Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Making Choices in Health: WHO Guide to Cost Effectiveness Analysis

Part One: METHODS FOR GENERALIZED COST-EFFECTIVENESS -- Ch. 1. What is generalized cost-effectiveness analysis? -- Ch. 2. Undertaking a study using GCEA -- Ch. 3. Estimating costs -- Ch. 4. Estimating health effects -- Ch. 5. Discounting -- Ch. 6. Uncertainty in cost-effectiveness analysis -- Ch. 7. Policy uses of generalized CEA -- Ch. 8. Reporting CEA results -- Ch. 9. Summary of recommendations -- Annex A. WHO-CHOICE activities on generalized cost-effectiveness analysis -- Annex B. Draft list of intervention clusters for evaluation by WHO-CHOICE -- Annex C. An illustration of the types of costs included in a selection of intervention activities at central levels -- Annex D. Interpreting international dollars -- Annex E. DALYs to measure burden of dollars -- Annex F. Measuring intervention benefit at the population level -- Annex G. Epidemiological subregions as applied in WHO generalized CEA -- Part Two: BACKGROUND PAPERS AND APPLICATIONS -- Ch. 1. Development of WHO guidelines on generalized cost-effectiveness analysis -- Ch. 2. PopMod: a longitudinal population model with two interacting disease states -- Ch. 3. Programme costs in the economic evaluation of health interventions -- Ch. 4. Econometric estimation of country-specific hospital costs -- Ch. 5. Stochastic league tables: communicating cost-effectiveness results to decision-makers -- Ch. 6. Uncertainty in cost-effectiveness analysis: probabilistic uncertainty analysis and stochastic league tables -- Ch. 7. Effectiveness and costs of interventions to lower systolic blood pressure and cholesterol: a global and regional analysis on reduction of cardiovascular-disease risk -- Ch. 8. Generalized cost-effectiveness analysis: an aid to decision making in health -- Ch. 9. Ethical issues in the use of cost effectiveness analysis for the prioritization of health care resources.
Outer retinal circular structures in patients with Bietti crystalline retinopathy

Background Bietti crystalline retinopathy (BCR) is a distinct retinal degenerative disease characterised by retinal degeneration with many yellow–white crystals located mainly at the posterior pole area. Using spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), the structural change in retina was investigated. Methods Patients diagnosed with BCR (n=12), retinitis pigmentosa (RP, n=292) and cone dystrophy (n=16) were included in this study. The authors mainly examined fundus photographs and SD-OCT, infrared and fundus autofluorescence images of these patients. Results Crystalline deposits were detected in portions of the retinal pigment epithelium that lacked patchy degenerated lesions. SD-OCT revealed that most of the observed crystalline deposits were located adjacent to the inner side of retinal pigment epithelium layer. The change most frequently observed was circular hyper-refractive structures in the outer nuclear layer. Although the structures were considered to be previously reported “tubular formation” or “tubular degeneration”, we determined that many of these circular structures were slices of spherical structures and were typically noted in areas suspected of ongoing active degeneration. Conclusion BCR has characteristic structures in the outer nuclear layer. Although the incidence of the structure varies, it may be characteristic of retinal degeneration and can be found in many retinal degenerative diseases.
An empirical analysis of aftermarket financing, growth strategies and performance of newly listed (IPO) firms in Europe

This thesis explores the aftermarket financing, strategic investments, performance and survival of IPO firms in four European countries the UK, France, Germany and Italy. Simultaneous equation modelling, based on Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) and Cox Proportional Hazard (CPH) models, is fitted to a panel dataset of 1229 non-financial IPO firms listed on the main markets of the four stock exchanges for the period 19852004. The main findings can be summarised as follows. First, contrary to predictions of the pecking order theory, most IPO firms issue external finance each year in all four countries and this is not influenced by their internal cash flow positions. Second, while UK firms issue more equity and less debt, the opposite is true in the other countries, confirming the conventional wisdom relating to level of development and type of financial system across the countries. Third, strategic investments have a positive impact on growth, and while operating performance is a decreasing function of firm growth, stock market performance has the opposite effect. Fourth, acquisitions and R&D have negative effects on performance, and international diversification has a positive impact on operating performance but a negative impact in stock market value. Finally, IPO firm survival is an increasing function of profitability, R&D-intensity and international diversification in all four countries; firm growth is not an important determinant of firm survival and while more acquisitive firms are more likely to be acquired in the UK and Germany, the less acquisitive firms are more likely to be acquired in France and Italy.
Content of Total Polyphenols in Biodynamic Organic Acid Lime (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) Clarified by Microfiltration

The global food industry has the largest number of demanding and knowledgeable consumers: the world population of seven billion inhabitants, since every person eats! This population requires food products that fulfill the high quality standards established by the food industry organizations. Food shortages threaten human health and are aggravated by the disastrous, extreme climatic events such as floods, droughts, fires, storms connected to climate change, global warming and greenhouse gas emissions that modify the environment and, consequently, the production of foods in the agriculture and husbandry sectors. This collection of articles is a timely contribution to issues relating to the food industry. They were selected for use as a primer, an investigation guide and documentation based on modern, scientific and technical references. This volume is therefore appropriate for use by university researchers and practicing food developers and producers. The control of food processing and production is not only discussed in scientific terms; engineering, economic and financial aspects are also considered for the advantage of food industry managers.
Environmental Determinants of Bicycling Injuries in Alberta, Canada

This study examined environmental risk factors for bicycling injuries, by combining data on bicyclist injuries collected by interviews in the emergency department (ED) with street-level environmental audits of injury locations, capturing path, roadway, safety, land use, and aesthetic characteristics. Cases were bicyclists struck by a motor vehicle (MV) or with severe injuries (hospitalized). Controls were bicyclists who were not hit by a car or those seen and discharged from the ED, matched on time and day of injury. Logistic regression odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for age, sex, peak time, and bicyclist speed with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to relate injury risk to environmental characteristics. Factors contributing to MV events included greater traffic volume (OR 5.13; 95% CI [1.44, 18.27]), intersections (OR 6.89; 95% CI [1.48, 32.14]), retail establishments (OR 5.56; 95% CI [1.72, 17.98]), and path obstructions (OR 3.83; 95% CI [1.03, 14.25]). Locations where the road was in good condition (OR 0.25; 95% CI [0.07, 0.96]) and where there was high surveillance from surrounding buildings (OR 0.32; 95% CI [0.13, 0.82]) were associated with less severe injuries. These findings could be used by bicyclists and transportation planners to improve safety.
The excitant action of acetylcholine and other substances on cutaneous sensory pathways and its prevention by hexamethonium and d‐tubocurarine

Brown & Gray (1948) showed that a close arterial injection of acetylcholine or nicotine into the skin excited a discharge of impulses in the sensory nerve supplying the area, and also that a large dose of nicotine administered previously could prevent this effect without interfering with the normal response of the nerve to touching the skin. A similar phenomenon occurs in the carotid body, where Douglas (1951, 1952) has shown that hexamethonium prevents the stimulating action of acetylcholine, nicotine and oc-lobeline without affecting the response to oxygen lack. The experiments described in this paper show that a-lobeline, like acetylcholine and nicotine, can excite a discharge in sensory fibres from the skin; and that hexamethonium and D-tubocurarine prevent the excitant effect of this group of drugs without influencing the normal touch response. Sensory pathways in the skin and those in the carotid body are therefore similar in their responses to certain pharmacological agents. The experiments also extend the observations made by Brown & Gray and provide evidence that these drugs are acting directly on the sensory pathway in the skin and not merely causing their effect indirectly through some other action.
Adenovirus E 1 B 55-Kilodalton Protein Is Required for both Regulation of mRNA Export and Efficient Entry into the Late Phase of Infection in Normal Human Fibroblasts

The human adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) E1B 55-kDa protein is required for selective nuclear export of viral late mRNAs from the nucleus and concomitant inhibition of export of cellular mRNAs in HeLa cells and some other human cell lines, but its contributions(s) to replication in normal human cells is not well understood. We have therefore examined the phenotypes exhibited by viruses carrying mutations in the E1B 55-kDa protein coding sequence in normal human fibroblast (HFFs). Ad5 replicated significantly more slowly in HFFs than it does in tumor cells, a difference that is the result of delayed entry into the late phase of infection. The A143 mutation, which specifically impaired export of viral late mRNAs from the nucleus in infected HeLa cells (R. A. Gonzalez and S. J. Flint, J. Virol. 76:4507–4519, 2002), induced a more severe defect in viral mRNA export in HFFs. This observation indicates that the E1B 55-kDa protein regulates mRNA export during the late phase of infection of normal human cells. Other mutants exhibited phenotypes not observed in HeLa cells. In HFFs infected by the null mutant Hr6, synthesis of viral late mRNAs and proteins was severely impaired. Such defects in late gene expression were the result of inefficient progression into the late phase of infection, for viral DNA synthesis was 10-fold less efficient in Hr6-infected HFFs than in cells infected by Ad5. Similar, but less severe, defects in viral DNA synthesis were induced by the insertion mutation H224, which has been reported to inhibit binding of the E1B 55-kDa protein to p53 (C. C. Kao, P. R. Yew, and A. J. Berk, Virology 179:806–814, 1990).
Impact of Merger and Acquisitions on Stock Returns: A Case of Financial Sector Firms of Pakistan

Mergers and acquisition are not only related to accounting measures of performance of firms but it also affects the wealth of shareholders either positively or negatively. According to Hubris hypothesis, the merger and acquisition announcement brings negative effect to shareholders wealth and decreases the abnormal return in post period. The present study took this analysis separate for long and short run period. To capture immediate effect on shareholders return study used Market Model to calculate abnormal returns and employed the t-test on it to check the significant differences in two sample data set. Out of 12 cases of M&A eight mergers showed negative abnormal returns for post period with statistical significance at 1% level, two at 5% and two acquiring firms reduced returns were not statistically significant. Overall on the basis of most of M&A results, the study concluded consistent results with earlier studies. The long run analysis employed by using Ohlson (1995) model for firm value with introducing dummy variable for the pre and post period. The results indicated coefficient of dummy for merger was -0.52 with statistical significance at 1% level which is demonstrating negative effect on share price which ultimately reduces the returns. The study concluded that merger and acquisition announcement bring negative effect on shareholders return either for short run or long time period.
A stringently controlled expression system for analysing lateral gene transfer between bacteria

The lateral transfer of genetic information among microorganisms is a major force driving the outstanding adaptability of microbial communities to environmental changes. Until now little information has been obtained on gene transfer in natural ecosystems. We present here a genetic circuit for detecting and quantifying horizontal gene transfer from a defined donor microorganism to recipient organisms in the absence of selection for a recipient‐specific phenotype. The system consists of an engineered lacZ (encoding β‐galactosidase) reporter gene whose expression is controlled by a synthetic regulatory element based on a fusion between the Pr promoter‐operator from lambda bacteriophage and the 5′ non‐coding leader region of the tnp gene encoding the IS10 transposase function. Expression of this reporter cassette in the recombinant microorganism is completely shut down by two chromosomally encoded trans‐acting repressors working at the level of transcription (the CI‐EK117 protein from the lambda phage), and at the level of translation (the antisense RNA‐OUT of the IS10 element). When the reporter element is transferred to a different host by any mechanism, it escapes repression and becomes expressed. The system was validated with Pseudo‐monas putida, and conjugational transfer frequencies of the reporter element as low as 10−6 were detected. The modular design and broad host range of the genetic circuit, in combination with biomarkers which permit real‐time in situ detection, will facilitate the monitor‐ing of gene flow in a non‐disruptive manner within the environment.
Structural Basis for Substrate Delivery by Acyl Carrier Protein in the Yeast Fatty Acid Synthase

In the multifunctional fungal fatty acid synthase (FAS), the acyl carrier protein (ACP) domain shuttles reaction intermediates covalently attached to its prosthetic phosphopantetheine group between the different enzymatic centers of the reaction cycle. Here, we report the structure of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae FAS determined at 3.1 angstrom resolution with its ACP stalled at the active site of ketoacyl synthase. The ACP contacts the base of the reaction chamber through conserved, charge-complementary surfaces, which optimally position the ACP toward the catalytic cleft of ketoacyl synthase. The conformation of the prosthetic group suggests a switchblade mechanism for acyl chain delivery to the active site of the enzyme.
Competitiveness gap and FDI spillovers in the new OECD

This paper analyses the relationship between FDI intensity and labour productivity of manufacturing industries in fourteen OECD countries including the most recent OECD members from Central Europe (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia). I find that the relationship between industry-level FDI intensity and labour productivity in Central Europe was significant and positive in 1992-2003 but weaker than in other OECD nations. I question the stress of present FDI spillover studies on the “technology gap” and explain why a “competitiveness gap” between foreign entrants and firms in the local industry better explains FDI effects on developed and emerging economies. I suggest that industries with a low competitiveness gap (positive or negative) will benefit most from FDI in Central Europe in the medium run (but not in the short run). My empirical tests account for the distance of Central Europe from the OECD productivity frontier. I find that productivity gains from FDI materialized mostly in Central European industries where the labour productivity gap between new and old OECD was relatively low.
Intracellular Route of Canine Parvovirus Entry

ABSTRACT The present study was designed to investigate the endocytic pathway involved in canine parvovirus (CPV) infection. Reduced temperature (18°C) or the microtubule-depolymerizing drug nocodazole was found to inhibit productive infection of canine A72 cells by CPV and caused CPV to be retained in cytoplasmic vesicles as indicated by immunofluorescence microscopy. Consistent with previously published results, these data indicate that CPV enters a host cell via an endocytic route and further suggest that microtubule-dependent delivery of CPV to late endosomes is required for productive infection. Cytoplasmic microinjection of CPV particles was used to circumvent the endocytosis and membrane fusion steps in the entry process. Microinjection experiments showed that CPV particles which were injected directly into the cytoplasm, thus avoiding the endocytic pathway, were unable to initiate progeny virus production. CPV treated at pH 5.0 prior to microinjection was unable to initiate virus production, showing that factors of the endocytic route other than low pH are necessary for the initiation of infection by CPV.
Structural analysis of protein Z gene variants in patients with foetal losses

Summary The role of protein Z (PZ) in the etiology of human disorders is unclear. A number of PZ gene variants, sporadic or polymorphic and found exclusively in the serine protease domain, have been observed. Crystal structures of PZ in complex with the PZ-dependent inhibitor (PZI) have been recently obtained. The aim of this study was a structural investigation of the serine protease PZ domain, aiming at finding common traits across disease-linked mutations. We performed 10–20 ns molecular dynamics for each of the observed PZ mutants to investigate their structure in aqueous solution. Simulation data were processed by novel tools to analyse the residue-by-residue backbone flexibility. Results showed that sporadic mutations are associated with anomalous flexibility of residues belonging to specific regions. Among them, the most important is a loop region which is in contact with the longest helix of PZI. Other regions have been identified, which hold anomalous flexibility associated with potentially protective gene variants. In conclusion, a possible interpretation of effects associated with observed gene variants is provided. The exploration of PZ/PZI interactions seems essential in explaining these effects.
An Automated Approach to Map Winter Cropped Area of Smallholder Farms across Large Scales Using MODIS Imagery

Fine-scale agricultural statistics are an important tool for understanding trends in food production and their associated drivers, yet these data are rarely collected in smallholder systems. These statistics are particularly important for smallholder systems given the large amount of fine-scale heterogeneity in production that occurs in these regions. To overcome the lack of ground data, satellite data are often used to map fine-scale agricultural statistics. However, doing so is challenging for smallholder systems because of (1) complex sub-pixel heterogeneity; (2) little to no available calibration data; and (3) high amounts of cloud cover as most smallholder systems occur in the tropics. We develop an automated method termed the MODIS Scaling Approach (MSA) to map smallholder cropped area across large spatial and temporal scales using MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) satellite data. We use this method to map winter cropped area, a key measure of cropping intensity, across the Indian subcontinent annually from 2000–2001 to 2015–2016. The MSA defines a pixel as cropped based on winter growing season phenology and scales the percent of cropped area within a single MODIS pixel based on observed EVI values at peak phenology. We validated the result with eleven high-resolution scenes (spatial scale of 5 × 5 m2 or finer) that we classified into cropped versus non-cropped maps using training data collected by visual inspection of the high-resolution imagery. The MSA had moderate to high accuracies when validated using these eleven scenes across India (R2 ranging between 0.19 and 0.89 with an overall R2 of 0.71 across all sites). This method requires no calibration data, making it easy to implement across large spatial and temporal scales, with 100% spatial coverage due to the compositing of EVI to generate cloud-free data sets. The accuracies found in this study are similar to those of other studies that map crop production using automated methods and use no calibration data. To aid research on agricultural production at fine spatial scales in India, we make our annual winter crop maps from 2000–2001 to 2015–2016 at 1 × 1 km2 produced in this study publically available through the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) hosted by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University. We also make our R script available since it is likely that this method can be used to map smallholder agriculture in other regions across the globe given that our method performed well in disparate agro-ecologies across India.
Paths to internationalisation among small‐ to medium‐sized firms

The internationalisation of small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) is considered in the context of the overall configuration of strategy in these firms. This paper is based on in‐depth case studies of the internationalisation path of ten small‐ to medium‐sized manufacturing firms in New Zealand. Two distinct paths are identified, one of global, the other of regional scope. These are argued to be the product of two distinct configurations of strategy, requiring different choices in product and market scope, mode of market development, and location of manufacturing. The patterns of internationalisation produced by these configurations are in some respects at variance with the predictions of stages models of internationalisation derived from larger enterprises and economies. The influence of these configurations and the characteristics of SMEs in particular those of the decision maker on the pace of internationalisation are also considered. A conceptual model is developed from the findings of this study by integrating internationalisation theories and SME characteristics.
A flash ADC with low offset dynamic comparators

This paper presents a Flash ADC with low offset dynamic comparators using an offset cancellation technique. By dynamically storing the comparator offset on the input capacitors, the offset is suppressed mostly. Two 5-bit 160MS/s Flash ADCs (Flash-A using the proposed offset cancellation technique and Flash-B without cancellation) are fabricated in 65nm CMOS for comparison. The measure results show that, the DNL is reduced from 1.32LSB to 0.62LSB and the INL is reduced from 1.20LSB to 0.55LSB. The SNDR improves from 26.25dB to 29.63dB and the SFDR improves from 35.02dB to 43.61dB. And the power increases from 3.44 mW to 3.79 mW.
THE VALUE OF CORPORATE INFORMATION AND ALLIED TECHNOLOGIES AS PERCEIVED BY EXECUTIVES

This study attempts to promote a better understanding of how IT and allied resources are valued by senior management of the firms that deploy them. To achieve the objective, individuals usually a director or a vice president-level person such as a Chief Information Officer (CIO) to whom the IT managers report were surveyed. By focusing on executives and managers charged with providing corporate “cover” for the IS function, we expected to report an informed yet objective assessment and gain knowledge about the value of their corporate information technology and allied resources. Moreover, the results can help provide meaningful input into annual information technology plans as well as in better focusing limited organizational