Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the overall intelligibility, articulation, resonance, and voice characteristics between children using cochlear implants and those using bilateral hearing aids: A pilot study

The purpose of this study was to determine and to compare the overall intelligibility, articulation, resonance, and voice characteristics in children using cochlear implants (CI) and children using conventional hearing aids (HA). Nine prelingually deaf children using CI and six children with a prelingual severe hearing loss using HA, were selected to participate. Objective (DSI, nasalance scores) as well as subjective assessment techniques (perceptual evaluations) were used. Both the CI and HA children demonstrated normal vocal quality and resonance but showed the presence of articulation disorders. In the CI children, intelligibility was significantly better compared to the HA children. Significantly more phonetic and phonological disorders were present in the HA children. The results of this study show a poorer intelligibility of the HA children in comparison with the CI children which is probably due to the occurrence of significantly more phonetic and phonological disorders. Future detailed analysis in a larger sample of CI and HA children may help further clarify the issue of speech and voice characteristics and may demonstrate an important prognostic value.
Community Unions and the Revival of the American Labor Movement

Today’s low-wage workforce is mostly ignored by the national political parties and largely untouched by organized labor. Over the last twenty years, “community unions” have emerged to try to fill the void. They are modest-sized community-based organizations of low-wage workers that, through a combination of service, advocacy, and organizing, focus on issues of work and wages. Community unions have so far had greater success at raising wages and improving working conditions via public policy rather than direct labor market intervention. This is because low-wage workers in America today have greater political than economic power.
The use of options theory to value research in the service sector

This paper examines the practicalities of applying real options theory to valuing research in the service sector, where the relationship between research and subsequent business benefit is less easily discerned than in most previous applications of options theory in, e.g. the pharmaceutical industry. The paper uses a compound options model, the Geske model, based on a three-phase lifecycle consisting of research, development and deployment. This model was applied in a case study within the e-commerce area to extract key messages for R&D managers relating to different value drivers. However, the case study emphasized the need to understand the relationship between the research activity and the subsequent revenue stream, and to be able to demonstrate the extent to which the former is necessary for the latter.
Long-term follow-up after fludarabine treatment in pretreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES A study update to assess long-term survival following fludarabine salvage treatment in previously treated patients with chronic lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL). DESIGN AND METHODS From September 1992 to December 1995, 74 patients with advanced, relapsing B-cell CLL were enrolled in the study. Fludarabine was given for 5 consecutive days at the dose of 25 mg/m2/day in a 30 min infusion. Treatment was repeated every 28 days for a maximum of 6 courses.E RESULTS. Nineteen (26%) patients achieved a complete response (CR) and 20 (27%) patients had a partial response (PR), giving an overall response rate of 53%. The median overall survival was 68 months, and there was a strong negative correlation with the number of previous treatments. The median time to progression was 18 months for patients who achieved a CR and 12 months for those with a PR. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS The results obtained with fludarabine alone in this subset of CLL patients indicate the existence of a conspicuous disease-free survival period. This time window could be used to consolidate the initial response with either biological approaches or high-dose therapeutic strategies such as autologous bone marrow transplantation, with the aim of eventual eradication of the disease.
(When) Race Matters: The Effect of Immigrant Race and Place on Support for Anti-Immigration Laws

Does racial threat motivate support for anti-immigration laws? I answer this question by manipulating the skin-tone and geographical proximity to American citizens of a ctional undocumented Mexican immigrant. I nd that when respondents are exposed to a non-Caucasian immigrant, support for anti-immigration laws increases relative to an otherwise identical Caucasian immigrant. These reactions to the immigrant’s skin-tone are observed only when respondents believe that the immigrant resides in their city and state, suggesting that geographical proximity triggers racial threat.
Inhaled nitric oxide in preterm infants undergoing mechanical ventilation.

BACKGROUND Bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants is associated with prolonged hospitalization, as well as abnormal pulmonary and neurodevelopmental outcome. In animal models, inhaled nitric oxide improves both gas exchange and lung structural development, but the use of this therapy in infants at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia is controversial. METHODS We conducted a randomized, stratified, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of inhaled nitric oxide at 21 centers involving infants with a birth weight of 1250 g or less who required ventilatory support between 7 and 21 days of age. Treated infants received decreasing concentrations of nitric oxide, beginning at 20 ppm, for a minimum of 24 days. The primary outcome was survival without bronchopulmonary dysplasia at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age. RESULTS Among 294 infants receiving nitric oxide and 288 receiving placebo birth weight (766 g and 759 g, respectively), gestational age (26 weeks in both groups), and other characteristics were similar. The rate of survival without bronchopulmonary dysplasia at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age was 43.9 percent in the group receiving nitric oxide and 36.8 percent in the placebo group (P=0.042). The infants who received inhaled nitric oxide were discharged sooner (P=0.04) and received supplemental oxygen therapy for a shorter time (P=0.006). There were no short-term safety concerns. CONCLUSIONS Inhaled nitric oxide therapy improves the pulmonary outcome for premature infants who are at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia when it is started between 7 and 21 days of age and has no apparent short-term adverse effects. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00000548 [ClinicalTrials.gov] .).
The European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS): Still a Viable Entity or a Concept Spiraling Towards Obscurity?

The European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) was envisioned as a panacea for the perceived ills facing the European Union (EU) at the time of its inception. Its manifest purpose was to more comprehensively administer environmental management and compliance, to help ensure a uniform set of environmental performance across the entire EU. The scheme, together with the Eco-Label, the other EU voluntary tool, was developed as a complement to traditional 'command-and-control' legislation. While noble and ambitious in its design, EMAS has failed to become the shining light of environmental management which it was designed to be, and instead has devolved into a second class citizen. While the ongoing revision, EMAS III, offers some hope for the future, the program as a whole remains burdened by inefficiency and impracticality. The Scheme must expand in scope, and include motivations and rewards for incorporating such pressing ideas as CSR, or it will be doomed to the ash heap of history.
Accountability Disclosures by Queensland Local Government Councils: 1997-1999

The annual report is promoted and regarded as the primary medium of accountability for government agencies. In Australia, anecdotal evidence suggests the quality of annual reports is variable. However, there is scant empirical evidence on the quality of reports. The aim of this research is to gauge the quality of annual reporting by local governments in Queensland, and to investigate the factors that may contribute to that level of quality. The results of the study indicate that although the quality of reporting by local governments has improved over time, councils generally do not report information on aspects of corporate governance, remuneration of executive staff, personnel, occupational health and safety, equal opportunity policies, and performance information. In addition, the results indicate there is a correlation between the size of the local government and the quality of reporting but the quality of disclosures is not correlated with the timeliness of reports. The study will be of interest to the accounting profession, public sector regulators who are responsible for the integrity of the accountability mechanisms and public sector accounting practitioners. It will form the basis for future longitudinal research, which will map changes in the quality of local government annual reporting.
What It Means to be an Accounting Professor: A Concise Career Guide for Doctoral Students in Accounting

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to provide a concise career guide for current and potential doctoral students in accounting and, in the process, help them gain a greater awareness of what it means to be an accounting professor. The guide can also be used by accounting faculty in doctoral programs as a starting point in mentoring their doctoral students. We begin with foundational guidance to help doctoral students better understand the “big picture” surrounding the academic accounting environment. We then provide specific research guidance and publishing guidance to help improve the probability of publication success. Actions are suggested that doctoral students and new faculty can take to help jump-start their academic careers. We finish with guidance regarding some important acronyms of special interest to doctoral students in accounting.
A Kaleckian model of growth and distribution with conflict-inflation and Post Keynesian nominal interest rate rules

Post Keynesians advocate two distinct approaches to monetary and interest rate policy. The activist approach sees interest rates moved countercyclically to ensure strong growth and low employment. The parking-it approach, however, favors setting real or nominal rates at specific levels and changing them only sparingly. In this paper, the authors evaluate the impact on macroeconomic performance of three variants of this latter approach—the Smithin rule, the Kansas City rule, and the Pasinetti rule.
Enteric YaiW Is a Surface-Exposed Outer Membrane Lipoprotein That Affects Sensitivity to an Antimicrobial Peptide

ABSTRACT yaiW is a previously uncharacterized gene found in enteric bacteria that is of particular interest because it is located adjacent to the sbmA gene, whose bacA ortholog is required for Sinorhizobium meliloti symbiosis and Brucella abortus pathogenesis. We show that yaiW is cotranscribed with sbmA in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Typhimurium strains. We present evidence that the YaiW is a palmitate-modified surface exposed outer membrane lipoprotein. Since BacA function affects the very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) modification of S. meliloti and B. abortus lipid A, we tested whether SbmA function might affect either the fatty acid modification of the YaiW lipoprotein or the fatty acid modification of enteric lipid A but found that it did not. Interestingly, we did observe that E. coli SbmA suppresses deficiencies in the VLCFA modification of the lipopolysaccharide of an S. meliloti bacA mutant despite the absence of VLCFA in E. coli. Finally, we found that both YaiW and SbmA positively affect the uptake of proline-rich Bac7 peptides, suggesting a possible connection between their cellular functions.
The use of computerized decision support systems in preventive cardiology--principal results from the national PRECARD survey in Denmark.

BACKGROUND The PRECARD program has been used for electronic cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment and management in Denmark since 1999. The use of and attitudes toward the program are reported. DESIGN AND METHODS Using an Internet and postal survey to all Danish general practitioners, a total of 592 Danish general practitioners participated in the Internet part of the survey (response rate 19%) and 291 in the postal survey (response rate 73%). RESULTS In all, 21.5% of the GPs use PRECARD, whereas 10% are ex-users. The program is used on average once a week and 64% of the users report that PRECARD prolongs the consultation somewhat or a lot. Both users and ex-users perceive the program to have a favourable effect on the patients, and as an improvement to the dialogue between GP and patient. Reasons for no longer using the program are varied, such as technical problems and lack of routine with the program. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that an electronic risk management tool like PRECARD, is perceived as a quality improvement in preventive cardiology in primary care. However the use of the program is not optimal and it may prolong the consultation.
Oral implantation in humans of Streptococcus mutans strains with different degrees of hydrophobicity

The more hydrophobic, rough-colony-forming, streptomycin-resistant Streptococcus mutans parent strains GW Smr and LK Smr and the less hydrophobic, smooth-colony-forming, streptomycin-resistant variant strains GW36 Smr and LK36 Smr were implanted in oral cavities. Strains GW Smr and LK Smr implanted significantly better than strains GW36 Smr and LK36 Smr. The hydrophobicity of and the colony morphology formed by the different S. mutans strains did not seem to be affected throughout the experiment.
The Dynamics of Popular Reactions to Democratization in Korea

The central argument of this paper is that, rather than simply absorbing democratic values diffusely, Koreans have acquired their support for democratization incrementally through experience with the consequences of regime change. In order to account for this pattern, we develop an empirical model that distinguishes between democracy as an ideal (desirability) and democracy understood as a viable political system (suitability). We draw on a survey of the Korean public to demonstrate that changes in these dimensions follow distinct trajectories, according to the recollections of our respondents, during the course of democratization. While beliefs about democracy-in-principle appear to be fairly impervious to political events and socioeconomic conditions, attitudes toward democracy-in-practice reflect a learning curve as the transition unfolds. We estimate the relative impact of evaluations of the economy, of the quality of life, and of governmental performance and political experience on support for democracy in practice. On the whole, democratic commitment is ‘earned’ through increasingly favorable perceptions of improvements in the quality of life, in economic growth, and especially in the performance of successive democratic governments, as contrasted with the workings of the previous authoritarian regime.
Sustainable development with stock pollution

ABSTRACT Optimal pollution control is an important challenge for sustainable development with three distinct cases. First, the situation where nature's assimilative capacity is completely destroyed involves normative problems that require further research. Second, environmental restoration with initial pollution above the steady-state stock requires an economy to initially allocate a relatively high share of its resources to cleaning-up activities. In return, this generally results in an intertemporally efficient development path that is both environmentally and economically sustainable. Third, optimal trajectories in situations with initial stocks of pollution below the long-term optimum generally imply an increase in pollution and a decline of optimal consumption. In this case, the investment of the environmental rents accruing from nature's assimilative capacity into man-made capital is required in analogy to the famous Hartwick rule to maintain a constant flow of instantaneous welfare. This would facilitate growth in consumption sufficient to compensate for the rising disutility of pollution.
How Slovak small and medium manufacturing enterprises maintain quality costs: an empirical study and proposal for a suitable model

This paper deals with the quality costs control in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in Slovakia and also presents the results from the questionnaire survey. The empirical study attempts to determine the level of understanding and level of implementation of quality costs control in SMEs in Slovakia. The research is based on the prevention–appraisal–failure model. In the paper we also propose a suitable model for quality costs control in small and medium manufacturing enterprises based on the results of the research. The empirical study focused on SMEs where quality cost control often works as a latent management subsystem. Managers of SMEs use indicators for monitoring process performance and production quality, but they usually do not develop a separate framework for measuring and evaluating quality costs. We asked them to what extent and on what level quality costs control was used in their manufacturing.
Medical decision support for remote general practitioners using telemedicine

A telemedicine link was set up between the casualty department of a remote community hospital and the accident and emergency department of a large urban hospital. The telemedicine link comprised teleradiology, videoconferencing and telepresence. The system was connected by ISDN 128 kbit/s and also by a satellite link 64 kbit/s . During a one-year clinical trial, 120 teleconsultations took place between the community hospital and the specialist trauma centre, 110 using ISDN and 10 using the satellite link. Teleradiology was used in 116 teleconsultations, videoconferencing in 76, and telepresence in four. Survey results indicated that both the general practitioners running the community hospital and accident and emergency consultants felt that teleconsultation had improved patient care. Communication between clinicians using the telemedicine link avoided the transfer of 70 patients, representing an estimated cost saving of 65,000.
Joint content-resource allocation in software defined virtual CDNs

A software defined virtual CDN (SDvCDN) is a virtual cache network deployed fully in software over a programmable cloud network infrastructure that can be elastically consumed and optimized using global information about network conditions and service requirements. We formulate the joint content-resource allocation problem in SDvCDNs as a minimum cost mixed-cast flow problem with resource activation decisions. Our solution jointly optimizes the placement and routing of content objects along with the allocation of the required virtual storage and transport resources, is applicable to arbitrary network topologies, and captures activation and operational costs, content popularity, unicast and multicast delivery, as well as capacity and latency constraints. We present preliminary results for the general mixed integer linear programming solution, as well as conditions for polynomial solvability. The value of our approach goes beyond the optimization of SDvCDNs, as it provides an efficient methodology to jointly address placement (facility location), routing (network flow) and resource allocation (network design/embedding) problems.
The Americas literature review on internal auditing

Purpose – By conducting the 2006 global Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) study, The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) attempts to better understand the expanding scope of internal auditing practice throughout the world. The purpose of this review of recent internal auditing literature in The Americas is to document how the internal audit function is changing in response to the shifts in global business practices.Design/methodology/approach – The literature in The Americas is reviewed with a focus on developments that have implications for the expanded scope of internal auditing and the changing skill sets of internal auditors. This focus has implications for CBOK 2006.Findings – The literature indicates a paradigm shift in the activities performed by internal auditors. The increasing complexity of business transactions, a more dynamic regulatory environment in the USA, and significant advances in information technology have resulted in opportunities and challenges for internal auditors. Although in .
The effects of local anesthetics on motor nerve terminals.

The effects of four local anesthetics, procaine, lidocaine, tetracaine and dibucaine, were studied on the soleus neuromuscular preparation of the cat in vivo. All local anesthetics injected i.a. or i.v. depressed the posttetanic potentiation of the soleus muscle and abolished the neural repetitive afterdischarge of the motor nerve terminals. In addition, local anesthetics modified the pattern of tetanic muscle contraction. Lidocaine was 1.5, tetracaine was 10 and dibucaine was 15 times more potent than procaine in depressing posttetanic potentiation. Recovery of posttetanic potentiation (PTP) was rapid following procaine and lidocaine, but it was prolonged after tetracaine and dibucaine administration. Since PTP and posttetanic repetitive activity are neural events and local anesthetics depressed them without depressing the transmission of single twitches, it is concluded that local anesthetics act by selective depreseion of the motor nerve terminal. The correlation between drug potencies for PTP suppression and local anesthetic potency for blocking conduction in peripheral nerves and the agreement between doses depressing PTP and those affecting central nervous system neurons also support a neural locus of action. The possibility of a postjunctional effect of local anesthetics is considered, but, according to the dose-response relationship, it only occurs after the injection of larger doses.
Activation of the disulfide bond and chalcogen-chalcogen interactions: an experimental (FTICR) and computational study.

Dimethyldisulfide (I) is the simplest model of the biologically relevant family of disubstituted disulfides. The experimental study of its gas-phase protonation has provided, we believe for the first time, a precise value of its gas-phase basicity. This value agrees within 1 kJ mol-1 with the results of G3 calculations. Also obtained for the first time was the reaction rate constant for the bimolecular reaction between I and its protonated form, IH+, to yield methanethiol and a dimethyldithiosulfonium ion. This constant is of the order of magnitude of the collision limit. A computational mechanistic study based on the energetic profile of the reaction, completed with Fukui's and Bader's treatments of the reactants and transition states fully rationalizes the regioselectivity of the reaction as well as the existence of a shallow, flat Gibbs energy surface for the reaction. The mechanistic relevance of the chalcogen-chalcogen interaction and the C--H.S bonds has been demonstrated.