Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lung function and respiratory health in adolescents of very low birth weight

Aims: To determine if very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight <1500 g) is associated with reduced lung function and respiratory health in adolescence and, if it is, whether this impairment is associated with prematurity or intrauterine growth restriction. Methods: A geographically defined cohort of 128 VLBW infants and an age, sex, and school matched comparison group born in 1980/81 were studied. The cohort and comparison group were assessed at 15 years of age. The birth weight ratio of the index cases (observed birth weight/expected birth weight for the gestation) was determined to assess the degree of growth restriction. Respiratory support received during the neonatal period was obtained from hospital records. Smoking habits and respiratory morbidity were obtained through questionnaires. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and forced expiratory flow when 25–75% of FVC is expired (FEF25–75%) were measured using a portable spirometer. The values are expressed as percentage predicted for height, age, and gender using standard reference values. Adjustments were made for smoking habits of mother and children. Results: The differences in means between index and comparison groups for FEF25–75% (−12.42%; p < 0.001) and FEV1/FVC (−3.53%; p < 0.001) ratio were statistically significant. The differences in FVC and FEV1 were not significant. No correlation was found between the birth weight ratio and lung function among the index cohort. Chronic cough, wheezing, and asthma were more common among the index cohort than in the comparison group. Within the index group, there was no difference in lung function between those who received and those who did not receive respiratory support. Conclusion: Adolescents who were VLBW compared with matched controls showed medium and small airways obstruction. This was associated with prematurity rather than intrauterine growth restriction or having received respiratory support during the neonatal period. The index VLBW cohort compared with their controls were also more prone to chronic cough, wheezing, and asthma.
Most Influenza A Virions Fail To Express at Least One Essential Viral Protein

ABSTRACT Segmentation of the influenza A virus (IAV) genome enables rapid gene reassortment at the cost of complicating the task of assembling the full viral genome. By simultaneously probing for the expression of multiple viral proteins in MDCK cells infected at a low multiplicity with IAV, we observe that the majority of infected cells lack detectable expression of one or more essential viral proteins. Consistent with this observation, up to 90% of IAV-infected cells fail to release infectious progeny, indicating that many IAV virions scored as noninfectious by traditional infectivity assays are capable of single-round infection. This fraction was not significantly affected by target or producer cell type but varied widely between different IAV strains. These data indicate that IAV exists primarily as a swarm of complementation-dependent semi-infectious virions, and thus traditional, propagation-dependent assays of infectivity may drastically misrepresent the true infectious potential of a virus population.
Open‐canal fittings and the hearing aid occlusion effect

It is only natural for consumers to be somewhat skeptical of marketing campaigns that promote a particular product or feature as “new and improved. ” As a comedian once quipped, “What were they selling us before, old and lousy? ” Given the less-than-stellar empirical evidence and personal accounts relative to some past “breakthroughs” in amplification technologies, it is understandable why patients and clinicians might be leery of new products hyped as “innovative,” “revolutionary,” or “the next big thing in hearing aids. ” Now entering the arena is one of the latest trends in the industry: open-canal (OC) fittings. These miniature behindthe-ear (BTE) instruments, some of which utilize a thin sound tube and soft, vented silicone eartip, and others that incorporate a thin wire connected to a receiver located in the canal, are being marketed extensively as a viable option for patients with mild to moderate high-frequency losses. This is a population that for various reasons has been either reluctant to pursue amplification or unsuccessful when fitted with more traditional technology. The latter outcome is often due to, among other reasons, sound quality issues associated with the hearing aid occlusion effect. In fact, one of the primary benefits touted by manufacturers in their marketing of OC instruments is alleviation of occlusion-related problems.
Anatolian Tree Rings and a New Chronology for the East Mediterranean Bronze-Iron Ages

We report an extensive program of high-precision radiocarbon dating to establish the best date for a floating 1599-year Anatolian tree ring chronology that spans the later third millennium B.C. through the earlier first millennium B.C. This chronology is directly associated with a number of key sites and ancient personages. A previously suggested dating is withdrawn and is replaced by a robust new date fix 22 (+4 or –7) years earlier. These new radiocarbon wiggle-matched dates offer a unique independent resource for establishing the precise chronology of the ancient Near East and Aegean and help resolve, among others, a long-standing debate in favor of the so-called Middle Mesopotamian chronology.
REIT Organizational Structure, Institutional Ownership, and Stock Performance

Research has shown that externally-advised equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) underperformed internally-advised REITs prior to 1993. We contend that an increase in monitoring by institutional investors beginning in 1993 would drive externally-advised REITs to mitigate problems associated with the external advisor relationship and improve performance. We confirm that externally-advised REITs performed poorly before 1993 and show that this under- performance does not persist in 1993 and later years. This performance improvement coincides with increases in institutional ownership of REIT stocks. We present evidence that supports the notion that monitoring by institutional investors helped equalize the performance of externally- and internally-advised REITs after 1993.
Personal factors affecting organizational commitment of records management personnel in Nigerian State Universities

This study investigated personal factors affecting organizational commitment among records management personnel in the state universities in Nigeria. Simple cluster sampling with equal allocation method was used to select 180 records management personnel from the study population. A five item organizational commitment scale developed by Ellemer , Gilder and Heuvel (1998) with (α = 0.79) reliability coefficient was used for data gathering. Six hypotheses were tested in the study. The Z-Score and X 2 tests statistic, as well as simple correlation analysis were utilized. The results showed that sex, age, marital status, length of service, and level of education affect the organizational commitment of the subjects. The study advocated for improved conditions of service to enhance organizational commitment of the records management personnel in the state universities in Nigeria. IFE PsychologIA Vol. 14(1) 2006: 183-197
Corporate social responsibilities and stock returns: Stochastic dominance approach

Summary statistics for CSR and non-CSR firms in all sectors. Sector Firms Mean Std. Dev. Skewness Kurtosis Sharpe Electronic CSR 0.0489 2.6313 0.0589 0.8608 0.0190 non CSR 0.0734 2.8132 0.1584 0.7856 0.0242 Trading CSR 0.0793 2.1299 0.4859 2.0163 0.0372 non CSR 0.1035 2.6943 0.2494 1.0134 0.0360 Finance CSR -0.0407 2.1512 0.0539 2.0601 -0.0189 non CSR 0.0306 2.4419 0.1750 1.6919 0.0116 Food CSR 0.1432 2.5800 0.1438 0.8791 0.0555 non CSR 0.1177 2.5203 0.2992 1.7238 0.0462 Engineering CSR 0.0851 2.4176 0.0261 1.2897 0.0352 non CSR 0.0625 2.5139 0.2765 1.4526 0.0239 Automotive CSR 0.0188 2.0905 0.2759 2.4687 0.0109 non CSR 0.0462 2.7810 0.1841 0.8711 0.0163 Other CSR 0.0798 2.4448 0.3150 1.2330 0.0320 non CSR 0.0802 2.2094 0.2649 2.2639 0.0347 of dominance are less than half. Hence, the risk averse investtors are indifferent between the CSR and non-CSR firms for maximizing their expected utility. Similar to C10 in the electronic sector, C14 in finance sector is dominated by a non-CSR firm at first-order. Wong et al. (2008) argued that if FSD exists statistically, arbitrage opportunities may not exist, but investors can increase their expected wealth as well as their expected utility if they shift from holding the domi-nated asset to the dominant one. In general, the FSD should not last for a long period of time because market forces induce adjustments to a condition of no FSD if the market is rational and efficient. In a situation where the FSD holds for a long time and all investors increase their expected wealth by switching their asset choice, then the market is neither efficient nor rational. Another possibility for the existence of FSD to be held for a long period is that investors do not realize that such dominance exists. The result for CSR firms’ underperformance could be explained by the inefficiency of stock market in Taiwan, that’s firms with less limpid financial information, may pro-bably boom the stock price by bluffing sales. More well-behaved firms with more transparent financial information does not go this direction and perform less striking performance in stock returns. The study empirical result supports the shift of focus hypothesis which shows the negative relationship between CSR and stock returns. The study is with the group of Vance (1975), Newgren et al. (1985), Shefrin and Statman (2003), Brammer et al. (2005) and Anginer et al. (2008). Note that there are two studies on Taiwan recently which are Shen and Chang (2009) and Chang (2009). In terms of the performance measure used, this paper is different from Shen and Chang (2009) which used the accounting-based measure but is same as Chang (2009). The study improves from Chang (2009) that employed the regression analysis which may suffer from the normality assumption. Besides the consistent negative relationship is found, this paper offers additional evidence for comparison of firms in different sectors.
The role of molecular chaperones in protein folding

Folding of newly synthesized polypep tides in the crowded cellular environment requires the assistance of so‐called molecular chaperone proteins. Chaperones of the Hsp70 class and their partner proteins interact with nascent polypeptide chains on ribosomes and prevent their premature (mis)folding at least until a domain capable of forming a stable structure is synthesized. For many proteins, completion of folding requires the subsequent interaction with one of the large oligomeric ring‐shaped proteins of the chaperonin family, which is composed of the GroEL‐like proteins in eubacteria, mitochondria, and chloroplasts, and the TRiC family in eukaryotic cytosol and archaea. These proteins bind partially folded polypeptide in their central cavity and promote folding by ATP‐dependent cycles of release and rebinding. In these reactions, molecular chaperones interact predominantly with the hydrophobic surfaces exposed by nonnative polypeptides, thereby preventing incorrect folding and aggregation. —Hendrick, J. P., Hartl, F. ‐U. The role of molecular chaperones in protein folding. FASEB J. 9, 1559–1569(1995)
Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in Thermomonospora curvata

Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (PDE; EC 3.1.4.17) in Thermomonospora curvata was purified and characterized. Fractionation of cell extracts by ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography revealed four PDE isozymes, which differed markedly in molecular weight, theophylline sensitivity, pH optima, and substrate affinity. Although the enzyme was labile after purification, total recovery of PDE activity was fivefold that of the crude extract. PDE biosynthesis appeared sensitive to the growth phase, growth rate, and carbon source. PDE levels in batch cultures peaked and declined rapidly during mid-exponential-phase growth. In continuous culture, maximal PDE and cellulase production occurred at dilution rates yielding mean cell generation times of about 5 and 17 h, respectively. The addition of glucose to cellulose-grown cells caused declines in both cyclic AMP and PDE levels, suggesting that the enzyme was subject to, rather than the agent of, catabolite repression.
The nature of international retail divestment: insights from Ahold

Purpose - This paper aims to explore the nature of divestment within the context of retailer internationalisation. Design/methodology/approach - It focuses on the activities of the Dutch food multinational retailer Royal Ahold (Ahold). Drawing on 37 in-depth interviews with investment banks and executives, this paper provides a number of insights into Ahold's international retail divestment activities within the context of a broadly successful international investment strategy. Findings - It offers some new insights into the multidimensional nature of international retail divestment construct in terms of the operational as well as more subtle and less visible non-operational international retail divestments. It is concluded from this study that, rather than portraying strategic and opportunistic approaches as binary opposites, a retail firm may have varying degrees of approaches to international retail divestment, and these may not necessarily be isomorphic across different countries. Research limitations/implications - The paper explores international retail divestment from a rather broad perspective, although it is hoped that these parameters can be used to raise a new set of more detailed priorities for future research on international retail divestment. Practical implications - This paper raises a number of interesting issues such as whether retailers initially take divestment seriously and the degree to which this is actually possible during market entry. Originality/value - As called for in the literature, this study examines divestment in the broadest possible fashion, thus addressing a major gap in our understanding of the whole internationalisation process. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Evaluation of telavancin dose capping in a large community hospital

Abstract Background Telavancin is a bactericidal lipoglycopeptide treat susceptible Gram-positive pathogens including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that obese patients have increased exposure to telavancin compared with non-obese patients. Dose capping of 750 mg was utilized in selected patients with the purpose of minimizing toxicity and decreasing costs without compromising efficacy. Methods Retrospective case series includes adult patients admitted from 2010–2016 who received at least three doses of telavancin. Data collection includes patient demographics, telavancin dosing, antibiotic indication, length of stay, laboratory and microbiological data, and case mix index (CMI). The primary outcome is to assess the efficacy of capping telavancin doses at 750 mg compared with non-capped doses. Secondary outcomes include safety and financial outcomes, as well as readmission rates. Results 333 patients were evaluated with 164 meeting the inclusion criteria. Seventy-three patients in the capped group vs. 91 in the non-capped group. Most common infections included ABSSI, pneumonia and bacteremia. Mean weight 110 kg in capped vs. 108 kg in noncapped, mean age 52 vs. 58, male 63% vs. 70%, fever resolution 83% vs. 60%, CMI 3.19 vs. 3.43 Six patients (8.2%) in the capped group were readmitted and 6 (8.5%) needed additional antibiotics compared with 12 (13.2%) and 9 (9.9%) in the non-capped group, respectively. Seven (9.6%) patients in the capped group experienced nephrotoxicity compared with 21 (23.1%) in the non-capped group (P = 0.04). The capped group experienced 7 (9.6%) incidents of mortality vs. 28 (30.8%) in the non-capped group (P = 0.001). When doses were capped, approximately $1,400 was saved per patient. Conclusion The use of a capped 750 mg telavancin dose in adult patients appears to be an alternative dosing scheme that maintains efficacy and safety as well as being associated with reduced cost. Additional pharmacokinetic and clinical studies are needed to further investigate the use of capped dosing of telavancin to support the findings of this retrospective case series. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.
Turnover-synthesis of chloroplast DNA in developing chloroplasts

The mechanism for the turnover-synthesis of chloroplast DNA in the absence of net synthesis during the chloroplast maturation in Euglena gracilis was determined. DNA synthesis was measured by incorporation of32Pi into chloroplast DNA. The density label, 15N, was incorporated to examine the mechanism of turnover-synthesis. The newly synthesized segments represent a replacement of segments in the DNA containing 1.5 X 10(3) to 6.1 X 10(3) nucleotides. Twenty-three fragments of chloroplast DNA, generated by digestion with the restriction endonuclease EcoRI, became labeled with 32Pi. Turnover-synthesis, therefore, replaces segments throughout the molecule of chloroplast DNA.
A closed-loop control of high power LLC Resonant Converter for DC-DC applications

This paper presents a new closed-loop control strategy applied to half-bridge high power LLC Resonant Converter applicable in DC-DC applications and can be applied for other applications also. A new control circuit is designed and implemented for the high power LLC converter. A closed-loop variable frequency control through VCO is analyzed through PI Controller. Due to Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS) technique the turn-on losses of both the switches (IGBTs) in half-bridge are reduced and ZVS can be achieved for the entire control range in close-loop. Validity of PI controller and control circuit in closed-loop are verified with software simulation results for wide input and load range. A hardware prototype rated at 2.1 kW has been built with DSP TMS320F2811 and hardware results are presented to verify the control strategy. Practical results with DC-DC converter match with the simulated results and performance of control circuit is verified and tested practically with input voltage variations and load changes at different references.
Characterization of colorimetric parameters in cattle meat.

Color is one of the most important sensory parameters of meat, because for the consumers is the first indicator of its freshness. Color allows detection of anomalies or the presence of defects in the meat. It was found that the equipment and methodology for measuring color is available from the economic point of view and allow the improvement of food products. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the color of muscle tissue from cattle slaughtered in our country by using colorimetric scale CIE L*a*b* . Color values were measured using the Minolta spectrophotometer CM 2600 d, and the samples under study are represented by three types of muscle tissues from five randomly selected cattle from the slaughter technological flow ( Longissimus dorsi thoracis , Longissimus dorsi lumborum , Psoas Minor and Major ) The results obtained from measurements performed on the three muscle areas showed that physical activity performed by live animal have influence over anatomical region of origin of the muscle, and therefore on its color. Thus M.Psoas has the lowest averages of the three features - L* (30,39Â±0,86), a* (10,73Â±0,51) E™i b* (11,29Â±0,91). These results are relevant for determining the quality and safety of meat, bringing support to consumer in choosing a particular type of meat. Also helps to improve pre slaughtering and post slaughtering practices, operations that interact on the biochemical processes taking place in the animal body, and provides sensory physical and chemical characteristics, superior qualitative.
A Comparative Study on different Method of Speech Recognition

In this paper we will present approach or technique for the “Multilingual Speech Recognition”. A lot of methods are available for Multilingual Speech Recognition like LPC(linear predictive coefficient) with back propagation feed forward neural network, SOM (Self Organizing Map) with hybrid ANN/HMM, LVQ (Linear Vector Quantization) with ANN, LPC using ANN etc. Multilingual Speech Recognition is a wide research area. It can be used in language identification, acoustic phonetic decoding, language modeling etc. The keen interest on Multilingual Speech Recognition arises on the fact that there are many language in India which is used by the different people like Hindi, English, Bengali, Sanskrit etc. So for different Language identification we can use Multilingual Speech Recognition technique. The main problem arises in this fact that the some language achieves higher recognition rate than the other languages, in this case the desired output and the actual output is different. The proper operation of the system can be measure on the bases of recognition rate. As the result outcome from the different approaches is satisfactory to the required level, The system using a hybrid ANN/HNN model and back propagation feed forward Artificial Neural Network gives the recognition rate very high.
Isolation and Characterization of toxin A-negative, toxin B-positive Clostridium difficile in Dublin, Ireland

Clostridium difficile is a major cause of infectious diarrhoea in hospitalised patients. Most pathogenic C. difficile strains produce two toxins, A and B; however, clinically relevant toxin A-negative, toxin Bpositive (AB) strains of C. difficile that cause diarrhoea and colitis in humans have been isolated worldwide. The aims of this study were to isolate and characterise AB strains from two university hospitals in Dublin, Ireland. Samples positive for C. difficile were identified daily by review of ELISA results and were cultured on selective media. Following culture, toxin-specific immunoassays, IMR-90 cytotoxicity assays and PCR were used to analyse consecutive C. difficile isolates from 93 patients. Using a toxin A-specific ELISA, 52 samples produced detectable toxin. All isolates were positive using a toxin A ⁄ B ELISA. Similarly, all isolates were positive with the cytoxicity assay, although variant cytopathic effects were observed in 41 cases. PCR amplification of the toxin A and toxin B genes revealed that 41 of the previous AB strains had a c. 1.7-kb deletion in the 3¢-end of the tcdA gene. Restriction enzyme analysis of these amplicons revealed the loss of polymorphic restriction sites. These 41 AB isolates were designated toxinotype VIII by comparison with C. difficile strain 1470. PCR ribotyping revealed that all AB isolates belonged to PCR-ribotype 017. AB C. difficile isolates accounted for 44% of the isolates examined in this study, and appeared to be isolated more frequently in Dublin, Ireland, than reported rates for other countries.
Branch employees’ perceptions towards implications of e‐banking in Greece

This paper aims to identify the potential effects of e‐banking through literature and surveys the Greek branch employees’ perceptions towards them. According to the relevant literature review the 14 main implications of e‐banking adoption were identified. Based on these findings, a questionnaire was designed and completed by 527 branch employees. Data factor analysis revealed the existence of four distinct factors which were named banks’ “hard advantages”, “soft advantages”, “market effects”, and “risk”, whereas further analysis provided evidence of the relationship that exists among the perceptions, the personal characteristics of the respondents and the organisational characteristics of their banks.