Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of different price discount frames and levels on customer perception and behavioural intention

Purpose – this paper aims to examine the effect of framing price promotion on consumers’ purchase intentions. The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of percentage and monetary price discount frames, discount levels of 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% on customer behavioural intention and perception within a high-end hospitality industry context. Research methodology – this study considers 8 manipulated sample scenarios that have been developed. In summary, the experiment consisted of 2×4 designs of the high-end hospitality industry. Two independent variables were included in the experiment: two discount formats (€-off, %-off) and four discount levels to instigate the impact it has on the behavioural intentions and perceptions. Findings – research has proved that in the high-end hospitality industry, different price discount frames and levels have a significant impact on customer behavioural intentions and perceptions. Research limitations – the results of this study show that the threshold for the discount rate may depend on the type of hotel. Therefore, in the future, the impact of a discount on several hotels of different levels should be assessed in one study. Practical implications – the practical implication for service firms that want to use price discount promotions to encourage sales and increase revenue is that they should carefully consider the price range and the value or quality of image they intend to signal when using these different price discount frames and the service they are selling to determine the discount level to use. Originality/Value – this paper is valuable to high-end service marketers that seek to use price discount promotions to encourage sales and increase revenue.
The effects of increasing swelling and anionic charges on the enzymatic hydrolysis of organosolv‐pretreated softwoods at low enzyme loadings

Organosolv‐pretreated Lodgepole pine substrates were physically and chemically treated to increase their hydrophilicity and swelling as these are two substrate attributes which have been shown to improve cellulolytic hydrolysis. Surprisingly, mechanical treatment of the organosolv‐treated substrates by PFI‐mill refining did not significantly increase hydrolysis yields despite decreases in particle size and crystallinity and increases in swelling. However, sulfonation of the substrate did, significantly, increase enzymatic hydrolysis at loadings of both 5 and 2.5 FPU g−1 cellulose (from 80% to 95% and from 35% to 80%, respectively). In addition, sulfonation resulted in an increase in the amount of free enzymes detected during the course of hydrolysis to a maximum of 80% after 72 h. This suggested that the beneficial effects of sulfonation were primarily due to a decrease in the non‐specific binding of the cellulases to the lignin. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011; 108:1549–1558. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase isoforms of Arabidopsis and their potential contributions to adenine and cytokinin metabolism.

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APT; EC 2.4.2.7) is a constitutively expressed enzyme involved in the one-step salvage of adenine to AMP. The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains five sequences annotated as encoding APT or APT-like enzymes. Three of these have now been cloned, over-expressed and compared using kinetic analyses. At a cytosolic pH, all bind adenine efficiently based on their Km values (0.8-2.6 &mgr;M), although APT1 metabolizes adenine at a rate 31-53 times faster than APT2 and APT3, respectively. Since APT also has a possible role in the interconversion of cytokinin bases to nucleotides, we characterized the activity of each isoform on zeatin, isopentenyladenine and benzyladenine. Based on their Km values, APT2 and APT3 had much higher affinities than APT1 for all three cytokinins (15-440 &mgr;M for APT2 and 3 vs. 1.8-2.5 mM for APT1); conversely the Vmax values for APT2 and APT3 on these CK substrates showed the opposite trend, being 4- to 19-fold lower than those of APT1. Anti-peptide antibodies for APT1, APT2, and APT3 were prepared and used to examine the subcellular localization of each isoform. Based on these results, APT1 and APT3 appear to be cytosolic, while the localization of APT2 was inconclusive although sequence analysis implies that APT2 is also cytosolic. Each isoform was modelled against the crystal structure of APT from Leishmania donovani, and structural differences in substrate specificity-determining domains have been found. The estimated kinetic activities of these APTs suggest that they contribute primarily to adenine recycling, although an involvement in cytokinin interconversion cannot be discounted.
Educational attainment and risk of stroke and myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND Prior reports have suggested that low educational attainment could be associated with higher incidence of some of the cardiovascular conditions. MATERIAL/METHODS We evaluated the association of educational attainment (> or =12 years or <12 years) with the incidence of fatal strokes, ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and myocardial infarction in a cohort of 21,443 United States adults who participated in either the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-I) Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (NHEFS) or the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Mortality Follow-up Study (NHANES-II). Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to examine the relationships. RESULTS During a mean follow-up period of 15.2+/-4.6 years, the risk for all fatal strokes was increased in persons who reported less than 12 years of education. The increased risk was more prominent in persons aged 50 years or less (relative risk [RR], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-6.0) compared with persons aged greater than 50 years (RR, 1.3, 95% CI, 1.0-1.6). A higher risk of myocardial infarction associated with less than 12 years of education was observed in both persons aged 50 years or less (RR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.4) and those aged greater than 50 years (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.5). The risk for fatal intracerebral hemorrhages (RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.5) was higher in persons with less than 12 years of education (no significant interaction demonstrated with age). CONCLUSIONS Educational attainment has a significant effect on the risk for stroke and myocardial infarction, independent of socioeconomic status and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Staining Reactions Following Demineralization of Hard Tissues by Chelating and Other Decalcifying Agents

ALL the usual methods for demineralization of hard tissues require the m use of solutions with low pH's, with the exception of the method recommended by Kramer and Shipley2 using magnesium citrate. Because of the limited number of techniques available for decalcifying hard tissues at alkaline pH's, the present study was planned to observe the effects of using one of the chelating agents, the sodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraiicetic acid,* as a decalcifying medium, and to compare the effects with those of conventional acidulated solutions on the staining reactions of dental andosseous tissues following the use of hematoxylin and eosin. It is recognized that the procedures employed in histopathologic techniques are based as much on empiricism as on known scientific methods, and that the differences in color values and clarity of cytologic detail of different sections are necessarily assessed subjectively.
Illusory and genuine control in optimizing games and financial markets

Les gens aiment croire qu’ils sont maitres de leur destin, mais on comprend mal les circonstances dans lesquelles nous pouvons surestimer ou perdre notre capacite a optimiser les resultats, surtout lorsqu’ils sont le resultat d’agregations de differents procedes d’optimisation. En utilisant des simulations numeriques et des champs de Markov, nous montrons que dans le jeu de minorite (MG) a horizon de temps fini (TH) et dans les jeux de Parrondo (PG) des agents qui optimisent sur la base d’information precedente obtiennent des performances inferieures a celles d’agents ale��atoires. Le resultat inverse est obtenu pour les jeux de la majorite et le « dollar game ». De plus, les agents qui deploient leur strategie la moins bonne dans le passe surperforment tous les autres agents dans les jeux de la minorite, et sous-performent dans les jeux de la majorite et le dollar-game. Ainsi, les strategies a faible entropie sous-performent dans certaines circonstances, ce qui est paradoxal compte-tenu de l’utilisation de l’information existante. Nos resultats permettent de preciser les conditions selon lesquelles le phenomene d’illusion du controle peut apparaitre et permet de quantifier l’amplitude de l’effet dans des contextes a priori definis pour l’optimisation apporte un plus. Pour aider a comprendre cette dynamique, nous demontrons que des series chronologiques dans le THMG, MAJG possedent des degres caracteristiques de persistance, une mesure de la tendance a repeter des motifs. Ces series peuvent de meme etre decomposees en des superpositions specifiques de cycles deterministes sur des graphes. Ces « taxonomies » conduisent naturellement a des questions connexes : les series financieres peuvent-elles etre caracterisees par leur cycle de decompositions ? Est-il possible de generer des predicteurs de ces cycles de decomposition ? Nous proposons des reponses en fournissant des exemples tires des marches financiers, des actions, metaux precieux et taux de change.
Supraspinal fatigue is similar in men and women for a low-force fatiguing contraction.

PURPOSE This study determined the contribution of supraspinal fatigue to the sex difference in neuromuscular fatigue for a low-intensity fatiguing contraction. Because women have greater motor responses to arousal than men, we also examined whether cortical and motor nerve stimulation, techniques used to quantify central fatigue, would alter the sex difference in muscle fatigue. METHODS In study 1, cortical stimulation was elicited during maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) before and after a submaximal isometric contraction at 20% MVC with the elbow flexor muscles in 29 young adults (20 ± 2.6 yr, 14 men). In study 2, 10 men and 10 women (19.1 ± 2.9 yr) performed a fatiguing contraction in the presence and absence of cortical and motor nerve stimulation. RESULTS Study 1: Men had a briefer time to task failure than women (P = 0.009). Voluntary activation was reduced after the fatiguing contraction (P < 0.001) similarly for men and women. Motor-evoked potential area and the EMG silent period increased similarly with fatigue for both sexes. Peak relaxation rates, however, were greater for men than women and were associated with time to task failure (P < 0.05). Force fluctuations, RPE, HR, and mean arterial pressure increased at a greater rate for men than for women during the fatiguing contraction (P < 0.05). Study 2: Time to task failure, force fluctuations, and all other physiological variables assessed were similar for the control session and stimulation session (P > 0.05) for both men and women. CONCLUSIONS Supraspinal fatigue was similar for men and women after the low-force fatiguing contraction, and the sex difference in muscle fatigue was associated with peripheral mechanisms. Furthermore, supraspinal fatigue can be quantified in both men and women without influencing motor performance.
Traditional treatment of Buruli ulcer in Bénin.

: The purpose of this transversve qualitative study on traditional treatment for Buruli ulcer in Benin was to track the treatment itinerary of patients, the main phases of traditional treatment, cost and efficacy of such treatment, and the knowledge and skills of traditional practitioners. A total of 20 traditional practitioners, 35 patients treated by traditional therapy, and 35 patients treated by surgery were included. Findings showed that both traditional and surgical treatment was sought at a late stage. Reasons determining the type of treatment chosen included religion, access to adequate care facilities, constraints involved in surgical treatment, duration of hospitalization, and fear of scarring. The four main steps in traditional treatment were diagnosis, removal of necrotic tissue, wound care, and exorcism. The cost of traditional treatment was high not only in currency but also by payment in kind (eg., livestock and land). Although it is performed with patient consent, traditional treatment presents a number of risks. Information campaigns are necessary to inform populations about available treatments and the possible risks associated with each modality. Care centers must do more to lessen the constraints involved in surgical treatment both in terms of duration of hospitalization and cosmetic outcome.
Attenuation of Ocular Hypertension With the Use of Topical Loteprednol Etabonate 0.5% in Steroid Responders After Corneal Transplantation

Purpose: To describe a clinically observed reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) without increased allograft rejection in known “steroid responders” using loteprednol etabonate 0.5% ophthalmic suspension as second-line rescue therapy after corneal transplantation. Methods: Medical records from a prespecified 15-month period were retrospectively reviewed for all post-corneal transplant patients in whom loteprednol etabonate was initiated and prednisolone acetate 1.0% ophthalmic suspension withdrawn because of a secondary increase in IOP. Elevated postoperative IOP was defined as IOP that increased ≥21 mm Hg. Baseline IOP values were compared with IOP readings at follow-up examinations, with data points set retrospectively at 0-4, 4-8, 8-16, 16-32, and >32 weeks. Patient records were evaluated for any signs of allograft rejection during loteprednol etabonate therapy. Results: Thirty patients were found to have switched to loteprednol etabonate after an increase in IOP during postoperative prednisolone acetate treatment. The mean reduction in IOP observed when comparing initial and final values in all 30 patients was 12.9 mm Hg during a mean follow-up of 21.6 weeks. The mean percent reduction in IOP during loteprednol etabonate treatment was 32.6% at 3 weeks and 44.9% at 39 weeks. No clinically observed signs of allograft rejection were documented. Conclusions: Switching to loteprednol etabonate from prednisolone acetate in known steroid responders was successful in reducing IOP and did not increase the risk of allograft rejection. Because of its lower potential for causing elevated IOP, loteprednol etabonate should be considered in the prophylaxis of allograft rejection in steroid responders.
When Does Introducing a Value-Added Tax Increase Economic Efficiency ? Evidence from Synthetic Control Methods Job Market Paper October 28 , 2015

Theory predicts that unlike sales and turnover taxes, a value-added tax (VAT) does not distort firms’ production decisions, making it an efficient tax instrument. It is this feature of the VAT that has led to its rapid adoption by more than 160 countries in less than 60 years. This prediction, however, is based on the assumption that the VAT is well-designed and well-enforced, which is often violated in practice. Thus, whether the VAT, in practice, is an efficient tax system is ultimately an empirical question. Yet empirical analysis of the efficiency effects of the VAT is surprisingly sparse. This paper provides causal estimates of the efficiency gains of adopting a VAT in a worldwide sample of countries. I identify countries that adopted the VAT between 1967 and 2000 and apply synthetic control methods to estimate their counterfactual trajectory of GDP per worker in the absence of a VAT. The synthetic control is a weighted average of countries without a VAT that closely resembles the economic structure and outcomes of the country with a VAT for several years before the adoption of a VAT. In line with previous studies, I find that the VAT has, on average, positive and economically meaningful impact on economic efficiency. However, once I allow for the impact of the VAT to be heterogeneous across countries, I find that this result is driven by richer countries only. There is no significant impact of the VAT on poorer countries. I find similar results when estimating the impact of the VAT on total factor productivity and capital stock per worker, two important channels through which a VAT affects economic efficiency. In this paper, I provide evidence that a success of VAT almost entirely depends on the initial level of income of a country, which, in result, determines whether a country is able to properly design, implement, and enforce a VAT. The findings are robust across a series of placebo studies and sensitivity checks.
Sensitivity of tropospheric oxidants to biomass burning emissions: implications for radiative forcing

Biomass burning is one of the largest sources of trace gases and aerosols to the atmosphere and has profound influence on tropospheric oxidants and radiative forcing. Using a fully coupled chemistry‐climate model (GFDL AM3), we find that co‐emission of trace gases and aerosol from present‐day biomass burning increases the global tropospheric ozone burden by 5.1% and decreases global mean OH by 6.3%. Gas and aerosol emissions combine to increase CH4 lifetime nonlinearly. Heterogeneous processes are shown to contribute partly to the observed lower ΔO3/ΔCO ratios in northern high latitudes versus tropical regions. The radiative forcing from biomass burning is shown to vary nonlinearly with biomass burning strength. At present‐day emission levels, biomass burning produces a net radiative forcing of −0.19 W/m2 (−0.29 from short‐lived species, mostly aerosol direct and indirect effects, +0.10 from CH4‐ and CH4‐induced changes in O3 and stratospheric H2O) but increases emissions to over 5 times present levels would result in a positive net forcing.
Strategic Location Planning for Broadband Access Networks under Cooperative Transmission

To achieve a cost-effective network deployment, employing state-of-art technical advances provides a practical and effective way to enhance system performance and quality of service provisioning. Cooperative transmission has been recognized as one of the most effective paradigms to achieve higher system performance in terms of lower bit-error rate, higher throughput, larger coverage, more efficient energy utilization, and higher network reliability. This dissertation studies the location planning for the deployment of broadband access networks and explores the great potential of cooperative transmission in the context of single-cell cooperative relaying and multi-cell cooperative transmission, respectively. The placement problem is investigated in two categories of network deployment environment, i.e., an existing wireless access network and a perspective broadband access network, respectively. In an existing wireless access network, to solve some practical problems such as the requirements of capacity enhancement and coverage extension, relay stations (RSs) are introduced in the network architecture. We propose two optimization frameworks with the design objectives of maximizing cell capacity and minimizing number of RSs for deployment, respectively. Mathematical formulations are provided to precisely capture the characteristics of the placement problems. The corresponding solution algorithms are developed to obtain the optimal (or near-optimal) results in polynomial time. Numerical analysis and case studies are conducted to validate the performance benefits due to RS placement and the computation efficiency of the proposed algorithms. To deploy a new metropolitan-area broadband access network, we explore the integration of passive optical network (PON) and wireless cooperative networks (WCN)
Prevalence of Depression During Pregnancy: Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE: Current estimates of the prevalence of depression during pregnancy vary widely. A more precise estimate is required to identify the level of disease burden and develop strategies for managing depressive disorders. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depression during pregnancy by trimester, as detected by validated screening instruments (ie, Beck Depression Inventory, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score) and structured interviews, and to compare the rates among instruments. DATA SOURCES: Observational studies and surveys were searched in MEDLINE from 1966, CINAHL from 1982, EMBASE from 1980, and HealthSTAR from 1975. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: A validated study selection/data extraction form detailed acceptance criteria. Numbers and percentages of depressed patients, by weeks of gestation or trimester, were reported. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Two reviewers independently extracted data; a third party resolved disagreement. Two raters assessed quality by using a 12-point checklist. A random effects meta-analytic model produced point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was examined with the χ2 test (no systematic bias detected). Funnel plots and Begg-Mazumdar test were used to assess publication bias (none found). Of 714 articles identified, 21 (19,284 patients) met the study criteria. Quality scores averaged 62%. Prevalence rates (95% CIs) were 7.4% (2.2, 12.6), 12.8% (10.7, 14.8), and 12.0% (7.4, 16.7) for the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively. Structured interviews found lower rates than the Beck Depression Inventory but not the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. CONCLUSION: Rates of depression, especially during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, are substantial. Clinical and economic studies to estimate maternal and fetal consequences are needed.
Optical validation of in vitro extra-cellular neuronal recordings

Simultaneous calcium imaging and extra-cellular recordings from cultured cortical rat neurons were performed to directly map the efficacy of extra-cellular recordings with microelectrodes. For the first time, we can associate extra-cellular recordings with neuronal activity of specific neurons in the vicinity of the electrode. We demonstrate that recorded cells can be identified by correlating the electrical signals and the calcium response. Our data demonstrate that in sparse cultures, microelectrodes record exclusively from cells which reside at very close proximity to the recording electrode. Moreover, we show that recording appears to be limited to only a partial subset of the cells residing in this range. We further show that even in cases of strong neuron–electrode coupling, extra-cellular signals recorded from single, well-identified neurons vary in shape over time rendering spike sorting and network activity rate analysis incongruous. As multi-electrode array technology is becoming increasingly widespread, the visualization technique we report here will help users better understand the limits of this versatile and useful method.
The APOE polymorphism and 1‐year outcome in ischemic stroke: genotype–gender interaction

Objective – In human genetic studies an effect of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) polymorphism on the risk, course and prognosis in chronic and acute nervous system disorders was established. We aimed to evaluate whether the APOE genotype is related to acute neurological impairments due to ischemic stroke (IS), and to outcomes (up to 1 year) indicated by severe functional disability, dependence in daily living or death.
Dementia Family Caregiver Training: Affecting Beliefs About Caregiving and Caregiver Outcomes

OBJECTIVES: Family caregiving is an integral part of the care system for persons with dementing disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. This study tested role‐training intervention as a way to help family caregivers appreciate and assume a more clinical belief set about caregiving and thereby ameliorate the adverse outcomes associated with caregiving.