Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors Associated with Human Papillomavirus Vaccination among Chinese Female University Students in Hong Kong

This study explored the participation rate for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, determined their level of acceptability of HPV vaccination and identified its associated factors among female university students in Hong Kong. A convenience sample of 247 female university students was recruited from a university in Hong Kong in 2008. The uptake rate of HPV vaccine was 9.7%. Higher level of knowledge in cervical cancer and vaccine, acceptability of HPV vaccine, and perceived barrier of ‘not likely to have cervical cancer’ of HPV vaccination were associated with a greater likelihood of HPV vaccination while a higher level in the perceived barrier of ‘cost of vaccination’ was associated with a smaller likelihood of the vaccination. The uptake of HPV vaccine was low in Hong Kong female university students. A number of modifiable factors associated with HPV vaccination were identified which provides specific targets for interventions.
International Accounting Diversity: Does it Impact Market Participants?

While many indicators point to the globalization of capital markets, one barrier may persist -- International Accounting Diversity. Even though coordination of many national policies is gaining favor, the measurement and disclosure principles that underlie financial statements remain largely a nationalistic affair. In this paper, we analyze the channels through which accounting diversity affects financial statements. Accounting differences may affect cash flows and lead to a direct affect on valuation. Accounting differences may also affect balance sheet items and measures of capital adequacy or credit worthiness that indirectly affect managerial decisions and firm valuation. In a survey of participants in the international capital market, we find that accounting diversity is a problem that affects the capital market decisions of roughly one-half of the participants in our study. Thus, we cannot rule out the possibility that international accounting diversity is a barrier whose presence may affect the pricing of securities and the composition of international portfolios. On the other hand, roughly one-half of the participants in this study found what they described as effective ways of coping with diversity. These coping mechanisms may be useful for other investors and issuers in making their capital market decisions.
Intraductal Cooling via a Nasobiliary Tube During Radiofrequency Ablation of Central Liver Tumors Reduces Biliary Injuries.

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to determine the safety and efficacy of intraductal perfusion of chilled 5% dextrose in water (D5W) via an endoscopic nasobiliary tube (NBT) for the prevention of thermal bile duct injury in patients undergoing percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of central liver tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a retrospective study comparing outcomes of 32 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous RFA of central liver tumors without intraductal perfusion of chilled D5W (control cohort) and 14 consecutive patients who underwent temporary intraductal perfusion of chilled D5W at 2 mL/s via endoscopic NBT placement before RFA (endoscopic NBT cohort). The primary and secondary outcomes were the rate of biliary complications and local tumor progression, respectively. RESULTS All patients tolerated the procedures well. There was a significantly lower rate of biliary complications in the endoscopic NBT cohort (0/14 patients, 0%) than in the control cohort (10/32 patients, 31%) (p < 0.03) with a trend toward improved preservation of liver function in the endoscopic NBT cohort (12/14 patients, 86%) compared with the control cohort (20/32 patients, 62%) (p = 0.05). There was no difference in the rate of local tumor progression between the endoscopic NBT cohort (4/19 tumors, 21%) and the control cohort (9/39 tumors, 23%) (p = 1.0). CONCLUSION Perfusion of chilled water through an endoscopic NBT helps prevent thermal biliary injury during RFA of central liver tumors without increasing rates of local tumor progression.
Home‐school partnership – a study of opinions of selected parents and teachers in Kwazulu Natal Province, South Africa

Education is the business of both the schools and the homes. A school’s success is more assured with joint efforts of teachers, pupils, parents and the local communities. However, translating home–school partnership into positive impact is dependent on how partnership is conceived since it is this that determines the approaches to and the forms or practices characteristic of the partnership. Thus, to understand how homes and schools interact together to positively influence school, or the educational process, the conceptualisation of home–school partnership, including in terms of attitudes to it, the benefits expected to be derived from it and its characteristic practices, need to be examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of home–school partnership, or how homes and schools in Kwazulu Natal province of South Africa interact together to influence learning and development of children. Two hundred and thirteen participants (127 parents and 86 teachers) who volunteered to participate in the study were requested to indicate practices of home–school partnership they were aware of existing between homes and schools in their communities. The study also sought participants’ opinions regarding their attitudes to, the benefits of and what they consider as barriers to home–school partnership. A structured questionnaire was employed to gather relevant information. The results revealed that participants were unaware of many partnership practices presented to them on the questionnaire although they expressed favourable attitudes to partnership and agreed to suggestions regarding benefits of partnership presented to them on the questionnaire. A major implication of the results is the need for teacher education programmes to feature training of teachers in strategies for encouraging parental involvement in children’s education through the design, initiation, and implementation of effective programmes that foster home–school partnership.
Comparison of sick leave patterns between Norway and Denmark in the health and care sector: A register study

Aims: Sickness absence is of considerable concern in both Norway and Denmark. Labour Force Surveys indicate that absence in Norway is about twice that in Denmark and twice that of the mean reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. This study compares absence patterns according to age, percentage of employment, and occupation between municipal employees in the health and care sectors in two municipalities in Norway and Denmark. Methods: Data recorded in the personnel registers of the municipalities of Kristiansand, Norway and Aarhus, Denmark were extracted for the years 2004 and 2008, revealing 3498 and 7751 employee-years, respectively. We calculated absence rates together with number of sick leave episodes, and their association with the above-mentioned covariates. Gender-specific comparative descriptive statistics and negative binomial regression analysis were performed. Results: The sickness absence rate in women was 11.3% in Norway (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.2–11.4) and 7.0% in Denmark (95% CI 7.0–7.1) whereas mean number of sick leave episodes among women was 2.4 in Denmark, compared to 2.3 in Norway (p = 0.02). Young employees in Denmark had more sick leave episodes than in Norway. Proportion of absentees was higher in Denmark compared to Norway (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The finding of that more employees in Denmark have more frequent, but shorter sick leave episodes compared to Norway, for whatever reasons, may indicate that more frequent sick leaves episodes prevent higher sick leaves rates.
Estimating voxel volume fractions of trabecular bone on the basis of magnetic resonance images acquired in vivo

A method is described for extracting information from images acquired in the limited spatial resolution regime in which the structures to be identified are smaller than the image voxel size. Under these conditions and in the presence of noise, the voxel intensity histogram is monomodal; therefore, segmenting the image with an intensity threshold is inaccurate. The present method, which is applicable to two‐phase materials of discrete intensity, relies on iterative deconvolution to obtain a noiseless histogram. A noiseless image is then generated on the basis of the noiseless histogram and the unprocessed image. In the current work, the method is referred to as bone volume fraction (BVF) mapping, since it has been applied to determine the spatial distribution of trabecular bone. BVF computed from maps generated on the basis of in vivo magnetic resonance images of the human radius has been shown to compare well with bone mineral density (R2 = 0.8). The accuracy and precision of BVF measurements have been further evaluated by using a BVF map of the radius as a gold standard and then adding different levels of noise to generate test images. The results suggest that the error in BVF is <0.01 for SNR > 8. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 10, 186–198, 1999
Incorporating External Knowledge to Answer Open-Domain Visual Questions with Dynamic Memory Networks

Visual Question Answering (VQA) has attracted much attention since it offers insight into the relationships between the multi-modal analysis of images and natural language. Most of the current algorithms are incapable of answering open-domain questions that require to perform reasoning beyond the image contents. To address this issue, we propose a novel framework which endows the model capabilities in answering more complex questions by leveraging massive external knowledge with dynamic memory networks. Specifically, the questions along with the corresponding images trigger a process to retrieve the relevant information in external knowledge bases, which are embedded into a continuous vector space by preserving the entity-relation structures. Afterwards, we employ dynamic memory networks to attend to the large body of facts in the knowledge graph and images, and then perform reasoning over these facts to generate corresponding answers. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our model not only achieves the state-of-the-art performance in the visual question answering task, but can also answer open-domain questions effectively by leveraging the external knowledge.
The Volatility of Long-Term Interest Rates and Expectations Models of the Term Structure

Models which represent long-term interest rates as long averages of expected short-term interest rates imply, because of the smoothing implicit in the averaging, that long rates should not be too volatile. The volatility of actual long-term interest rates, as measured by the variance of short-term holding yields on long-term bonds, appears to exceed limits imposed by the models. Such excess volatility implies a kind of forecastability for long rates. Long rates show a slight tendency to fall when they are high relative to short rates rather than rise as predicted by expectations models.
Sinking Funds and the Cost of Corporate Debt

TWO MAJOR REASONS GENERALLY are cited for including sinking fund provisions in corporate bond issues. First, they reduce default risk by providing for an orderly debt service pattern that systematically reduces the principal outstanding. Second, purchases for the sinking fund help provide a liquid market for the bond issue (see [2]). This reasoning suggests that the yield required by investors-and, therefore, the issuer's interest costs-will be lower for debt obligations that carry sinking fund requirements than for those that do not. In their analysis of sinking funds and investor realized yields, Jen and Wert [4] demonstrate that lower yields on bond issues with sinking funds can be explained by the term structure of interest rates. They also point out that this yield effect results in a reduced interest rate to the issuer. The apparent benefits of sinking fund provisions notwithstanding, the incidence of such bonds varies according to the type of issuer. In particular, public utility and finance company obligations often are issued without sinking fund provisions, whereas industrials almost invariably include sinking fund requirements (see [2]). The type, amount, and timing of sinking fund requirements also varies. ' This paper examines the effect of sinking funds on the interest cost for a given bond issue and on an issuing firm's total costs in maintaining a given level of debt financing.
Partnership dissolution with interdependent values

We study partnership dissolution when valuations are interdependent and only one party is informed. In contrast with the case of private values (Cramton, Gibbons, and Klemperer, 1987), in which efficient trade is feasible whenever initial shares are about equal, there exists a wide class of situations in which full efficiency cannot be reached. In these cases, (i) the subsidy required to restore the first best is minimal when the entire ownership is allocated initially to one of the parties, and (ii) ruling out external subsidies, the second-best welfare is maximized when one of the parties initially has full ownership.
Adaptive Regulation of Nonlinear Systems with Unmodeled Dynamics

Conditions are given for global stability of an adaptive control law designed for the reduced order model of a class of higher order nonlinear plants. In the presence of unmodeled dynamics. which account for the difference between the model and the plant, the regulation property is preserved in a stability region. The size of the region is estimated via a set of bounds that not only proves robustness, but also allows a comparison between adaptive and nonadaptive nonlinear controls.
Effect of Network Unbundling on Retail Prices: Evidence from the Telecommunications Act of 1996

This paper empirically examines the effects of network unbundling on retail prices in U.S. local telephone markets. Panel data for 7,604 wire centers in 43 states from 1996 to 2002 are used to estimate the price effects from the unbundling and entry-promoting conditions of the Telecommunications Act. Results show that Section 271 led to the rebalancing of prices between customer groups in which residential prices increased and the prices paid by small businesses decreased. There is some rebalancing of prices between urban and rural regions, with business prices decreasing by a larger amount in urban regions. Our results from all markets indicate that regulators responded rationally to competition by rebalancing prices to reduce cross subsidies.
Effect of Moderate-intensity Exercise Session on Preprandial and Postprandial Responses of Circulating Ghrelin and Appetite

Responses of plasma total ghrelin and appetite were investigated during preprandial and postprandial stages of recovery from a moderate-intensity cycling session. Healthy recreationally active men underwent one exercise and one control trial. In the exercise trial, subjects exercised for approximately 60 minutes, while in the control trial they rested quietly for the same duration. After the intervention, subjects rested for 120 minutes and then consumed a test meal. Measurements were obtained immediately and 120 minutes after the intervention and then during 180 minutes of the postprandial period. The post-intervention concentration of total ghrelin was lower (p<0.05) in the exercise than in the control trial. The modulating effect of exercise was related to the reduction in the postprandial rather than preprandial concentration. Post-intervention scores of appetite were not different between the two trials, but when preprandial and postprandial responses were considered separately, postprandial hunger and desire to eat was higher (p<0.05) in the exercise trial. In summary, during recovery from moderate-intensity exercise, total ghrelin does not respond in a compensatory manner to disturbances in energy balance. Thus, an exercise-induced increase in appetite during the later stages of recovery coinciding with the postprandial state cannot be explained by changes in the plasma concentration of total ghrelin.
Esophageal perforation: the importance of early diagnosis and primary repair.

SUMMARY. Esophageal perforation is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, particularly if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Despite the many advances in thoracic surgery, the management of patients with esophageal perforation remains controversial. We performed a retrospective clinical review of 36 patients, 15 women (41.7%) and 21 men (58.3%), treated at our hospital for esophageal perforation between 1989 and 2002. The mean age was 54.3 years (range 7–76 years). Iatrogenic causes were found in 63.9% of perforations, foreign body perforation in 16.7%, traumatic perforation in 13.9% and spontaneous rupture in 5.5%. Perforation occurred in the cervical esophagus in 12 cases, thoracic esophagus in 13 and abdominal esophagus in 11. Pain was the most common presenting symptom, occurring in 24 patients (66.7%). Dyspnea was noted in 14 patients (38.9%), fever in 12 (33.3%) and subcutaneous emphysema in 25 (69.4%). Management of esophageal perforation included primary closure in 19 (52.8%), resection in seven (19.4%) and non-surgical therapy in 10 (27.8%). The 30-day mortality was found to be 13.9%, and mean hospital stay was 24.4 days. In the surgically treated group the mortality rate was three of 26 patients (11.5%), and two of 10 patients (20%) in the conservatively managed group. Survival was significantly influenced by a delay of more than 24 h in the initiation of treatment. Primary closure within 24 h resulted in the most favorable outcome. Esophageal perforation is a life threatening condition, and any delay in diagnosis and therapy remains a major contributor to the attendant mortality.
Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm (IPMN) of the Pancreas: Its Histopathologic Difference Between 2 Major Types

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is a unique pancreatic neoplasm developing in the ductal system. Two major histologic subtypes have been reported, that is the gastric type and the intestinal type. However, their histopathologic features, especially those of the gastric type, have not been fully described. To evaluate the features of these two types and refine their differences, we analyzed 80 IPMNs including 50 cases of the gastric type and 30 cases of the intestinal type with mucin immunohistochemistry. By defining a main duct-type lesion as predominantly involving the main pancreatic duct with or without branch ducts, and a branch duct-type lesion as exclusively centered on branch ducts or consisting of a collection of small cystic lesions, gastric-type IPMNs were mostly branch duct-type lesions (98%), whereas the intestinal-type IPMNs were usually main duct type (73%). The histologic grade of the intestinal type was generally higher than that of the gastric type. The intestinal type was also characterized by frequent intraluminal nodular growth, and severe atrophy and fibrosis of the surrounding parenchyma with mucous lake formation. In contrast, pyloric glandlike structures at the base of the papillae and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN)-like complexes were more frequently observed in the gastric type. A significant difference was observed between the gastric type and the intestinal type with regard to all the above features (P<0.05). Seven cases (23%) of the intestinal type were associated with an invasive adenocarcinoma (6 mucinous and 1 ductal), versus only 1 case (2%) of the gastric type (invasive ductal carcinoma). All cases of both gastric and intestinal types expressed MUC5AC; however, high immunolabeling scores for MUC2 were mostly observed in the intestinal type (P<0.05). In conclusion, gastric and intestinal types of IPMNs have distinct histopathologic features and mucin profiles, suggesting that they may follow different biologic pathways.
Analyzing the Relationships Among Race, Wealth, and Home Ownership in America

Abstract This paper presents new evidence on the determinants of the large disparities in home ownership by race in the U.S. Consistent with results first reported by P. Linneman and S. M. Wachter (1989,AREOFA J.7, No. 4, 389–402), we find noceteris paribusracial differences in ownership rates among white and minority households who possess sufficient wealth to meet down payment and closing cost requirements associated with standard mortgage underwriting criteria. However, substantial racial differences among wealth-constrained households exist, with constrained whites owning at higher rates than observationally equivalent minority households. Because minorities are disproportionately constrained by wealth-related underwriting standards, these differentials apply to roughly one-third of the white households in our samples and well over one-half of the minority sample. A multinomial model that treats central city versus suburban location as a choice variable in addition to tenure status is also estimated. The results show that even among households unconstrained by wealth-related underwriting considerations, minorities are much more likely than whites to own in central city locations. Thus, while controlling for wealth constraint status does eliminate tenure choice differences among the unconstrained, location differences remain for this group. They also are present among constrained households. Given the disparate fortunes of central city and suburban land markets in many metropolitan areas, this racial location pattern of ownership may have important long-run impacts on wealth distribution by race.
A refinement of the relationship between economic growth and income inequality

There is mixed evidence in the literature of a clear relationship between income inequality and economic growth. Most of that work has focused almost exclusively on developed economies. In what we believe to be a first effort, our emphasis is solely on developing economics, which we classify as high-income and low-income developing countries (HIDC and LIDC). We make such distinction on theoretical and empirical grounds. Empirically, the World Bank has classified developing economies in this manner since 1978. The data in our sample are also supportive of such classifications. We provide theoretical scaffolding that uses asymmetric credit constraints as a premise for separating developing economies in such a way. We find strong evidence of a negative relationship between income inequality and economic growth in LIDC to be in stark contrast with a positive inequality–growth relationship for HIDC. Both correlations are statistically significant across multiple econometric specifications. Using international data from 1960 to 2010, this article explores the effect of income inequality on economic growth using dynamic panel technique, such as system generalized method of moments (GMM) that is believed to mitigate endogenous problem. These results are strikingly contrasting to the previous estimation results of Forbes (2000) displaying significant positive correlation between two variables in the short to medium term.