Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of a Novel Methylphenidate Extended-Release Oral Suspension (MEROS) in ADHD

Objective: To test whether an optimal dose of Quillivant XR (methylphenidate extended-release oral suspension [MEROS]) would significantly reduce symptoms of ADHD in children. Method: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, efficacy, safety, and tolerability study of MEROS in 45 children aged 6 to 12 years (open-label dose-optimization phase, followed by double-blind cross-over period). Results: MEROS was significantly more efficacious than placebo during double-blind cross-over laboratory classroom days (Swanson, Kotkin, Agler, M-Flynn, and Pelham Rating Scale and Permanent Product Measure of Performance). During the open-label phase, improvements were observed in scores of ADHD Rating Scale-IV, and Clinical Global Impression-Severity and -Improvement Scales. No occurrences of suicidal ideation or behavior were recorded; the most common open-label treatment-emergent adverse events were typical of stimulant use: decreased appetite, insomnia, and abdominal pain. Conclusion: MEROS was efficacious in the treatment of children aged 6 to 12 years with ADHD, with a safety profile similar to that of other extended-release methylphenidate pharmacotherapies.
The capital structure choices of family firms: Evidence from Italian medium-large unlisted firms

Purpose - – This paper aims to examine the determinants of capital structure of unlisted firms and how family governance-related factors impact on them. Design/methodology/approach - – The authors analyze the relation between a set of capital structure determinants and leverage in a unique dataset of 3,006 family and non-family Italian medium-large firms (26,210 obs.), and a control sample of 2,730 small firms (14,780 obs.), using cross-section and panel procedures during 2001-2010. Findings - – Capital structure choices of medium-large family firms are linked to balance-sheet variables not used in previous studies, i.e. net working capital and capital turnover, and are significantly affected by the need to maintain control and influence, a relevant dimension of family socioemotional wealth. Family firms are more levered than non-family firms, but the difference is economically and statistically significant only for medium-large companies. The presence of the family in active management increases leverage, as the family endowment in the firm is higher. Research limitations/implications - – This research could be developed through an international comparison to check the influence of country-related regulatory issues and of national cultural aspects on family control and influence. Practical implications - – The results can give public authorities important insights in order to facilitate firms funding specially in the current critical economic scenario and provide managers useful suggestions to support financial decisions. Originality/value - – To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to explore the financial choices of a large dataset of medium-large private firms in a bank-based economy.
Firm Entry and Exit in the Canadian Manufacturing Sector, 1970-1982

This paper measures the importance of entry and exit to the Canadian manufacturing sector in the 1970s. It focuses on the size of entrants as they move from a stage of infancy to adolescence. The exit rates of births, their length of life, and the growth path of entrants are presented. Distinctions are made between greenfield and merger entry. While entrants are small at birth, the cumulative effect of successive cohorts of entrants in the 1970s adds up to a significant fraction of all firms and total sales by 1979.
The Relationship of Principal Leadership and Teacher Morale

Keith A. Rowland. THE RELATIONSHIP OF PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP AND TEACHER MORALE. (Under the direction of Dr. Clarence Holland) School of Education, March, 2008. This Study examined the relationship of the leadership practices of middle school principals and the morale of the teachers in these schools. Seven middle schools in a Metropolitan Atlanta school system participated in the study. The Leadership Practices Inventory was used to collect information on the principal practices and the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire was used to collect information on teacher morale. Results indicated that principal leadership and teacher morale were significantly correlated and that the leadership practice of Enable Others to Act had the strongest positive correlation to teacher morale. These results imply that a principal’s daily behavior plays a vital role in the environment of the school. Implications for practice and recommendations for further research are also included.
Understanding the Food Environment in a Low-Income Urban Setting: Implications for Food Store Interventions

ABSTRACT Obesity and other diet-related chronic disease affect low-income ethnic minority populations at high rates. Formative research was used to develop a food store–based intervention for low-income African Americans in Baltimore City. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods were used, including in-depth interviews with food store owners (n = 19) and low-income residents (n = 17), food source assessment (n = 11 census tracts), a consumer survey (n = 50), and direct observations (n = 6). Healthy food options were poorly available in low-income census tracts, with no fresh fruits and vegetables sold in 6 census tracts. Local consumers purchase less healthy options and prepare foods in ways that add fat. Corner stores are a common food source, but store owners expressed reservations about stocking healthier food options, citing low consumer demand for healthier products. Residents were unhappy with the limited range of healthy food options available but tended to see obesity as the result of poor personal and parental choices. Neighborhood food stores have the potential to provide healthy food choices, reinforce health messages, increase the population reached by nutritional interventions, and work with local residents to facilitate healthier dietary choices.
Effect of One-Year Subcutaneous and Sublingual Immunotherapy on Clinical and Laboratory Parameters in Children with Rhinitis and Asthma: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Double-Dummy Study

Background: It has been reported that both sublingual (SLIT) and subcutaneous (SCIT) allergen-specific immunotherapy have clinical efficacy, yet there are rather few comparative placebo studies of children. We aimed to investigate the clinical and immunological efficacy of mite-specific SLIT and SCIT versus a placebo in rhinitis and asthma in children. Methods: The outcomes of this 1-year, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, double-dummy study were symptom and medication scores, visual analog scores (VAS), titrated skin prick tests, nasal and bronchial allergen provocation doses, serum house dust mite-specific immunglobulin E (HDM-sIgE), sIgG4, IL-10 and IFN-γ levels. Results: Clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated in 30 patients. SCIT significantly diminished symptom and medication scores for rhinitis and asthma (p = 0.03 and p = 0.05 for rhinitis; p = 0.01 and p = 0.05 for asthma) and VAS. SLIT also reduced VAS, symptoms associated with rhinitis and asthma as well as medication usage for rhinitis, but this reduction was not significant when compared with the placebo. Skin reactivitiy to HDM and HDM-sIgE levels was reduced significantly in both immunotherapy groups. Serum IL-10 levels and nasal provocative doses increased significantly with both SCIT and SLIT. Nasal eosinophil increments after nasal challenge decreased with two treatment modes, but bronchial provocative doses and sputum eosinophil increments after bronchial challenge were reduced only with SCIT. In both treatment arms, there was no change in IFN-γ levels. Serum sIgG4 levels increased significantly only in the SCIT group. Conclusion: Based on the limited number of patients at the end of the 1-year immunotherapy, the clinical efficacy of SCIT on rhinitis and asthma symptoms was more evident when compared with the placebo.
R&D, Human Capital and International Technology Spillovers: A Cross‐country Analysis

This paper is based on recent developments in the theory of innovation-driven growth that emphasize both the importance of R&D efforts - domestic as well as foreign - for explaining national productivity, and the complementarity between R&D and human capital investments. Estimates of specifications, in growth terms and in level terms, on a cross-section of OECD countries from the early 1960s to the early 1990s lend strong support to this thesis. The data show a significant influence of both domestic and foreign R&D. Moreover, there is clearly a net positive impact of human capital. The level and growth rate of human capital are shown to affect productivity growth and there is evidence of interaction with the catch-up process.
Organizational Culture and the Paradox of Performance Management

Many public organizations collect information indicating whether their operations, programs, and policies achieve the desired performance outcomes, but often they do not use this information. Why do managers in some public organizations fail to use performance information to achieve desired outcomes? Why is the idea behind the implementation of performance management not reflected in the observed behavior of public managers? Organizational culture is a conceptual tool that can provide useful insights into this paradox. This article proposes that culture manifests itself at different levels of an organization and presents a set of propositions on the use of performance information that takes into account both the different levels of organizational culture and the different cultures in an organization.
H1N1 was not all that scary: uncertainty and stressor appraisals predict anxiety related to a coming viral threat.

H1N1 reached pandemic proportions in 2009, yet considerable ambivalence was apparent concerning the threat presented and the inclination to be vaccinated. The present investigation assessed several factors, notably appraisals of the threat, intolerance of uncertainty, and familiarity with the virus, that might contribute to reactions to a potential future viral threat. Canadian adults (N = 316) provided with several scenarios regarding viral threats reported moderate feelings of anxiety, irrespective of whether the viral threat was one that was familiar versus one that was entirely unfamiliar to them (H1N1 recurrence, H5N1, a fictitious virus: D3N4). Participants appraised the stressfulness of the threats to be moderate and believed that they would have control in this situation. However, among individuals with high intolerance of uncertainty, the viral threat was accompanied by high levels of anxiety, which was mediated by aspects of appraisals, particularly control and stressfulness. In addition, among those individuals that generally appraised ambiguous life events as being stressful, the viral threat appraisals were accompanied by still greater anxiety. Given the limited response to potential viral threats, these results raise concerns that the public may be hesitant to heed recommendations should another pandemic occur.
Continued Low Rates of Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Norway

ABSTRACT In this study, we determined the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated in Norway from 1999 to 2001. The results were compared to those for strains isolated from 1994 to 1998. A total of 818 patients were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) during the last 3-year period. Of these cases, 576 (70%) were verified by culturing, and strains from 551 patients (96%) were analyzed by the IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method. We excluded 13 strains (2.4%) from the analyses, since they were found to represent false-positive samples. A total of 67 strains (12%) that carried fewer than five copies of IS6110 were analyzed by spoligotyping. The strains were from 157 patients (29%) of Norwegian origin and 381 patients (71%) of foreign origin. The rate of diversity among all of the strains was 90%, while in 1994 to 1998 it was 87%. Clusters were assumed to have arisen from recent transmission; the degree of such transmission was 10% in 1999 to 2001, while for the whole 8-year period (1994 to 2001), it was 11%. Of the 109 patients diagnosed as being part of a cluster in 1999 to 2001, 89 were infected with a strain that carried more than four copies of IS6110. Among these 89 patients, 52 (58%) were infected with a strain that had already been identified in 1994 to 1998. The results indicated that most cases of TB in Norway were due to the import of new strains rather than to transmission within the country. This finding demonstrates that screening of immigrants for TB upon arrival in Norway needs to be improved. Outbreaks, however, were caused mainly by strains that have been circulating in Norway for many years.
The Le Fort III Osteotomy: To Distract or Not to Distract?

Treatment of the craniofacial dysostoses (e.g., Crouzon, Apert, Pfeiffer, Saethre‐Chotzen syndromes) is critically dependent on the successful advancement of the midface with a Le Fort III procedure. The purpose of this retrospective clinical outcome study was to evaluate a new technique for distracting the Le Fort III procedure and to compare its results in growing children with those of the standard Le Fort III osteotomy. The records of 22 children were reviewed; 10 patients (mean age, 6.5 years) underwent a standard Le Fort III procedure, and 12 patients (mean age, 7.5 years) underwent a Le Fort III distraction procedure. The distraction group included two separate techniques, bilateral buried distraction (n = 2) and halo distraction (n = 10). Preoperative and 2‐ to 3‐month postoperative cephalograms were analyzed. The average horizontal advancement achieved in the standard Le Fort III group was 6 mm, compared with 19 mm of advancement in the distraction group (p ≤ 0.005). Complications were evenly distributed between the two groups (one infection and one tracheostomy in each group), and the lengths of hospitalization were similar. No documented improvement in sleep apnea was identified in the standard Le Fort III group. However, in the distraction group two patients experienced normalization of sleep studies postoperatively as measured by respiratory disturbance index, and two patients underwent successful decannulation of tracheotomies. For aesthetic reasons, halo distraction was preferred over bilateral buried distraction. With halo distraction the vector of traction is focused in the facial midline, which helps to reposition the concave midface and to provide a more convex facial profile. In growing children, the ideal vector for distraction is determined by the malar position and not by dental occlusion. The amount of overcorrection can be calculated from tables of normal anthropologic data. On this preliminary review, it was concluded that the use of halo distraction, in combination with a modified Le Fort III osteotomy, provided a significantly further forward‐positioned midface and seemed to offer a better correction of sleep apnea than did the standard Le Fort III osteotomy. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 107: 1091, 2001.)
The Effect of Deregulation on Employee Earnings: Pilots, Flight Attendants, and Mechanics, 1959–1992

Previous studies of the effect of the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act on employee earnings have reported mixed results: some have found no negative long-run effect of deregulation and others have found a negative effect of up to 10%. Most of these studies relied on cross-sectional analysis of a few years' data. This paper, in contrast, examines the long-term trends in airline earnings, based on 34 years of newly collected firm-level data from the Department of Transportation's Form 41 and airline workers' unions. The author finds that although deregulation had no statistically significant effect on the earnings of mechanics, it strongly affected the earnings of flight attendants and pilots. Flight attendants' earnings were at least 12% lower by 1985 and 39% lower by 1992 than they would have been if deregulation had not occurred, and the corresponding shortfalls for pilots were 12% and 22%.
Exploiting Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in Human Neurogenesis—Controlling Lineage Specification and Fate

Unspecialized, self-renewing stem cells have extraordinary application to regenerative medicine due to their multilineage differentiation potential. Stem cell therapies through replenishing damaged or lost cells in the injured area is an attractive treatment of brain trauma and neurodegenerative neurological disorders. Several stem cell types have neurogenic potential including neural stem cells (NSCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Currently, effective use of these cells is limited by our lack of understanding and ability to direct lineage commitment and differentiation of neural lineages. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are ubiquitous proteins within the stem cell microenvironment or niche and are found localized on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix (ECM), where they interact with numerous signaling molecules. The glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains carried by HSPGs are heterogeneous carbohydrates comprised of repeating disaccharides with specific sulfation patterns that govern ligand interactions to numerous factors including the fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and wingless-type MMTV integration site family (Wnts). As such, HSPGs are plausible targets for guiding and controlling neural stem cell lineage fate. In this review, we provide an overview of HSPG family members syndecans and glypicans, and perlecan and their role in neurogenesis. We summarize the structural changes and subsequent functional implications of heparan sulfate as cells undergo neural lineage differentiation as well as outline the role of HSPG core protein expression throughout mammalian neural development and their function as cell receptors and co-receptors. Finally, we highlight suitable biomimetic approaches for exploiting the role of HSPGs in mammalian neurogenesis to control and tailor cell differentiation into specific lineages. An improved ability to control stem cell specific neural lineage fate and produce abundant cells of lineage specificity will further advance stem cell therapy for the development of improved repair of neurological disorders. We propose a deeper understanding of HSPG-mediated neurogenesis can potentially provide novel therapeutic targets of neurogenesis.
Organizational commitment of Chinese employees in foreign-invested firms

Organizational commitment is believed to be critical to organizational effectiveness and has been studied extensively in Western management research. It is claimed that the organizational commitment construct developed in Western contexts is valid across nations and cultures (Meyer, Stanley, Herscovitch and Topolnytsky 2002) and is a global predictor of intention to quit (Campbell and Campbell 2003). In this study we seek to understand whether organizational commitment differs between various cultures by exploring the organizational commitment of local employees in the Chinese subsidiary stores of a British multinational retailer and its relationship with employees' willingness to stay. China constitutes an important location to test such theories given its rapid integration into the global economy along with increased levels of labour turnover that have become a serious problem for many foreign‐invested enterprises. It is a timely point at which to investigate the factors that underlie both labour turnover and retention in China and to explore whether organizational commitment contributes to retention. The multinational selected for the research operates over 50 stores in 23 Chinese cities and has become that country's third largest foreign retailer and its largest home improvement chain store.
Resource Use in the Production and Consumption System—The MIPS Approach

The concept Material Input per Service Unit (MIPS) was developed 20 years ago as a measure for the overall natural resource use of products and services. The material intensity analysis is used to calculate the material footprint of any economic activities in production and consumption. Environmental assessment has developed extensive databases for life cycle inventories, which can additionally be adopted for material intensity analysis. Based on practical experience in measuring material footprints on the micro level, this paper presents the current state of research and methodology development: it shows the international discussions on the importance of accounting methodologies to measure progress in resource efficiency. The MIPS approach is presented and its micro level application for assessing value chains, supporting business management, and operationalizing sustainability strategies is discussed. Linkages to output-oriented Life Cycle Assessment as well as to Material Flow Analysis (MFA) at the macro level are pointed out. Finally we come to the conclusion that the MIPS approach provides relevant knowledge on resource and energy input at the micro level for fact-based decision-making in science, policy, business, and consumption.
Factors influencing quality corporate governance in Sub Saharan Africa: an empirical study

Purpose – This study aims to examine the factors influencing the quality of corporate governance in South Africa (SA). Firm-level variables including performance, firm size, leverage, investment opportunities and audit quality were identified from the corporate governance literature. Design/methodology/approach – The study used ordinary least squares regression on firm-specific and corporate governance variables obtained from panel data of 247-firm years obtained from the annual reports of the 50 largest companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Securities Exchange of SA. Findings – This study found leverage, firm size and investment opportunities as the main factors influencing the quality of corporate governance in SA. Research limitations/implications – The research findings should be interpreted in the light of the following limitations. First, the study sample consists of the 50 largest firms listed in the JSE of SA. Because these are large companies, the results may not be generalize.