Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psychological Capital in the Quick Service Restaurant Industry: A Study of Unit-Level Performance

In this study, the construct of psychological capital (PsyCap) is explored within the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry. PsyCap, a second-order construct composed of hope, optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy, has received little attention in hospitality research despite its relationships with improving attitudes and behaviors. This study tested the relationships among PsyCap, service quality, customer satisfaction, and unit revenues through bivariate and mediational tests. Data were collected from a national chain of QSR employees, mystery shops, customer evaluations, and company records. The results indicate that collective PsyCap is positively related to all variables. Additionally, the results showed that service quality and customer satisfaction fully mediates the collective PsyCap to unit revenues relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Morbidity and mortality after radical gastrectomy for patients with carcinoma of the stomach.

BACKGROUND This study sought to analyze the morbidity and mortality rates after radical gastrectomy for carcinoma, since the operation has been criticized as too morbid for the benefits it may provide. STUDY DESIGN A prospective study of 474 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy was conducted. RESULTS The overall morbidity and mortality rates were 20.1 and 3.0 percent, respectively. The morbidity and mortality rates fell significantly from 27.0 to 15.7 percent (p = 0.003) and 5.5 to 1.1 percent (p < 0.001), respectively, after the first 200 cases. By logistic regression analysis, it was found that male gender, combined organ(s) resection, extended lymphadenectomy, respiratory system disease, and tumor location were significantly related to postoperative morbidity. In regard to the extent of lymphadenectomy, relative to R2 resection (n = 102), the odds ratio for morbidity after R3 resection (n = 217) was 2.13, and for R4 resection (n = 155) it was 3.12. Age older than 65 years, total gastrectomy, combined organ(s) resection, and respiratory system disease were factors that negatively affected operative mortality. CONCLUSIONS These observations suggested that radical gastrectomy can be performed with an acceptable risk of morbidity and mortality in a general hospital.
Changes in Per Capita Food Availability in West Africa: Implications for Agricultural Market Development

Rapid changes in the social and economic environment in West Africa (WA) are resulting in shifts in food consumption patterns. 1 These changes include growing total and urban population, increases in per capita incomes, demographic transition towards smaller family sizes in a few countries, migration within the zone towards the coastal states, and the adoption of more western lifestyles (Lopriore and Muehlhof, 2003, Hollinger and Staatz, 2015). In addition, policy shifts that constituted major changes in the conditions that determine
Metabolism of proline and the hydroxyprolines.

PERSPECTIVES AND SUMMARY 1006 INTRODUCTION 1007 PROLINE 1008 Proline Biosynthesis: The Glutamate Pathway 1008 Proline Biosynthesis: The Om Pathway 1015 Proline Degradation: The P5C Pathway 1018 Proline Degradation: Reguiation 1020 Proline Degradation: Other Pathways 1023 4-HYDROXYPROLlNE 1024 Natural Occurrence 1024 Metabolism General Features 1025 Catabolism of Free 4-Hyp 1034 3-HYDROXYPROLINE 1041 Metabolism 1042 3,4-DIHYDROXYPROLINE 1044
Ratio of Fourth to Second Fingertip Extensions in Relation to Serum Estradiol and Testosterone Levels in Men and Women

Sex differences in second (2D) and fourth (4D) fingertip extensions relative to the middle fingertip and 4D:2D fingertip extension ratios were studied in men and women. Body height positively correlated with index fingertip extensions, not with ring fingertip extensions, nor with their ratio. Mean 2D extension (both hands) was smaller in women than men; mean 4D extension (right hand) was smaller in men than women; 4D:2D fingertip extension ratios from both hands were larger in women than men. Serum estradiol concentration negatively correlated with 2D extensions for both hands (no significant correlation with 4D extensions), but positively correlated with 4D:2D extension ratios for both hands. Serum testosterone concentration positively correlated with 2D extensions of both hands (no significant correlation with 4D extension), but negatively correlated with 4D:2D extension ratios for both hands. These relations were also studied in men and women separately. It was concluded that the 4D:2D extension ratio was greater in women than in men; 2D and 4D extensions and 4D:2D extension ratios may be determined prenatally by sex hormones; fingertip extensions may be predictive of adult and prenatal sex hormone levels.
Effects of rapid versus standard HIV voluntary counselling and testing on receipt rate of HIV test results: a meta-analysis

Rapid HIV voluntary counselling and testing (RVCT) is an alternative method of standard HIV voluntary counselling and testing (SVCT). Less is known about whether RVCT improves the receipt rate of HIV test results among clients who seek HIV counselling and testing. We aimed to evaluate effectiveness of RVCT on result receipt rate. We conducted a comprehensive search of databases containing Medline, EBSCO, Web of science, and Cochrane library to identify studies published up to August 2012. Reviewers extracted information independently. Risk of bias was evaluated with Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing study quality. Five randomised controlled trials were included and analysed for the result receipt rate using a random-effects model. The pooled receipt rate of HIV test results in the RVCT was significantly higher than in the SVCT (RR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.47–2.07). Our results suggest RVCT as a favourable method to increase the receipt of HIV test results. Only two included studies assessed the modification of risk behaviour after HIV-CT in a different manner; also, the sample size was small in the current meta-analysis. In future research, it is necessary to confirm the effect of RVCT on disinhibition of post-test risk behaviour.
Research on urban accessibility distribution areal model by Floyd algorithm and Kriging interpolation

As an important indicator to measure a city's regional economic and social value, accessibility is more and more used in tourism and urban planning, transport design, public facilities and some other issues. Traditional accessibility study is mostly focus on a limited number of points. In this paper, GIS technology is used to establish an innovative areal model of the whole city's accessibility, in order to carry out a more comprehensive analysis of geographical accessibility. Taking Nanjing as a case study, we established the topological road network. The Floyd algorithm was used to carry out the shortest paths between all the nodes. In order to obtain an areal model of the whole city's accessibility factor, we applied Kriging interpolation compensate for the lack of data, and then used ArcGIS to establish the areal model of Nanjing. Our model matches the actual situation perfectly, proving the effectiveness of the method.
The Role of Interleukin 13 in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

The Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) produce several cytokines, which are thought to account for the unique clinical and pathologic features of this disease. We previously identified interleukin (IL)-13 expression as a common feature of cHL and have studied the potential role of this cytokine as an autocrine growth factor for RS cells. IL-13 and the IL-13-specific receptor chain (IL-13R α 1) are frequently expressed in cHL-derived cell lines and in RS cells from biopsies of cHL tissues. In contrast, IL-13 expression in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is uncommon. Neutralization of IL-13 in cultures of cHL-derived cell lines HDLM-2 and L-1236 leads to a dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation, and is associated with increased apoptosis in L-1236 cells. IL-13 neutralization also decreased activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)6, an important mediator of IL-13 function. Moreover, STAT6 is often activated in RS cells from primary tumor samples, implying that IL-13 signaling is occurring in these cells in vivo. This review will describe the biologic activities of IL-13 in the immune system, and summarize the evidence implicating IL-13 as an autocrine growth factor for RS cells in cHL. Finally, we will discuss the potential influence of IL-13 on the reactive inflammatory infiltrate that is characteristic of cHL.
Salmonella InvG forms a ring‐like multimer that requires the InvH lipoprotein for outer membrane localization

Salmonella species translocate virulence effector proteins from the bacterial cytoplasm into mammalian host cells by means of a type III secretion apparatus, encoded by the pathogenicity island‐1 (SPI‐1). Little is known about the assembly and structure of this secretion apparatus, but the InvG protein is essential and could be an outer membrane secretion channel for the effector proteins. We observed that in recombinant Escherichia coli, the yield of InvG was enhanced by co‐expression of InvH, and showed that mutation of invH decreased the level of InvG in wild‐type Salmonella typhimurium. In E. coli, InvG alone was able to form an SDS‐resistant multimer, but InvG localization to the outer membrane was dependent upon InvH, a lipoprotein itself located in the outer membrane, and no other SPI‐1 specific protein. InvG targeted to the outer membrane by InvH became accessible to extracellular protease. InvG and InvH did not, however, appear to form a stable complex. Electron microscopy of InvG membrane protein purified from E. coli revealed that it forms an oligomeric ring‐like structure with inner and outer diameters, 7 nm and 15 nm respectively.
Congenital dysgranulopoietic neutropenia

We investigated a 15‐year‐old female with congenital dysgranulopoietic neutropenia (CDN) and her non‐neutropenic mother who had recurrent stomatitis. In both patients, cells of the neutrophilic, eosinophilic, monocytic, megakaryocytic, and basophilic series were dysmorphic. Plasmacytoid lymphocytes and mild megaloblastic erythroid precursors were present. Bleeding times of both patients were prolonged. The mother had a secondary aggregation defect; the number of the plasmacytoid lymphocytes, dense granules of platelets, and dysmorphic neutrophils, neutrophil chemotaxis, and myeloperoxidase content fluctuated according to the presence or not of aphthae. The daughter's karyotype revealed 46,XX/46,XX, t(1;8). No ELA2 or G‐CSFR mutation was detected. These findings support stem cell involvement in CDN. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:115–119. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
[The management of cerebrovascular events in Senegal].

OBJECTIVES Because of its acuteness and rapid progress to irreversible injury, stroke is a dramatically high priority medical emergency. The purpose of this prospective study was to ascertain the average time limit for primary management of stroke victims referred to the Senegalese national medical center considered as the final link within the country's healthcare organisation. PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed the files of 170 patients aged 25-90 (average 61+/-13 years). The sex ratio was 0.68. Seventy percent of the patients resided in the nation's capital, Dakar. RESULTS Most of the patients were referred to a medical center late. Admission was before the 6th hour for only one patient and none of the patients were admitted before the 3rd hour. Late treatment was related to the remoteness of medical centers. Among patients residing in Dakar, the first visit occurred between 6 and 24 hours for 30p.cent versus 7.8 p.cent for patients residing in rural areas of the country. Educational level and socio-economic status had no effect on late treatment. None of the patients were given prehospital care. Treatment was essentially symptomatic in patients with hemorrhagic stroke. Anticoagulants or anti-platelet agents were prescribed for patients with ischemic stroke. Only 29.4 p.cent of patients were given rehabilitation care. Mortality was 50.6 p.cent and the rate of dependency 41.7 p.cent. CONCLUSION In Senegal, stroke victims receive care too late. This situation arises because of insufficiency of human and material resources and inaccessibility to care centers.
In the Hive: Designing for Emergence When Teaching Complex Systems In Early Childhood

This Design-Based Research study explores the iterative design decisions for a participatory simulation created to teach children in grades K–2 about complex biological systems. In this simulation, children assumed the role of honeybees, whose job was to collect nectar from flowers and bring it back to a hive, learning about the social nature of honeybee colonies (e.g., the need for honeybees to communicate the location of nectar via a “waggle dance”). As we designed the simulation, we iteratively analyzed the ways that children in a range of low-tech and high-tech conditions engaged in creating a nonverbal system of communication. Findings suggest that the spatial layout of the simulation directly influenced the game’s difficulty levels and subsequently impacted both the nonverbal communication and the learning outcomes of the activity. This paper presents the iterative design cycles and outlines implications for studies seeking to design participatory simulations for young children.
The evolution of egg colour and patterning in birds

Avian eggs differ so much in their colour and patterning from species to species that any attempt to account for this diversity might initially seem doomed to failure. Here I present a critical review of the literature which, when combined with the results of some comparative analyses, suggests that just a few selective agents can explain much of the variation in egg appearance. Ancestrally, bird eggs were probably white and immaculate. Ancient diversification in nest location, and hence in the clutch's vulnerability to attack by predators, can explain basic differences between bird families in egg appearance. The ancestral white egg has been retained by species whose nests are safe from attack by predators, while those that have moved to a more vulnerable nest site are now more likely to lay brown eggs, covered in speckles, just as Wallace hypothesized more than a century ago. Even blue eggs might be cryptic in a subset of nests built in vegetation. It is possible that some species have subsequently turned these ancient adaptations to new functions, for example to signal female quality, to protect eggs from damaging solar radiation, or to add structural strength to shells when calcium is in short supply. The threat of predation, together with the use of varying nest sites, appears to have increased the diversity of egg colouring seen among species within families, and among clutches within species. Brood parasites and their hosts have probably secondarily influenced the diversity of egg appearance. Each drives the evolution of the other's egg colour and patterning, as hosts attempt to avoid exploitation by rejecting odd‐looking eggs from their nests, and parasites attempt to outwit their hosts by laying eggs that will escape detection. This co‐evolutionary arms race has increased variation in egg appearance both within and between species, in parasites and in hosts, sometimes resulting in the evolution of egg colour polymorphisms. It has also reduced variation in egg appearance within host clutches, although the benefit thus gained by hosts is not clear.
Heterosexual HIV Transmission

Sir: It has previously been considered that the Incidence of sexually transmitted disease (SID) and pattern of attendance at genitourinary medicine clinics in Northern Ireland was different to that in England. Comparison of notifications of new cases of STDs from 1978 to 1987 for each region, shows tnany similarities in both the trends in incidence of each STD, and the proportion of clinic workload generated by each STD. It is of particular interest that the greatest proportional increases in incidence of any SID over the 10 years occurred in the viral infections, herpes ~itnplex and anogenital warts. In England, the Incidence of herpes simplex increased two-fold, affecting 0.019% of the population in 1978 and 0.037% in 1987. In Northern Ireland, the rise was seven-fold, from 0.001% of the population in 1978 to 0.007% in 1987. In 1987, herpes simplex accounted for 2.7% of the new clinic attendances in England, and 1.0% in Northern Ireland. In both regions, the incidence of anogenital warts rose three-fold over the 10 years, to 0.163% of the English population and 0.065%of the Northern Irish population in 1987. By 1987, 12.0% of all new patients in England had anogenital warts, and 12.6% in Northern Ireland. In contrast, the incidence of syphilis, gonorrhoea and trichomoniasis have declined rapidly in both regions throughout the 10 years. Candidiasis and non-specific genital infection initially followed an upward trend in both regions, but in recent years the incidence of each condition has declined. Improved antibiotic and antifungal medication has Contributed to the decline in non-viral STDs. The rapid rise in herpes simplex and anogenital warts tnay reflect the difficulty in eradicating the viruses, both of which may exist in latent forms. However, the question remains, what has caused the marked increase in incidence of these viral infections over the last decade? K A Ward Department of Genitourinary Medicine Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA, UK
Information capacity of wyner's cellular network with LMMSE receivers

We derive the Linear Minimum Mean Square Error (LMMSE) receiver for Wyner's model of a linear cellular array. By exploiting the special structure of the channel model, we obtain explicit Mean Square Error (MSE) expressions and information capacity formulae for both finite-sized as well as infinite-sized linear cellular arrays. We show that the performance of an individual user becomes insensitive to the array size for large array sizes and that the proportion of users achieving almost the same performance converges to one, as the array size tends to infinity. The effects of intercell interference and noise on the performance of each user are also investigated.
Coenzyme Q10: Absorption, Antioxidative Properties, Determinants, and Plasma Levels

The purpose of this article is to summarise our studies, in which the main determinants and absorption of plasma coenzyme Q10 (Q10, ubiquinone) have been assessed, and the effects of moderate dose oral Q10 supplementation on plasma antioxidative capacity, lipoprotein oxidation resistance and on plasma lipid peroxidation investigated. All the supplementation trials carried out have been blinded and placebo-controlled clinical studies. Of the determinants of Q10, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, male gender, alcohol consumption and age were found to be associated positively with plasma Q10 concentration. A single dose of 30 mg of Q10, which is the maximum daily dose recommended by Q10 producers, had only a marginal elevating effect on plasma Q10 levels in non-Q10-deficient subjects. Following supplementation, a dose-dependent increase in plasma Q10 levels was observed up to a daily dose of 200 mg, which resulted in a 6.1-fold increase in plasma Q10 levels. However, simultaneous supplementation with vitamin E resulted in lower plasma Q10 levels. Of the lipid peroxidation measurements, Q10 supplementation did not increase LDL TRAP, plasma TRAP, VLDL+LDL oxidation resistance nor did it decrease LDL oxidation susceptibility ex vivo. Q10 with minor vitamin E dose neither decreased exercise-induced lipid peroxidation ex vivo nor muscular damage. Q10 supplementation might, however, decrease plasma lipid peroxidation in vivo, as assessed by the increased proportion of plasma ubiquinol (reduced form, Q10H 2 ) of total Q10. High dose vitamin E supplementation decreased this proportion, which suggests in vivo regeneration of tocopheryl radicals by ubiquinol.
Comparison of endobronchial ultrasound, positron emission tomography, and CT for lymph node staging of lung cancer.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To perform a prospective comparison of direct real-time endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA), positron emission tomography (PET), and thoracic CT for detection of mediastinal and hilar lymph node metastasis in patients with lung cancer considered for surgical resection. DESIGN Prospective patient enrollment. SETTING University teaching hospital. PATIENTS One hundred two potentially operable patients with proven (n = 96) or radiologically suspected (n = 6) lung cancer were included in the study. INTERVENTIONS CT, PET, and EBUS-TBNA were performed prior to surgery for the evaluation of mediastinal and hilar lymph node metastasis. The convex probe EBUS, which is integrated with a convex scanning probe on its tip, was used for EBUS-TBNA. Surgical histology was used as the "gold standard" to confirm lymph node metastasis unless patients were found inoperable for N3 or extensive N2 disease proven by EBUS-TBNA. MAIN RESULTS EBUS-TBNA was successfully performed in all 102 patients (mean age, 67.8 years) from 147 mediastinal and 53 hilar lymph nodes. EBUS-TBNA proved malignancy in 37 lymph node stations in 24 patients. CT identified 92 positive lymph nodes, and PET identified 89 positive lymph nodes (4 supraclavicular, 63 mediastinal, 22 hilar). The sensitivities of CT, PET, and EBUS-TBNA for the correct diagnosis of mediastinal and hilar lymph node staging were 76.9%, 80.0%, and 92.3%, respectively; specificities were 55.3%, 70.1%, and 100%, and diagnostic accuracies were 60.8%, 72.5%, and 98.0%. EBUS-TBNA was uneventful, and there were no complications. CONCLUSION Compared to CT and PET, EBUS-TBNA has a high sensitivity as well as specificity for mediastinal and hilar lymph node staging in patients with lung cancer. EBUS-TBNA should be considered for evaluation of the mediastinum early in the staging process of lung cancer.
Essays on Firm Growth and Survival as a Fortune 500 Firm

Essays on Firm Growth and Survival as a Fortune 500 Firm. (August 2010) Gautham Gopal Vadakkepatt, B.T. C, Trichur, Calicut University; M.En. ; M.S., Texas A&M University Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Venkatesh Shankar Dr. Rajan Varadarajan In this dissertation, I develop frameworks and models capturing the effects of marketing capital and R&D capital on firm growth and sustained membership in the Fortune 500 cohort. Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and industrial organization theories, in the first essay, I develop hypotheses on the relationships among a firm‘s marketing capital, R&D capital, key firm-specific and industry-specific factors and survival as a Fortune 500 firm. I test these hypotheses using a proportional hazard model on a uniquely compiled large panel data set of manufacturing Fortune 500 firms over a 25-year period. The results show that while both marketing and R&D capitals have significant and direct positive associations with survival as a Fortune 500 firm, the moderating effects of industry growth on the relationships between marketing capital and survival as a Fortune 500 firm and between R&D capital and survival as a Fortune 500 firm is asymmetric. It is positive for marketing capital but negative for R&D capital. Thus, to retain firms‘ position on the Fortune 500 list, managers may want to consider investing more in marketing (R&D) when industry growth is high (low).