Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strength of Concrete-Filled Steel Box Columns with Buckling Effects

Abstract This paper studies the ultimate strength and ductility of short concrete-filled thin-walled steel box columns with local buckling effects using a nonlinear fibre element analysis technique. New effective width formulas for determining the ultimate strengths of steel plates with geometric imperfections and residual stresses in concrete-filled thin-walled steel box columns are incorporated in the fibre element analysis program to account for the effects of local buckling. The progressive local and post-local buckling is simulated by gradually redistributing the normal stresses within the steel box. Performance indices are employed to quantitatively evaluate the section and ductility performance of composite columns. The effects of local buckling, steel ratios and steel yield strengths on the strength and ductility of concrete-filled steel box columns are investigated. It is demonstrated that local buckling significantly reduces the ultimate strength of thin-walled high-strength steel box columns filled with concrete. The 4% limit on the steel ratio or the 0.2 limit on the steel contribution ratio imposed on composite column sections in current design codes leads to the use of very slender steel plates in concrete-filled steel box columns. It is suggested that the section performance index of concrete-filled steel box columns should be as high as 0.5 for a better structural performance. The use of high strength steels in concrete-filled steel box columns significantly increases the ultimate strengths of the columns but reduces their ductility.
Salivary and serum leptin concentrations in patients with chronic periodontitis.

BACKGROUND The discovery of leptin has led to the elucidation of a robust physiologic system that not only maintains fat stores but is also an integral part of the host defense mechanism. However, leptin concentrations in the saliva of patients with chronic periodontitis (CP) has not been explored despite the potential role of salivary biomarkers in determining the presence, risk, and progression of periodontal disease. METHODS Eighty-four participants (44 with generalized severe CP and 40 without periodontitis) were enrolled. For each patient, the values of periodontal parameters were recorded, such as plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (AL), and percentage of sites with bleeding on probing (BOP) and clinical AL ≥5 mm. Saliva and serum samples were collected to estimate the leptin concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Statistical analysis was performed using software. RESULTS Participants with CP demonstrated significantly higher BOP, PI, GI, and percentage of sites with clinical AL >5 mm (P <0.05). Leptin was detectable in all the clinical samples. Salivary leptin concentrations in patients with CP were significantly lower than in healthy volunteers (6,200.61 ± 2,322.11 versus 8,799.60 ± 901.70 pg/mL), whereas serum leptin concentrations were significantly higher in patients with CP than in healthy volunteers (11,600.00 ± 1,705.01 versus 7,616.62 ± 1,169.83 pg/mL). In addition, the results reflected a significant negative correlation of salivary leptin and a positive correlation of serum leptin with PD (P <0.05). CONCLUSION The results suggest that leptin concentrations in saliva and serum are significantly altered in CP and relate closely to current disease activity; however, further studies are needed to confirm the findings.
The Wretched Refuse of a Teeming Shore? A Critical Examination of the Quality of Undergraduate Marketing Students

What is the quality of students attracted to the marketing major relative to other business majors? Although some anecdotal evidence suggests that undergraduate marketing students are less quantitatively oriented, there has been no comprehensive assessment of the overall quality of marketing students relative to other business students. Using a variety of secondary data analyses from nationwide samples, the authors assess the quality of students choosing marketing as a major. The results paint a grim picture for the marketing discipline. Marketing majors are among the poorest performing students relative to other business majors both coming in to and leaving college. Results from a broad-based sample suggest that marketing educators need to start a dialogue on exactly what set of knowledge and skills core to the discipline are being o fered students and their employers. The authors o fer some solutions and point to areas for additional research.
Increased serum alkaline phosphatase as a predictor of long-term mortality after stroke

Background: Although the critical role of alkaline phosphatase in bone mineralization is clearly understood, the potentially adverse effect of high alkaline phosphatase levels on the cardiovascular system was only recently suggested. In this study, we hypothesized that increased levels of serum alkaline phosphatase may be associated with poor outcome after stroke in terms of mortality. Methods: We prospectively included patients with acute stroke admitted consecutively to our hospital, from October 2002 to September 2008. A total of 2,029 patients were selected for the analyses. In the analyses of mortality, the patients were divided by baseline measurements into quintiles of alkaline phosphatase levels (<57, 57–69, 70–81, 82–97, >97 IU/L). Results: In the Cox proportional hazard models, compared with the first alkaline phosphatase quintile, adjusted hazard ratios of the third, fourth, and fifth quintiles for all-cause death were 1.67 (95% confidence interval 1.12–2.49), 1.79 (1.20–2.67), and 2.83 (1.95–4.10). When we divided the patients into ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, the association was also significant for both subtypes of stroke. In terms of vascular death, compared to the first alkaline phosphatase quintile, the adjusted hazard ratios of the fourth and fifth quintiles of alkaline phosphatase were 1.81 (95% confidence interval 1.14–2.86) and 2.78 (1.87–4.15). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that increased serum levels of alkaline phosphatase are an independent predictor of all-cause and vascular death after either ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.
The effect of different dietary fatty acids on lipoprotein metabolism: concentration-dependent effects of diets enriched in oleic, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids

While it is well established that the fatty acid composition of dietary fat is important in determining plasma lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, the effects of changing the absolute quantities of the individual fatty acids are less clear. In the present study Golden Syrian hamsters were fed on isoenergetic, low cholesterol (0·05 g/kg) diets containing 100, 150 or 200 g added fat/kg. This consisted of triolein (TO) alone, or equal proportions of TO and either trimyristin (TM), tripalmitin (TP) or tristearin (TS). Each trial also included a control group fed on a diet containing 50g TO/kg. As the mass of TO in the diet increased, plasma VLDL-cholesterol concentrations rose. The TM-rich diets produced a concentration-dependent increase in total plasma cholesterol which was a result of significant increases in both VLDL and HDL levels. The TP-rich diets increased plasma LDL- and HDL-cholesterol levels in a concentration-dependent manner. TS-containing diets did not increase the cholesterol content of any of the major lipoprotein fractions. Hepatic LDL-receptor mRNA concentrations were significantly decreased in animals fed on TP, while apolipoprotein B mRNA concentrations were significantly increased. Thus, on a low-cholesterol diet, increasing the absolute amount of dietary palmitic acid increases LDL-cholesterol more than either myristic or stearic acid. These effects on lipoprotein metabolism may be exerted through specific modulation of the expression of the LDL receptor and apolipoprotein B genes.
Auditor Independence and Earnings Quality: Evidence for Market Discipline vs. Sarbanes-Oxley Proscriptions

Does auditor independence improve earnings quality and, if so, is regulation necessary to realize such improvements? Popular characterizations of recent governance scandals answer "yes! ", but lack support from scholarly investigations. This disagreement motivates our investigation of whether auditor independence affects earnings quality in ways that prior research would have missed, and what any such effect means for the efficiency-consequences of related governance regulations. 1. We relax a priori data-restrictions that ignore the potential for auditors' dependence on consulting fees to enhance earnings quality. 2. We measure unexpected accounting fees in a more defensible manner, and develop a matching estimator to examine whether fee disclosures improve asset-pricing efficiency; and 3. We empirically evaluate the potential for governance externalities to rationalize proscriptive regulations. Our results offer some support for auditor independence improving earnings quality. Importantly, however, they also suggest that mandated fee disclosures exhausted regulatory opportunities to improve this dimension of corporate governance, and thus speak more directly than does the literature against Sarbanes-Oxley's proscription on jointly producing audit and non-audit services.
The role of intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes on consumer behaviour for traditional food products

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the perceived quality of two traditional food products with protected designation of origin (PDO). Specifically, we study the influence of perceived quality of intrinsic attributes (e.g. colour, flavour, smell, appearance) and extrinsic attributes (e.g. brand, denomination of origin, and image of traditional product) on consumer satisfaction, loyalty and purchasing intention.Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained using a structured questionnaire to consumers of both food products. After the fieldwork, a screening process was performed to obtain 223 (olive oil) and 251 (air‐cured ham) valid questionnaires. Structural equations model was applied to relate the perceived extrinsic and intrinsic quality with satisfaction, loyalty and purchasing intention.Findings – In relation to the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes we have found. First, for the new PDO of olive oil, the results reveal the existence of a significant influence of.
A spectral analysis of team dynamics and tactics in Brazilian football

Abstract The purposes of this study were to characterise the total space covered and the distances between players within teams over ten Brazilian First Division Championship matches. Filmed recordings, combined with a tracking system, were used to obtain the trajectories of the players (n = 277), before and after half-time. The team surface area (the area of the convex hull formed by the positions of the players) and spread (the Frobenius norm of the distance-between-player matrix) were calculated as functions of time. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was applied to each time series. The median frequency was then calculated. The results of the surface area time series median frequencies for the first half (0.63 ± 0.10 cycles · min−1) were significantly greater (P < 0.01) than the second-half values (0.47 ± 0.14 cycles · min−1). Similarly, the spread variable median frequencies for the first half (0.60 ± 0.14 cycles · min−1) were significantly greater (P < 0.01) than the second-half values (0.46 ± 0.16 cycles · min−1). The median frequencies allowed the characterisation of the time series oscillations that represent the speed at which players distribute and then compact their team formation during a match. This analysis can provide insights that allow coaches to better control the team organisation on the pitch.
Major decline in malaria morbidity and mortality in the Union of Comoros between 2010 and 2014: The effect of a combination of prevention and control measures.

BACKGROUND Malaria remains a public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. In response to this, many countries are working towards achieving the World Health Assembly and Roll Back Malaria Partnership target of a 75% decline in malaria incidence. OBJECTIVE To assess trends in malaria morbidity and mortality in the three islands of the Comoros Archipelago from 2010 to 2014. METHODS This was a retrospective study in which all confirmed malaria cases and deaths recorded between 2010 and 2014 were accessed from the national malaria control database. Trends and comparisons in malaria incidence and case fatality rates for all age groups, including under-5 children and pregnant women, were analysed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 16. RESULTS A substantial decline in malaria incidence was observed for each island between 2010 and 2014; from 75.98 cases per 1 000 population in 2010 to 0.14 in 2014 in Moheli, 60.60 to 0.02 in Anjouan and 235.36 to 5.47 in Grand Comoro. Additionally, a general reduction in malaria case fatalities was observed. In Moheli, there were no case fatalities between 2010 and 2014, while there was a decline in the case fatality rate in Anjouan (from 1.20 fatalities per 1 000 cases to 0) and Grand Comoros (0.51 to 0). There were also significant differences (p<0.05) in malaria incidence and case fatalities between the three islands. A similar trend was observed for pregnant women and under-5 children. CONCLUSIONS Our study indicates a significant decline in malaria morbidity and mortality in the islands of Moheli, Anjouan and Grand Comoro from 2010 to 2014. This considerable reduction is attributed to a combination of malaria prevention and control interventions implemented during the study period.
Service Firm Location Decisions: Some Midwestern Evidence

Using survey returns from 926 service operations of all types from five states of the American Midwest, provides insight on what drives their location choices. The location decision is considered a two‐stage process: a general area decision followed by a particular site decision. No matter how the “general area” is defined (more locally‐oriented versus more regionally‐oriented), the most important influences are good infrastructure, proximity to customers, and the ability to attract qualified labour. The rank orders of influences are much the same for both locally‐ and regionally‐oriented firms. Identifies three different partitions of the sample in order to capture any local versus regional distinctions, but finds no substantial distinctions to be evident in the location decision making of the different types of firms. When considering a “particular site”, the most important influences are parking, an attractive building, an attractive cost or rent, and the ability to meet specialized space needs. Differ.
Polymer concretes improved by fiber reinforcement and gamma irradiation

Abstract The well-known key problem with concrete is that its compressive strength and the compression modulus are insufficient for a variety of applications. Our polymer concrete (PC) consists of an unsaturated polyester resin as the polymeric matrix, silica sand as the inorganic aggregate, plus atactic polypropylene (PP) fibers. A further property improvement can be achieved by gamma irradiation and we apply here two methods. The first method consists in irradiation of PP fibers first and then adding them to the PC. The second route consists in irradiation of PC after inclusion of PP fibers. Along both routes we have applied the radiation at dosages ranging from 5 to 150 kGy. In the second route irradiation of silica sand results in larger contact areas of surfaces with PP fibers and with the polyester resin-as seen in scanning electron microscopy. The second route provides compressive properties which is better by a factor of two or three (depending on the irradiation dose) than the first one.
How do customers' SNS participation activities impact on customer equity drivers and customer loyalty? Focus on the SNS services of a global SPA brand

As SNS services develop, consumer participation becomes more important in the process of service production and delivery, especially in the service marketing field. Consumer participation contributes to increases in companies' productivity and service quality. Therefore, the roles played by consumers include co-producer or co-operator of products or services, as well as contributor to increased quality of product, satisfaction and values. In addition to using SNS to share their opinions, thoughts and experiences, consumers have taken a step further, also using SNS to sell and buy products and to share promotions and reviews about the products. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to define constructs of customers' SNS participation activities in global SPA brands. Measurement items were extracted from previous studies and from in-depth interviews. The study examines the effects of customers' SNS participation activities on customer equity drivers – value equity, brand equity and relationship equity – in global SPA brands. Data are analyzed by factor analysis, frequency analysis, correlation and structural equation modeling using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 18.0. The results of this study are as follows: first, there are six constructs of customers' SNS participation activities – request, e-WOM, helping, cooperation, new media seeking and sharing. Second, there are two constructs of customers' SNS participation activities – e-WOM and cooperation that have a positive influence on value equity and brand equity. E-WOM, especially, also affects relationship equity. Third, customer equity drivers have an impact on customer loyalty. This study provides evidence of difference between customer participation activities in offline and online circumstances. Moreover, it shows how customers' SNS participation activities have powerful effects on drivers of customer equity drivers and customer loyalty. This study, therefore, suggests the important role of customers' SNS participation activities in increasing customer equity toward fashion brand industries.
Corporate Social Responsibility: a Theory of the Firm Perspective

We outline a supply and demand model of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Based on this framework, we hypothesize that a firm's level of CSR will depend on its size, level of diversification, research and development, advertising, government sales, consumer income, labor market conditions, and stage in the industry life cycle. From these hypotheses, we conclude that there is an “ideal” level of CSR, which managers can determine via cost-benefit analysis, and that there is a neutral relationship between CSR and financial performance.
Two different dihydroorotate dehydrogenases in Lactococcus lactis

The pyrimidine de novo biosynthesis pathway has been characterized for a number of organisms. The general pathway consists of six enzymatic steps. In the characterization of the pyrimidine pathway of Lactococcus lactis, two different pyrD genes encoding dihydroorotate dehydrogenase were isolated. The nucleotide sequences of the two genes, pyrDa and pyrDb, have been determined. One of the deduced amino acid sequences has a high degree of homology to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, and the other resembles the dihydroorotate dehydrogenase from Bacillus subtilis. It is possible to distinguish between the two enzymes in crude extracts by using different electron acceptors. We constructed mutants containing a mutated form of either one or the other or both of the pyrD genes. Only the double mutant is pyrimidine auxotrophic.
Bronchoscopic guidance of endovascular stenting limits airway compression

Bronchial compression as a result of pulmonary artery and aortic arch stenting may cause significant respiratory distress. We set out to limit airway narrowing by endovascular stenting, by using simultaneous flexible bronchoscopy and graduated balloon stent dilatation, or balloon angioplasty to determine maximum safe stent diameter.
Honey dressing in pediatric burns

The medicinal properties of honey have been recognized since antiquity. Although used as an adjuvant method of accelerating wound healing from ancient times, honey has been sporadically used in the treatment of burns. Honey acts mainly as a hyperosmolar medium and prevents bacterial growth. Because of its high viscosity, it forms a physical barrier, and the presence of enzyme catalase gives honey an antioxidant property. Its high-nutrient content improves substrate supply in local environment promoting epithelialization and angiogenesis. In pediatric burn patients no exclusive study has been conducted using honey as a burn dressing. An attempt is being made to evaluate the effect of honey in the management of burns in pediatric patients.
Quality of life survey following laparoscopic and open radical nephrectomy.

PURPOSE To compare the quality of life (QoL) of renal cancer patients following laparoscopic and open radical nephrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy-two (64.9%) patients who were treated with open radical nephrectomy (ORN group) and 39 (35.1%) patients who were treated with laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN group) were included in this study. QoL was evaluated by Short Form-36 (SF-36) physical domain scores obtained before surgery, 1 and 6 months after surgery. Analgesic requirement and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores following surgeries were recorded. RESULTS The demographic features of the groups were similar. There was a significant difference in tumor size be­tween the ORN group (71.59 & plusmn; 29.83 mm) and LRN group (57.08 & plusmn; 19.33 mm) (P = .011). In the LRN group there was less blood loss, a lower transfusion rate, earlier ambulation, more rapid convalescence and shorter hospitalization; however, the difference in surgical duration between the ORN group (122.86 & plusmn; 36.8 min) and LRN group (140.17 & plusmn; 50.71 min) was not significant (P = .383). Analgesic requirement and VAS pain scores were similar in both groups. In terms of SF-36 physical domain scores, the general health perception score in the LRN group was higher than that in the ORN group at pre-surgery, 1 and 6 months after surgery. SF-36 physical functioning and general health perception scores in both groups were significantly lower in 1 month after surgery and were higher in 6 months after surgery, as compare to before surgery. Bodily pain scores in LRN group did not change significantly after surgery (P = .376). CONCLUSION LRN exhibited some technical advantages, including less blood loss, shorter hospitalization and more rapid recovery. Although the ORN patients had relatively larger tumors, analgesic requirement, postoperative complications, body pain, and physical functioning weren't significantly different between the groups. QoL was higher 6 months after surgery than before surgery in both groups. & nbsp;
Technology choice and endogenous productivity dispersion over the business cycles

Various empirical works have shown that dispersion of firm-level profitability is significantly countercyclical. I incorporate firms' technology adoption decision into firm dynamics model with business cycle features to explain these empirical findings both qualitatively and quantitatively. The option of endogenous exiting and credit constraint jointly play an important role in motivating firms' risk taking behavior. The model predicts that relatively small sized firms are more likely to take risk, and that the dispersion measured as the variance/standard deviation of firm-level profitability is larger in recessions, which are consistent to the data.