Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Viral and bacterial infections in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Abstract. The association of both viral and bacterial infections with acute myocardial infarction was investigated in a case‐control study involving 40 consecutive patients with an acute myocardial infarction, 41 random controls and 30 patients with chronic coronary heart disease. All individuals were males aged 50 years or less. A rise in enterobacterial common antigen antibodies (15/40) and a recent influenza‐like illness (11/40) were significantly more common among patients with acute myocardial infarction compared with the other groups. No differences were observed between the groups in the occurrence of antibodies against eight other bacterial antigens or 16 viruses.
An Integrated Strategic and Tactical Master Surgery Scheduling Approach With Stochastic Resource Demand

This study discusses a master surgery scheduling approach that maximizes hospital revenues while considering the impact on the downstream resources—intensive care units and general patient wards. Demand for these resources is modeled by a stochastic patient path model. I apply an integer programming model to provide the optimal allocation of how many (strategic planning problem) and what (tactical planning problem) operating room (OR) blocks to assign to each medical specialty. I demonstrate further applications of the model, such as the analysis of the value of flexible resources and the simulation of specific resource expansions. The approach is tested with real-life data from a German university hospital and achieves significant revenue increases.
Effects of changes in frequency of reticular contractions on fluid and particulate passage rates in cattle.

Four ruminally cannulated Hereford steers (531 +/- 32 kg) without weights (control; C) or with 24-kg weights (W) in the rumen were used in a double crossover design experiment to determine the effects of changes in frequency of reticular contractions at maintenance feed intakes on passage rates of particulate matter and fluid from the rumen. Duration of reticular contractions, apparent digestibilities and heat and methane productions were also determined. Weights in the rumen had no effect (P = .07) on frequency of reticular contractions before feeding; however, frequencies of reticular contractions were higher in C than in W steers during feeding (P = .03) and after feeding (P = .05). Weights in the rumen increased the average duration of contractions before feeding (P = .04), during feeding (P = .01) and after feeding (P = .05) by 12, 15 and 15%, respectively. Fractional outflow rates of ruminal and whole gastrointestinal particulate matter were 38% and 49% lower (P = .001) in C than in W steers, respectively. Weights in the rumen reduced (P = .001) methane production (liters/d) by 29%. Methane production was inversely correlated with fractional outflow rate for ruminal particulate matter (r = -.53; P = .034). Heat productions for W and C steers were 12.3 and 12.6 Mcal/d, respectively. Weights in the rumen had no effect on apparent digestibility. Duration of reticular contractions, in contrast to frequency of contractions, was the important factor influencing passage rates of both ruminal fluid and particulate matter. Methane production was decreased when passage rates were increased. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The intracrine hypothesis and intracellular peptide hormone action.

There is evidence that many peptide growth factors and hormones act in the intracellular space after either internalization or retention in their cells of synthesis. These factors, commonly called intracrines, are structurally diverse while sharing some common functional features. Reports of intracellular peptide hormone binding and action are reviewed here. Also, this laboratory has made proposals regarding the origin and actions of intracrines and these areas are further explored. Intracrine interactions and the relationship of intracrines to transcription factors are discussed. The intracellular/intracrine renin-angiotensin system (iRAS) is reviewed to illustrate the intracrine analogue of a well-established physiological system. The role of intracrine action in metazoan development is also considered.
Cross Institutional Study of the Causes of Absenteeism among University Students in Barbados and Nigeria

This cross-institutional study investigated the student-centred, home, school and society related causes of absenteeism among 1000 undergraduate students from two public universities, 500 each from The University of the West Indies, (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, Barbados and The University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, Nigeria. Results revealed that the students were absent from lectures for student-centered, home, school and society related reasons and there were significant differences between UWI and UI students’ reasons with school causes being the key factors for absenteeism among the students from both institutions. Additionally, gender differences were found among the Nigerian undergraduates’ student-centered and school causes of absenteeism while gender did not affect the causes of absenteeism among the undergraduates in Barbados. These results were discussed with the hope of understanding and tackling absenteeism among the students from the two different institutions.
Age Differences in Expression of Aggression in Men and Women

The present study investigates age differences in expression of aggression in men and women. Both age and sex were taken as independent variables. In order to test this hypothesis a questionnaire was prepared and given to a sample of 100 consisting of men and women at two age levels. T-test for independent sample mean was applied to the variables. The result of the study indicated that age and sex have significant effects on expression of aggression.
Asymmetric timely loss recognition, private debt markets, and underinvestment: evidence from the collapse of the junk bond market

This paper uses the collapse of the junk bond market in the early 1990s as a natural experiment to examine the effect of asymmetric timely loss recognition (ATLR) on speculative-grade (SPG) firms' access to private debt markets and underinvestment. For a sample of 450 firm-years over the period 1988-1991, I find that SPG firms that recognize economic losses in a timelier fashion experience a smaller reduction in debt financing and investment from the pre- to post-collapse period relative to SPG firms that recognize economic losses in a less timely fashion. I also document that the effect of ATLR on debt financing and investment is more pronounced for SPG firms that lack collateral and are not followed by sell-side equity analysts. These findings support the notion that ATLR improves a firm's ability to access private debt markets, thereby attenuating underinvestment. They also suggest that both collateral and sell-side equity analysts serve as substitutes for ATLR to facilitate SPG firms' access to private debt markets. Further analyses reveal that ATLR increases for SPG firms from the pre- to post-collapse period and this increase is more pronounced for SPG firms with net issuance of debt. This evidence suggests that firms adjust ATLR to obtain debt financing in response to private lenders' demand for it.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT MATURITY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECURITY EFFECTIVENESS

Modern societies rely on Information Systems (IS), yet their protection has long been considered ineffective. Researchers and practitioners have struggled to understand the persistence of this phenomenon, but both agree that IS management plays a significant role. This paper investigates the relation between practitioners’ perceptions of IS management maturity and their perceptions of the effectiveness of Information Technology (IT) security. A cross-sectional survey (N = 68) was conducted to assess these perceptions. Analysis using Partial Least Squares provided evidence of a strong relation between these variables. Specifically, the perceived maturity of IS planning, control, and organization practices was positively associated with the perceived effectiveness of IT security. The relation between perceived maturity in IS management practices and perceived effectiveness of IT security is discussed, along with contributions to research and implications for practice. Limitations and directions for future research are presented.
Addressing the Needs of Diverse Distributed Students.

Two interrelated studies were undertaken to assist Alberta post-secondary institutions with meeting challenges associated with providing services to diverse distributed students that are of similar quality to services provided to traditional classroom students. The first study identified and assessed best practices in distributed learning; the second refined the focus to students who were identified as members of diverse sub-groups. Research activities for the studies included: a comprehensive literature review of best practice in distributed service delivery; an online survey for students enrolled in distributed learning through eight colleges and technical institutes; staff and student focus groups; and interviews with students, front-line staff, senior post-secondary administrators, and representatives from provincial government and community organizations. Findings highlight impressions and experiences in relation to best practice criteria for service delivery in distributed learning, along with “best practices behind the best practices” that facilitate the adoption and improvement of distributed service delivery.
Recursively Partitioned Static IP Router-Tables

We propose a method-recursive partitioning-to partition a static IP router table so that when each partition is represented using a base structure such as a multibit trie or a hybrid shape shifting trie there is a reduction in both the total memory required for the router table as well as in the total number of memory accesses needed to search the table. The efficacy of recursive partitioning is compared to that of the popular front-end table method to partition IP router tables. Our proposed recursive partitioning method outperformed the front-end method of all our test sets.
Learning and Syndication in Venture Capital Investments

The objective of this Paper is to understand: i) why venture capital investments are often syndicated; and ii) what are the effects of syndication on the post-investment involvement of venture capitalists. We analyse a model where a venture capitalist's efficiency to screen an uncertain project depends both on experience and on the signal they can obtain from another specialized investor. Disclosing the existence of the investment project to this second investor is harmful since the latter becomes de facto a potential competitor. We show that this potential competition can only be avoided through syndication, which affects the learning process. We further explore the cost of syndication in terms of investment decisions or post-investment involvement of venture capitalists.
Capitalization of R&D Costs and Implications for Earnings Management

This paper provides insights into the incentives behind the capitalization of R&D costs. In particular, this paper examines whether earnings management incentives play a role in capitali-zation of R&D costs, focusing on two earnings management activities: avoidance of losses and earnings decreases. The sample is based on German firms which are listed on DAX30, MDAX, SDAX, and TecDAX from 2006 to 2010. The evidence supports that both earnings management incentives determine the capitalization of R&D costs. An additional analysis sheds light on whether the detected earnings management incentives are driven by the inten-tion to provide information about the success of current R&D projects, searching for a positive association between current capitalized R&D costs and future profits. The findings implicate that capitalized R&D costs represent future economic benefits.
Product quality as a formative index: Evaluating an alternative measurement approach

Product quality is a critical competitive issue when launching new products. However, the product quality construct has been measured inconsistently in prior research, with researchers often not considering multiple components of quality. Thus, results may not be comparable across studies, and when dimensions of quality are excluded, relationships found between quality and other constructs may be spurious. As a response, we develop a formative measurement approach to product quality. The components of product quality are not interchangeable in measurement as typical reflective approaches assume. These dimensions make up the quality construct, necessitating a formative measurement approach. Here, this approach is developed and tested, compared with the traditional reflective approach, and its relationships with other constructs evaluated in a model of new product performance. Overall, this formative approach is shown both to be theoretically appropriate and to possess strong measurement properties. This approach has clear implications for research concerning product quality and improving its measurement in the future.
Understanding Financial Crises: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Responses

The global financial crisis of 2007-09 has led to an intensive research program analyzing a wide range of issues related to financial crises. This paper presents a summary of a forthcoming book, Financial Crises: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Responses, that includes 19 contributions examining these issues and distilling policy lessons. The book covers a wide range of crises, including banking, balance-of-payments, and sovereign debt crises. It reviews the typical patterns prior to crises, considers lessons on their antecedents, and analyzes their evolution and aftermath. It also provides valuable policy lessons on how to prevent, contain and manage financial crises.
Integrating network analysis and interregional trade to study the spatial impact of transport infrastructure using production functions

The production function approach is used to analyze the role of transport infrastructure on GDP. Different regression techniques are employed to estimate its impact on production and in combination with other inputs, particularly employment and private capital stock. One problem with the traditional approach is that it incorporates as explanatory variable the public capital stock of transport infrastructure as a whole, i.e., the existing gross capital stock as calculated by statistical offices, which does not take into account the real use that economic agents make of the available transport networks (network effects). To overcome this drawback we introduce a new concept of transport infrastructure capital stock reflecting the real benefit obtained by the regions when accessing markets by using their own infrastructure (internal stock), as well as those of neighboring and non-neighboring regions (imported stock). While the former contributes directly to the production of a region, the latter can be associated to a spillover effect from importing transport infrastructure when exporting goods. Both, the internal and imported infrastructure stocks are calculated by network analysis performed in a GIS, which enables us to account exclusively for the public capital stock actually used in trading flows. Production functions incorporating the internal and imported capital stocks are estimated using panel data econometric techniques . The magnitude and significance of these variables on regional as well as provincial GDP is determined and discussed for the Spanish case and the 1980-2007 period
Insight Private Equity

We are able to shed light on the black box of restructuring tools private equity investors use to improve the operational performance of their portfolio companies. By building on previous work considering performance evaluation of PE backed companies, we analyze whether private equity improves operating efficiency and which of the typical restructuring tools are the main performance drivers. Using a set of over 300 international leveraged buyout transactions of the last thirty years, we find that while there is vast improvement in operational efficiency, these gains vary considerably. Our top performing transactions are subject to strong equity incentives, frequent asset restructuring and tight control by the investor. Furthermore, investors' experience has a positive influence while financial leverage has no influence on operational performance.
Monitoring banking sector fragility : a multivariate logit approach with an application to the 1996-97 banking crises

The authors explore how a multivariate logit empirical model of banking crisis probabilities can be used to monitor fragility in the banking sector. The proposed approach relies on readily available data, and the fragility assessment has a clear interpretation based on in-sample statistics. Also, the monitoring system can be tailored to fit the preferences of the decisionmakers, and the model has better in-sample performance than currently available alternatives. Despite these advantages, the monitoring system would have missed the 1997 banking crises in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Republic of Korea, while it would have detected some weakness in Thailand and the Philippines. It would have clearly foreseen the 1996 crisis in Jamaica. Aggregate variables can convey information about general economic conditions often associated with fragility in the banking sectorbut are silent about the situation at individual banks or in specific segments of the banking sector - so crises that may develop from specific weaknesses in some market segments and spread through contagion would not be detected. The econometric study of systemic banking crises is a relatively new field of study. The development and evaluation of monitoring and forecasting tools based on the results of studies such as this are at an embryonic stage at best. The authors highlight elements that need to be evaluated in developing"ready-to-use"procedures for decision-makers and explore possible avenues for doing so. The monitoring system must be designed to fit the needs of policymakers, so systems must be developed as part of an interactive process involving both econometricians and decisionmakers.
Novel Keratinase from Bacillus subtilis S14 Exhibiting Remarkable Dehairing Capabilities

ABSTRACT We report the isolation of a keratinolytic-producing Bacillus subtilis strain and the characterization of the exceptional dehairing properties of its subtilisin-like keratinase. This enzyme can be an alternative to sodium sulfide, the major pollutant from tanneries, and may completely replace it. Its unique nonactivity upon collagen enhances its industrial potential.
Social capital and constraints on legal careers

This article focuses on the role of social capital in lawyers' careers by examining the career outcomes of Jewish lawyers. Although research on the legal profession has emphasized social capital as an inherently positive resource, this article conceptualizes social capital as multivalent, with the potential for both positive and negative effects. Drawing on five forms of social capital and examining four separate outcomes (type of practice setting, prestige of field of practice, satisfaction, and income), the analyses demonstrate that particular forms of social capital are indeed related to diverging outcomes. This study finds positive effects for the social capital that derives from reciprocity exchanges, but it also finds that the social capital built through dense social ties can lead to less successful professional settings. The conclusion explores the possibilities this raises for understanding the interplay between religion, capital, and legal careers.
Distribution patterns of Tunga penetrans within a community in Trinidad, West Indies.

This paper describes patterns of infection with Tunga penetrans within the town of Icacos, Trinidad, West Indies, assessed by the number of persons infected and the extent of the chigoe flea burden by physical examination. The overall prevalence of infection was 31.4% (102 infected persons) of the 325 persons examined (41% of males and 23% of females). Both measures showed a significant difference among the different age groups with peak chigoe burden found in the 5-9, 10-14 and > 55 age-groups, with 9, 5.6 and 12 fleas per infected person, respectively. The aggregated distribution of chigoe flea burden showed a few persons with many fleas and many persons with none (68%). In contrast, in chigoe flea burden there were no significant sex differences but age-associated differences (G = 17.9; d.f. 7; P < 0.01). It is recommended that all cases of tungiasis should be treated and the source of infection effectively managed or eradicated.
A transitional narrative of military identity: Eric's story

Military culture shapes a narrative military identity which gives rise to a military Iposition of the self. This may become a dominant voice in the dialogical self. As military personnel leave active duty and begin the transition to civilian life their personal narrative as a military professional becomes disrupted. Additionally, the transition introduces new concepts of who they are into the personal narrative and the self. This may affect the dialogue of the self, as new and old I-positions do not necessarily share the same desires and needs. By using a narrative approach with a dialogical framework this study aims to understand in what way such a transition might affect a subject ́s self. The findings suggest that the transition creates decentralizing movements of the self, which are in need of centralization, integration and improved dialogue.
The Naphthalene Catabolic (nag) Genes of Ralstonia sp. Strain U2 Are an Operon That Is Regulated by NagR, a LysR-Type Transcriptional Regulator

ABSTRACT In Ralstonia sp. strain U2, the nag catabolic genes, which encode the enzymes for the pathway that catabolizes naphthalene via the alternative ring cleavage gentisate pathway, are transcribed as an operon under the same promoter. nagR, which encodes a LysR-type transcriptional regulator, is divergently transcribed compared to the nag catabolic genes. A 4-bp frameshift deletion in nagR demonstrated that NagR is required for expression of the nag operon. The transcriptional start of the nag operon was mapped, and a putative −10, −35 σ70-type promoter binding site was identified. Further upstream, a site proximal to the promoter was identified as a site that has bases which have been found to be conserved in the activator-binding motif of other naphthalene pathways. Transcriptional fusion studies demonstrated that NagR regulates the expression of the nag operon positively in the presence of salicylate and to a lesser extent in the presence of 2-nitrobenzoate. Mutation of the LysR-type activator-binding motif in the nag promoter-proximal region resulted in a loss of inducibility of a lacZ reporter gene transcriptionally fused to nagAa, the first gene of the operon. However, other mutations in the region increased the effectiveness of salicylate as an inducer.
Determining operational capital at risk: an empirical application to the retail banking

In this paper, we conduct an empirical application of the Advanced Measurement Approach (AMA), in particular the Loss Distribution Approach (LDA), to the Spanish retail banking sector for the estimation of Economic Capital for Operational Risk. Our results confirm that the implementation of such advanced approach in credit entities provides a lower consumption of regulatory capital, in comparison with the non-advanced methodologies, such us the Basic Indicator Approach (BIA) and the Standardised Approach (SA). At the same time, by focussing on the LDA model, we also assess the potential impact on the Capital at Risk (CaR) of the probability distribution parametric profile used when modelling the internal operational losses, recorded by the financial entity in its IOLD (Internal Operational Losses Database).