Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Mobile Apps to Promote a Healthy Lifestyle Among Adolescents and Students: A Review of the Theoretical Basis and Lessons Learned

Background European adolescents and students tend to have low levels of physical activity and eat unhealthy foods, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased, which poses a public health challenge. Mobile apps play an important role in their daily lives, suggesting their potential to be used in health-promoting strategies. Objective This review aimed to explore how mobile apps can contribute to the promotion of healthy nutrition, physical activity, and prevention of overweight in adolescents and students. For the apps identified, the review describes the content, the theoretical mechanisms applied, and lessons learned. Methods The databases Scopus, MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched for English-language publications from January 2009 to November 2013. Studies were included if (1) the primary component of the intervention involves an app; (2) the intervention targets healthy nutrition, or physical activity, or overweight prevention; and (3) the target group included adolescents or students (aged 12-25 years). Results A total of 15 studies were included, which describe 12 unique apps. Ten of these apps functioned as monitoring tools for assessing dietary intake or physical activity levels. The other apps used a Web-based platform to challenge users to exercise and to allow users to list and photograph their problem foods. For 5 apps, the behavioral theory underpinning their development was clearly specified. Frequently applied behavior change techniques are prompting self-monitoring of behavior and providing feedback on performance. Apps can function self-contained, but most of them are used as part of therapy or to strengthen school programs. From the age of 10 years users may be capable of using apps. Only 4 apps were developed specifically for adolescents. All apps were tested on a small scale and for a short period. Conclusions Despite large potential and abundant usage by young people, limited research is available on apps and health promotion for adolescents. Apps seem to be a promising health promotion strategy as a monitoring tool. Apps can enable users to set targets, enhance self‐monitoring, and increase awareness. Three apps incorporated social features, making them “social media,” but hardly any evidence appeared available about their potential.
Determinants of the premium in forward contracts

Whilst the benefits of forward contracting for goods and services have been extensively researched in terms of mitigating market power effects in spot markets, we analyse how the risk in spot price formation induces a counteracting premium in the contract prices. We consider and test a wide-ranging set of propositions, involving fundamental, behavioural, dynamic, market conduct and shock components, on a long data set from the most liquid of European electricity forward markets, the EEX. We show that part of what is conventionally regarded as the market price of risk in electricity is actually that of its underlying fuel commodity, gas; that market power has a double effect on prices, insofar as it increases spot prices and induces a forward premium; that oil price sentiment spills over and that the premium reacts to scarcity and the higher moments of spot price uncertainty. We observe that considerations of the scale and determinants of the forward premium are at least as important as the market power effects in spot market price formation when evaluating the efficiency of wholesale power trading.
Nerve conduction and surface electromyography of lower limbs of barbers: effect of anthropometric variables

Nerve conduction and surface electromyography of lower limbs of barbers: effect of anthropometric variables. Background: Nerve conduction studies (NCS) are conventionally performed with electromyography (EMG), which is electro diagnostic studies, provides a comprehensive evaluation of suspected nerve, muscle and/or neuromuscular impairment. Several studies had shown a significant effect of anthropometric variables on nerve conduction variables while their effects on surface EMG variables are hardly known.
Long run trends and volatility spillovers in daily exchange rates

Recent evidence has suggested that a model capable of capturing multiple volatility dynamics best describes daily exchange rate volatility. Estimation of a model that can capture long-run and short-run volatility movement also allows issues relating to financial and economic integration between countries to be examined. More specifically, the long-run component for comovement can be examined and spillover effects tested for in mean and volatility, the latter of which is suggestive of policy co-ordination. Using a series of dollar exchange rates supportive evidence is reported of a long-run/short-run decomposition for volatility, and existence of three long-run volatility trends, one for the European series and a trend each for the non-European series. Further, significant volatility spillovers are reported, notably amongst the European series. These results are thus supportive of increased convergence between these economies.
An Analysis of Industry Forces, Strategic Implementation, and Performance: Evidence from State-owned Hotels in China

This study explores the influence of industry forces, strategic implementation, and business performance of state-owned hotels in China. The findings show that industry forces of competitors, customers, and new hotel entrants have a crucial influence on the strategic development of state-owned hotels whereas substitutes and suppliers have less impact. The hotels under study applied differentiation to position themselves by implementing strategies of branding, human resources, advanced information technology, and cost efficiency. Differentiation enables state-owned hotels to achieve desirable performance. Hoteliers in China should monitor the effect of industry forces to sustain strengths, grasp opportunities, avoid threats, and overcome weaknesses.
An Aid-Institutions Paradox? A Review Essay on Aid Dependency and State Building in Sub-Saharan Africa

A number of proposals today support a substantial increase in foreign aid levels to sub-Saharan Africa even though this region already receives a historically unprecedented volume of aid. This essay reviews the evidence regarding the potentially negative effects of aid dependence on state institutions, a topic which has received relatively little attention. We note several pathways through which political institutions might be adversely affected and devote particular attention to fiscal and state revenue issues. In addition to reviewing the economic literature on the aid-revenue relationship, this essay brings in the long-standing political science literature on state-building to consider the potential impact of aid dependence on the relationship between state and citizen. We conclude that states which can raise a substantial proportion of their revenues from the international community are less accountable to their citizens and under less pressure to maintain popular legitimacy. They are therefore less likely to have the incentives to cultivate and invest in effective public institutions. As a result, substantial increases in aid inflows over a sustained period could have a harmful effect on institutional development in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dynamic and Static Approaches to Mixed Good Management: The Case of Minke Whales in the Northeast Atlantic

Whales have private and public good characteristics. A dynamic model, developed to capture the complexities of managing such a resource, yields optimal steady-state estimates suggesting that the current stock of minke whales in the Northeast Atlantic is below the steady-state optimum. The dynamics of the optimal approach to the steady state are consistent with drastic measures such as the current moratorium on commercial whaling. These findings are not consistent with previous research in this field. The discrepancies should be attributed to the inclusion of non-use values in the present paper. Finally, we compare the outcomes of the dynamic model with the results of a simple static model. We find that the latter consistently errs on the side of excessive exploitation because of its failure to account for the impact of current harvesting on future benefits and costs. Copyright 1998 by Oxford University Press.
An appraisal of blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier dysfunction during the course of Guillain Barré syndrome.

BACKGROUND Elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total protein (TP) concentration (mainly due to a dysfunctional blood-CSF barrier (B-CSFB)) with normal cell count is a hallmark for the diagnosis of Guillain-Barriota syndrome (GBS). AIMS This work presents the evaluation of B-CSFB dysfunction with respect to the course, severity, and clinical features of GBS. MATERIALS AND METHODS A sample of CSF was collected on admission from 68 patients of both genders (15 children and 53 adults) diagnosed with GBS. A follow-up CSF sample was obtained approximately 15 days after admission. TP concentration was determined in the CSF and 7.5% polycrylamide gel electrophoresis was employed for serum and CSF protein fractioning. A low percentage of prealbumin fraction was considered a test of impaired B-CSFB. RESULTS Elevated TP concentration and lower prealbumin were observed in almost 70% of the patients on admission, but this percentage was lower (52.4%) during the first week from onset of symptoms. Both variables were directly associated with the time of evolution of the disease and also with a greater clinical severity. Follow-up CSF studies showed higher CSF TP and lower prealbumin percentages, while deceased patients did not display this response pattern in the follow-up CSF. CONCLUSIONS B-CSFB dysfunction was present in only half of the patients with GBS during the first week from onset and it was directly associated with progression and clinical severity; nevertheless, a low B-CSFB dysfunction response during follow-up was associated with a lethal outcome, suggesting it could also serve a 'protective' effect during regeneration.
Education and the education of teachers

Part 1: Education 1. Education and the Educated Man 2. The Meaning of Quality in Education 3. Ambiguities in Liberal Education and the Problem of its Content 4. Dilemmas in Library Education 5. The Justification of Education 6. Was Plato Nearly Right about Education? Part 2: The Education of Teachers 7. The Place of Philosophy in the Training of Teachers 8. 'Education' as a Specific Preparation for Teaching 9. Education as an Academic Discipline 10. The Role and Responsibilities of the University in Teacher Education
Prevention of pulmonary morbidity for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of a new respiratory management protocol on respiratory morbidity and hospitalization rates for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DESIGN A retrospective cohort study. METHODS Using a protocol in which oxyhemoglobin desaturation was prevented or reversed by the use of noninvasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) and assisted coughing as needed, the hospitalization rates and days for 24 protocol DMD ventilator users were compared with those of 22 nonprotocol DMD tracheostomy IPPV users. RESULTS The 22 conventionally managed patients were hospitalized a mean of 72.2+/-112 days when undergoing tracheostomy. This included a 16.1+/-5.4-day period of translaryngeal intubation. The 24 protocol patients were hospitalized a mean of 6.0+/-2.4 days (p<0.005) when beginning ventilator use. Over their next 126.2 patient-years of ventilator use, the 24 protocol patients had significantly lower rates of hospitalization (p<0.008) and hospitalization days (p<0.005) than had the tracheostomy IPPV users over a 167.2 patient-year period. This is true although 14 of the 24 protocol patients went on to require 24-h noninvasive IPPV for 4.5+/-3.6 years. Five of the 14 have yet to be hospitalized. CONCLUSION The use of inspiratory and expiratory aids can prolong survival while significantly decreasing the pulmonary morbidity and hospitalization rates associated with conventional resort to tracheostomy IPPV.
Ultrasound biomicroscopy-Doppler in mouse cardiovascular development 1

Phoon, Colin K. L. , and Daniel H. Turnbull. Ultrasound biomicroscopy-Doppler in mouse cardiovascular development. Physiol Genomics 14: 3–15, 2003; 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00008. 2003. —The ability to modify the mouse genome has yielded new insights into the genetic control of mammalian cardiovascular development. However, it is far less understood how genetic factors and their consequent structural changes alter cardiovascular function, a void largely due to the lack of effective noninvasive techniques to assess function in the developing mouse cardiovascular system. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM)-Doppler echocardiography for analyzing cardiovascular function in the embryonic mouse in utero. “Cardiovascular function” encompasses broad aspects of physiology, including systolic and diastolic cardiac function, distribution of blood flow among various embryonic vascular beds, and vascular bed properties (impedance). A wide range of physiological measurements is possible using UBM-Doppler, but it is clear that the limitations of any single measurement warrant a multi-parameter approach to characterizing cardiovascular function. We further discuss the prospects for UBMDoppler analysis of alternative vertebrate systems increasingly studied in developmental biology. The ability to correlate cardiovascular physiological phenotypes with their corresponding genotypes should lead to the elucidation of mechanisms underlying normal development, as well as embryonic disease and death.
The accelerating effect of market demand in the creativity generating process: a case study

This paper proposes a conceptual framework to explain the role of 'market demand' in the creativity generating process. Including the critical attributes of the market demand, Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease-of-Use (PEOU), into the stages of problem identification and response validation not only reduces unnecessary trial-and-error iterations but also converts subjective values into the more objective 'market value'. The gaps among creativity, innovation, and business performance can be bridged, and organisations can accelerate the transformation of creativity into innovation and business performance. This research uses a case study to illustrate the conceptual framework and suggests that managers include the concept of market demand into the company culture, incorporating market demand into R&D training and remuneration policies, to better compete in today's fast-changing society.
Conservative management of parotid fistula and sialocele

Sialocele is a collection of saliva in the subcutaneous tissue or in the glandular tissues. When this communicates with the skin and drains it is known as parotid fistula. The causes are sharp penetrating trauma, infectious drainage, TMJ surgery, parotidectomy, condylar fracture reduction. We report a case of parotid fistula is due to sharp penetrating object and a case of parotid sialocele following open reduction of condylar fracture. There are numerous methods of treatment of parotid fistula and sialocele. Here we followed repeated aspiration, pressure dressing and oral administration of hyoscine. The excellent result was achieved with conservative therapy.
Formal Opportunity, Informal Barriers: Black Women Managers within a Local Authority

This article examines the equal opportunities policies of a local authority which were intended to improve the representation of black women managers. It reports the types of initiatives and proportions of black women employed in different grades over time; and discusses the organisational context, contrasting the views of personnel and line managers, and EO specialists, with those of black women who had achieved senior positions. These latter accounts illustrated how inequalities were sustained despite, and at times in articulation with, an EO policy which was relatively successful in formal terms. Findings are discussed with reference to two criticisms made of EO policies: inadequate implementation, and a failure to redress the effects of social inequalities or challenge white, male work norms. The article suggests that increasing formal controls or the range of initiatives is insufficient: better ways of understanding and challenging the role of organisational structures, cultures and politics in sustaining inequality is needed.
Parks, streets and “just empty space”: the local environmental experiences of children and young people in a Scottish study

This article is concerned with the nature and significance of inequality in the environmental experience of children and young people. We argue that research in this area needs to widen in perspective and address a complex set of environmental attributes that matter to children and young people, and to their development. Discussing a study conducted in three differing locations in Scotland, the paper examines the local places that were important to children and young people, and the factors that affected the benefits they derived from them. The results illustrate that unequal experiences arise partly through different material provision of environmental goods, but also issues of quality and maintenance, and that relational dynamics have a crucial role. An important concern is not just the quality of experiences in the present, but the effects that environmental experiences in early life have on skills and capacities taken forward into adulthood.
Acute-phase response following full-mouth versus quadrant non-surgical periodontal treatment: A randomized clinical trial.

AIM A moderate acute-phase response occurs 24-h following full-mouth non-surgical treatment (FM-SRP). The aim of this study was to compare acute-phase (24-h) and medium-term (3 months) inflammation after quadrant scaling (Q-SRP) versus FM-SRP. MATERIAL & METHODS Thirty-eight periodontitis-affected subjects were randomly allocated to FM-SRP or Q-SRP after a baseline visit. Periodontal and anthropometric parameters were collected at baseline and 3 months. Serum samples were drawn at baseline, 1, 7, and 90 days after treatment. High-sensitivity assays of inflammation and endothelial assays were performed. RESULTS FM-SRP produced a greater acute-phase response after 24 h [threefold increase in C-reactive protein (CRP), twofold increase in interleukin (IL-6), and a slight increase in tumour necrosis factor]. No differences in systemic biomarkers were noted between groups at any later follow-ups. Both periodontal treatments produced a comparable improvement in clinical periodontal parameters with no between-group differences. Treatment time was positively associated with the relative 24-h increase in CRP (R = 0.5, p < 0.001) and IL-6 (R = 0.5, p = 0.002), while the number of deeper (>6 mm) pockets predicted only the relative increase in IL-6 (R = 0.4, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS FM-SRP triggers a moderate acute-phase response of 24 h duration compared to Q-SRP. Further research is needed to assess the eventual impact of such findings on the risk of vascular events is advocated. (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01857804).
TRPV4 Regulates Tight Junctions and Affects Differentiation in a Cell Culture Model of the Corneal Epithelium

TRPV4 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 4) is a cation channel activated by hypotonicity, moderate heat, or shear stress. We describe the expression of TRPV4 during the differentiation of a corneal epithelial cell model, RCE1(5T5) cells. TRPV4 is a late differentiation feature that is concentrated in the apical membrane of the outmost cell layer of the stratified epithelia. Ca2+ imaging experiments showed that TRPV4 activation with GSK1016790A produced an influx of calcium that was blunted by the specific TRPV4 blocker RN‐1734. We analyzed the involvement of TRPV4 in RCE1(5T5) epithelial differentiation by measuring the development of transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) as an indicator of the tight junction (TJ) assembly. We showed that TRPV4 activity was necessary to establish the TJ. In differentiated epithelia, activation of TRPV4 increases the TER and the accumulation of claudin‐4 in cell–cell contacts. Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) up‐regulates the TER of corneal epithelial cultures, and we show here that TRPV4 activation mimicked this EGF effect. Conversely, TRPV4 inhibition or knock down by specific shRNA prevented the increase in TER. Moreover, TRPP2, an EGF‐activated channel that forms heteromeric complexes with TRPV4, is also concentrated in the outmost cell layer of differentiated RCE1(5T5) sheets. This suggests that the EGF regulation of the TJ may involve a heterotetrameric TRPV4‐TRPP2 channel. These results demonstrated TRPV4 activity was necessary for the correct establishment of TJ in corneal epithelia and as well as the regulation of both the barrier function of TJ and its ability to respond to EGF. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 1794–1807, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mutual fund selection criteria: evidence from Malaysia

Purpose - Under its “Members Investment Scheme” strategic initiative, the Malaysian Employees Provident Fund (EPF) permits its members to invest part of their retirement savings in approved external funds. Given there is an increasing number of unit trust funds available in the market, it is not an easy task for members to make this investment choice decision. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceived importance of fund selection criteria within the context of retirement savings in Malaysia. In addition, it also seeks to examine whether there is a relationship between religious affiliation and choice of fund. Design/methodology/approach - A questionnaire-survey was carried out among 440 individual EPF members. Findings - The survey results show that the ranking of mutual fund selection criteria differs between Muslim and non-Muslim members. Past performance was the most important criterion valued by the non-Muslim EPF members. In line with conforming to religious belief, the fund's commitment to Islamic principles was the most important criterion considered by Muslim EPF members. Both type of religious group members also considered the overall reputation of the fund as important criterion in selecting a mutual fund. Research limitations/implications - The paper is subject to the normal limitations associated with survey research. Practical implications - The findings of this study can help fund management companies to better promote their funds to the right investors. Originality/value - The paper provides empirical evidence regarding mutual fund selection criteria from the perspectives of individual investors.
What factors drive and which act as a brake on the convergence of financial statements in EMU member countries

The results of recent macroeconomic studies have consistently reflected economic convergence among the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) countries. In this paper, we propose to analyse financial measures to discover whether or not the business structures of the EMU countries have grown any closer together. The study is based on a non‐linear principal components analysis in order to achieve a double objective. In the first place, the aim is to find out which factors have been significant for the joint evolution of financial variables over a ten‐year period (1990 to 1999). In the second place, it is to examine the performance of firms in each of the EMU countries in order to assess business convergence between them. The results of the study indicate high levels of convergence in the profitability vs. leverage dimension, while structural differences between countries in the labour productivity vs. sales efficiency dimension have hindered convergence in business practices.