Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uncertainty and Business Cycle: A Review of the Literature and Some Evidence from the Spanish Economy

Este artículo revisa los principales mecanismos económicos que se han esgrimido a la hora de considerar el nexo incertidumbre/actividad económica, así como los métodos mediante los cuales la incertidumbre es aproximada por medio de cantidades observables. También presenta evidencia empírica relativa al papel de la incertidumbre en la configuración de las fluctuaciones macroeconómicas de la economía española. Se observa que la incertidumbre tiende a reducir el nivel de la actividad económica a corto plazo, aunque no se detectan signos de sobrereacción.
The effect of older adults’ age identity on attitude toward online travel websites and e-loyalty

Purpose This study aims to identify the effect of age identity on attitude to online sites, examine the impact of this attitude on e-loyalty and investigate the moderating effect of motivational orientation. Design/methodology/approach A survey was distributed to an online panel consisting of US-based adults older than 50 and usable data were collected from 284 participants, followed by an analysis using structural equation modeling. Findings Psychological and social age negatively influenced older adults’ attitude toward travel websites. Recreation-oriented motivation influenced the effect of online attitude on e-loyalty more strongly than did task-oriented motivation. Originality/value Unlike previous studies, the current study provided several managerial implications for e-marketers intending to attract older adults by adopting the multidimensional scale of age identity to predict older adults’ online attitude.
Leader evaluation and team cohesiveness in the process of team development: A matter of gender?

Leadership positions are still stereotyped as masculine, especially in male-dominated fields (e.g., engineering). So how do gender stereotypes affect the evaluation of leaders and team cohesiveness in the process of team development? In our study participants worked in 45 small teams (4–5 members). Each team was headed by either a female or male leader, so that 45 leaders (33% women) supervised 258 team members (39% women). Over a period of nine months, the teams developed specific engineering projects as part of their professional undergraduate training. We examined leaders’ self-evaluation, their evaluation by team members, and team cohesiveness at two points of time (month three and month nine, the final month of the collaboration). While we did not find any gender differences in leaders’ self-evaluation at the beginning, female leaders evaluated themselves more favorably than men at the end of the projects. Moreover, female leaders were evaluated more favorably than male leaders at the beginning of the project, but the evaluation by team members did not differ at the end of the projects. Finally, we found a tendency for female leaders to build more cohesive teams than male leaders.
The baboon model of pertussis: effective use and lessons for pertussis vaccines

The USA is experiencing a pertussis resurgence that resulted in a 60-year high of 48,000 cases in 2012. Our ability to counteract this resurgence is hampered by the fact that pertussis pathogenesis and immunity to pertussis infection are not well studied. Studies in humans are difficult due to the low frequency of pertussis in the population, the cyclical nature of incidence and the sporadic geographic distribution of cases. While existing animal models reproduce many aspects of pertussis, none of them adequately reproduces the full spectrum of disease. We describe the baboon model of pertussis. The baboon model is the first animal model that recapitulates the full spectrum of human pertussis including coughing and transmission. This model is being utilized to examine pertussis pathogenesis and host responses to infection and vaccination. It is likely the baboon model will provide an important tool in the development of improved pertussis vaccines.
Commodity Connectedness: Short-run Versus Long-run

In this paper I contribute to empirical literature that studies volatility spillovers among the commodity and equity market, focusing on short-term and long-term linkages. Studying the persistence of volatility transmission is helpful for understanding the information flow among markets, which is crucial for risk management and regulators. I evaluate rich dynamics of connections between equity and commodity sectors, showing that the global financial crisis 2008-2009 led to unprecedential spillovers from equity to commodity markets with high persistence while the collapse of Oil prices in 2014 led to strong and long persistent spillovers from the energy market to the equity market.
Microsurgical access flap and enamel matrix derivative for the treatment of periodontal intrabony defects: a controlled clinical study.

OBJECTIVES Application of the guided tissue regeneration (GTR) principle and utilization of enamel matrix derivative (EMD) have both been shown to result in periodontal regeneration. While clinical investigations have demonstrated that the use of a microsurgical concept in combination with the GTR technique positively affects the percentage of primary closure and the amount of tissue preservation, no such information is available for EMD-treated periodontal defects. It was the aim of the present investigation to assess the clinical effect of the microsurgical access flap and EMD treatment with an emphasis on the evaluation of early wound healing. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eleven patients displaying at least one pair of intrabony periodontal defects with an intrabony component of > or =3 mm participated in the study. At baseline and at 6 and 12 months after surgery, the following clinical parameters were assessed by a blinded examiner: oral hygiene status (API), gingival inflammation (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL) and gingival recession (GR). Defects were randomly assigned to test or control treatment, which both consisted of a microsurgical access flap procedure designed for maximum tissue preservation. The exposed root surfaces of the test sites were conditioned with a 24% EDTA gel followed by EMD (Emdogain(R)) application. Primary flap closure was achieved by a 2-layered suturing technique. Postoperative healing was evaluated by a newly introduced early wound-healing index (EHI) at 1 and 2 weeks after surgery. RESULTS Both test and control treatment resulted in a statistically significant mean CAL gain of 2.8 and 2.0 mm at 6 months, and 3.6 and 1.7 mm at 12 months, respectively (p<0.05). Differences in CAL gain between the two treatment modalities were statistically significant at both time points (p<0.05). Additional GR values after 12 months averaged 0.3 and 0.4 mm for test and control sites, respectively, and did not reach statistical significance (p> or =0.05). Two weeks after surgery, primary closure was maintained in 89% of the test sites and in 96% of the control sites. CONCLUSION Both treatment modalities using the microsurgical flap procedure resulted in a high percentage of primary flap closure and maximum tissue preservation. In terms of PPD reduction and CAL gain, the combination with EMD application appeared to be superior to the microsurgical access flap alone.
Consumer Satisfaction In Social Commerce: An Exploration Of Its Antecedents And Consequences

ABSTRACT:This study highlights the importance of consumer satisfaction in the context of social commerce. This study aims to explore the relationships that affect the phenomenon of consumer satisfaction in relation to social commerce. A survey method has been employed to measure the relationships between variables related to consumer satisfaction to study its role in social commerce. A total of 372 Saudi students studying in Australia and at the UBT University in Saudi Arabia have been surveyed for this purpose. The study used partial least squares (PLS) to test the structural and measurement model and study the interlinkages between variables. The results of this study show that all the dimensions of Trust and Social Influence have a significant association with Consumer Satisfaction. It was also found that Word of Mouth was the variable which impacted both Trust as well as Social Influence most strongly and in context of social commerce, Trust was found to be the dimension which impacted consumer satisfaction most strongly. This research acknowledges that in the field of social commerce, various factors impact consumer satisfaction differently when compared to factors impacting consumer satisfaction in regular, face-to-face buying/selling transactions. It acknowledges that even though social commerce is a facet of e-commerce, the factors which impact consumer satisfaction in social commerce settings, might not be the same as the ones which impact consumer satisfaction in either e-commerce or traditional commerce. Additionally, research is expected to aid businesses in charting their strategies to better match consumer requirements leading to more positive consumer satisfactions, ultimately leading to the growth of social commerce businesses. It is also expected that the findings of this study will add to the existing literature on social commerce and act as an opportunity for researchers to delve more deeply into the various factors which are associated with consumer satisfaction in social commerce. This would result in providing empirical evidence and help both organisations and individuals with a better understanding of the factors that affect consumer satisfaction in social commerce. In addition, this will help to contribute to the social commerce literature through a theoretical framework that explains the consumer satisfaction using SC.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: meta‐analysis of discontinuation rates

A meta-analysis was carried out of 42 published randomized controlled studies comparing the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) with the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) that measured discontinuation rates for side effects and lack of efficacy by treatment group in order to compare the discontinuation rates for side effects and lack of efficacy. These discontinuation rates were pooled to produce the main outcome measure. Seven studies were placebo controlled and the discontinuation rates in these studies were also pooled in a separate analysis. Significantly fewer patients receiving SSRIs discontinued treatment because of side effects (14.9%) compared with those receiving TCAs (19%) (p < 0.01). There was also a significant difference in discontinuation rates due to side effects in the placebo- and TCA-controlled studies analysed separately, SSRIs (19%) compared with TCAs (27%) (p < 0.01). In both analyses a similar proportion of patients discontinued for lack of efficacy on SSRIs and TCAs. There is a significant and clinically important advantage for the SSRIs compared with the TCAs in the acceptability of treatment measured by the number of discontinuations due to side effects reported in published studies. The risk-benefit calculation favours the SSRIs since there were similar levels of efficacy but more discontinuations with the TCAs. The selection of an antidepressant for first-line treatment requires critical evaluation of the full risk-benefit equation.
Prevalence of key breastfeeding indicators in 29 sub-Saharan African countries: a meta-analysis of demographic and health surveys (2010–2015)

Objectives To carry out a meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of four key breastfeeding indicators in four subregions of 29 sub-Saharan African countries. Design, settings and participants The 29 countries were categorised into four subregions, and using cross-sectional data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (2010–2015) of these countries prevalence of each of four key breastfeeding indicators was estimated for each of the subregions by carrying out a meta-analysis. Due to the presence of significant heterogeneity among the various surveys (I2>50%), a random-effect analytic model was used, and sensitivity analysis was performed to examine the effects of outliers. Main outcome variables Early initiation of breast feeding, exclusive breast feeding, predominant breast feeding and bottle feeding. Results The overall prevalence of early initiation of breast feeding varied between a lowest of 37.84% (95% CI 24.62 to 51.05) in Central Africa to a highest of 69.31% (95% CI 67.65 to 70.97) in Southern Africa; the overall prevalence of exclusive breast feeding ranged between a lowest of 23.70% (95% CI 5.37 to 42.03) in Central Africa to a highest of 56.57% (95% CI 53.50 to 59.95) in Southern Africa; the overall prevalence of predominant breast feeding ranged between a lowest of 17.63% (95% CI 12.70 to 22.55) in East Africa and a highest of 46.37% (95% CI 37.22 to 55.52) in West Africa; while the prevalence of bottle feeding varied between a lowest of 8.17% (95% CI 5.51 to 10.84) in West Africa and a highest of 30.05% (95% CI 28.42 to 31.69) in Southern Africa. Conclusions West Africa and Central Africa recorded lower overall prevalence of early initiation of breast feeding and exclusive breast feeding than the WHO’s recommended target of 50% by the year 2025. Intervention for improved breastfeeding practices in sub-Saharan Africa should target West and Central Africa, while intervention to minimise bottle feeding should target Southern Africa.
Transcranial Stimulation over Frontopolar Cortex Elucidates the Choice Attributes and Neural Mechanisms Used to Resolve Exploration–Exploitation Trade-Offs

Optimal behavior requires striking a balance between exploiting tried-and-true options or exploring new possibilities. Neuroimaging studies have identified different brain regions in humans where neural activity is correlated with exploratory or exploitative behavior, but it is unclear whether this activity directly implements these choices or simply reflects a byproduct of the behavior. Moreover, it remains unknown whether arbitrating between exploration and exploitation can be influenced with exogenous methods, such as brain stimulation. In our study, we addressed these questions by selectively upregulating and downregulating neuronal excitability with anodal or cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation over right frontopolar cortex during a reward-learning task. This caused participants to make slower, more exploratory or faster, more exploitative decisions, respectively. Bayesian computational modeling revealed that stimulation affected how much participants took both expected and obtained rewards into account when choosing to exploit or explore: Cathodal stimulation resulted in an increased focus on the option expected to yield the highest payout, whereas anodal stimulation led to choices that were less influenced by anticipated payoff magnitudes and were more driven by recent negative reward prediction errors. These findings suggest that exploration is triggered by a neural mechanism that is sensitive to prior less-than-expected choice outcomes and thus pushes people to seek out alternative courses of action. Together, our findings establish a parsimonious neurobiological mechanism that causes exploration and exploitation, and they provide new insights into the choice features used by this mechanism to direct decision-making. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We often must choose whether to try something new (exploration) or stick with a proven strategy (exploitation). Balancing this trade-off is important for survival and growth across species because, without exploration, we would perseverate with the same strategies and never discover better options. Which brain mechanisms are responsible for our ability to make these decisions? We show that applying different types of noninvasive brain stimulation over frontopolar cortex causes participants to explore more or less in uncertain environments. These changes in exploration reflect how much participants focus on expected payoffs and on memory of recent disappointments. Thus, our results characterize a neural mechanism that systematically incorporates anticipated rewards and past experiences to trigger exploration of alternative courses of action.
Fracture Dislocations of the Tarsometatarsal Joints: End Results Correlated with Pathology and Treatment

Seventy-two patients with 76 fracture-dislocations of the Lisfranc tarsometatarsal joint complex were evaluated. Fifty-eight (81%) were polytrauma patients and the remainder suffered isolated injuries. Sixty of the original 72 patients were available for long-term study. Eight of these had an amputation at or shortly after the original admission, leaving 52 patients with 55 Lisfranc injuries for analysis. The average length of follow-up was 4.2 years (range, 20 months to 11 years). According to the Painful Foot Center scoring system, 27 feet (49%) achieved an excellent or good result and 28 (51%), a fair or poor result. Direct crush injuries did poorly with only one of eight scoring good or excellent. Of the various treatment modalities, open reduction and internal fixation with Kirschner wires yielded the best results. The major determinant of unacceptable results was identified as the quality of the initial reduction. Tarsal instability and late degenerative joint disease caused most of the symptoms. Twenty-three of the 52 patients (44%) have had or should have further mid-foot surgery to improve function and comfort. Because our results were often poor, our present protocol includes closed or open reduction and Kirschner wire internal fixation. Displacement greater than 2 mm or a talometatarsal angle greater than 15° on radiographs following a closed reduction mandates open reduction.
The amino-terminal portion of CD1 of the adenovirus E1A proteins is required to induce susceptibility to tumor necrosis factor cytolysis in adenovirus-infected mouse cells

Previous work by our laboratory and others has shown that mouse cells normally resistant to tumor necrosis factor can be made sensitive to the cytokine by the expression of adenovirus E1A. The E1A gene can be introduced by either infection or transfection, and either of the two major E1A proteins, 289R or 243R, can induce this sensitivity. The E1A proteins are multifunctional and modular, with specific domains associated with specific functions. Here, we report that the CD1 domain of E1A is required to induce susceptibility to tumor necrosis factor cytolysis in adenovirus-infected mouse C3HA fibroblasts. Amino acids C terminal to residue 60 and N terminal to residue 36 are not necessary for this function. This conclusion is based on 51Cr-release assays for cytolysis in cells infected with adenovirus mutants with deletions in various portions of E1A. These E1A mutants are all in an H5dl309 background and therefore they lack the tumor necrosis factor protection function provided by the 14.7-kilodalton (14.7K) protein encoded by region E3. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis indicated that most of the mutant E1A proteins were stable in infected C3HA cells, although with certain large deletions the E1A proteins were unstable. The region between residues 36 and 60 is included within but does not precisely correlate with domains in E1A that have been implicated in nuclear localization, enhancer repression, cellular immortalization, cell transformation in cooperation with ras, induction of cellular DNA synthesis and proliferation, induction of DNA degradation, and binding to the 300K protein and the 105K retinoblastoma protein.
Pig hematopoietic cell chimerism in baboons conditioned with a nonmyeloablative regimen and CD154 blockade.

BACKGROUND In an attempt to induce mixed hematopoietic chimerism and transplantation tolerance in the pig-to-primate model, we have infused high-dose porcine peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) into baboons pretreated with a nonmyeloablative regimen and anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody (mAb). METHODS Group 1 baboons (n=2) received a nonmyeloablative regimen including whole body irradiation, pharmacological immunosuppression, porcine hematopoietic growth factors, and immunoadsorption of anti-Galalpha1,3Gal (Gal) antibody before infusion of high doses of PBPC (2.7-4.6x10(10) cells/kg). In group 2 (n=5), cyclosporine was replaced by anti-CD154 mAb. Group 3 (n=3) received the group 1 regimen plus anti-CD154 mAb. RESULTS In group 1, pig chimerism was detected in the blood by flow cytometry (FACS) for 5 days (with a maximum of 14%), and continuously up to 13 days by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In group 2, pig chimerism was detectable for 5 days by FACS (maximum 33%) and continuously up to 28 days by PCR. In group 3, initial pig chimerism was detectable for 5 days by FACS (maximum 73%). Two of three baboons showed reappearance of pig cells on days 11 and 16, respectively. In one, in which no anti-Gal IgG could be detected for 30 days, pig cells were documented in the blood by FACS on days 16-22 (maximum 6% on day 19) and pig colony-forming cells were present in the blood on days 19-33, which we interpreted as evidence of engraftment. Microchimerism was continuous by PCR up to 33 days. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that there is no absolute barrier to pig hematopoietic cell engraftment in primates, and that this may be facilitated if the return of anti-Gal IgG can be prevented.
Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of Bone Using Ultrasound

This paper examines the serial use of ultrasonic velocity measurement to monitor fracture healing. New Zealand White rabbit tibiae were fractured using a constant-energy technique and the ultrasonic velocity along the bone measured in animals sacrificed at 16 day intervals up to 96 days from fracture. In parallel with these measurements the mechanical performance of the healed tibiae were determined using a three-point bending test. Regression analysis failed to show a sufficiently good correlation between ultrasonic velocity measurements and the bending properties of healing fractures for the method to be of use clinically.
The influence of obstructive sleep breathing disturbances on echocardiographic and pulmonary haemodynamic parameters in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND It is important to identify the clinical indicators of poor prognosis and treatable conditions that might contribute to the progression of heart failure (HF) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the group of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and concomitant obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). AIM To evaluate the influence of OSA on echocardiographic and haemodynamic parameters in patients with DCM, and the outcome in long-term follow-up. METHODS We enrolled patients with DCM and severely impaired ejection fraction (EF < 30%). Each patient underwent polygraphy, echocardiography, and right heart catheterisation. Subjects were divided into groups based on the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI): > 0 and < 5 (group I), ≥ 5 and ≤ 15 (group II), > 15 and ≤ 30 (group III), and > 30 (group IV). We compared the OSA-free (AHI < 5) subjects with those with OSA (AHI ≥ 5). The evaluated clinical end-points were death and orthotropic heart transplant. RESULTS The study population comprised 51 patients. Mean EF was 22%; 59% of patients were suffering from OSA. The increased severity of OSA correlated with worse pulmonary haemodynamics. Patients with OSA had higher mean pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance than individuals without OSA (p = 0.044, p = 0.032, respectively). The highest chamber diameters assessed in echocardiography were found in group IV (p < 0.05). A total of 10 end-points occurred during follow-up (8.9 ± 5.1 months), with significant differences observed between groups I-IV and the highest rate in group IV (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The increasing severity of OSA worsens the prognosis of DCM patients, independently of severe HF and coexistent PH. Systematic OSA screening in patients with HF might facilitate identification of individuals at high risk of progression of pulmonary haemodynamic impairment and end-point rate.