Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Examination of Capital Structure in the Restaurant Industry

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to examine the capital structure decisions of restaurant firms. The paper hypothesizes that these decisions are based upon a financial “pecking order” as well as the position of the firm in the financial growth cycle. Using ratios from publicly traded restaurant firms in the U.S. and ordinary least squares regression models, the results tend to support the notion that both the pecking order and the financial growth cycle influence financing decisions. However, the results also indicate that there may be separate factors affecting long-term and short-term debt decisions made by restaurant managers.
A fogágybetegség mint az atheroscleroticus cardiovascularis betegség rizikófaktora

atheroscleroticus thromboembolisatiós gyulladásos folyamatok szerepe dokumentált atherosclerosis, atherothrombosis kialakulásában. a parodontitis szerepét atherosclerosis így a cardiovascularis betegségek egyik potenciális rizikófaktoraként. krónikus gyulladásban lévő, fertőzött parodontalis tasakban valamint toxinjai növelik szervezetben atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis. Increasing number of studies support the hypothesis that periodontal disease, specifically periodontitis, is a potential risk factor for atherosclerosis and thus cardiovascular disease. Chronic infections of periodontal pockets act as reser-voirs for pathogenic microorganisms, their toxins and degradation products, raising the overall systemic inflammatory burden. Entering the circulation and atherosclerotic lesions themselves, they lead to further local and systemic inflammatory response, in all contributing to atherosclerosis progression, potentially increasing cardiovascular risk. Along these lines, good oral health in general and the periodontal treatment in more severe cases may play a role in cardiovascular risk reduction, primary and secondary prevention. The present review summarizes the possible patho-physiological mechanisms linking periodontal and cardiovascular pathology, lists clinical evidence between periodontitis and specific forms of cardiovascular disease and looks forward at the potential role of periodontal treatment in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment.
Cinzia Di Novi Anna Marenzi Francesca Zantomio Patterns of Red and Processed Meat Consumption across Generations: A Shift from the Traditional Mediterranean Diet

: Social changes, widespread dissemination of Western-type culture, and the globalization of food production and consumption have reduced adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet (MD) in the Southern European countries where the MD originated. This study explores whether changes in the technology, culture and social welfare that have characterized Italy for decades may have influenced red and processed meat consumption across generations. Such consumption has been associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer and with negative environmental impacts. To obtain a broad picture of red and processed meat consumption and adherence to the MD across generations, we constructed a Mediterranean composite score t hat summarizes the frequency of these foods’ consumption. For the purpose of our study, we constructed a pseudo-panel derived from repeated cross -sections of the annual household survey, “Aspects of Daily Life,” that was part of the Multipurpose Survey carried out by the Italian National Statistical Office (ISTAT) from 1997 to 2012. We adopted an APC (Age, Period, Cohort) approach that involves age, period, and cohort effects. Our findings reveal that the oldest generations undertook a major shift from the traditional MD.
Evaluation of antibacterial and antifungal properties of selected mouthwashes: in vitro studies

Abstract Introduction. Mouthwashes should include antimicrobial compounds to inhibit microorganism multiplication, thus the formation and development of dental plaque. Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal effectiveness of mouthwashes depending on their active ingredients. Material and methods. In the study, the effect of antibacterial and antifungal properties of mouthwashes on reference bacterial and yeast-like fungi strains was examined. The first type of the assessed mouthwashes contained only sodium fluoride or sodium fluoride and amine fluoride as active ingredients, while the second type contained sodium fluoride and cetylpyridinium chloride. In the study, a well diffusion method was used to test microorganisms constituting natural or pathogenic microflora of oral mucosa. The used reference microorganisms came from the ATCC: L. acidophilus ATCC 4356, Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 53103, S. mutans ATCC 25175, and Candida yeasts: C. albicans ATCC 2091, C. albicans ATCC 10231, Candida parapsilosis ATCC 22019, Candida glabrata ATCC 90030, Candida krusei ATCC 14243. Results. The mouthwashes containing sodium fluoride and cetylpyridinium chloride showed an inhibitory effect against a greater number of reference strains used in the study than did mouthwashes that contained only sodium fluoride (or sodium fluoride and amine fluoride) as active ingredients. Against the four reference strains of Candida genus, the mouthwashes with an inorganic and organic fluoride compound showed no or minimum inhibitory effect or were much less effective than the mouthwashes that also contained cetylpyridinium chloride. Conclusion. Mouthwashes containing multiple ingredients with different antimicrobial mechanisms show synergistic action against the bacterial and fungal microflora responsible for the accumulation of dental plague.
Value of cardiac magnetic resonance on the risk stratification of cardiomyopathies

Cardiomyopathies represent a diverse group of heart muscle diseases with varying etiologies, presenting a diagnostic challenge due to their heterogeneous manifestations. Regular evaluation using cardiac imaging techniques is imperative as symptoms can evolve over time. These imaging approaches are pivotal for accurate diagnosis, treatment planning, and optimizing prognostic outcomes. Among these, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) stands out for its ability to provide precise anatomical and functional assessments. This manuscript explores the significant contributions of CMR in the diagnosis and management of patients with cardiomyopathies, with special attention to risk stratification. CMR’s high spatial resolution and tissue characterization capabilities enable early detection and differentiation of various cardiomyopathy subtypes. Additionally, it offers valuable insights into myocardial fibrosis, tissue viability, and left ventricular function, crucial parameters for risk stratification and predicting adverse cardiac events. By integrating CMR into clinical practice, clinicians can tailor patient-specific treatment plans, implement timely interventions, and optimize long-term prognosis. The non-invasive nature of CMR reduces the need for invasive procedures, minimizing patient discomfort. This review highlights the vital role of CMR in monitoring disease progression, guiding treatment decisions, and identifying potential complications in patients with cardiomyopathies. The utilization of CMR has significantly advanced our understanding and management of these complex cardiac conditions, leading to improved patient outcomes and a more personalized approach to care.
Role of RBC Parameters to Diﬀ erentiate between Iron Deﬁ ciency Anemia and Anemia of Chronic Diseases

Introduction: In the present study we evaluated and compared RBC parameters, iron status, and ferritin for discriminating between patients with iron deﬁ ciency anemia and anemia of chronic disease. Anemia that accompanies infection, inﬂ ammation, and cancer, is commonly termed anemia of chronic disease (ACD). Methods: We compared the ability of serum ferritin concentration, using the microplate immunoenzymometric assay method with other, more traditional indicators of iron status like total iron binding capacity [TIBC], mean corpuscular volume [MCV], percent transferrin saturation [%TS], RBC distribution width [RDW], and serum iron concentration [SIC]. The ferritin concentration was determined in 80 serum samples selected from men and women above the age of 18 years. The patients were assigned to IDA and ACD groups based on serum ferritin concentration. Observation: By studying the ROC Curve for various red cell parameters for the diagnosis of IDA and ACD, we found that diagnostic accuracy of various indicators was as follows TIBC>TS%>MCV>MCH>SI>MCHC for anemia of chronic diseases, and TIBC>MCH>MCV>MCHC>TS%>SI for iron deﬁ ciency anemia. When both the value of AUCs (Area under Curve) of ROC were compared it is apparent that TIBC, TS%, MCV, and MCH are important discriminating factors between IDA and ACD. Conclusion : Conventional laboratory parameters play an important role in distinguishing overt causes of IDA and ACD. MCV, MCH, and TIBC were found to be ( p - value < .05) signiﬁ cantly discriminated against IDA and ACD. Serum ferritin is an important diagnostic tool with reasonable accuracy for the detection and diﬀ erentiation of iron deﬁ ciency anemia and anemia of chronic disease.
Machine-learning based identification of undiagnosed dementia in primary care: a feasibility study

Background Up to half of patients with dementia may not receive a formal diagnosis, limiting access to appropriate services. It is hypothesised that it may be possible to identify undiagnosed dementia from a profile of symptoms recorded in routine clinical practice. Aim The aim of this study is to develop a machine learning-based model that could be used in general practice to detect dementia from routinely collected NHS data. The model would be a useful tool for identifying people who may be living with dementia but have not been formally diagnosed. Design & setting The study involved a case-control design and analysis of primary care data routinely collected over a 2-year period. Dementia diagnosed during the study period was compared to no diagnosis of dementia during the same period using pseudonymised routinely collected primary care clinical data. Method Routinely collected Read-encoded data were obtained from 18 consenting GP surgeries across Devon, for 26 483 patients aged >65 years. The authors determined Read codes assigned to patients that may contribute to dementia risk. These codes were used as features to train a machine-learning classification model to identify patients that may have underlying dementia. Results The model obtained sensitivity and specificity values of 84.47% and 86.67%, respectively. Conclusion The results show that routinely collected primary care data may be used to identify undiagnosed dementia. The methodology is promising and, if successfully developed and deployed, may help to increase dementia diagnosis in primary care.
Tuberculosis ocular: un retrato portugués de este problema raro y desafiante Ocular Tuberculosis – A Portuguese Portrait of This Rare and Challenging Problem

Objectives: Although threatening there is not enough awareness for ocular tuberculosis, hence we intend to study and characterize the ocular tuberculosis observed on a Portuguese specialized pulmonology diagnostic center. Materials and Methodologies: Retrospective study of individuals diagnosed with ocular tuberculosis and followed up from 1st January 2016 until 31th December 2018. Results: We studied 38 patients with presumed ocular tuberculosis, with mean age 53,315,7 years old, whose 55,3% were females. Only one patient had known immunosuppression, seven patients had history of previous tuberculosis and only two patients reported a known risk contact. None had extraocular disease. All patients had at least one positive immunologic test, either tuberculin skin test (63,2%) or Interferon Gamma Release Assay test (86,8%). Most patients presented bilateral ocular tuberculosis (44,7%). The standard four-drug regimen was the treatment of choice and corticosteroids were administered to 55,3% patients with no differences in treatment outcomes. The mean length of treatment was 8,6 months and among the patients who completed treatment, 72,4% presented clinical improvement or remission of the ocular manifestations. Conclusions: Ocular tuberculosis, despite a rare condition, carries a huge burden in health care centers. Delay in starting proper treatment can result in permanent blindness and impairment of life’s quality. This condition is probably underdiagnosed and, to our knowledge, there are no recent studies characterizing the latest trend of ocular tuberculosis in Portugal.
The Eﬀect of Music Therapy on Pain, Anxiety, Perceived Stress, and Biochemical Parameters in Hospitals Among Patients with Cancer

Background: Diagnosis of cancer and its long and hard treatment process induce great stress and anxiety in patients. Cancer patientsmayalsosuﬀerfromseverepainduetotheirprimarydisease,metastases,orthereceivedtreatments. However,thepatients’ chief physical complaint is the main aspect that physicians pay attention to, and the mental health of these patients is usually neglected. Objectives: This study aimed to predict the eﬀect of music therapy (MT) on pain, perceived stress, anxiety, and biochemical parameters in patients with cancer. Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted on cancer patients referring to the Oncology Clinic at Amir Hospital in Shiraz (aﬃliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences) from April to September 2016. A total number of sixty cancer patients were recruited using a random sampling method and divided into two groups of control and intervention. Patients in the intervention group listened to light music for at least 20 minutes for 8 weeks (two continuous sessions weekly). After the intervention group, a follow-up test and questionnaires were conducted on both groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 using the t -test, chi-square test, and paired t -test. Results: The results of this study showed that the control group had no signiﬁcant diﬀerence regarding the McGill Pain Questionnaire(MPQ)(P-value=0.797),cortisol(P-value=0.841),andthePerceivedStressScale(PSS)(P-value=0.001)variablesbefore and after the study, but it had a signiﬁcant increase in the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) (P-value = 0.026). Our ﬁndings indicated a signiﬁcant diﬀerence in the MPQ, BAI, and cortisol variables in the MT group (P-value ≤ 0.001). In general, the PSS showed no signiﬁcant diﬀerence between the two groups. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that MT for eight weeks, selected by patients from a list, could signiﬁcantly reducepatients’ anxiety,pain,andperceivedstress. Therefore,werecommendtheinclusionof thisinterventionintheroutinecare of patients with cancer.
Recognition and

This paper overviews robust architecture and modeling techniques for automatic speech recognition and understanding. The topics include robust acoustic and language modeling for spontaneous speech recognition, unsupervised adaptation of acoustic and language models, robust architecture for spoken dialogue systems, multi-modal speech recognition, and speech understanding. This paper also discusses the most important research problems to be solved in order to achieve ultimate robust speech recognition and understanding systems.
DEMS WORKING PAPER SERIES Money Targeting, Heterogeneous Agents and Dynamic Instability

Following a seminal contribution by Bilbiie (2008), the Limited Asset Market Participation hypothesis has triggered a debate on DSGE models determinacy when the central bank implements a standard Taylor rule. We reconsider the issue here in the context of an exogenous money supply rule, documenting the role of nominal and real frictions in determining these results. A general conclusion is that frictions matter for stability insofar as they redistribute income between Ricardian and non-Ricardian households when shocks hit the economy. Finally, we extend the model to allow for the possibility that consumers who do not participate to the market for interest-bearing securities hold money. In this case endogenous monetary transfers between the two groups allow to smooth consumption di⁄erences and the model is determinate provided that the non-negativity constraint on individual money holdings is satis(cid:133)ed
Highly resistant methanogenic archaea from Siberian permafrost as candidates for the possible life on Mars

The characterizations of survival potential of microorganisms which are able to thrive in extreme environments are receiving a great attention in astrobiological research as driven by the possibility of their existence in extraterrestrial extreme niches. Speculations about lithoautotrophic subsurface life on Mars are arising since ESA mission Mars Express determined water existence on Mars, fundamental requirement for life, and presence of CH4 in the Martian atmosphere, which could be originated only from active volcanism or from biological sources. Comparable conditions exist in permafrost regions on Earth.Methanogenic archaea, which colonized Siberian permafrost, are highly specialized organisms which can gain energy by the oxidation of H2 and use CO2 as the only carbon source. We present the investigations of resistance of methanogens from Siberian permafrost complementary to the already well-studied methanogens from non-permafrost habitats to different extreme life conditions of terrestrial or extraterrestrial permafrost: desiccation, temperature extremes, radiation, starvation, high salt concentration and simulated Mars conditions. The methanogenic archaea in pure cultures as well as in their natural environment of Siberian permafrost represent high survival potential under these extreme conditions. In contrast, these conditions were lethal for the reference organisms from non-permafrost habitats. Our data suggest that in scenario of subsurface lithoautotrophic life on Mars methanogenic archaea from Siberian permafrost could be used as appropriate candidates for possible life on Mars.
Variation of Politeness Strategies Employed by Second Language Learners in Role-Play Tasks

: The use of politeness strategies is deemed to be pertinent in enhancing rapport and establishing comfort reciprocally in oral interactions among L2 speakers. Driven by this notion, the study sets out to examine four politeness strategies in oral interaction used by English language learners of ELC 121 subject, via role-play assessment. In order to elicit the strategies, 15 selected pairs were asked to act out role-play tasks on specified topics. The role-play sessions were video-recorded before the oral data were transcribed in verbatim form in order to allow full understanding of the conversations. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis anchored in Brown and Levinson’s theory of politeness strategy (1978). The results revealed that negative and positive politeness were the most preferred strategies, whereas off-record strategy was the least favoured among the participants. The participants’ linguistic proficiency was also discovered to be a determining factor in the kind of politeness strategies employed since Proficient (A grade) participants used more negative politeness compared to Less Proficient (C grade) who preferred using positive politeness in the role-play. Thus, it provides an insight of instructors’ role in addressing students’ needs in a mixed-ability classroom at improving their interpersonal skills to hinder communication failure.
An integrated approach for shadow detection of the building in urban areas

Shadows commonly exist in high resolution image, particularly in urban areas . The presence of shadows can represent a serious obstacle for their full exploitation. Especially, because of the complexity of the urban circumstance, there are some factors effecting the shadow detection. For example, the high reflectivity ground, or the glass wall of the building, makes shadow somewhere brighter so that it may cause their intensities close to the non-shadow area. In order to solve these problems, we combine the zero-crossing detection method with the DBM-based geometric method of computing the zenith angle of the sun and the altitude angle of the sun . Firstly, the proposed method uses the zero-crossing detection method to detect the edge of the whole image . Then it selects the edges of both the buildings and their shadows by matching the coordinates of DBM. Because the building and its shadow are adjacent, we match these shadows with the ideal shadow gotten by the DBM-based geometric method to get the only shadow of the building. Compared with other methods, this method may detect the shadow areas of the buildings accurately.
Design and Fabrication of a Liquid Crystal-Based 94 GHz 360 ◦ Phase Shifter for Re(cid:13)ectarray Antennas

|In this work, we propose a liquid crystal (LC)-based double-dipole phase shifter. By manipulating the electric (cid:12)eld, we change the resonant frequency and phase of the electromagnetic wave by de(cid:13)ecting the orientation of LC molecules. We made the LC-based device with a 30 (cid:2) 30 array of two parallel unequal dipoles on a Quartz substrate. The substrate has an area and thickness of 4 (cid:2) 4 cm 2 and 480 (cid:22) m, respectively. The experimental results show that the phase shift of 0 ◦ {385.4 ◦ is achieved at 94 GHz by changing the applied bias voltage on the LC layer from 0 V to 8.4 V. The phase shift is greater than 360 ◦ in the range 91.75{94.85 GHz. When the LC molecules are most signi(cid:12)cantly aﬀected by the electric (cid:12)eld, the maximum precision of phase shift is 4.08 ◦ with a bias voltage of 2 mV.
Edinburgh Research Explorer What can be sampled locally?

The local computation of Linial [FOCS’87] and Naor and Stockmeyer [STOC’93] studies whether a locally deﬁned distributed computing problem is locally solvable. In classic local computation tasks, the goal of distributed algorithms is to construct a feasible solution for some constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) locally deﬁned on the network. In this paper, we consider the problem of sampling a uniform CSP solution by distributed algorithms in the LOCAL model, and ask whether a locally deﬁnable joint distribution is locally sample-able. We use Markov random ﬁelds and Gibbs distributions to model locally deﬁnable joint distributions. We give two distributed algorithms based on Markov chains, called LubyGlauber and LocalMetropolis , which we believe to represent two basic approaches for distributed Gibbs sampling. The algorithms achieve respective mixing times O (Δ log n ) and O ( log n ) under typical mixing conditions, where n is the number of vertices and Δ is the maximum degree of the graph. We show that the time bound Θ( log n ) is optimal for distributed sampling. We also show a strong Ω( diam ) lower bound: in particular for sampling independent set in graphs with maximum degree Δ ≥ 6. This gives a strong separation between sampling and constructing locally checkable labelings.
SEXUAL FLUIDITY: HISTORICAL CONTEXTUALIZATION AND THEORETICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

In this study, we sought to deepen the concept of sexual fluidity through a critical analysis of the literature and an integrative synthesis on the topic. In it, we analyzed studies that focus on sexual fluidity, explored the concept, under the guidance of how Lisa Diamond introduces it into the scientific literature, defines it, and operationalizes it. Finally, we focused on studies on sexual fluidity, trying to understand the meanings attributed to the concept, questioning the potential gender bias that accompanies a concept located in a heteronormative time and context. As a contribution to the deepening of the concept and reinforcement of its potential, reflections are presented on the relationship between sexual fluidity and hegemonic masculinity, a relationship that is little valued in the scientific literature. Overall, this work promotes, critically and in an intersectional way, the questioning about the fixation in sex/gender of people involved in a sexual situation and discussed the boundaries of the concept of sexual fluidity and its (im)permeability.