Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mums Go Online: Is the Internet Changing the Demand for Health Care?

Abstract We study the effect of Internet diffusion on childbirth procedures performed in England between 2000 and 2011. We show that broadband Internet access increased cesarean sections (C-sections): mothers living in areas with better Internet access are 2.5% more likely to obtain a C-section. The effect is driven by first-time mothers who are 6% more likely to obtain a C-section. The increased C-section rate is not accompanied by changes in health care outcomes; thus health care costs increased with no corresponding medical benefits. We show evidence documenting the growing importance of the Internet as a source of health-related information.
Association of Vitamin D Receptor Polymorphism with Susceptibility to Symptomatic Pertussis

Pertussis, caused by infection with the gram negative B. pertussis bacterium, is a serious respiratory illness that can last for months. While B. pertussis infection rates are estimated between 1–10% in the general population, notifications of symptomatic pertussis only comprise 0.01–0.1% indicating that most individuals clear B. pertussis infections without developing (severe) clinical symptoms. In this study we investigated whether genetic risk factors are involved in the development of symptomatic pertussis upon B. pertussis infection. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes, MBL2, IL17A, TNFα, VDR, and IL10 were genotyped in a unique Dutch cohort of symptomatic clinically confirmed (ex-)pertussis patients and in a Dutch population cohort. Of the seven investigated SNPs in five genes, a polymorphism in the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene (rs10735810) was associated with pertussis. The VDR major allele and its homozygous genotype were more present in the symptomatic pertussis patient cohort compared to the control population cohort. Interestingly, the VDR major allele correlated also with the duration of reported pertussis symptoms. Vitamin D3 (VD3) and VDR are important regulators of immune activation. Altogether, these findings suggest that polymorphisms in the VDR gene may affect immune activation and the clinical outcome of B. pertussis infection.
Food portions and consumer vulnerability: qualitative insights from older consumers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore older people’s food consumption experiences. Specifically, the paper seeks to provide understanding on the influence of food intake on consumer vulnerability and how this manifests within people’s lives. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts an interpretive, exploratory approach, using in-depth interviews with 20 older consumers in the UK. Thematic analysis is conducted, establishing patterns and contradictions with the data. Findings The findings demonstrate how biological, psychological and social age-related changes can contribute to reduced food intake in later life. The loss of control over one’s consumption experiences as a result of inappropriate portion sizes acts as a source of both immediate and future vulnerability. Resultant food wastage can serve as an immediate reminder of negative associates with ageing, while the accumulative effect of sustained under-consumption contributes to increased frailty. As a result, consumer vulnerability can pervade other contexts of an individual’s life. Practical implications The research reveals opportunities for firms to use packaging development to reduce experiences of consumer vulnerability through reduced apportionment of packaged food products. However, this needs to be considered within a multi-demographic marketplace. Originality/value This paper contributes to literature by providing a unique lens with which to understand consumer vulnerability. The findings offer a developmental perspective on the experience of consumer vulnerability, revealing the stages of proximate, immediate, intermediate and ultimate vulnerability. This perspective has the potential to offer more detailed, nuanced insights into vulnerability in other contexts beyond food consumption.
Effect of age on muscle hypertrophy induced by resistance training.

BACKGROUND Previous research has shown that resistance training induces muscle hypertrophy in older subjects, but has not clarified whether the degree of hypertrophy is affected by age. The present study was done to test the hypothesis that men and women over 60 years old have a smaller hypertrophic response to resistance training than young adults. METHODS Cross-sectional areas (CSA) of muscle in the thigh and upper arm were determined before and after 3 months of progressive resistance training by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 9 young (22-31 yr, 5 male and 4 female) and 8 old (62-72 yr, 4 male and 4 female) subjects. Strength was determined by 3-repetition-maximum (3RM) testing. The amount of weight lifted during the training program was proportional to baseline strength. RESULTS Mean pretraining 3RM strength, per cm2 CSA, was less in the older group for all muscle groups examined (16 +/- 6% for elbow flexors, p < .02; 40 +/- 7% for knee flexors, p < .001; 19 +/- 9% for knee extensors, p < .05). Mean training-induced increases in muscle CSA were less in the older group for elbow flexors (22 +/- 4% in young, 9 +/- 4% in old, p < .05) and knee flexors (8 +/- 2% in young, 1 +/- 2% in old, p < .01), but not for knee extensors (4 +/- 1% in young, 6 +/- 2% in old). Mean training-induced increases in specific tension (ratio of 3RM strength to CSA) were similar in young and old groups for elbow flexors (21 +/- 5% in young, 19 +/- 5% in old) and knee extensors (38 +/- 6% in young, 32 +/- 14% in old), but were greater in the older group for knee flexors (28 +/- 5% in young, 64 +/- 13% in old, p < .02). CONCLUSIONS Aging can attenuate the hypertrophic response of muscle groups to resistance training, when the training load is proportional to baseline strength. However, aging does not impair training-induced increases in specific tension.
Terrorism and Wine Tourism: The Case of Museum Attendance

Abstract In this article, we use attendance data from La Cité du Vin, a wine museum in the city of Bordeaux, to assess the impact of the recent wave of terror that affected France on wine tourism. We use recent count regression estimation techniques suited for time series data to build a prediction model of the demand for attendance at this museum. We conclude that the institution lost about 5,000 visitors over 426 days, during which 14 successive terrorist attacks took place. This corresponds to almost 1% of the total number of visitors in the sample period. (JEL Classifications: L83, Z30)
Fighting Fire with Aid: Development Assistance as Counterinsurency Tool - Evidence for Colombia

I study the causal effect of the foreign aid for development assistance —implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)— on the intensity of municipality-level armed conflict in Colombia, for the period 2009-2013. To address potential endogeneity biases, I use a Bartik-like instrument which exploits the spatial persistence of aid from USAID in Colombia. Specifically, I instrument foreign aid with the interaction between the United States GDP and municipality-level intent-to-treat indicators for the Malaria Eradication Campaigns (circa 1957). The results point out that foreign aid reduces the insurgency associated with left-wing guerrillas, especially FARC. However, foreign aid does not affect the violence associated with criminal gangs from right-wing paramilitary origins (BACRIM). I provide both quantitative and anecdotic evidence on two potential mechanisms behind my results: (i) Development programs raise the opportunity cost of fighting and; (ii) foreign aid improves the trust, and the information flows between civilians and the government. Finally, I provide empirical evidence that casts doubt on two alternative channels whose predictions cannot be reconciled with the results: (i) that foreign aid increases the potentially- looted rents by the insurgents and; (ii) that development programs rise targeted assassinations committed by insurgents to sabotage and reestablish bargaining power.
A Learner-Centered Design, Implementation, and Evaluation Approach of Learning Environments to Foster Acceptance

Most organizations donâ? t focus on what learners really do with their learning environments. Changing the perspective to the learner shows that they enlarge the organizational ones with their own technology-enhanced learning world, using a broad spectrum of technologies: company- and/or higher education-owned Learning Management Systems, social network platforms such as Facebook, mySpace, or Ning, search engines, open web services in the internet like blogs or wikis, and a lot more other applications. In this context, one of the challenges for todayâ? s organizations is how to create well-accepted and used learning environments that drive learnersâ? success. As errors in requirements specifications have been identified as a major contributor to costly software project failures. Hence it may be highly beneficial if the designers and/or developers of learning environments could verify requirements by predicting learnersâ? acceptance and usage based on evaluations during the earliest stages of the learning environment development phase. Previous findings of such an approach in the field of CRM software implementation showed that pre-prototype user acceptance tests did have almost equal informational value than their prototype counterparts that ensure hands-on experience with the system. More concrete, we focus on interventions of specific design features during the pre-implementation phase of learning environments. They may help minimizing learnersâ? initial resistance by providing a realistic preview of the system to enable potential learners to develop accurate perceptions and find out how the system may help them to improve their learning process. The paper proposes a solution by examining the influence of specific design features of learning environments on user acceptance, particularly on the antecedents of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. We want to extrapolate the influence of specific design features on specific aspects of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in order to enhance designersâ? and/or developers ability to identify and improve design features during learning environment implementation to enhance critical determinants. The goal of the current work is the improvement of design science in the topic of technology-enhanced learning. To ensure cross-organizational applicability, the approach suggests an application within higher education institutions as well as corporate organizations.
Periodontitis in the United States: beyond black and white.

OBJECTIVES This paper examines whether historical disparities in periodontal status between African Americans and whites in the United States have increased, decreased, or remained the same over the 15-year period between the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I, 1971-74) and the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-94). METHODS This study compared the magnitude of the relative and absolute differences in the periodontal status of African-American and white adults in NHANES I and again in NHANES III. RESULTS The prevalence of periodontitis in the US adult population in NHANES I was 31.6 percent, with African Americans exhibiting higher prevalence than whites. In NHANES III, using a different case-definition for periodontitis, the overall prevalence was 11.9 percent, with African Americans again exhibiting higher prevalence than whites. The magnitude of the intrasurvey relative and absolute differences between African Americans and whites increased between NHANES I and NHANES III. This finding remained after adjustment in the logistic regression analyses. After adjustment for all covariates in the model, African Americans were more likely to exhibit periodontitis than whites in both NHANES I (odds ratio [OR] = 1.31; 95% confidence intervals [CI] = .78, 2.19) and NHANES III (OR = 2.09; 95% CI = 1.68, 2.60). However, the CI included 1.00 in NHANES I. CONCLUSIONS Disparities in periodontitis between African Americans and whites are pervasive and have increased over time. This increase appears to be driven by social, cultural, and behavioral factors.
Long-term Outcome for Large Meniscal Defects Treated with Small Intestinal Submucosa in a Dog Model

Background Large meniscal defects are a common problem for which current treatment options are limited. Hypothesis Treatment of posterior medial meniscal defects in dogs with small intestinal submucosa is superior to partial meniscectomy in terms of clinical limb function, chondroprotection, and amount and type of new tissue in the defect. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods A total of 51 mongrel dogs underwent medial arthrotomy with creation of standardized meniscal defects. The dogs were divided into groups based on defect treatment: small intestinal submucosa meniscal implant (n = 29) or meniscectomy (n = 22). The dogs were assessed for lameness by subjective scoring after surgery and sacrificed at 3, 6, or 12 months and assessed for articular cartilage damage, gross and histologic appearance of the operated meniscus, amount of new tissue in the defect, equilibrium compressive modulus of meniscal tissue, and relative compressive stiffness of articular cartilage. Results Dogs in the meniscectomy groups were significantly (P <. 001) more lame than dogs treated with small intestinal submucosa. Joints treated with small intestinal submucosa had significantly (P <. 001) less articular cartilage damage, based on india ink staining, than did those treated with meniscectomy. Menisci receiving small intestinal submucosa had more tissue filling in the defects than did menisci receiving no implants, and this new tissue was more mature and meniscus-like and better integrated with remaining meniscus. Conclusion Small intestinal submucosa scaffolds placed in large meniscal defects resulted in production of meniscus-like replacement tissue, which was consistently superior to meniscectomy in amount, type, and integration of new tissue; chondroprotection; and limb function in the long term. Clinical Relevance Small intestinal submucosa implants might be useful for treatment of large posterior vascular meniscal defects in humans.
Effect of dietary alfalfa on zearalenone toxicity and metabolism in rats and swine.

Experiments were conducted with rats and swine to determine the potential of dietary alfalfa as a treatment for zearalenone (Z) toxicosis. Ninety-six female weanling Wistar rats were fed a casein-based semipurified diet containing 0, 15 or 25% alfalfa and 0 or 250 micrograms Z/g feed. Exposure to Z for 14 d resulted in reduced growth, feed consumption and feed efficiency as well as kidney and liver enlargement and reduced activity of 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 alpha-HSD). Z had no effect on uterine weight. Including alfalfa in these diets reduced the inhibitory effects of Z on growth and feed consumption, minimized Z-induced liver enlargement and increased hepatic 3 alpha-HSD activity. Dietary alfalfa also reduced concentrations of residual Z and zearalenols (Zl) in liver. In a second experiment, 108 Yorkshire gilts weighing 8 to 11 kg were fed diets containing 0, 15 or 25% alfalfa and 0, 10, 20 or 40 micrograms Z/g feed for 4 wk. Z caused uterine enlargement when fed as low as 10 micrograms/g feed, although no effects were seen in growth rate, feed consumption or feed efficiency. Alfalfa decreased uterine enlargement (P less than .05), but caused a depression in feed efficiency (P less than .05). Hepatic 3 alpha-HSD activity was five times lower in swine than in rats, although activity still tended to decrease with Z and increase with alfalfa feeding. Residues of Z and Zl in pig liver indicated species differences in the metabolism of Z. These studies show that dietary alfalfa promotes Z metabolism in rats and that this feedstuff may also be useful for treating Z toxicosis in livestock.
Anxiety conditioned to nicotine in the elevated plus-maze is time dependent

Conditioning to the anxiogenic effects of nicotine has previously been demonstrated in the social interaction test and there was no generalization of conditioning between the social interaction and elevated plus-maze tests. Because the two tests generate distinct states of anxiety, the conditioning could have occurred to the cues associated with the test environment and/or to those associated with the type of anxiety generated by the test. The elevated plus-maze permits separation of these two factors, because quite distinct states of anxiety are generated on trials 1 and 2, whereas the apparatus cues remain the same. Rats that had been tested on day 1 in the plus-maze, 5 min after nicotine (0.45 mg/kg), showed a conditioned anxiogenic response when tested undrugged on day 2. This was shown by significantly lower percentages of open-arm entries and percentage of time spent on the open arms, compared with control groups. Thus, conditioning to apparatus cues is sufficient to mediate a conditioned anxiogenic effect. The importance of the timing of the nicotine-associated cues was demonstrated by the failure to obtain conditioned anxiogenic effects when rats were exposed to the plus-maze on day 1, 30 min after nicotine (0.45 or 0.1 mg/kg).
A cross-national comparison of Millennial consumers’ initial trust towards an e-travel website

The purpose of this paper is to examine Millennials’ formation of trust towards a travel website and identify the similarities and the differences in trust formation among consumers from two countries – Denmark and Portugal. ,The study is based on online surveys conducted with convenience samples from two culturally-distant countries. Independent t-tests, structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis are used to verify the conceptual model and test the hypotheses. ,Results support a strong relationship between initial trust towards a travel website and consumers’ behavioural intentions. The results also suggest that cultural differences between countries moderate the formation of initial trust and behavioural reactions hereto. ,The study provides new insights into understanding how Millennials from Portugal and Denmark form initial trust towards an e-travel website.
Seizure‐induced formation of isofurans: novel products of lipid peroxidation whose formation is positively modulated by oxygen tension

We have previously shown that seizures induce the formation of F2‐isoprostanes (F2‐IsoPs), one of the most reliable indices of oxidative stress in vivo. Isofurans (IsoFs) are novel products of lipid peroxidation whose formation is favored by high oxygen tensions. In contrast, high oxygen tensions suppress the formation of F2‐IsoPs. The present study determined seizure‐induced formation of IsoFs and its relationship with cellular oxygen levels (pO2). Status epilepticus (SE) resulted in F2‐IsoP and IsoF formation, with overlapping but distinct time courses in hippocampal subregions. IsoF, but not F2‐IsoP formation coincided with mitochondrial oxidative stress. SE resulted in a transient decrease in hippocampal pO2 measured by in vivo electron paramagnetic resonance oximetry suggesting an early phase of seizure‐induced hypoxia. Seizure‐induced F2‐IsoP formation coincided with the peak hypoxia phase, whereas IsoF formation coincided with the ‘reoxygenation’ phase. These results demonstrate seizure‐induced increase in IsoF formation and its correlation with changes in hippocampal pO2 and mitochondrial dysfunction.
What clinical information do doctors need?

Summary points Doctors use some two million pieces of information to manage patients, but little research has been done on the information needs that arise while treating patients Textbooks, journals, and other existing information tools are not adequate for answering the questions that arise: textbooks are out of date, and “the signal to noise” ratio of journals is too low for them to be useful in daily practice Computer systems that have been developed to help doctors are not widely used—perhaps because they have not been developed to meet doctors' information needs When doctors see patients they usually generate at least one question; more questions arise than the doctors seem to recognise Most of the questions concern treatment Many of the questions are highly complex, simultaneously asking about individual patients and particular areas of medical knowledge Often doctors are asking not simply for information but for support, guidance, affirmation, and feedback Many of the questions go unanswered, but most could be answered; it is, however, time consuming and expensive to answer them Doctors are most likely to seek answers to these questions from other doctors The best information sources provide relevant, valid material that can be accessed quickly and with minimal effort New information tools are needed: they are likely to be electronic, portable, fast, easy to use, connected to both a large valid database of medical knowledge and the patient record, and a servant of patients as well as doctors
Comparison of Arterial and Venous Blood Lactate Kinetics After Short Exercise

Seventeen healthy male volunteers participated in this study designed to compare arterial with both arterialized venous and venous lactate kinetics after short exercise. Blood samples drawn before, during, and after bicycle exercise were analyzed continuously for lactate. A mathematical function incorporating two exponential terms was fitted to the arterial, arterialized venous, and venous lactate recovery curves, and the parameters of the mathematical function were compared using a linear regression. All parameters measured on or fitted to the arterialized venous curves correlated well with the respective arterial data (correlation coefficient R = 0.82 to 0.99, P less than 0.001). Among the parameters obtained from the fit to the venous curves, only those describing lactate removal correlated closely with the arterial results. It is concluded that for lactate kinetic studies during recovery following short-term muscular exercise, the information obtained from arterialized venous blood is comparable to arterial blood, whereas the use of venous blood, from the sampling site in this study, appears suitable for determining only the parameters for lactate disappearance. These conclusions are illustrated by the comparison between arterial, arterialized venous, and venous parameters as a function of the work rate of the previously performed exercise.
Measuring the retail food environment in rural and urban North Carolina counties.

BACKGROUND Development of accurate and sensitive methods to characterize the food environment is needed. Thus, we examined convergent and criterion validity of 2 retail food environment data sources and then examined differences in predictive validity between 3 ways of measuring the rural and urban food environment. METHODS Ten counties were selected in each of 3 North Carolina regions (n = 30). Number of fast-food restaurants and chain supermarkets were calculated using 2 data sources. Convergent validity was percent agreement between the 2 sources. Criterion validity was percent agreement between each source and the most accurate venue count. Predictive validity of food environment measures (Retail Food Environment Index, fast-food restaurants/capita, and supermarkets/capita) was calculated by associations with county-level mean-weighted body mass index (BMI). RESULTS Percent agreement for fast-food restaurants ranged from 50% to 100% (mean = 87%) and for supermarkets ranged from 58% to 100% (mean = 89%). The 2 data sources had similar percent agreement with the most accurate count. Retail Food Environment Index was positively associated with BMI, while fast-food restaurants per capita were negatively associated with BMI. CONCLUSIONS Our results lend support to studies using both food environment data sources examined.