Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the urban consumer with regard to sourcing local food: a Heart of England study

This paper critically explores consumer perceptions and trends regarding purchasing locally produced food. Until recently, much of the research in this area largely focused on regional consumers where rural consumers had reasonable access to locally produced food and were usually in close proximity to the producers within, or close to, their immediate community. Here, the objectives of the primary research focused instead on urban attitudes and perceptions of local food within the Greater Birmingham conurbation in the West Midlands region of the UK. Birmingham is by far the most highly populated urban area of the region, and with ample opportunities to promote local food. Consumers, based mainly in Birmingham and Wolverhampton, were questioned on their locally produced food-buying habits and attitudes in order to determine any differences in urban perceptions and buying attitudes compared with rural counterparts, and also to identify any new and potential opportunities for local food producers. Originally, 1000 questionnaires were obtained from across Greater Birmingham and Wolverhampton. However, for the purposes of this paper, it was decided to focus on two urban city centres – Birmingham and Wolverhampton, with 148 questionnaires. The results indicate that urban consumers are generally confused about what the term ‘local’ food means. The reasons for purchasing local food, while generally consistent with national patterns, differed in that supporting the local producers was not regarded as important. Barriers to purchase were largely unsurprising for an urban area, as the top choices were ‘too expensive’ followed by ‘not readily available’ and ‘no time to find it’. Understanding, information, availability and access to local food emerge as the biggest challenges to urban consumers in buying local food.
New classification of thyroid FNAB results - a three-year observation from one clinic.

INTRODUCTION Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the main examination in diagnostics of thyroid nodules. Yet, it does not allow the differentiation of follicular lesions (FL). A new classification of thyroid biopsy results (newC) might improve pre-operative diagnostics mainly due to the introduction of a new subcategory of 'follicular lesion of undetermined significance', as well as the clarification of definitions of other categories. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of the newC on the distribution of the cytological results among main diagnostic categories and on the values of the parameters describing the effectiveness of FNAB in detecting malignancy. MATERIAL AND METHODS 34,371 FNABs outcomes and 3,557 results of surgical follow up were analysed. The frequencies of five main diagnostic categories in two periods: before (years: 2000-2009, 24,271 FNAB) and after the newC had been introduced (years: 2010-2012, 10,100 FNAB) were compared, as well as parameters describing the biopsy effectiveness, with a special focus on FL. RESULTS In the second analysed period, the frequency of the 'suspicious for malignancy' results was three times lower, while diagnoses of 'malignant neoplasm' were 33% more frequent and the results corresponding to FL decreased by 10%. In respect to FL, specificity of FNAB increased (22.6% vs. 57.4%), but sensitivity decreased (78.8% vs. 50.0%). In respect to other diagnostic categories considered jointly, the sensitivity of FNAB (61.2% vs. 85.7%) and PPV (57.4% vs. 77.8%) increased, and the specificity was similar (95-97%) for both periods. NPV exceeded 95% irrespective of applied classification. CONCLUSIONS Separation of FL with low risk of malignancy affects the values of the parameters describing the effectiveness of FNAB. The improved diagnostic effectiveness of FNAB is also a consequence of epidemiological changes and better selection of thyroid lesions for biopsy.
Bank affiliations and corporate dividend policy in pre-World War I Belgium

We investigate the impact of universal banks on the dividend policy of affiliated companies, in an environment characterised by poor investor protection, booming stock markets and strong banks. Our results, based on a unique sample of 428 listed companies in pre-World War I Belgium, are consistent with the hypothesis that companies with good investment opportunities and a bank director on their board paid higher dividends to establish a good reputation with investors. However, our results also indicate that companies with several bank directors and companies in which the bank had an equity stake paid lower dividends.
Prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer patients with postoperative recurrence following third-generation chemotherapy.

AIM To analyse the prognostic factors for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent cytotoxic chemotherapy with third generation agents or epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) for recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 1997 and 2005, 479 patients underwent a complete resection for NSCLC. Of these, 112 patients underwent chemotherapy for postoperative recurrence. RESULTS Median postrecurrence survival time for these 112 patients was 25.6 months. Univariate analysis showed female gender, age younger than 65 years, ECOG performance status of 0-1, never-smoker status, and adenocarcinoma prolonged survival, whereas metastasis to the liver or adrenal gland shortened survival. Multivariate analysis revealed age, performance status, cell type and metastasis to the adrenal gland to be independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION Age, performance status, cell type, and metastasis to the adrenal were independent prognostic factors in NSCLC patients treated with third-generation agents or EGFR-TKI for recurrence.
Exogenous Shocks, Foreign Aid, and Civil War

Abstract The recent civil war literature suggests that negative economic shocks in low-income countries increase the risk of civil war. Foreign aid can be an effective conflict-prevention tool in times of severe economic conditions. Aid cushions government spending from the downward pressures of economic shocks, providing recipient governments with resources they can use to make rebellion a less attractive option for aggrieved domestic groups. Using Official Development Assistance (ODA) data covering 1990 through 2004, we find that foreign aid appears to be a useful tool for preventing civil wars in the wake of negative economic shocks, and as such aid should be assessed by donors with these conflict-suppressing aspects in mind.
Redefining Rural Marketing: Insights from Touring Theatre

There remains little academic consensus on a definition of rural marketing, and as a concept, rural marketing has therefore struggled to establish its own vocabulary and ideas. Modi (2009) argues that rural marketing should be defined in terms of the impact it has on the developmental of rural people. This article builds on this developmental concept of rural marketing by exploring the touring theatre sector and illustrating how theatre spaces and audiences differ fundamentally in urban and rural communities. The article reviews the literature on rural touring theatre and applies it to rural marketing. It also analyses the results of audience questionnaires and a series of audience interviews carried out with rural theatre-goers in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. The article illustrates how the definition of rural marketing can be further developed by analysing audience reactions to rural theatre and reviewing case studies of best practice for marketing touring theatre productions. This primary and secondary research reveals the tangible benefits of authentic rural marketing and confirms Modi’s (2009) contention that successful rural marketing should have a positive impact on rural people. The article concludes that touring arts organizations and rural marketers working in other sectors should adjust their marketing strategies and activities to communicate more authentically and effectively with rural audiences. Finally, it uses the insights gained from touring theatre to propose a new definition of rural marketing.
Minimum Wage Effects in the Longer Run

Exposure to minimum wages at young ages could lead to adverse longer-run effects via decreased labor market experience and tenure, and diminished education and training, while beneficial longer-run effects could arise if minimum wages increase skill acquisition. Evidence suggests that as individuals reach their late 20s, they earn less the longer they were exposed to a higher minimum wage at younger ages, and the adverse longer-run effects are stronger for blacks. If there are such longer-run effects of minimum wages, they are likely more significant than the contemporaneous effects on youths that are the focus of research and policy debate.
Information, Analysts, and Stock Return Comovement

We examine information spillover as a source of stock return synchronicity, where information about highly-followed "prominent" stocks is used to price other "neglected" stocks sharing a common fundamental component. We find that stocks followed by few analysts co-move significantly with firm-specific fluctuations in the prices of highly followed stocks in the same industry, but do not observe the converse. This effect is more prominent in industries where analysts follow fewer stocks. Earnings forecast revisions for highly followed stocks cause price changes in little followed stocks, but the converse is again not observed. This is consistent with information spillover being primarily unidirectional - flowing from prominent to neglect stocks, but not vice versa. These findings also validate models of specialized information intermediaries in stock markets assisting the information capitalization process.
Relation between Acute GVHD and NK Cell Subset Reconstitution Following Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

One of the major challenges of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is to reduce the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) while boosting the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect. The reconstitution of natural killer (NK) cells following allo-SCT is of notable interest due to their known capability to induce GVL without GVHD. Here, in this study, we investigate the association between the incidence and severity of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and the early reconstitution of NK cell subsets following allo-SCT. We analyzed 342 samples from 107 patients using flow cytometry, with a focus on immature CD56high and mature cytotoxic CD56dim NK cells. Longitudinal analysis of immune reconstitution after allo-SCT showed that the incidence of aGVHD was associated with a delayed expansion of the entire NK cell population, in particular the CD56high subset. Notably, the disturbed reconstitution of the CD56high NK cells also correlated with the severity of aGVHD.
Order of Market Entry: Established Empirical Generalizations, Emerging Empirical Generalizations, and Future Research

Three established and four emerging empirical generalizations are identified below. The first established generalization is that there is a negative relationship between order of market entry and market share. Second, for consumer packaged goods and prescription anti-ulcer drugs, the entrant's market share divided by the first entrant's share roughly equals one divided by the square root of order of market entry. Third, in mature markets, market pioneer share advantages slowly decline over time. While the emerging generalizations require additional research support, the initial findings suggest: (1) for consumer packaged goods, order of market entry has a stronger negative relationship with trial penetration than with repeat purchase; (2) market pioneers have broader product lines than late entrants; (3) skill and resource profiles differ across market pioneers, early followers, and late entrants; and (4) order of market entry is not related to long-term survival rates. Future research topics are also discussed.
Triple negative tumours: a critical review

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that encompasses several distinct entities with remarkably different biological characteristics and clinical behaviour. Currently, breast cancer patients are managed according to algorithms based on a constellation of clinical and histopathological parameters in conjunction with assessment of hormone receptor (oestrogen and progesterone receptor) status and HER2 overexpression/gene amplification. Although effective tailored therapies have been developed for patients with hormone receptor‐positive or HER2+ disease, chemotherapy is the only modality of systemic therapy for patients with breast cancers lacking the expression of these markers (triple‐negative cancers). Recent microarray expression profiling analyses have demonstrated that breast cancers can be systematically characterized into biologically and clinically meaningful groups. These studies have led to the re‐discovery of basal‐like breast cancers, which preferentially show a triple‐negative phenotype. Both triple‐negative and basal‐like cancers preferentially affect young and African‐American women, are of high histological grade and have more aggressive clinical behaviour. Furthermore, a significant overlap between the biological and clinical characteristics of sporadic triple‐negative and basal‐like cancers and breast carcinomas arising in BRCA1 mutation carriers has been repeatedly demonstrated. In this review, we critically address the characteristics of basal‐like and triple‐negative cancers, their similarities and differences, their response to chemotherapy as well as strategies for the development of novel therapeutic targets for these aggressive types of breast cancer. In addition, the possible mechanisms are discussed leading to BRCA1 pathway dysfunction in sporadic triple‐negative and basal‐like cancers and animal models for these tumour types.
Delays in tuberculosis isolation and suspicion among persons hospitalized with HIV-related pneumonia.

BACKGROUND Despite awareness of HIV-related tuberculosis (TB), nosocomial outbreaks of multidrug-resistant TB among HIV-infected individuals occur. OBJECTIVE To investigate delays in TB isolation and suspicion among HIV-infected inpatients discharged with TB or Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), common HIV-related pneumonias. DESIGN Cohort study during 1995 to 1997. SETTING For PCP, 1,227 persons who received care at 44 New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles hospitals. For TB, 89 patients who received care at five Chicago hospitals. MEASUREMENTS Two-day rates of TB isolation/suspicion. RESULTS For HIV-related PCP, Los Angeles hospitals had the lowest 2-day rates of isolation/suspicion of TB (24.3%/26.6% vs 65.5%/66.4% for New York City and 62.8%/58.3% for Chicago, respectively; p < 0.001 for overall comparison by chi(2) test for each outcome measure). Within cities, hospital isolation/suspicion rates varied from < 35 to > 70% (p < 0.001 for interhospital comparisons in each city). The Chicago hospital with a nosocomial outbreak of multidrug-resistant TB from 1994 to 1995 isolated 60% of HIV-infected individuals who were discharged with a diagnosis of HIV-related TB and 52% discharged with HIV-related PCP, rates that were among the lowest of all Chicago hospitals in both data sets. CONCLUSION Low 2-day rates of TB isolation/suspicion among HIV-related PCP patients were frequent. One Chicago hospital with low 2-day rates of TB isolation/suspicion among persons with HIV-related PCP also had low 2-day rates of isolation/suspicion among confirmed TB patients. That hospital experienced a nosocomial multidrug-resistant TB outbreak. Educational efforts on the benefits of early TB suspicion/isolation among HIV-infected pneumonia patients are needed.
The accuracy of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay D-dimer test in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism: a meta-analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE We sought to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) D -dimer test in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) in the adult emergency department population. METHODS A search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and bibliographies of previous systematic reviews was conducted, with no language restriction. Experts in the field of PE research were contacted to identify unpublished studies. Prospective investigations involving a predominately outpatient population suspected of PE that used ELISA D -dimer tests were included. Two authors extracted data independently and assessed study quality on the basis of the patient spectrum and reference standard. Consensus was reached by means of conference. The analysis was based on a summary receiver operating characteristic curve and pooled estimates for sensitivity and specificity by using a random-effects model. RESULTS The search yielded 52 publications. No unpublished studies were found. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and provided a sample of 2,126 patients. The summary receiver operating characteristic curve analysis found significant heterogeneity among the 11 studies. Subgroup analysis of the 9 studies that used traditional ELISA D -dimer methods yielded the most valid pooled estimates, with a sensitivity of 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88 to 0.97) and a specificity of 0.45 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.55). Advanced age resulted in a lower specificity. A prolonged duration of symptoms decreased the sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSION The ELISA D -dimer test is highly sensitive but nonspecific for the detection of PE in the clinical setting. This test might help clinicians safely rule out PE, especially in the face of low and low-to-moderate pretest probabilities.
Diversity Training Management Initiatives in the Lodging Industry: An Exploratory Analysis of Underlying Dimensions

An exploratory study of managers with individual affiliate memberships in the American Hotel & Lodging Association was undertaken to (a) determine if any underlying dimensions are perceived within diversity management training initiatives (DMTIs) used in the lodging industry and (b) determine if managers can be grouped according to the importance placed on DMTIs. A survey was mailed to a random sample of 998 managers. A principal components analysis explaining 75% of the variance revealed that five underlying dimensions represented the DMTIs. Three groups of managers were identified from a hierarchical cluster procedure.
Labour market institutions and wage setting: evidence for OECD countries

The main channel through which labour market institutions are supposed to work in affecting unemployment is through their effects on the key parameters of the wage curve. In particular, labour market institutions may have both a direct wage push (or level) effect, i.e. change the level of the real wage for any given level of the unemployment rate and productivity, and an indirect slope effect, i.e. change the responsiveness of the real wage to the unemployment rate. The question this article addresses is whether there is any evidence that these transmission mechanisms were at work in a group of 20 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries over the period 1960 to 1999. The analysis is accomplished in two steps. Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimates of a wage equation including unemployment, productivity and a set of wage push institutions are first obtained, allowing only a subset of institutional coefficient to be homogeneous, while leaving the unemployment and other coefficients free to differ across countries. The country specific estimates of the unemployment coefficients are then used to investigate whether and to what extent cross-country heterogeneity in the estimated wage response to unemployment is related to institutional differences. The results support the existence of significant wage push effects of union density and benefit replacement rates, and of significant slope effects of benefit replacement rates, benefit duration and employment protection. A more generous unemployment benefit structure is found to lower the wage responsiveness to unemployment, while higher employment protection, contrary to what one expects, is found to enhance it. No significant level and slope effects are found for the tax wedge and bargaining coordination.
Automatic Segmentation of Rotational X-Ray Images for Anatomic Intra-Procedural Surface Generation in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Procedures

Since the introduction of 3-D rotational X-ray imaging, protocols for 3-D rotational coronary artery imaging have become widely available in routine clinical practice. Intra-procedural cardiac imaging in a computed tomography (CT)-like fashion has been particularly compelling due to the reduction of clinical overhead and ability to characterize anatomy at the time of intervention. We previously introduced a clinically feasible approach for imaging the left atrium and pulmonary veins (LAPVs) with short contrast bolus injections and scan times of ~ 4-10 s. The resulting data have sufficient image quality for intra-procedural use during electro-anatomic mapping (EAM) and interventional guidance in atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures. In this paper, we present a novel technique to intra-procedural surface generation which integrates fully-automated segmentation of the LAPVs for guidance in AF ablation interventions. Contrast-enhanced rotational X-ray angiography (3-D RA) acquisitions in combination with filtered-back-projection-based reconstruction allows for volumetric interrogation of LAPV anatomy in near-real-time. An automatic model-based segmentation algorithm allows for fast and accurate LAPV mesh generation despite the challenges posed by image quality; relative to pre-procedural cardiac CT/MR, 3-D RA images suffer from more artifacts and reduced signal-to-noise. We validate our integrated method by comparing (1) automatic and manual segmentations of intra-procedural 3-D RA data, (2) automatic segmentations of intra-procedural 3-D RA and pre-procedural CT/MR data, and (3) intra-procedural EAM point cloud data with automatic segmentations of 3-D RA and CT/MR data. Our validation results for automatically segmented intra-procedural 3-D RA data show average segmentation errors of (1) ~ 1.3 mm compared with manual 3-D RA segmentations (2) ~ 2.3 mm compared with automatic segmentation of pre-procedural CT/MR data and (3) ~ 2.1 mm compared with registered intra-procedural EAM point clouds. The overall experiments indicate that LAPV surfaces can be automatically segmented intra-procedurally from 3-D RA data with comparable quality relative to meshes derived from pre-procedural CT/MR.
Dissecting the Attitudes of Political Science Students Towards Democracy and the 2004 Elections in Indonesia

Abstract Students’ attitudes towards Indonesia's transition from an authoritarian era to democracy varied from strong support for the democratic transition to nostalgia for the authoritarian era's strong leadership and economic prosperity. A sample of 317 students from three Indonesian universities was asked to rate the importance of political, economic, legal and social democratic principles. In addition to concerns about corruption, economic decline and security, students differed significantly centring on the importance of legitimate elections, representation, tolerance, accountability, human rights and gender equality. The majority of students were pessimistic about the elections; paradoxically some students optimistic about the general elections rated democratic principles the least important. After discussing the implications, political attitudes about democracy and elections were related to cognitive consistency and dissonance theory.