Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Media Headlines on Consumer Preferences for Food Safety, Quality and Environmental Attributes

type="main" xml:id="ajar12097-abs-0001"> In recent years, Asia has emerged as an important supplier of food to Western countries. In this study, we focus on shrimp, a major aquaculture commodity, to evaluate consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for enhanced food safety, use of antibiotics and eco-friendly practices used in producing shrimp in the presence of country-of-origin labelling. Specifically, this research assesses the effects of news headlines regarding product safety, as information shocks on U.S. consumer demand. Consumers were found to have a mean willingness-to-pay of $7.81 per pound of shrimp with an enhanced safety characteristic from the United States, $0.94 for the same type of shrimp from China and $2.43 for similar shrimp from Thailand. Consumers had a WTP for the absence of antibiotics in the production of U.S. shrimp of $7.31 and were only willing to pay for an eco-friendly attribute on domestically produced shrimp. Media headlines were found to have a statistically significant effect on consumer preferences and WTP for product characteristics. Food policy and international agribusiness implications of our findings are discussed.
Levofloxacin-based and clarithromycin-based triple therapies as first-line and second-line treatments for Helicobacter pylori infection: a randomised comparative trial with crossover design

Background The efficacy of a levofloxacin-based regimen as the first-line treatment and a clarithromycin-based regimen as the second-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the eradication rates of these two regimens using different administration sequences. Methods Eligible patients were randomised to receive LAL: levofloxacin (750 mg once a day), amoxicillin (1000 mg twice a day) and lansoprazole (30 mg twice a day) for 7 days, or CAL: clarithromycin (500 mg twice a day), amoxicillin (1000 mg twice a day) and lansoprazole (30 mg twice a day) for 7 days. Patients with positive [13C]urea breath test after treatment were retreated with the rescue regimen in a crossover manner for 10 days. Result When used as first-line treatment (n=432), the eradication rates of LAL (n=217) and CAL (n=215) were 74.2 and 83.7% (p=0.015) in the intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis, and 80.1 and 87.4% (p=0.046) in the per-protocol (PP) analysis, respectively. When used as second-line treatment, the eradication rates of LAL (n=26) and CAL (n=40) were 76.9 and 60% (p=0.154) in the ITT analysis, and 80 and 61.5% (p=0.120) in the PP analysis, respectively. The overall eradication rates of CAL followed by LAL were better than the reverse sequence in both the ITT analysis (93% vs 85.3%, p=0.01) and the PP analysis (97.6% vs 92.5%, p=0.019). The eradication rate was significantly lower in the presence of levofloxacin resistance in the LAL group (50% vs 84.4%, p=0.018) and clarithromycin resistance in the CAL group (44.4% vs 90.7%, p=0.002). Conclusion CAL achieved a higher eradication rate than LAL as the first-line treatment, but not as the second-line treatment. The strategy of using CAL as the initial treatment and LAL as the rescue regimen achieved higher eradication rates than the reverse sequence. Clinical trial number NCT00816140.
Garlic extract exhibits antiamyloidogenic activity on amyloid‐beta fibrillogenesis: relevance to Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is characterized pathologically by the deposition of amyloid plaques. Fibrillar Aβ is the principal component of amyloid plaques in the brain of AD patients. The prevention of Aβ aggregation or dissolution of fibrillar Aβ has clinical significance. The present communication examined in vitro the antiamyloidogenic properties of garlic extract. The effects of aqueous garlic extract (both fresh and boiled) on Aβ aggregation and defibrillation were studied by thioflavin‐T based fluorescence assay, transmission electron microscopy and SDS‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The aqueous fresh garlic extract not only inhibited Aβ fibril formation in a concentration and time dependent manner but was also able to defibrillate Aβ preformed fibrils. The maximum defibrillization was observed after 2–3 days of incubation. The boiled aqueous garlic extract also retained its antiamyloidogenic activity. This indicated that antiamyloidogenic activity of garlic extract is non‐enzymatic, i.e. proteases present in garlic did not degrade Aβ in solution. However, the fibril degrading ability of boiled garlic extract was significantly lost. The findings suggest that consumption of garlic may lead to inhibition of Aβ aggregation in human brain. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
'Husband's career first'

An increasing number of professional Chinese have been coming to Britain for further education and employment in the last two decades. However, studies on the employment of Chinese migrants in Britain remain limited, particularly of women professionals from mainland China who enter Britain as the following spouse.This article compares the career experience of the ‘trailing’ wives of Chinese academic couples before and after their migration. It investigates what barriers migrant Chinese professional women may encounter in Britain; what familial strategy they adopt in advancing the family's economic and social position; how these Chinese women balance their work and family commitment; what support they receive from their husband to rebuild their career; how they adjust to their new life in Britain; and how they renegotiate their new social identity.
A comparison of somatic mutational spectra in healthy study populations from Russia, Sweden and USA.

A comparison of mutation spectra at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) gene of peripheral blood T-lymphocytes may provide an insight into the aetiology of somatic mutation contributing to carcinogenesis and other diseases. To increase the knowledge of mutation spectra in healthy people, we have analysed HPRT mutant T-cells of 50 healthy Russians originally recruited as controls in a study involving Chernobyl clean-up workers [I.M. Jones, H.Galick, P.Kato et al. (2002) Radiat. Res., 158, 424-442]. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions and DNA sequencing identified 161 independent mutations among 176 thioguanine-resistant mutants. Forty mutations affected splicing mechanisms and 27 deletions or insertions of 1-60 nt were identified. Ninety-four single base substitutions were identified, including 62 different mutations at 55 different nucleotide positions, of which 19 had not been reported previously in human T-cells. Comparison of this base substitution spectrum with mutation spectra in a USA [K.J.Burkhart-Schultz, C.L. Thompson and I.M. Jones (1996) Carcinogenesis, 17, 1871-1883] and two Swedish populations [A.Podlutsky, A. -M.Osterholm, S. -M.Hou, A. Hofmaier and B. Lambert (1998) Carcinogenesis, 19, 557-566; A.Podlutsky, S.M.Hou, F.Nyberg, G. Pershagen and B. Lambert (1999) Mutat. Res., 431, 325-39] revealed similarity in the type, frequency and distribution of mutations in the four spectra, consistent with aetiologies inherent in human metabolism. There were 15-19 identical mutations in the three pairwise comparisons of Russian with USA and Swedish spectra. Intriguingly, there were 21 mutations unique to the Russian spectrum, and comparison by the Monte Carlo method of W.T. Adams and T.R. Skopek [(1987) J. Mol. Biol., 194, 391-396] indicated that the Russian spectrum was different from both Swedish spectra (P = 0.007, 0.002), but not different from the USA spectrum (P = 0.07) when Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was made (P < 0.008 required for significance). Age and smoking did not account for these differences. Other factors causing mutational differences need to be explored.
Product strategy and size of firm in the UK fertilizer market

The paper analyses three aspects of product strategy: the size of product range offered, the extent and type of product differentiation and product matching, and the role of new product innovation in firms' competitive strategies. In essence the paper is concerned with competitive behaviour where the product is treated as a variable. Three conclusions emerged. First, there was no significant correlation between the size of product range offered and the size of firm. Second, while the three main oligopolists almost always tried to differentiate their products the competitive fringe showed a strong tendency to match the major firms' products. Third, new product competition was a persistent feature of oligopolistic rivalry, though the competitive fringe was required to stimulate some developments.
Workers' Compensation Medical Expenditures: Price vs. Quantity

This study compares the medical costs for treating workplace injuries covered by workers' compensation insurance to the costs of treating similar injuries not occurring at work that are covered by group health insurance. Dramatic differences in total medical costs are observed: Medical costs in workers' compensation are double those for similar injuries covered by group health. After controlling for demographic and claimant characteristics, the differences can be entirely explained by a greater utilization of services and a different mix of medical care providers. There is no evidence that health care providers price discriminate or charge workers' compensation claimants any differently for the same services.
Revenue Buoyancy and its Fiscal Policy Implications

Tax receipts surged between 2005 and 2007 in many OECD countries, resulting in significant improvements in headline fiscal positions. As a consequence, pressures for tax cuts and for public spending increases have emerged. In the past, responding to such demands has permanently weakened budget positions as revenue windfalls ultimately proved to be temporary. Hence, the opportunity to address structural deficit problems and prepare for future demographic trends has been lost, and the ability to respond to subsequent cyclical downturns has been weakened. This paper provides an analysis of the factors behind recent revenue buoyancy and examines past responses to unexpected revenue gains. It also discusses whether improved information on fiscal positions and future fiscal challenges, combined with relevant fiscal rules, might help in avoiding a repetition of past errors in fiscal policy.
Applying Multi-attribute Utility Theory to Decision Making in Environmental Planning: A Case Study of the Electric Utility in Korea

This paper applies the multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) to obtaining value judgments concerning the significance of environmental impacts to achieve integration of environmental concerns at an early stage of planning, using the electric utility of Korea as a specific case study. An environmental multi-attribute index is constructed as a multi-attribute utility function, based on value judgments provided by a group of experts related to electric utility and a decision maker from Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). The societal values are derived from examining trade-offs between environmentalindex and money. The implications of the results for KEPCO are also discussed. We found that the work and results can provide valuable insights and decision opportunities for major decision making in environmental planning facing KEPCO.
Estrogenic impurities in tissue culture plastic ware are not bisphenol A

SummaryControl of the cellular environment is a principal attribute of in vitro cell cultures. Unintentional exposure to environmental compounds can adversely affect cultures and, therefore, experimental results. Estrogenic compounds arising from common plastic ware have been found during cell culture. One such compound, the environmental endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol A, can bind to estrogen receptors and effect cellular changes. We monitored bisphenol A concentrations in culture dishes from six different manufacturers under typical cell-culture conditions. With the use of a gas chromatography mass-spectrometry assay we determined that bisphenol A contamination from the culture dishes did not occur. These findings will allow scientists concerned about possible effects of bisphenol A on their culture systems to choose appropriate plastic ware.
Molecular Design of Coumarin Dyes for Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

We have developed novel coumarin dyes for use in dye-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO2 solar cells (DSSCs). The absorption spectra of these novel coumarin dyes are red-shifted remarkably in the visible region relative to the spectrum of C343, a conventional coumarin dye. Introduction of a methine unit (−CHCH−) connecting both the cyano (−CN) and carboxyl (−COOH) groups into the coumarin framework expanded the π conjugation in the dye and thus resulted in a wide absorption in the visible region. These novel dyes performed as efficient photosensitizers for DSSCs. The monochromatic incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) from 420 to 600 nm for a DSSC based on NKX-2311 was over 70% with the maximum of 80% at 470 nm, which is almost equal to the efficiency obtained with the N3 dye system. The IPCE performance of DSSCs based on coumarin dyes depended remarkably on the LUMO levels of the dyes, which are estimated from the oxidation potential and 0−0 energy of the dye. The slow charge recombination,.
More Evidence in Favor of the Balassa-Samuelson Hypothesis

This study provides additional evidence of a significant long-run relationship between the relative price of nontradables and real output, consistent with the productivity-bias hypothesis of Balassa and Samuelson. The results, however, also indicate that additional permanent supply shocks, specifically real oil prices, need to be considered. In every case, relative prices are significantly affected by permanent innovations in real output and real oil prices. The general lack of evidence of cointegration, however, points to the possibility that additional long-run determinants of relative prices have been omitted. Copyright 2001 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Policies to Promote Labor Force Participation of Older People

That older people will need to work longer in order to ensure a secure retirement is undeniable. Social Security, the backbone of the retirement system, will not replace as much pre-retirement income in the future as it does today. Employer-sponsored pensions also involve considerably more uncertainty given the shift from defined benefit to 401(k) plans. With institutional saving arrangements on the decline, one might have thought that people would be saving more on their own. But personal saving outside of pension plans is virtually non-existent. Combine the retirement income crunch with the dramatic increase in life expectancy, and continued employment in later life appears like a promising option for ensuring the financial security of older Americans. The hard questions are whether older people will offer their services and whether employers will retain or hire them. This paper explores the potential supply of and demand for older workers and looks at some proposals to help increase the labor force participation of this group.
An evaluation of board practices in Brazil

We survey board practices in Brazil. Brazilian companies are commonly controlled by family groups or through shareholders agreements. Controlling shareholders hold a very large portion of voting shares, much more than the minimum necessary to retain control. There is widespread evidence of shareholder expropriation, legal protection is weak, and stock issuance has been halted by low valuations and tax avoidance. Half of the boards are either too small or too big. Board committees are ineffective. Board procedures are rarely formalized and board members and CEOs are not evaluated in most cases. Most board members are not shareholders. No more than 21 percent of board members are independent and only 2 percent of them are elected by independent shareholder groups. It is likely the improvements in board structure and procedures will be restricted to large public corporations with foreign stock ownership while most companies avoid going public.
Succession planning in minority ethnic family enterprises

The paper presents interview findings derived from a sample of small Scottish businesses. Owners comments form case studies of succession planning and describe associated decision making processes of ownership, transfer and control, inter-generational relations and kinship networks. Timing, cultural knowledge and conflict resolution are seen as keys to successful succession. The units are located in the east of Scotland and are first/second generation South Asian owned enterprises. From this exploratory work, we question whether exiting formal models of support (based upon larger firms) can assist SME owner managers in planning their succession processes, and the paper highlights a need to embed support within government policy initiatives and delivery mechanism more appropriate to the needs of smaller companies.
QoE assessment in haptic media, sound and video transmission: Influences of network latency

In this paper, we investigate the influences of the difference in network latency among haptic media, sound and video on the quality of experience (QoE) for a haptic media, sound and video transfer system. In the case where network delay jitter exists, we subjectively assess the operability of haptic interface device, sound output quality, video output quality, inter-stream synchronization quality, and comprehensive quality as QoE. We also evaluate the application-level quality of service (QoS), and we demonstrate that it is possible to estimate QoE parameters from QoS parameters with high accuracy.
Effect of positive emotion on consolidation of memory for faces: The modulation of facial valence and facial gender

Studies have shown that emotion elicited after learning enhances memory consolidation. However, no prior studies have used facial photos as stimuli. This study examined the effect of post-learning positive emotion on consolidation of memory for faces. During the learning participants viewed neutral, positive, or negative faces. Then they were assigned to a condition in which they either watched a 9-minute positive video clip, or a 9-minute neutral video. Then 30 minutes after the learning participants took a surprise memory test, in which they made “remember”, “know”, and “new” judgements. The findings are: (1) Positive emotion enhanced consolidation of recognition for negative male faces, but impaired consolidation of recognition for negative female faces; (2) For males, recognition for negative faces was equivalent to that for positive faces; for females, recognition for negative faces was better than that for positive faces. Our study provides the important evidence that effect of post-learning emotion on memory consolidation can extend to facial stimuli and such an effect can be modulated by facial valence and facial gender. The findings may shed light on establishing models concerning the influence of emotion on memory consolidation.
Course of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 40 Years After the Vietnam War: Findings From the National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study.

IMPORTANCE The long-term course of readjustment problems in military personnel has not been evaluated in a nationally representative sample. The National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study (NVVLS) is a congressionally mandated assessment of Vietnam veterans who underwent previous assessment in the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS). OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence, course, and comorbidities of war-zone posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) across a 25-year interval. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The NVVLS survey consisted of a self-report health questionnaire (n = 1409), a computer-assisted telephone survey health interview (n = 1279), and a telephone clinical interview (n = 400) in a representative national sample of veterans who served in the Vietnam theater of operations (theater veterans) from July 3, 2012, through May 17, 2013. Of 2348 NVVRS participants, 1920 were alive at the outset of the NVVLS, and 81 died during recruitment; 1450 of the remaining 1839 (78.8%) participated in at least 1 NVVLS study phase. Data analysis was performed from May 18, 2013, through January 9, 2015, with further analyses continued through April 13, 2015. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Study instruments included the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, PTSD Checklist for DSM-IV supplemented with PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 items (PCL-5+), Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Nonpatient Version. RESULTS Among male theater veterans, we estimated a prevalence (95% CI) of 4.5% (1.7%-7.3%) based on CAPS-5 criteria for a current PTSD diagnosis; 10.8% (6.5%-15.1%) based on CAPS-5 full plus subthreshold PTSD; and 11.2% (8.3%-14.2%) based on PCL-5+ criteria for current war-zone PTSD. Among female veterans, estimates were 6.1% (1.8%-10.3%), 8.7% (3.8%-13.6%), and 6.6% (3.5%-9.6%), respectively. The PCL-5+ prevalence (95% CI) of current non-war-zone PTSD was 4.6% (2.6%-6.6%) in male and 5.1% (2.3%-8.0%) in female theater veterans. Comorbid major depression occurred in 36.7% (95% CI, 6.2%-67.2%) of veterans with current war-zone PTSD. With regard to the course of PTSD, 16.0% of theater veterans reported an increase and 7.6% reported a decrease of greater than 20 points in Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD symptoms. The prevalence (95% CI) of current PCL-5+-derived PTSD in study respondents was 1.2% (0.0%-3.0%) for male and 3.9% (0.0%-8.1%) for female Vietnam veterans. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Approximately 271,000 Vietnam theater veterans have current full PTSD plus subthreshold war-zone PTSD, one-third of whom have current major depressive disorder, 40 or more years after the war. These findings underscore the need for mental health services for many decades for veterans with PTSD symptoms.
The Position of Higher Education Institutions in a Changing European Context: An EU Law Perspective

The article analyses an enigma of EU higher education institution (HEI) policy; while Member States are reluctant to use the ‘Community Method’ to actively shape a supranational legal framework, their national policy choices remain subject to directly effective EU law, following the Court's tendency to let it spill over into any policy field. This unidirectional legal integration can have unintended consequences on HEIs' research and educational strategies, which may ultimately drive the sector towards more commercialisation. The article, first, sets out the conceptual framework. Its main part is then dedicated to analysing the tendency of directly applicable EU law to assert influences on education and research, the main areas of activities of HEIs, which have been largely kept out of the supranational EU hard law framework.