Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transition programs in cystic fibrosis centers: Perceptions of team members

We previously surveyed cystic fibrosis (CF) center directors and adult patients with CF to assess their perceptions regarding transition from a pediatric to an adult setting. An important finding in those studies was a lack of standard programs for transfer of young adults with CF from pediatric to adult care settings. Patients with CF typically receive care from clinics utilizing a multidisciplinary approach, suggesting that every member of the CF team can impact the transition process. Our purpose in this study was to gain an appreciation for various team members' perspectives on transition. An Internet survey was offered to all CF centers across the country to be completed by team members, excluding physicians. We received 291 completed surveys, nearly half completed by nurses, but our respondents included social workers, nutritionists, respiratory therapists, and a few team members with other training. Nearly half of the respondents work for both pediatric and adult teams. The majority of respondents (71.8%) reported that their adult patients receive care from an internist in a separate adult program, but nearly 20% reported that a pediatrician follows their adult patients. A minority thought that age (37.4% of respondents), marriage (16.2%), and pregnancy (27.1%) were criteria for transfer, though most (86.2%) suggested that patients should be transferred by age 21 years. Criteria precluding transfer included patient/family resistance (45%), disease severity (34%), and developmental delay (31.3%). It was uncommon (11.4%) for an introduction to the concept of transition at the time of diagnosis. Over one‐half of patients did not meet the adult team until time of transfer. Team members' perceptions of patients' concerns were similar to what we had previously measured in physicians, again far greater than what we have measured in patients themselves. In many ways, what we have measured here in team members reflects what we have reported by physicians, demonstrating slow development of standard transition programs and an overestimate of patients' concerns regarding transition. These differences may impede the successful transition of patients into an adult program. It is clear from this study that team members have an interest in and opinions on transition, and are likely play a vital role in the transition process. Standard programs of transition should be developed, and team members should be engaged in that process. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2004; 37:4–7. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A review of anomalous resistivity for the ionosphere

This is a general review of anomalous resistivity with emphasis on its applicability in space and more specifically on ionospheric plasmas. It is addressed to the general ionospheric community rather than the specialist. Therefore a substantial amount of rigor has been sacrificed in favor of simplified physical pictures. However, several prescriptions are presented, on the basis of which one can compute the anomalous resistivity resulting from each specific mechanism. Following a conceptual discussion of resistivity a general formalism is presented for its computation on the basis of the spectrum of electric field fluctuations. On the basis of this it is shown that stable nonthermal plasmas can at most enhance resistivity by a few percent. The same is true for collisionally driven instabilities. From the current-driven instabilities, only the ion acoustic instability can produce a steady state anomalous resistivity. The rest result in transient resistivity and the appearance of hot electron or ion spots. A more satisfying picture emerges when the low-frequency turbulence that produces resistivity is excited parametrically by a high-frequency instability. The case where such a driver arises from the interaction of precipitating electrons is discussed in detail. Finally, the relevance of the various resistivity mechanisms and their importance in ionospheric electron acceleration is discussed. Although a large number of physical notions are well understood, the efforts toward their incorporation into a gross modeling picture remain embarrassingly small.
Auxin and LANCEOLATE affect leaf shape in tomato via different developmental processes

Elaboration of a complex leaves depends on the morphogenetic activity of a specific tissue at the leaf margin termed marginal-blastozon (MB). In tomato (Solanum lycopersicym), prolonged activity of the MB leads to the development of compound leaves. The activity of the MB is restricted by the TCP transcription factor LANCEOLATE (LA). Plants harboring the dominant LA mutant allele La-2 have simple leaves with a uniform blade. Conversely, leaves of pFIL > > miR319 are compound and grow indeterminately in their margins due to leaf overexpression of miR319, a negative regulator of LA and additional miR319-sensitive genes. We have recently shown that the auxin-response sensor DR5::VENUS marks and precedes leaflet initiation events in the MB. Mutations in ENTIRE (E), an auxin signal inhibitor from the Aux/IAA family, lead to the expansion of the DR5::VENUS signal to throughout the leaf-primordia margin, and to a simplified leaf phenotype. Here, we examined the interaction between auxin, E, and LA in tomato leaf development. In La-2 leaf primordia, the auxin signal is very weak and is diffused to throughout the leaf margin, suggesting that auxin acts within the developmental-context of MB activity, which is controlled by LA. e La-2 double mutants showed an enhanced simple leaf phenotype and e pFIL > > miR319 leaves initiated less leaflets than wild-type, but their margins showed continuous growth. These results suggest that E and auxin affect leaflet initiation within the context of the extended MB activity, but their influence on the extent of indeterminate growth of the leaf is minor.
Quantum Dots and it method of preparations - revisited

s Quantum dots are inorganic nanocrystal semiconductors that behave exceptionally well as fluorophores and find ample applications in electronics, chemical and bio-medical researches and mass production. From the last two decades lot of efforts have been employed to invent a newer method for its preparation that will be beneficial over the conventional one. In this review articles emphasis has been given on the meticulous discussion of traditional methods as well as current development in preparation of modern quantum dots. Synthetic processes based on ultrasonic or microwave irradiation, using microorganism bio-template, cluster-seed method and different green non-toxic techniques are highlighted.
Notch/Delta signaling constrains reengineering of pro-T cells by PU.1

PU.1 is essential for early stages of mouse T cell development but antagonizes it if expressed constitutively. Two separable mechanisms are involved: attenuation and diversion. Dysregulated PU.1 expression inhibits pro-T cell survival, proliferation, and passage through β-selection by blocking essential T cell transcription factors, signaling molecules, and Rag gene expression, which expression of a rearranged T cell antigen receptor transgene cannot rescue. However, Bcl2 transgenic cells are protected from this attenuation and may even undergo β-selection, as shown by PU.1 transduction of defined subsets of Bcl2 transgenic fetal thymocytes with differentiation in OP9-DL1 and OP9 control cultures. The outcome of PU.1 expression in these cells depends on Notch/Delta signaling. PU.1 can efficiently divert thymocytes toward a myeloid-like state with multigene regulatory changes, but Notch/Delta signaling vetoes diversion. Gene expression analysis distinguishes sets of critical T lineage regulatory genes with different combinatorial responses to PU.1 and Notch/Delta signals, suggesting particular importance for inhibition of E proteins, Myb, and/or Gfi1 (growth factor independence 1) in diversion. However, Notch signaling only protects against diversion of cells that have undergone T lineage specification after Thy-1 and CD25 up-regulation. The results imply that in T cell precursors, Notch/Delta signaling normally acts to modulate and channel PU.1 transcriptional activities during the stages from T lineage specification until commitment.
Abductive reasoning in logistics research

Purpose – To construct a framework for exploring and discussing the use of different research approaches – deductive, inductive and abductive – in logistics.Design/methodology/approach – A review of research articles in three major logistics journals (International Journal of Logistics Management, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management and Journal of Business Logistics) from 1998 to 2002.Findings – Recognizes the dominance of deductive research in logistics, and the need for more inductive and, in particular, abductive research for theory development. Discusses the use of the abductive research approach in logistics.Research limitations/implications – Keywords searches led to a small sample size; more thorough content analysis is needed to apply the findings from the constructed framework.Practical implications – Useful source of information on the three different research approaches, their possibilities and implications for research.Originality/value – The abductive researc.
Design of polarization conversion metasurface based on inverse transformation optics

In this paper, based on the inverse transformation optics and Maxwell's equation, a metasurface is designed, which can transformed the incident plane wave into four circularly polarized beams with specific angles. After simplification and approximation, we realize the metasurface by constructing the structure of 3-layered Jerusalem crosses in the three-dimensional structure. The design method has provided novel ideas of the antenna design based on transformation optics.
Myopia and associated pathological complications

Besides the direct economic and social burden of myopia, associated ocular complications may lead to substantial visual loss. In several population and clinic‐based cohorts, case–control and cross‐sectional studies, higher risks of posterior subcapsular cataract, cortical and nuclear cataract in myopic patients were reported. Patients with high myopia (spherical equivalent at least –6.0 D) are more susceptible to ocular abnormalities. The prevalent risks of glaucoma were higher in myopic adults, and risks of chorioretinal abnormalities such as retinal detachment, chorioretinal atrophy and lacquer cracks increased with severity of myopia and greater axial length. Myopic adults were more likely to have tilted, rotated, and larger discs as well as other optic disc abnormalities. Often, these studies support possible associations between myopia and specific ocular complications, but we cannot infer causality because of limitations in study methodology. The detection and treatment of possible pathological ocular complications is essential in the management of high myopia. The ocular risks associated with myopia should not be underestimated and there is a public health need to prevent the onset or progression of myopia.
International Diversification And The Cost Of Capital: Is More Necessarily Better?

This study examines the extent to which international diversification is a statistically significant predictor of the cost of capital among S&P 500 firms. Existing research concerning the “diversification discount” suggests that the financial markets have become enamored with the idea that more tightly focused firms tend to be more profitable and, as a consequence, worth more. Of interest here is the extent to which this same line of reasoning (i.e., less diversification is better) holds for international diversification. The argument put forth here is that while international diversification may indeed be an avenue to higher sales and earnings, this may not be enough to enhance the market value of the firm because unless the additional profit yields a return on invested capital above the firm’s cost of capital, and unless that margin is adequate to satisfy existing investors and to attract new capital, the market value of the firm will decline. To fully understand the likely consequences of broader international diversification or, correspondingly, a tighter strategic focus, one must understand how such diversification is apt to affect the firm’s cost of capital. This study uses Herfindahl’s index of concentration to measure the degree of international diversification among the S&P 500 firms and this measure is subsequently regressed on the cost of capital. What distinguishes this research is its focus on the relationship between a firm’s level of international diversification and its cost of capital, a strategically important construct that has been virtually ignored in the literature.
Erler at the NTCIR-13 OpenLiveQ Task

In this paper, we present our approach to address the OpenLiveQ task at NTCIR-13 [5]. The task is a question retrieval task and can be simply defined as follows: given a query and a set of questions with their answers, return a ranked list of questions. However, there is a “gap” between queries and candidate questions, which is called lexical chasm or word mismatch problem. In our model, we improve traditional Topic inference based Translation Language Model (TLM) [10] by using the topic information of queries to “bridge” the gap. The translation model and the topic model are used to link different words. Experimental results show that our system reaches the competitive performance among the participants in OpenLiveQ task.
Co-Operative Enterprise as a Coalition of Small Firms

SUMMARY Co-operative enterprises represent some of the largest and most durable business entities in the world. They are found in all countries and across a wide range of industries. Co-ops are member owned businesses that can be formed by small business owners, farmers and the wider community. They have a unique business model that is part economic and part social in its focus. The purpose of co-ops is to provide benefits to their members. They have been likened to a strategic network in that they are owned and managed democratically by their members. Drawing on case study data from Australia and France the paper examines how the conceptual small firm alliancing framework developed by Street and Cameron (2007) can apply to co-operative enterprises. The role of member identity with the co-op as an alliance is highlighted.
Ecological Role of Submarine Canyons and Need for Canyon Conservation: A Review

Submarine canyons are major geomorphic features of continental margins around the world. Several recent multidisciplinary projects focused on the study of canyons have considerably increased our understanding of their ecological role, the goods and services they provide to human populations, and the impacts that human activities have on their overall ecological condition. Pressures from human activities include fishing, dumping of land-based mine tailings, and oil and gas extraction. Moreover, hydrodynamic processes of canyons enhance the down-canyon transport of litter. The effects of climate change may modify the intensity of currents. This potential hydrographic change is predicted to impact the structure and functioning of canyon communities as well as affect nutrient supply to the deep-ocean ecosystem. This review not only identifies the ecological status of canyons, and current and future issues for canyon conservation, but also highlights the need for a better understanding of anthropogenic impacts on canyon ecosystems and proposes other research required to inform management measures to protect canyon ecosystems.
Why do Firms Resist Individualized Disclosure of Management Remuneration?

This paper investigates firms’ decisions to resist individualized disclosure of top management compensation packages. We exploit the unique German setting, where recent legislation man-dates individualized disclosure of remuneration for members of the management board of listed corporations, but allows for an opt-out on the condition of a three-quarter majority vote of shareholders at their annual meeting. Our analyses shed light on the relative roles of man-agers’ disclosure incentives, ownership structure, and the strength of external monitoring in shaping this decision to resist individualized compensation disclosures. Our findings indicate that the compensation level and particularly payments over industry average are positively associated with disclosure resistance, while variable compensation components are conducive to transparency. We also find that appointment of a new CEO increases the likelihood that individualized disclosures are made. Ownership concentration is positively associated with disclosure resistance. Other incentives for higher transparency such as a large, presumably high quality auditor, a listing in a global stock market segment, higher analyst coverage or the threat of takeovers are positively correlated with non-resistance. Additional analyses reveal that managerial incentives for non-disclosure may even prevail in firms with presumably high levels of governance quality. Taken together, these results provide insights into the particularities of disclosing sensitive, personal information. Moreover, we inform regulators on the potential cost and benefits of opt-out regimes as opposed to strict, unconditional disclosure regulation.
A panel of four decreased serum microRNAs as a novel biomarker for early Parkinson’s disease

Abstract Context: Sensitive, non-invasive biomarkers that facilitate Parkinson’s disease (PD) detection and stage assignment are currently unavailable. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the potential of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as novel biomarkers for PD. Materials and methods: Solexa sequencing technology and quantitative real-time PCR were applied to screen and verify altered serum miRNAs in PD patients. Results: Serum miR-141, miR-214, miR-146b-5p, and miR-193a-3p were decreased significantly in PD patients compared with controls. Furthermore, the 4-miRNA panel enabled the differentiation of HY stage 1 and 2 PD patients from controls. Discussion and conclusion: The four serum miRNAs may represent novel biomarkers for the early detection of PD.
The Effect of Open Innovation and Organizational Learning on Technological Competitive Advantage in Venture Business

Although a wide range of theoretical researches have emphasized on the importance of knowledge management in cooperative R&D network, the empirical researches to synthetically examine the role of organizational learning and open innovation which influence on the performance of technological innovation are not enough to meet academic and practical demands. This study is to investigate the effect of open innovation and organizational learning in venture business on technological competitive advantage and establish the mediating role of organizational learning. For the purpose, the questionnaires, made based on the reviewing previous researches, were collected from 274 Korean venture businesses whose managerial focus is on developing technological innovation. As a result of analysis, the relational dimensions of open innovation – network, intensity and trust shared by a firm with external R&D partners – as well as the internal organizational learning system and competence have positive influence on building technological competitive advantage whose sub-variables are technological excellence, market growth potential and business feasibility. In addition, it is identified that organizational learning has the mediating and moderating effect in the relationship between open innovation and technological competitive advantage. These results imply that open innovation complements and expend the range of limited resources and the scope of innovation in technology-intensive small and medium-sized enterprises. Besides, organizational learning activity reinforces the use of knowledge and resources, obtained from external R&D partners. On the basis of these results, detailed issues and discussion were made in the conclusion.
Repeat-Purchase Modelling for E-Commerce Websites

E-retailing and database marketing are two emerging industries that require strong support from the CRM system. For a website it is important to keep customers interested and come back frequently to visit. As web data and direct marketing data are available in huge volumes, data mining is an important and popular tool for both industries to develop good CRM systems to target loyal customers. Since most of this data are genuine purchasing data, one could even go one step further to develop models to describe and predict behaviour of customers. In this study two statistical models from the theory of repeat purchase behaviour were used to analyse customer loyalty. The models were able to predict the percentage of repeat-customers, and were able to identify marketing variables which affected the repeat-rate.
Promoting Good Governance with Social Funds and Decentralization

Bad governance undermines development. Two important types of World Bank support for local governance are social funds and broadly based support for governments committed to decentralizing responsibility and power to local governments and other local institutions. But there are concerns that these two approaches, which address different elements of governance, sometimes work at cross-purposes. A study was therefore commissioned to examine the interaction between social funds and decentralization in Bolivia and Honduras (advanced decentralization), Peru and Zimbabwe (some decentralization), and Cambodia, Malawi, and Zambia (little or no decentralization). This Note is based on the findings of the study.
Soccer Injuries and Recovery in Dutch Male Amateur Soccer Players: Results of a Prospective Cohort Study

Objective:To describe characteristics of outdoor soccer injury and recovery among Dutch soccer players. Design:Prospective cohort study. Setting:The 2009-2010 competitive season (33 weeks). Participants:Four hundred fifty-six Dutch male soccer players of 23 amateur teams. Main Outcome Measures:Coaches recorded individual exposure to all soccer activities. Paramedics or sports trainers collected information on the occurrence (eg, location, type, circumstances) and consequences (eg, absenteeism, medical treatment) of injuries. Results:In total, 424 time-loss injuries were sustained by 60% (n = 274) of the players, with 23% (n = 105) having more than 1 injury. This corresponds to an overall density of 9.6 (8.7-10.5) injuries per 1000 player hours; 3.9 (3.3-4.7) in training sessions and 20.4 (18.1-23.1) in soccer matches. Almost 30% (n = 123) of the injuries lasted for more than 1 month, 14% (n = 58) were reinjuries (causing longer absence than new injuries), and 54% (n = 230) of the injuries were given medical treatment. The most common diagnoses were muscle/tendon (38%) or joint/ligament injuries (23%) of the lower extremities. After regaining the ability to fully take part in soccer training or matches, 27.4% of the players (n = 116) still reported complaints. Conclusions:Two recommendations based on the above-mentioned results are (1) prevention should primarily focus on these most common diagnoses and (2) players resuming soccer activities after an injury should be given special attention to resolve the remaining complaints and to prevent reinjuries.