 1995; 345: 1198–1200. 7 Manuskiatti W, Fitzpatrick RE, Goldman MP. Energy density and numbers of treatment affect response of keloidal and hypertrophic sternotomy scars to the 585 nm flashlamp-pumped pulsed-dye laser. J Am Acad Dermatol 2001; 45: 557–565. 8 Amadeu T, Braune A, Mandarim-de-Lacerda C, et al. Vascularization pattern in hypertrophic scars and keloids: a stereological analysis. Pathol Res Pract 2003; 199: 469–473. 9 Bouzari N, Davis S, Nouri K. Laser treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars. Int J Dermatol 2007; 46: 80–88. 10 Bowes LE, Nouri K, Berman B, et al. Treatment of pigmented hypertrophic scars with the 585 nm pulsed dye laser and the 532 nm frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser in the Q-switched and variable pulse modes: a comparative study. Dermatol Surg 2002; 28: 714–719.
New Civil Commitment Legislation: The Relevance of Commitment “Criteria”

Following categorization procedures used in previous studies samples of 75 and 62 involuntary admissions. Form 3s and applications from assessment respectively (1978 Mental Health Act), were examined. There occurred a significant decline in civil commitments (Form 3s) in the 8-month period subsequent to, as compared to the 6-month period preceding, the revised legislation. This decline, however, occurred only when data for assessment applications were omitted from analysis. Operating criteria for civil commitment, as determined from certificate analyses, showed no substantive changes as compated to those found in previous studies of then-current legislation. Some interpretation and discussion of such findings are presented. More research is required to assess further the reality and nature of effects generated by the new law. A salutory feature of the law is that review of psychiatric assessments, at or within a 5-day period after admission, is correlated with a change to voluntary status in most cases. The exact meaning of this and of other specific effects await further study.
The role of consumer innovativeness and perceived risk in online banking usage

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse how consumer innovativeness can be used as a variable to positively influence internet banking adoption both directly and reducing consumer perceived risk.Design/methodology/approach – The impact of innovativeness and risk on internet banking adoption has been tested through structural equation modelling techniques. The sample consists of 511 Spanish internet banking services users accessed through an internet survey. Risk has been measured as a formative construct.Findings – Results reveals consumer innovativeness as a key construct to improve e‐banking adoption both directly and by its effective role in reducing consumer risk perception of using internet channel in the financial services context.Practical implications – Practical guidelines are provided to bank managers on how to use consumer innovativeness level as a segmentation variable to increase the use of internet banking among actual customers who are non users or light users of the electronic ch.
Pedestrian Crossing Behaviour Analysis at Intersections

Pedestrian crossing behavior is analyzed for the provision of proper pedestrian facilities at desired locations, as well as to improve their safety while crossing the road. This paper presents the analysis of pedestrian crossing behavior from a study conducted at Roorkee city (Uttarakhand state in India). The effect of pedestrian characteristics like age, gender and that of carrying baggage and luggage as well as their crossing patterns were examined on pedestrian flow characteristics like crossing speed and waiting time. Pedestrian safety was also analyzed with respect to safety margins and gaps accepted by pedestrian in traffic stream. Crossing patterns were observed for different age group and gender.
EFFECTS OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN KENYA

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish the effect of corporate governance structures on the financial performance of the manufacturing sector in Kenya. Methodology: The research design used a descriptive design. The target population of this study was the large manufacturing firms in Kenya which were members of Kenya Association of Manufacturers. The population was 108 large manufacturing firms. A sample size of 54 firms was taken. The study used both primary data and secondary data. Data was collected by use of questionnaire. Analysis was done by descriptive statistics using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21.0. Data was analyzed mainly by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics included mean and standard deviation. Data was also presented by use of graphs, pie charts and tables. Regression analysis was also used to show the sensitivity of financial performance, ROA to various independent variables. Results: Following the study findings it was possible to conclude that all the Independent variables had an effect on a company’s financial performance. This was supported by majority who concluded that independent directors had a mandate to decision making in financial performance, the Independent directors effectively monitor and control firm activities by reducing opportunistic managerial behaviors and expropriation of firm resources board committees. Enhance effective monitoring in financial performance, the board committees in our firm ensures that executive directors make decisions that are in the best interests of shareholders. Coordination and communication problems impede company performance when the number of directors’ increases, overcrowded boards causes shareholders to lose money in the company, the post of the chairman is part-time and the main responsibility is to ensure that the board works effectively. Regression results indicated that there was a positive and significant relationship between independent directors, board committees, board size and CEO’s dual role as a company’s chairman on a company’s financial performance and financial performance of manufacturing firms. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that the firm should have nonexecutive directors who act as “professional referees” to ensure that competition among insiders stimulates actions consistent with shareholder value maximization, A company should have small boards so as to have more favorable performance, the appropriate board size should be 7 to 8 members and the post of the CEO/chairman should be full-time
Parasitic infestation of animals in deer gardens in Latvia.

A wild animal popullation is tipically a host of the whole community of parasites of different species. Some species of wild animals such us deer, wild boars and others have been bred in deer gardens. Epidemiological situation of parasitic infestation in animals of deers gardens in Latvia was investigated. In 2008 faecal samples of 487 red deer, 213 fallow deer, 24 moufflon, 180 wild boar, 19 pheasant were examined for gastrointestinal and pulmonary parasites by the ovoscopic and larvoscopic methods. Strongyloides spp. , Paramphistomum spp. , Trichostrongylus spp. , Protostrongylus spp. , Dictyocaulus spp. and Coccidia spp. were found in the investigated animals. Gastrointestinal strongiloides were the most commonly found parasites in red deer, fallow deer and moufflon. The most important of the gastrointestinal parasites in wild boars was coccidia. The extensity of infection by gastrointestinal parasites in red deer was 73.3 %, in fallow deer – 63.0 %, in moufflon – 87.5 %, in pheasant – 26.3 %, but wild boars - 100 %.
Online grocery shopping: the impact of shopping frequency on perceived risk

Online grocery shopping has enjoyed strong growth and it is predicted this channel will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years. While online shopping has attracted an abundance of research interest, examinations of online grocery shopping behaviour are only now emerging. Shopping online for groceries differs considerably from general online shopping due to the perishability and variability of the product, and frequency of the shopping activity. Two salient gaps underpin this research into online grocery shopping. This study responds to calls to investigate the online shoppers’ experience in the context of online purchasing frequency. Second, this study examines the mediating effect of perceived risk between trust and online repurchase intention of groceries. An online survey was employed to collect data from shoppers who were recruited from a multi-channel grocery e-retailer’s database. The online survey, comprising 16 reflective validated scale items, was sent to 555 frequent and infrequent online grocery shoppers. Results find that while customer satisfaction predicts trust for both infrequent and frequent online grocery shoppers, perceived risk fully mediates the effect of trust on repurchase intentions for infrequent online grocery shoppers. Furthermore, path analysis reveals that the developed behavioural model is variant across both groups of shoppers. Theoretically, we provide a deeper understanding of the online customer experience, while gaining insight into two shopper segments identified as being important to grocery e-retailers. For managers, this study tests an online customer behavioural model with actual purchasing behaviour and identifies the continued presence of perceived risk in grocery e-retailing, regardless of purchase frequency or experience.
Identification of an Additional Interaction Domain in Transmembrane Domains 11 and 12 That Supports Oligomer Formation in the Human Serotonin Transporter*

Na+/Cl–-dependent neurotransmitter transporters form constitutive oligomers. The topological arrangement is not known, but a leucine heptad repeat in transmembrane domain (TM) 2 and a glycophorin-like motif in TM6 have been proposed to stabilize the oligomer. To determine the topology, we generated versions of the human serotonin transporter (hSERT) that carried cyan or yellow fluorescent proteins at their amino and/or carboxyl terminus. Appropriate pairs were coexpressed to measure fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Donor photobleaching FRET microscopy was employed to deduce the following arrangement: within the monomer, the amino and carboxyl termini are in close vicinity. In addition, in the oligomer, the carboxyl termini are closer to each other than the amino termini. Hence, a separate interaction domain (i.e. distinct from TM2 and TM6) must reside in the carboxyl-terminal half of hSERT. This was confirmed by expressing the amino- and carboxyl-terminal halves of hSERT. These were retained intracellularly; they also retained the coexpressed full-length transporter by forming export-deficient oligomers and, when cotransfected in all possible combinations, supported FRET. Hence, both the carboxyl and amino termini contain elements that drive oligomerization. By employing fragments comprising two neighboring TM helices, we unequivocally identified TM11/12 as a new contact site by donor photobleaching FRET and β-lactamase protein fragment complementation assay. TM1/2 was also found to self-associate. Thus, oligomerization of hSERT involves at least two discontinuous interfaces. The currently identified interaction sites drive homophilic interactions. This is consistent with assembly of SERT oligomers in an array-like structure containing multimers of dimers.
Syllable duration and discourse organization at intonational phrase boundaries in Taiwan Southern Min

This study examined syllable duration at discourse boundaries in spontaneous speech in Taiwan Southern Min with an eight-hour monologue corpus contributed by sixteen speakers, evenly split by gender and age. In order to control for prosodic boundary type, we only examined discourse boundaries coincided with an intonational phrase boundary followed by a pause. In addition, to tease apart the the possible effect of final particles, we subset the data according to whether a boundary was marked with a final particle. Results showed a disyllabic domain for pre-boundary lengthening in the dataset without final particles and a trisyllabic domain in the dataset with final particles. In addition, overall, syllable duration at the pre-boundary position showed an inverse relationship with discourse boundary strength, especially in young speakers’ speech.
Analisis Pengaruh Perubahan Arus Kas Dan Laba Akuntansi Terhadap Return Saham Pada Perusahaan Berkapitalisasi Besar

This study aims to examine whether the changes of cash flows and accounting profit, used by investors to make investment decision, reflected in the companies’ stock return. There are four independent variables includes in this study, that is cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities, as well as accounting profit. The stock return is calculated by using the geometric mean method. Multiple regression analysis is used to examine the data on the top 97 public companies (based on market capitalization catagory) listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange for period 2009-2010. The result reveals that accounting profit disclosure markedly affected the stock return. This implies that investors took into account the publication of accounting profit in their decision making. On the other side, the study cannot prove the association of other independent variables to the stock return.