Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Rate of Air Pressure Change on Tympanometry

The effects of two rates of air pressure change upon the pressure and compliance values and classification of tympanograms were determined in normal subjects and subjects with middle ear pathology. Significant differences in the magnitude of compliance and the air pressure corresponding to maximum compliance were observed. The more rapid rate was associated with a higher measured compliance in both groups of ears. In normal ears, the faster pressure change resulted in a shift in the point of maximum compliance toward a more negative pressure, while the reverse was true for ears with middle ear disease. The different rates of pressure change resulted in a different classification of the associated tympanograms for approximately 25% of the impaired ears. These findings imply that the interpretation of the relative normalcy of the tympanogram should take into account the rate of air pressure change used to acquire the result.
Toll-like receptor polymorphisms and age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE Evidence from genetic-association studies in conjunction with the demonstration of complement deposition in the retina and choroid implicates noncellular pathways of innate immunity in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The purpose of this study was to determine whether common variation in the 10 human toll-like receptors (TLRs) alters the risk of AMD. METHODS Sixty-eight SNPs were iteratively genotyped across the TLR genes in a cohort of 577 subjects, with and without AMD. Two additional cohorts were used for replication studies. Standard genetic-association methods were used to analyze the results for association with disease and interaction with other loci. RESULTS Coding SNPs in TLR3 (rs3775291) and TLR7 (rs179008) showed association with AMD in one group (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively) before correction for multiple testing. For both SNPs, the association with AMD arose due to an excess of heterozygotes compared with homozygotes for the major allele. The two coding SNPs were not associated with AMD in another case-control cohort or an extended-family cohort. Although an intronic SNP in TLR4 was associated marginally with AMD (P = 0.03), it was not possible to replicate a previous association with the rare coding SNP D299G in this gene (P = 0.6). CONCLUSIONS Although borderline support for association between polymorphisms in TLR genes and AMD was reported for some cohorts, these initial observations of coding SNPs in TLR3, TLR4, and TLR7 were not replicated. TLR variants are unlikely to have a major impact on overall AMD risk, and the common variants studied were not associated with AMD.
When Social Norms and Pressures Are Not Enough: Environmental Performance in the Trucking Industry

Why do some business firms and not others work hard to advance regulatory values such as environmental protection and comply with regulations? Previous research indicates that business firms are influenced in that regard by a number of variables―not merely the perceived likelihood of legal punishment but also the risk of negative reactions by societal actors (which we call "social license pressures") and the intensity of managers' commitment to norms of law-abid-ingness and envirommentalism. This article reports on a study of control of diesel emissions in the trucking industry, a highly competitive market with many small firms, mobile pollution sources, expensive "best control technologies," and weak regulatory demands. In contrast to findings in studies of large firms, we found that social license pressures on small trucking firms are minimal. Trucking companies' environmental performance―good and bad―flows from managers' econamic choices, which are influenced by their particular market niche. In such highly competitive, small-firm market contexts, these findings imply, significant improvement in environmental performance is not likely without strong direct regulatory pressures.
Patients’ Knowledge About Analgesic-Antipyretic Medications Purchased in Community Pharmacies: A Descriptive Study

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to describe the level of knowledge about paracetamol (acetaminophen), ibuprofen, and aspirin of subjects who purchased nonprescription medications containing one of these drugs. We conducted this cross-sectional descriptive study in 42 community pharmacies located in southwestern France between July and November 2013. A six-item self-administered questionnaire was used. Participants were asked to identify the active ingredient contained in 14 brand-name analgesic-antipyretics, to state the maximum daily dose of paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aspirin, the recommended first-line analgesic, and precautions of use or contraindications for paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aspirin. Among 576 participants, the identification of paracetamol ranged from 58% (for Dafalgan or Efferalgan) to 90% (for Doliprane), the identification of ibuprofen from 34% (for Nureflex) to 63% (for Nurofen), and the identification of aspirin was 70% (for Aspegic). The maximum recommended daily dose of paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aspirin was known by 58.3%, 17.7%, and 19.3% of participants, respectively, whereas 6.8%, 17.2%, and 13.2% stated supratherapeutic daily doses. Paracetamol was correctly stated as the first-line analgesic-antipyretic by 76.2% of participants. Knowledge on major precautions of use or contraindications was poor (45.8% and 53.6% for ibuprofen and aspirin use during pregnancy, and 14.1% for concurrent use of anticoagulants and ibuprofen). Purchasers of nonprescription analgesic-antipyretics had poor knowledge on the medication they purchased.
The determinants of risk premium: The case of bank lines of credit granted to SMEs

The goal of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the factors that determine the risk premium on bank lines of credit obtained by SMEs, and whether firm size, which may be used by banks to segment their client base, also has an impact on credit costs. An analysis of data from 406 SMEs in Canada showed the main determinants of risk premium were firm size, line of credit size, ability to repay, the relationship between banker and entrepreneur, and the length of the relationship with the bank. These determinants change according to the market segment in which the potential borrower operates. Banks appear to use a transactional approach for smaller borrowers, where credit terms are based on quantitative financial data, and a relational approach for larger firms, where relationship length and quality become significant.
The Role of Labour Markets in Fiscal Policy Transmission

This paper shows how frictions in the labour market shape the responses of the economy to government spending shocks. The open economy New Keynesian DSGE model is extended by labour market frictions of the Mortensen-Pissarides type and a detailed description of fiscal policy. The nature of offsetting fiscal measures is found to be critical for the effects of fiscal stimulus, due to the different effects of different tax instruments on the labour market. Specifically, shifting the debt-stabilizing burden towards distortionary labour taxes has detrimental effects on the labour market outcome and on overall economic performance in a flexible wage regime. The results show that wage rigidity increases the effectiveness of fiscal policy in the short term but leads to a worse longer term result including unemployment exceeding steady state levels. The analysis suggests that a closer look at the functioning of labour markets may help to identify fiscal policy transmission channels not captured by the standard New Keynesian model.
Impact of Adult Literacy Programmes on Political Empowerment of Women in Kwara State

This study examined the impact of adult literacy programmes on political empowerment of women in Kwara State. It specifically, examined politically related issues in the contents of the programmes and impact of the programmes on the political empowerment of women in the State. The study adopted Expost Facto research design. The sample of 380 women adult literacy beneficiaries were selected through snow-ball sampling technique. Data was collected through Adult Literacy Programmes and Women Political Empowerment Questionnaire (ALPWPEQ) and documentary analysis. The questionnaire was validated by the adult literacy expert and its reliability was determined through test-re-test method and 0.76 co-efficient was obtained. The data was subjected to documentary analysis; mean scores statistics, simple tabulation and chi-square. The findings of the study revealed that the contents of literacy programmes for women are politically related, the literacy programme had impacted politically on the status of women in Kwara State. The literacy programmes have not been able to develop in women political leadership confidence. The study recommends that a more ideological literacy programme such as literacy for CONSCIENTIZATION should be adopted. And rule of law, seeking information about candidates in an election and political accountability should be part of adult literacy contents for women in Kwara State. Keywords: Impact, Adult Literacy, Political Empowerment
Unit-Consistent Decomposable Inequality Measures

This paper introduces a new axiom-the unit consistency axiom-into inequality measurement. This new axiom requires the ordinal inequality rankings (rather than the cardinal indices) to be unaffected when incomes are expressed in different units. I argue that unit consistency is an indispensable axiom for the measurement of income inequality. When unit consistency is combined with decomposability, I show that the unit-consistent decomposable class of inequality measures is a two-parameter extension of the one-parameter generalized entropy class. The extended class accommodates a variety of value judgments and includes different types of inequality measures. Copyright (c) The London School of Economics and Political Science 2006.
The Impact of Total Control of Antibiotic Prescribing by Infectious Disease Specialist on Antibiotic Consumption and Cost

Abstract We analyzed the impact on antimicrobial consumption of antimicrobial therapy totally guided by an infectious disease specialist (ID). In a teaching hospital antibiotic con-sumption was recorded yearly from 1998 to 2005 in three units. Antibiotic policy was introduced in 1999. In Unit A, restricted antimicrobials were prescribed after approval by the head of the unit. The ID was involved as a consultant upon request. In unit B, restricted antimicrobials were approved by an ID. All other antimicrobials were pre-scribed by the physicians on the ward. In unit C, all antimicrobials were prescribed by an ID. A significant decreasing trend in antibiotic consumption in defined daily doses (DDD) per patient day and per admission, and cost of antimicrobials per patient was observed in unit C, a decreasing trend in antibiotic consumption per patient was ob-served in unit b as well. Totally ID guided antimicrobial therapy is an efficient method of antimicrobial policy.
Legislative Procedures in the European Community

This article presents spatial models of three legislative procedures in the EC: the consultation, co-operation and assent procedures. The theory characterizes for each procedure the set of policies that can be adopted and the equilibrium EC policy as a function of the ideal policies of the countries, the Commission and the Parliament, and the location of the status quo. It yields comparative statements about EC policy and the institutions' powers under the three procedures, thus providing a framework for assessing arguments about the merits and demerits of existing EC institutions and proposals for institutional change.
The information content of the Reserve Bank of Australia's inflation forecasts

In this article, the inflation forecasts produced by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and that generated by private forecasters, are used to assess whether the Reserve Bank possesses information about inflation that the private sector does not have. The results show that the Reserve Bank inflation forecasts embody useful predictive information about inflation, beyond that contained in private forecasts, over the recent inflation targeting period.
D2 Dopamine Receptor Activation Facilitates Endocannabinoid-Mediated Long-Term Synaptic Depression of GABAergic Synaptic Transmission in Midbrain Dopamine Neurons via cAMP-Protein Kinase A Signaling

Endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling mediates short-term and long-term synaptic depression (LTD) in many brain areas. In the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and striatum, D2 dopamine receptors cooperate with group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) to induce eCB-mediated LTD of glutamatergic excitatory and GABAergic inhibitory (I-LTD) synaptic transmission. Because D2 receptors and group I mGluR agonists are capable of inducing the release of eCBs, the predominant hypothesis is that the cooperation between these receptors to induce eCB-mediated synaptic depression results from the combined activation of type I cannabinoid (CB1) receptors by the eCBs. By determining the downstream effectors for D2 receptor and group I mGluR activation in VTA dopamine neurons, we show that group I mGluR activation contributes to I-LTD induction by enhancing eCB release and CB1 receptor activation. However, D2 receptor activation does not enhance CB1 receptor activation, but facilitates I-LTD induction via direct inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signaling. We further demonstrate that cAMP/PKA signaling pathway is the downstream effector for CB1 receptors and is required for eCB-mediated I-LTD induction. Our results suggest that D2 receptors and CB1 receptors target the same downstream effector cAMP/PKA signaling pathway to induce I-LTD and D2 receptor activation facilitates eCB-mediated I-LTD in dopamine neurons not by enhancing CB1 receptor activation, but by enhancing its downstream effects.
Late adult‐onset of X‐linked myopathy with excessive autophagy

Introduction: X‐linked myopathy with excessive autophagy (XMEA) is characterized by autophagic vacuoles with sarcolemmal features. Mutations in VMA21 result in insufficient lysosome acidification, causing progressive proximal weakness with onset before age 20 years and loss of ambulation by middle age. Methods: We describe a patient with onset of slowly progressive proximal weakness of the lower limbs after age 50, who maintains ambulation with the assistance of a cane at age 71. Results: Muscle biopsy at age 66 showed complex muscle fiber splitting, internalized capillaries, and vacuolar changes characteristic of autophagic vacuolar myopathy. Vacuoles stained positive for sarcolemmal proteins, LAMP2, and complement C5b‐9. Ultrastructural evaluation further revealed basal lamina reduplication and extensive autophagosome extrusion. Sanger sequencing identified a known pathologic splice site mutation in VMA21 (c.164–7T>G). Conclusions: This case expands the clinical phenotype of XMEA and suggests VMA21 sequencing be considered in evaluating men with LAMP2‐positive autophagic vacuolar myopathy. Muscle Nerve 50: 138–144, 2014
Leader–Member Exchange and Relational Quality in a Singapore Public Sector Organization

An objective of Singapore’s ongoing public sector reform (PS21) requires agencies to focus on getting the best out of its employees. One way of doing this is by creating a positive leader–member exchange (LMX) relationship, enabling supervisors to motivate their subordinates towards the development of organizational citizenship behaviours (OCBs). This article reports the extent of LMX and relational quality in a public sector agency experiencing PS21 reform and high staff turnover. In addition, we examined the effects of organizational justice perceptions and job satisfaction towards a subordinates’ OCB. A path model was developed to examine the relationships between LMX, organizational justice, job satisfaction, and OCB and tested by applying LMX theory. The path analysis results showed that LMX mediates the relationship between organizational justice perceptions and OCB. The results also showed that one’s job satisfaction led to higher level of OCB. The study findings have implications for theory and practice which have been presented in the discussion section.
A Comprehensive Evaluation of USDA Cotton Forecasts

This study evaluates all USDA cotton supply and demand estimates for the United States and China (including unpublished price forecasts) from 1985/86 through 2009/10 for accuracy and efficiency. Results reveal that at every stage of the forecasting cycle forecast smoothing was the most widespread and persistent type of inefficiency observed in most U.S. variables. Correlation with past errors indicated the tendency to repeat past errors in most cases. Tendency to overestimate growth was also found. Bias was uncommon and limited to several cases of overestimation of China’s exports and U.S. price and underestimation of China’s domestic use. While forecasts of China’s imports and endings stocks improved, U.S. price and ending stock forecast errors became larger toward the end of the study period.
Are stock prices stationary? Some new evidence from a panel data approach

Purpose - – This paper investigates whether mean reversion holds for a panel of 16 OECD stock price indices for the period 1970 to 2011. Design/methodology/approach - – We employ seemingly unrelated regression (SUR)-based linear and non-linear unit root tests which are not only able to exploit the power of panel data analysis but also account for cross sectional dependencies as well as identify which panel members are stationary. Findings - – In contrast to a literature that offers mixed findings on stationarity, it was found that most of our sample is characterized as mean- or trend-reverting with approximated half-lives in the region of three to five years. Originality/value - – In contrast to other panel unit root tests of stock prices, the authors identify which individual panel members are stationary and non-stationary using a SURADF test. A further novelty of our approach is that we also develop a SUR-based panel KSS test that allows us to explore the possibility that stock prices exhibit non-linear stationarity.
New developments in the diagnosis of maternal and congenital CMV infection

Recent advances in the screening of pregnant women with Cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgM, CMV IgG and CMV IgG avidity serologic tests, has led to a more accurate diagnosis of CMV infection. When serologic screening is performed early in gestation, it is possible to identify those women at risk of intrauterine transmission of the virus, i.e., those women with a primary CMV infection, who should be enrolled in prenatal diagnosis. The use of quantitative PCR on amniotic fluid from pregnant women at 21–22 weeks of gestation in prenatal diagnosis is an effective diagnostic tool to distinguish between CMV infection and CMV disease in the fetus and newborn. Quantitative PCR on peripheral blood leukocytes from CMV infected newborns can be used to monitor viral load, especially during treatment with ganciclovir. These advances in serology and quantitative virology should lead to more accurate diagnosis of maternal and congenital CMV infection.
Downregulation of expression of a novel cadherin molecule, T‐cadherin, in basal cell carcinoma of the skin

T‐cadherin appears to act as a tumor‐suppressor factor in various cancers. Downregulation of T‐cadherin is caused by a combination of allelic loss and hypermethylation of the T‐cadherin promoter region and is related to cancer invasion. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of invasiveness of basal cell carcinoma of the skin, T‐cadherin expression was investigated in archival pathological tissue sections made up of normal counterparts of skin and various types of basal cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining showed that T‐cadherin was not expressed in 38 of 51 (75%) basal cell carcinoma specimens, whereas normal counterparts of the skin appeared to express abundant T‐cadherin. Loss of heterozygosity in intron 1 of the T‐cadherin gene was found in four of 20 informative cases that did not express T‐cadherin. Aberrant methylation of the T‐cadherin promoter region also was found in six of 25 basal cell carcinomas by methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction. In contrast, no structural alternations were found in two loss of heterozygosity–positive basal cell carcinomas on sequence analysis. These findings indicated that T‐cadherin expression was downregulated by a combination of allelic loss and aberrant methylation in basal cell carcinoma of the skin. Loss of T‐cadherin expression might be related to the biological behavior of basal cell carcinoma. In addition, results of the present study suggested that downregulation of T‐cadherin in various cancers might be related to tumor invasiveness rather than metastasis, because basal cell carcinoma of the skin principally lacks metastatic activity. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isolation and antibiotic susceptibility of E. coli from urinary tract infections in a tertiary care hospital

Objective: The study was conducted to isolate and determine the antibiotic resistance in E. coli from urinary tract infections in a tertiary care hospital, Lahore. Methods: Urine samples (n=500) were collected from patients with signs and symptoms of Urinary tract infections. Bacteria were isolated and identified by conventional biochemical profile. Antibiotic resistance pattern of E. coli against different antibiotic was determined by Kirby-Baur method. Results: Bacterial etiological agent was isolated from 402 samples with highest prevalence of E. coli (321, 80%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (9.4%), Proteus species (5.4%) and Pseudomonas species (5.2%). The E. coli were highly resistant to penicillin (100%), amoxicillin (100%) and cefotaxime (89.7%), followed by intermediate level of resistance to ceftazidime (73.8%), cephradine (73.8%), tetracycline (69.4%), doxycycline (66.6%), augmentin (62.6%), gentamycin (59.8%), cefuroxime (58.2%), ciprofloxacin (54.2%), cefaclor (50%), aztreonam (44.8%), ceftriaxone (43.3%), imipenem (43.3%), and low level of resistance to streptomycin (30%), kanamycin (19.9%), tazocin (14%), amikacin (12.7%) and lowest to norfloxacin (11.2%). Out of 321 E. coli isolates, 261 (81%) were declared as multiple drug resistant and 5 (1.5%) were extensive drug resistant. Conclusion: It is concluded that most of the urinary tract infections in human are caused by multiple drug resistant E. coli.
A mode of regulation of beta-catenin signaling activity in Xenopus embryos independent of its levels.

The signaling activity of beta-catenin is thought to be regulated by phosphorylation of a cluster of N-terminal serines, putative sites for GSK3beta. In the prevailing model in the literature, GSK3beta-dependent phosphorylation of these sites targets beta-catenin for ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Wnt signaling inhibits GSK3beta activity and this blocks degradation, allowing beta-catenin to accumulate and signal. We show here that beta-catenin activity is not regulated solely by protein stability. Mutations in the putative GSK3beta phosphorylation sites of beta-catenin enhance its signaling activity, but this cannot be accounted for by accumulation of either total or cadherin-free protein. Instead, the mutant protein has a threefold higher specific activity than the wild type both in vivo and in an in vitro signaling assay. We conclude that the N-terminal serines convey a layer of regulation upon beta-catenin signaling in addition to the effects these sites exert upon protein stability.