Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Timeline of Initial Perceptions and Adoption of e-Business Among Quebec Forestry Sector SMEs

The present business environment is demanding and has forced companies to use information technology (IT) to remain competitive. E-business capabilities are currently one of the most salient factors that offer competitive advantage for most firms. This paper examines the evolution of the adoption of e-business practices between 2002 and 2009 from perception to actual adoption by small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in the forestry sector in Quebec, Canada. A binary logistic regression analysis of survey data demonstrated the low rate of adoption of these technologies in this group. This research found that while firm size is the most influential factor for e-business solution adopters, location is also a vital factor. Firms in metropolitan areas adopt e-business solutions faster and in higher volume than firms do in rural areas. Thus, this paper highlights those factors that can influence the adoption of e-business practices in Quebec forestry-sector SMEs.
Malignancies and Biologic Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Retrospective Study

Objectives : To observe the incidence of malignancies in the group of patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and treated with biologic therapy. Methods : A retrospective study on 157 subjects diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who underwent biologic treatment with Infliximab (IFX), Adalimumab (ADA), Etanercept (ETA) or Rituximab (RTX) was conducted in Rheumatology Clinic from Cluj-Napoca, between June 2012 and August 2012. Results : 44% of patients were treated with IFX, 24% with ETA, 10% with ADA and 22% with RTX. Seven malignancies (4.45%) were identified; 2 cases were with basal cell carcinoma of the skin (IFX, after a median duration of 84 months from the start of this therapy). These two malignancies were surgically removed and there was no need to stop IFX. A Bowen tumor was diagnosed after 8 months from the beginning of ETA treatment. Two cases of myeloproliferative disorder were identified after a median of 36 months time from the start of IFX. 1 of these 2 subjects underwent a specific therapy. 2 other female patients were diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma and cholangyocarcinoma respectively, during treatment with RTX (6 months on average after start). These patients have been previously treated with IFX or ETA that were discontinued due to lack of efficacy. Tumors were surgically removed and patients underwent chemotherapy. RTX was stopped. Conclusions : The most frequent malignancies in our sample were cutaneous carcinomas and myeloproliferative syndromes; they were not diagnosed in the first year. The treatment duration with different biologic were not related with the occurrence of malignancies.
Monetary Policy Response to Foreign Aid in an Estimated DSGE Model of Malawi

This paper estimates a Bayesian Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model of Malawi and uses it to account for short-run monetary policy response to aid inflows between 1980 and 2010. In particular, the paper evaluates the existence of a "Dutch Disease" following an increase in foreign aid and examines the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) reaction to aid inflows under different monetary policy rules. The paper finds strong evidence of "Taylor rule" like response of monetary policy to aid inflows. It also shows that a â€˜Dutch Diseaseâ€™ did not exist in Malawi because aid inflows were found to be associated with currency depreciation and not the expected real currency appreciation. There is also evidence of a low impact of a positive aid shock on currency depreciation and inflation when RBM engages in targeting monetary aggregates than when the authorities use the Taylor rule and incomplete sterilisation.
Flood frequency in China's Poyang Lake region: trends and teleconnections

Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province is the largest freshwater lake in China and is historically a region of significant floods. Annual events of peak lake stage and of severe floods have increased dramatically during the past few decades. This trend is related primarily to levee construction at the periphery of the lake and along the middle of the Changjiang (Yangtze River), which protects a large rural population. These levees reduce the area formerly available for floodwater storage resulting in higher lake stages during the summer flood season and catastrophic levee failures. The most severe floods in the Poyang Lake since 1950, and ranked in descending order of severity, occurred in 1998, 1995, 1954, 1983, 1992, 1973, and 1977. All of these floods occurred during or immediately following El Niño events, which are directly linked to rainfall in central China. The 2‐year recurrence interval for maximum annual lake stage during El Niño years is 1.2 m higher than during non‐El Niño years. The 10‐year recurrence interval is 1.4 m higher during El Niño years than during non‐El Niño years. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society.
THE DYNAMICITY AND FLEXIBILITY OF EFL TEACHERS' ROLE IDENTITIES IN LANGUAGE INSTITUTES

Teachers’ active positioning in social space and their role identity are likely to be affected by workplace policies that impact their working conditions. By the same token, the teachers’ congruence or incongruence with the institutions’ policies can have an impact on their work-related identities. This qualitative study sets itself the objective of exploring the role identities of EFL teachers in language institutes. To this end, 36 experienced language teachers from six language institutes in Yasouj, Iran, took part in the study. The data were gathered through semi-structured individual interviews with the participants. Among the total of 9 role identities, the frequency count of the occurrences of roles demonstrated that the most recurring teacher role identity reported by teachers was teacher as “vendor” who is in charge of “selling” a particular teaching methodology. Further, the least recurring teacher role identity was teacher as “collaborator” indicating that teachers were reluctant to share with other teachers.
Relapse in Leprosy in Post-elimination Phase : Scenario from a Tertiary Care Center in South India

the secondary aim to study the clinical features of the relapsed cases in a Tertiary Care Centre in Thiruvanthapuram, South India. This was a 10 year retrospective study of relapsed cases of leprosy in the post-elimination phase. There were 39 cases of relapse in the 10 year (2006-2015) study period, with a relapse rate of 10.03%. Out of 39 relapses, 8 were PB cases and31 were MB cases. There were 33 males (84.61%) and 6 females (15.39%) with a male/female ratio of 5.5:1. The mean age was 46.82 years and age group 41-50 constituted the maximum number of cases 11 (28.21%). Borderline tuberculoid (BT) was the commonest initial type of leprosy to relapse, 17 cases (43.58%), while the commonest type in the relapsed state was also BT, 18 cases (46.15%). BT relapsing as BT was the commonest type, 13 cases (33.33%). Relapse was more common in smear positive cases, 21 (53.85%), compared to smear negative cases, 18 (46.15%). Twelve (12/21, 57.14%) relapses in smear positive cases (BI 4+) were in those who were treated with FDT for one year. This study shows a high prevalence of relapse cases in the post-elimination phase in cases treated in a tertiary care settings which indicates the need of in-depth studies to find out determinants such as subsets of cases at higher risk of getting relapse and duration of treatment in such cases as well as long term steroids.
thigh pain . A possible preoperative evaluation factor Relationship between psoas muscle dimensions and post operative

Introduction Advanced intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is used to attenuate postoperative complications and side effects of extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF). Specific factors relate to the presence of postoperative injury are not well understood. This study aims to identify intraoperative variables with correlations to new postoperative anterior thigh/groin sensory changes. Methods Twenty-nine patients with various degenerative lumbar conditions were treated with XLIF at a single institution. Mean age was 59 years, 69% were female, and 21% had undergone previous lumbar surgery. A total of 47 levels (mean 1.6, range 1-3) were treated with XLIF. Supplemental pedicle screw and rod fixation was used in 24 patients (83%). Dynamically-evoked electromyography was used in all cases. Analysis of baseline demographic and treatment variables were performed at a per patient basis (n=29), whereas analysis of intraoperative variables were performed at a per levels treated basis (n=47). Results Within 24 hours postoperative, 10 (34%) patients experienced anterior thigh/groin sensory changes (4 reported pain only, 5 reported pain plus other sensory changes, and 1 paresthesia without pain). Symptom resolution occurred at 1 month postoperative for 4 patients, at 3 months postoperative for 2 patients. At 3 months postoperative, 6 patients had complete symptom resolution, 3 patients had symptom improvements, and 1 patient had no change in perioperative symptoms. Psoas dimension in the lateral-latero direction were significantly smaller for patients with postoperative sensory changes (p=0.025), and similarly, patients with postoperative sensory changes had a significantly higher ratio of psoas muscle in the anterior-posterior to lateral-latero directions (p=0.026). Conclusions In addition to IONM, MRI evaluation of psoas shape, position, and dimension may be of help in preoperative planning of a safe XLIF access and eventually, predict those cases with higher risk of approach-related post-operative events. keywords: intraoperative neuromonitoring, XLIF, psoas, EMG Volume 9 Article 27 doi: 10.14444/2027
Telomeres and human disease

Telomeres are specialized structures at chromosome endsrequired for chromosome stability maintenance. They consistof a specific repetitive DNA sequence and a set of associatedproteins that form a protective structure at chromosomeends. The enzyme telomerase, which is active in stemcells but not in normal somatic cells, synthesizes telomericDNA sequence. This enzyme is important for cell proliferativepotential and most cancer cells have active telomerase.Telomeres are shorter in older individuals than in younger individualsand they may be viewed as a “biological clock”. Theevidence is accumulating that telomere maintenance plays asignificant role in the pathology associated with some humandiseases. There are several human genetic diseases that showaccelerated shortening of telomeric DNA sequences includingDyskeratosis congenita, Fanconi anemia, ataxia telangiectasia,Nijmegen breakage syndrome, Werner syndrome,Bloom syndrome, pulmonary fibrosis and ataxia telangiectasialike disease. A common feature of these diseases is acceleratedtelomere shortening due to increased cell turnoverthat eventually leads to signs of premature ageing. Commondiseases lacking an apparent genetic component such as atherosclerosis,heart failure, liver cirrhosis and ulcerative colitis,also show accelerated telomere shortening in affected tissues,that eventually causes tissue specific pathology. Factors thatincrease cell turnover may be detected by measuring telomerelength in the human population and so far several such factorshave been identified including: smoking, obesity and exposureto psychological stress. It is likely that future researchwill reveal an even more extensive role of defective telomeremaintenance in human disease and conditions that elevatedisease risk.
SOCIAL DOMINANCE ORIENTATION, REALISTIC AND SYMBOLIC THREAT: EFFECTS ON ITALIANS' ACCULTURATION ORIENTATIONS, INTERGROUP ATTITUDES AND EMOTIONS TOWARD IMMIGRANTS

In this study, realistic and symbolic threat were tested as mediators of the effects of Social Domi/ nance Orientation (SDO; Sidanius & Pratto, 1999) on acculturation orientations, intergroup attitudes and emotions. One/hundred Italian undergraduates completed one of three versions of a questionnaire, each evoking a different target group : immigrants in general, Moroccans, Chinese. We predicted that the effects of SDO on acculturation orientations would be mediated by realistic threat in the employ/ ment domain and by symbolic threat in the culture domain; both threats should mediate the SDO/ intergroup attitudes and emotions relationship. Results showed, partially supporting predictions, media/ tion effects by realistic threat on integrationism (employment domain), intergroup attitudes and emo/ tions, and by symbolic threat on assimilationism (culture domain). Evidence of moderated mediation emerged in the path from predictor to mediator: SDO increased realistic threat more for immigrants in general and Moroccans than for Chinese. Theoretical and practical implications of findings are dis/ cussed.
Monopoly Pricing as an Antitrust Offense in the U.S. and the EC: Two Systems of Belief about Monopoly?

Monopoly pricing per se, that is without need of proof of anti-competitive conduct or intent, is regulated very differently on both sides of the Atlantic, at least in theory. U.S. antitrust law sets a straightforward rule: monopoly pricing, as such, is not regulated. In contrast, under EC law excessive pricing is considered an abuse of dominance and is punishable by fine and subject to a prohibitory order. These approaches fit the divide between the regulation of exclusionary and exploitative conduct: whereas exclusionary conduct is an offense against antitrust law on both sides of the Atlantic, exploitative conduct generally only breaches EU law. This article analyzes these regulatory approaches, their historical and theoretical roots, as well as the differences that exist in practice between the two systems. As will be shown, the divergent legal rules reflect different ideological goals and different assumptions about how markets operate. The U.S. views the unregulated economy as essentially competitive, if the creation of artificial barriers is prohibited. This approach places significant emphasis on the workings of the market and considers monopoly created by means other than artificial barriers to be relatively unimportant. It also reflects the limited role granted to government in regulating markets directly and the social, moral and political values attributed to the process of competition. EC law reflects a lesser belief in the ability of market forces to erode monopoly and a stronger belief in the ability of a regulator to intervene efficiently in setting the business parameters of firms operating in the market. It also reflects a stronger emphasis on distributional justice. The importance of the analysis lies beyond antitrust intervention in monopoly pricing, as it opens a window to much broader themes which underlie the competition policies of both jurisdictions and enables us to exemplify and contrast the foundations of both regulatory systems. The regulation of excessive pricing encapsulates issues such as the goals and underpinning of EC and U.S. antitrust systems; the equilibrium point which was adopted to balance between the forces of Darwinian capitalism and those of social justice; the role of government regulation; the balance between practical problems and theoretical principles; and the assumptions regarding the relative administrability of various types of regulation. Monopoly pricing regulation is thus, in many ways, a microcosm of competition policy.
The Faraday 2-form in Einstein-Weyl geometry

On a conformal manifold, a compatible torsion free connection $D$ need not be the Levi-Civita connection of a compatible Riemannian metric. The local obstruction is a real $2$-form $F^D$, the Faraday curvature. It is shown that, except in four dimensions, $F^D$ necessarily vanishes if it is divergence free. In four dimensions another differential operator may be applied to $F^D$ to show that an Einstein-Weyl $4$-manifold with selfdual Weyl curvature also has selfdual Faraday curvature and so is either Einstein or locally hypercomplex. More generally, the Bach tensor and the scalar curvature are shown to control the selfduality of $F^D$. Finally, the constancy of the sign of the scalar curvature on compact Einstein-Weyl $4$-manifolds [24] is generalised to higher dimensions. The scalar curvature need not have constant sign in dimensions two and three.
Functional Status of Neuronal Calcium Sensor-1 Is Modulated by Zinc Binding

Neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1) protein is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system and retinal neurons, where it regulates many vital processes such as synaptic transmission. It coordinates three calcium ions by EF-hands 2-4, thereby transducing Ca2+ signals to a wide range of protein targets, including G protein-coupled receptors and their kinases. Here, we demonstrate that NCS-1 also has Zn2+-binding sites, which affect its structural and functional properties upon filling. Fluorescence and circular dichroism experiments reveal the impact of Zn2+ binding on NCS-1 secondary and tertiary structure. According to atomic absorption spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry studies, apo-NCS-1 has two high-affinity (4 × 106 M-1) and one low-affinity (2 × 105 M-1) Zn2+-binding sites, whereas Mg2+-loaded and Ca2+-loaded forms (which dominate under physiological conditions) bind two zinc ions with submicromolar affinity. Metal competition analysis and circular dichroism studies suggest that Zn2+-binding sites of apo- and Mg2+-loaded NCS-1 overlap with functional EF-hands of the protein. Consistently, high Zn2+ concentrations displace Mg2+ from the EF-hands and decrease the stoichiometry of Ca2+ binding. Meanwhile, one of the EF-hands of Zn2+-saturated NCS-1 exhibits a 14-fold higher calcium affinity, which increases the overall calcium sensitivity of the protein. Based on QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations, Zn2+ binding to Ca2+-loaded NCS-1 could occur at EF-hands 2 and 4. The high-affinity zinc binding increases the thermal stability of Ca2+-free NCS-1 and favours the interaction of its Ca2+-loaded form with target proteins, such as dopamine receptor D2R and GRK1. In contrast, low-affinity zinc binding promotes NCS-1 aggregation accompanied by the formation of twisted rope-like structures. Altogether, our findings suggest a complex interplay between magnesium, calcium and zinc binding to NCS-1, leading to the appearance of multiple conformations of the protein, in turn modulating its functional status.
Yield and Soil Water in Three Dryland Wheat and Grain Sorghum Rotations

227 Diverse crop rotation is a long-proven crop management system that sustains crop productivity by reducing weed seedbank, increasing crop water productivity, and improving soil structure compared with monoculture cropping scenarios. Th e most common dryland rotation in the Great Plains has been a 2-yr wheat–fallow system (Anderson et al., 1999; Assefa et al., 2014; Hansen et al., 2012; Norwood, 2000). Drawbacks of the wheat–fallow rotation include soil quality degradation, loss of organic matter, low precipitation use effi ciency, and a relatively small contribution in breaking weed cycles (Anderson et al., 1999; Peterson et al., 1993). Improvements in fertilizer, pesticide, and tillage technologies have enabled inclusion of warm-season crops, such as sorghum, corn (Zea mays L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ], sunfl ower (Helianthus annuus L.), and proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), in rotations with wheat. Th e rotation of a warm-season crop with winter wheat comes with many advantages that lead to more effi cient land and water use (Hansen et al., 2012; Nielsen et al., 2002). Currently, a 3-yr wheat–warm season crop (Sc; most oft en grain sorghum or corn)–fallow (W–Sc–F) rotation accounts for the greatest percentage of crop rotations in the Great Plains (Assefa et al., 2014; Hansen et al., 2012; Tarkalson et al, 2006). However, a number of similar 3or 4-yr crop rotations exist. For example, 2 yr of wheat followed by Sc and fallow (W–W– Sc–F) or wheat followed by 2 yr of Sc and fallow (W–Sc–Sc–F) were common in Kansas aft er the popular W–Sc–F rotation (Assefa et al., 2014). Th e positive impact of a more intense crop rotation on weed seedbank reduction, reduction in N fertilizer requirement, sustainable yield increase, and profi tability has been reported (Coulter et al., 2011; Davis et al., 2012; Stanger et al., 2008; Teasdale et al., 2004). However, a long-term study on the Yield and Soil Water in Three Dryland Wheat and Grain Sorghum Rotations
Market Power, Governance and Innovation: OECD Evidence

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between market power, governance and patenting activity in a sample of 25 OECD countries from 1988-2007. Controlling for a wide range of innovation predictors, we report that governance quality is related positively with patenting activity in the full sample and in samples of countries with higher-than-average per-capita GDP, governance scores and economic openness. Secondly, the relationship between market power and innovation has a U-shape in the full sample, but inverted-U shape in split samples. Third, when interacted with governance, market power tends to have an offsetting effect that weakens the positive relationship between governance and innovation. These findings are robust to a range of control variables such as per-capita GDP, income inequality, depth of equity markets, labour share in national income, economic globalization and military expenditures. Our findings indicate that governance is a significant factor that explain innovation and that blanket statements about the relationship between competition and innovation as well as the kind of reforms necessary to foster innovation can be misleading.
Structural reforms in the euro area 1

This article is about structural reforms, i.e. (policy) measures with the purpose of enhancing the supply side capacity of an economy. In particular, the article is focused on the euro area. The need for structural reforms in the euro area is not new but the financial crisis made it more urgent. The article overviews the main results regarding the macroeconomic impact of these reforms in the economic literature based on general equilibrium structural models. It also addresses the issue of the relationship between structural reforms and monetary policy, in particular when nominal interest rates are at the zero lower bound.