Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavior and Development in Children and Age at the Time of First Anesthetic Exposure

Background:Several experimental studies have suggested that early exposure to anesthetic agents, i.e., before completion of synaptogenesis, can result in widespread apoptotic neuronal degeneration and late cognitive impairment, but human data are lacking. The authors performed a retrospective pilot study to test the feasibility and calculate sample sizes for a larger epidemiologic study of disturbed neurobehavioral development as a function of age at the time of first anesthetic exposure. Pediatric urological procedures were selected because the timing of surgery depends mainly on the age at which a diagnosis is made. Methods:Neurobehavioral development was assessed using the validated 120-item parental Child Behavior CheckList/4–18 in 314 children who were operated for pediatric urological procedures between the ages of 0 and 6 yr. Results:Of 243 questionnaires returned, the total problem score was clinically deviant in 41 (23%) of children aged less than 24 months at the time of first surgery and 13 (20%) aged greater than 24 months. Crude and adjusted odds ratios for a clinically deviant Child Behavior CheckList/4–18 score increased with younger age at the time of surgery, but the confidence intervals were very wide. Adjusted odds ratio was 1.38 (0.59–3.22) when operated at age less than 6 months, 1.19 (0.45–3.18) when operated between 6 and 12 months of age, and 1.20 (0.45–3.20) when operated between 12 and 24 months (using operated at greater than 24 months of age as reference category). A properly powered cohort study would require at least 2,268 children. Conclusions:Children undergoing urologic surgery at age less than 24 months showed more behavioral disturbances than children in whom surgery was performed after age 2 yr, although the results were not statistically significant. To confirm or refute an effect of anesthesia on cognitive development, at least 2,268 children need to be studied. With retrospective study designs, residual confounding remains an issue that can only be solved in prospective randomized studies.
Peripheral tolerance of CD4 T cells following local activation in adolescent mice

In addition to thymic T cell selection, post‐thymic mechanisms of tolerance induction are required to eliminate autoreactive T cells with specificities for peripheral self antigens. While CD8+ T cells can recognize their target antigen on a wide variety of cell types, CD4+ T cells generally depend on the presence of specialized antigen‐presenting cells. Because of this fundamental difference in antigen recognition peripheral tolerance of CD4+ T cells appears more difficult to achieve than of CD8+ T cells. Utilizing T cell receptor (TCR)‐transgenic mice in which CD4+ T cells specific for a pancreatic β cell neoantigen (the simian virus 40 T antigen) are constantly generated at low frequency, we have now established a mouse model of peripheral, tissue‐specific CD4+ T cell tolerance. In these animals, tolerance is preceded by a phase of activation of the autoreactive T cells as characterized by up‐regulation of CD69 and CD44, and down‐regulation of the L‐selectin lymph node homing receptor. T antigen‐specific T cells bearing this phenotype can be detected in the local lymphoid environment of the pancreas but not in more remote locations like axillary or inguinal lymph nodes. The proportion of activated, autoreactive T cells is maximal at 2–3 weeks of age, after which these cells are gradually deleted from the peripheral lymphocyte pool. We further demonstrate that deletion of the autoreactive T cells does not occur in TCR‐tansgenic mice bred to the RAG‐1‐deficient background in which the transgenic T cells represent the only functional lymphocyte population.
PORTFOLIO DISTRIBUTIONS AND TESTS OF SECURITY SELECTION MODELS

KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS of common stock returns is useful and quite often necessary both as input information for procedures for asset selection and as a standard of comparison for evaluating the output of these models of asset selection. This holds for applied as well as theoretical models or procedures. The first half of this study discusses the relation between certain portfolio decision models and probability distribution of returns to portfolios. In these sections, use is made of empirically generated probability distributions of common-stock returns to evaluate two widely used assumptions regarding the probability basis for portfolio decision models. It will be shown that these assumptions are at least open to question on a statistical basis. The second half of the study is concerned with using the empirically derived distributions as a standard of comparison against which results from actual portfolio decision rules may be tested. We have, as examples of this testing procedure, evaluated the performance of a small group of mutual funds, and the performance of several simple computerized security selection techniques.
Goodwill Impairment Testing Under IFRS - A False Impossible Shore?

The transition to IFRS based reporting has resulted in fundamental departures from many of the long accepted norms embedded in indigenous GAAP systems now superseded in IFRS adopting jurisdictions. The rules relating to goodwill accounting, measurement and reporting represent an excellent case in point, the traditionally dominant capitalise and amortise regime having been disposed of in favour of an impairment testing regime pursuant to which periodic amortisation charges are no longer required. There has been much criticism of this new impairment testing regime, principally along the lines that it results in an increased potential for opportunism in financial statement preparation due to the subjective and unverifiable nature of a range of judgements necessary to the execution of the impairment testing process. In this paper, we add to the extant literature's catalogue of concerns by documenting systematic non compliance with the disclosure requirements of AASB 136 - Impairment of Assets. We argue that a key problem resulting from this phenomenon is a decline in financial statement comparability. At the policy level, we raise questions as to the implications of the complexity of the IFRS based impairment testing regime both from the preparer and audit perspective.
National Institutional vs Sectoral Subjection of Firms: What Counts More for Their Innovation Strategies?

In light of the controversial dispute about the role of national institutional environment in shaping innovation strategies of firms, and in light of the lack of explicitness of the notion of innovation strategy within the dispute, this paper aims at ascertaining if national institutional environment is fateful in determining the shape of innovation strategy of a firm originating in that particular national institutional environment. The institutionalist approach towards innovation strategy was intersected with the organizational one by analyzing four sample companies which together represented two distinct sets of national institutions - Lithuanian vs Swiss, and two distinct sectors - laser industry vs contact centers. Special warm-house conditions were ensured to eliminate other potentially disruptive factors. A conceptual framework of innovation strategy was refined and used to gather information, alongside structured interviews and online surveys. A variety of methods were used to analyze the data: exploratory case study, mapping, correlation analysis, test of difference, cluster analysis, and cross tabulation. The sectoral subjection appeared to be more influential in shaping the innovation strategies, thus, the role of national institutional environment was not fateful. Additionally, the survey highlighted the most important, with regard to national and sectoral disparities, characteristics of innovation strategy.
Entrepreneurship Development and the Role of Economic Transition in Entrepreneurial Activities in China

This study aims to elaborate entrepreneurship development in China and the role of China's economic transition in entrepreneurial activities. Besides addressing China's institutional transition environment, which is argued as the necessary condition of entrepreneurship development and as the 'incubator' of three generations of entrepreneurs in China, the applied panel dataset was organized by collecting data from 31 provinces in China in recent 4 years. Our results show that China's economic development has a significant inversed U-shaped impact on entrepreneurship development in the transitional stage from efficient-driven to innovation-driven economy. Complementary conclusions in the recent transitional stage include that education resource and regional economic openness respectively has significantly positive impact on entrepreneurship. The interactive effect of education resources and economic openness was also found significantly positive but results associated with unemployment's impact present that unemployment executes negative impact insignificantly, which is consistent with the fact of China's entrepreneurship development is approaching to opportunity-oriented stage in recent years.
On Testing for Unbiasedness and Efficiency of Forecasts

This note demonstrates that the conventional test for unbiasedness of forecasts or expectations of estimating Y = "alpha"(subscript "1") + "beta"(subscript "1")F + u where Y is the outcome and F is the forecast, and testing whether "alpha"(subscript "1" = 0 and "beta"(subscript "1") = 1 is a sufficient, but not a necessary, condition for unbiasedness. A necessary and sufficient condition for unbiasedness, based on the conventional test, is presented. Copyright 1990 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd and The Victoria University of Manchester
Income transfers of Chinese rural migrants: some empirical evidence from Jinan

This paper explores the determinants of migrant remittances to rural households using data on male migrant workers drawn from the Jinan Municipality in Shandong province in the summer of 1995. The majority of migrants are found to retain close links with their rural households with 85% remitting some income in the 12 months preceding the survey date. The transfers accounted for over a third of urban labour earnings. A number of models are used to undertake the estimation of remittance functions. No evidence of altruistic behaviour is uncovered and evidence for exchange and coinsurance theories is mixed. Labour earnings proved the most robust determinant of the level of remittance and the remittance/wage elasticity calculated is found to be at the top end of the range of estimates obtained in the literature.
Faculty Salary Inequality in U.S. Business Schools: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Through a mixed methods approach, this study provides a greater understanding of salary inequality in U.S. business schools and how it changed between 1998 to 2004. The quantitative research examines full-time faculty using individual-level salary data from both a constant sample of 307 institutions and a larger 2004 sample of 464 schools, allowing for in-depth examination of inequality including within institutions. The qualitative research used interviews with business school deans to uncover decisions that, in the aggregate, can impact faculty salary inequality. Quantitative analysis of faculty salary utilized descriptive statistics as well as several inequality measures, along with regression analyses, to reveal the level and structure of inequality and the contributions of within-institution and between-institution inequality. Salary inequality increased between 1998 and 2004. However, contrary to previous research, salary inequality isn’t attributed to superstar salaries; the growth in salary inequality is attributable to negative real growth in the lower tail of the salary distribution. Analysis between institutions reveals that the highest paying 10% of institutions are pulling away, increasing stratification between the most prestigious institutions and the others. Although private school faculty earn more than their public counterparts, salary inequality among faculty at public institutions increased more rapidly. Institutional characteristics including Carnegie classification, MBA ranking, degrees offered, accreditation, faculty size, tuition and fees, state appropriations per student and endowment per student contribute to differences in salary inequality between
ALTERED LEVEL OF APURINIC/APYRIMIDINIC ENDONUCLEASE/REDOX FACTOR‐1 (APE/Ref‐1) mRNA IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS OF OVARIECTOMIZED RATS TREATED BY RALOXIFENE AGAINST KAINIC ACID

1. Accumulated clinical evidence suggests that selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERM), such as raloxifene, may be neuroprotective. Oxidative stress is a likely molecular mechanism in the neurotoxicity of kainic acid (KA), an excitotoxic substance. The expression levels of the apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease/redox factor‐1 (APE/Ref‐1) gene seem to correlate with cellular sensitivity to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a reduction in the expression of APE/Ref‐1 may cause oxidative DNA damage.
Managing Globalization? The EU in International Trade Negotiations

Through a study of the evolution of the concept of 'managed globalization' in trade, an idea conceptualized by EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy in 1999 and replaced by the new policy of 'Global Europe' in 2006, this article analyses whether the Commission has had an autonomous impact on the EU position in international trade negotiations, especially in the Doha Round of the WTO. Such autonomy appears wider at first glance than it actually is, since it is hard to find evidence that the doctrinal shift occurred against Member State preferences. In the end, the true (but limited) autonomy of the Commission comes from its entrepreneurial ability to repackage Member State preferences into a consensual doctrine. Copyright (c) 2007 The Author(s); Journal compilation (c) 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
PRICE TRANSMISSION BETWEEN DJIA, S&P 500 INDEX, PPI AND CPI

Our previous work on month effect in the DJIA, CPI and PPI led us to hypothesize that significant negative September effect that we found for the DJIA might have been caused by changes in the CPI and PPI. This led us to explore the nature of price transmission between the three (we add SP but in none of the three periods was the DJIA significantly impacted by the PPI or the CPI. For the period 1972-2003, the CPI and PPI were significantly unaffected by the DJIA and the S&P500 Index and also the DJIA and the S&P500 were also not affected significantly by the CPI and PPI. These results follow from both the VAR analysis and Granger causality tests. (This is an on-going research. We want to add S&P 500 Index data from 1926 [this paper uses monthly S&P 500 Index data from 1973 to 2003]. We will add VAR analysis and Granger causality analysis for our entire data set [this paper does the analysis for three sub-periods: 1926-1945, 1946-1972, 1973-2003]. We will analyze for a bear market and a bull market period. We may add NASDAQ Index to the analysis.) PRICE TRANSMISSION BETWEEN DJIA, S&P 500 INDEX, PPI AND CP
Low complexity estimation of carrier and sampling frequency offsets in burst-mode OFDM systems

We study communications under slowly varying channels, and consider three cases of knowledge of the channel impulse response CIR: full knowledge, no knowledge, and partial knowledge of the CIR. By partial knowledge, we refer to knowing only either the CIR magnitudes or the CIR phases. It is known that obtaining the exact joint maximum-likelihood estimate MLE of the CFO and the SFO requires a two-dimensional search. Here, we present a new estimation method which uses the Taylor expansion of the MLE cost function, combined with the best linear unbiased estimator, to obtain a method which does not require such a search. The computational complexity of the new method is evaluated. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the new method approaches the corresponding Cramer-Rao bound for a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios, and has superior performance compared to all other existing methods for approximating the solution for the joint MLE, while maintaining a low computational complexity. Copyright © 2015John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What aspects of the job have most effect on nurses

The study reported here compared the influences of psychological constructs (job demands and scheduling control) and objective work characteristics (shiftwork, night-work and hospital department type) on job satisfaction, organisational commitment, burnout and withdrawal intentions. Our hypothesis was that psychological constructs have a higher influence on work-related attitudes than objective characteristics of work schedules. In addition to the main effects, we proposed an interactive hypothesis: poor attitudes would result from high demands and low control rather than from other combinations of both psychological variables. Using a sample of 153 hospital nurses in Israel, the hypotheses were generally supported. As night-work, shiftwork and working in intensive care units are unavoidable characteristics of the modern medical environment, these findings are meaningful for improving the personal adjustment of hospital nurses.
Cross-Border Returns Differentials

Were the U.S. to persistently earn substantially more on its foreign investments ("U.S. claims") than foreigners earn on their U.S. investments ("U.S. liabilities"), the likelihood that the current environment of sizeable global imbalances will evolve in a benign manner increases. However, using a monthly dataset on the foreign equity and bond portfolios of U.S. investors and the U.S. equity and bond portfolios of foreign investors, we find that the returns differential for portfolio securities is near zero, far smaller than previously reported. Examining all U.S. claims and liabilities (portfolio securities as well as direct investment and banking), we find that previous estimates of large differentials are biased upward. The bias owes to computing implied returns from an internally inconsistent dataset of revised data; original data produce a much smaller differential. We also attempt to reconcile our finding of a near zero returns differential with observed patterns of cumulated current account deficits, the net international investment position, and the net income balance. Overall, we find no evidence that the U.S. can count on earning substantially more on its claims than it pays on its liabilities.
Inflation and Welfare

This paper reviews research on the welfare cost of inflation. New estimates are provided, based on U.S. time series for 1900-94, interpreted in a variety of ways. It is estimated that the gain from reducing the annual inflation rate from 10 percent to zero is equivalent to an increase in real income of slightly less than one percent. Using aggregate evidence only, it may not be possible to estimate reliably the gains from reducing inflation to a rate consistent with zero nominal interest.
Idiosyncratic volatility and global equity markets

This article investigates the relation of idiosyncratic volatility (IVOL) and future returns on a portfolio level in global equity markets. In contrast to previous studies (Ang et al. 2006, 2009), it reveals that the spread between stock indices exhibiting a high IVOL and stock indices with low IVOL is positive and unrelated to movements in the business cycle. Traditional asset pricing models cannot explain the spread.
Factors influencing venture capital assessment of high growth companies in Malaysia

The urge to develop Malaysia through the growth of technology entrepreneurship has necessitated the government in establishing some technology financing agencies aimed at providing full assistance to technology entrepreneurs. This is because they are perceived to lack in certain support in technical expertise, training, disseminating information and, above all, in financing. The establishment of venture capital firms by the Malaysian Government is with the intention to encourage investments in high growth firms because they find it difficult to raise adequate financing at the early stage for growth due to their perceived high risk and opportunity uncertainty nature. This study elaborates on the assessment criteria of venture capital firms in Malaysia. Multiple case study approach is utilised to collect data for this study. Data is collated, transcribed and manually analysed. This study reported the factors considered by Malaysian venture capital firms when decisions to finance high growth companies are to be taken. The findings from this study will be useful to decision makers in public and private sector, professionals, researchers in Malaysia and other countries.
Evaluation of a Two-Stage Neural Model of Glaucomatous Defect: An Approach to Reduce Test–Retest Variability

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to model perimetric defect and variability and identify stimulus conditions that can reduce variability while retaining good ability to detect glaucomatous defects. Methods. The two-stage neural model of Swanson et al.1 was extended to explore relations among perimetric defect, response variability, and heterogeneous glaucomatous ganglion cell damage. Predictions of the model were evaluated by testing patients with glaucoma using a standard luminance increment 0.43° in diameter and two innovative stimuli designed to tap cortical mechanisms tuned to low spatial frequencies. The innovative stimuli were a luminance-modulated Gabor stimulus (0.5 c/deg) and circular equiluminant red–green chromatic stimuli whose sizes were close to normal Ricco's areas for the chromatic mechanism. Seventeen patients with glaucoma were each tested twice within a 2-week period. Sensitivities were measured at eight locations at eccentricities from 10° to 21° selected in terms of the retinal nerve fiber bundle patterns. Defect depth and response (test–retest) variability were compared for the innovative stimuli and the standard stimulus. Results. The model predicted that response variability in defective areas would be lower for our innovative stimuli than for the conventional perimetric stimulus with similar defect depths if detection of the chromatic and Gabor stimuli was mediated by spatial mechanisms tuned to low spatial frequencies. Experimental data were consistent with these predictions. Depth of defect was similar for all three stimuli (F = 1.67, p > 0.19). Mean response variability was lower for the chromatic stimulus than for the other stimuli (F = 5.58, p < 0.005) and was lower for the Gabor stimulus than for the standard stimulus in areas with more severe defects (t = 2.68, p < 0.005). Variability increased with defect depth for the standard and Gabor stimuli (p < 0.005) but not for the chromatic stimulus (slope less than zero). Conclusions. Use of large perimetric stimuli detected by cortical mechanisms tuned to low spatial frequencies can make it possible to lower response variability without comprising the ability to detect glaucomatous defect.