Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A two-year follow-up study of risk of depression according to work-unit measures of psychological demands and decision latitude.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to examine if high psychological demands and low decision latitude at work increase the risk of depression. METHODS In 2007, 4237 non-depressed Danish public employees within 378 different work units were enrolled in the study. Mean levels of psychological demands and decision latitude were computed for each work unit to obtain exposure measures that were robust to reporting bias. In 2009, 3046 (72%) participated at follow-up, and those reporting high levels of depressive, burnout or stress symptoms went through a psychiatric interview by which 58 cases of new onset depression were diagnosed. Odds ratios (OR) of depression for different levels of work unit mean psychological demands and decision latitude were estimated by logistic regression taking established risk factors into account. RESULTS The OR for depression according to psychological demands was 1.07 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.42-2.49] for every unit of change on a 5-point scale. The corresponding OR for decision latitude was 1.85 (95% CI 0.55-6.26). No interactive effects of psychological demands and decision latitude were observed. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that low decision latitude may predict depression, but confidence intervals are wide and findings are also compatible with no increased risk.
Value of CEA level determination in gallbladder bile in the diagnosis of liver metastases secondary to colorectal adenocarcinoma.

CONTEXT The relevance of colorectal adenocarcinoma lies in its high incidence, with the liver being the organ most frequently affected by distant metastases. Liver metastases occur in 40 to 50% of patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma, accounting for approximately 80% of deaths in the first three postoperative years. Nevertheless, despite this, they are occasionally susceptible to curative treatment. OBJECTIVE The present investigation focused on the relationship between the level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in gallbladder bile and the presence of liver metastases secondary to colorectal adenocarcinoma. DESIGN Diagnostic test study. SETTING Surgical Gastroenterology Discipline at the São Paulo Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil. SAMPLE Forty-five patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma were studied, 30 without liver metastases (group I), and 15 with liver metastases (group II). Diagnosis of liver metastases was made through computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography during arterial portography. Samples of peripheral blood, portal system blood, and gallbladder bile were collected from patients during the surgical procedure. A control group composed of 18 organ donors underwent the same material collection procedures. CEA level determination was made through fluoroimmunoassay. RESULTS Mean CEA value in peripheral serum was 2.0 ng/ml (range: 0.7 to 3.8 ng/ml) in the control group, 11.4 ng/ml (range: 0.5 to 110.3 ng/ml) in group I, and 66.0 ng/ml (range: 2.1 to 670 ng/ml) in group II. In the portal system, serum mean values found were 1.9 ng/ml (range: 0.4 to 5.0 ng/ml) in the control group, 15.3 ng/ml (range: 0.8 to 133.3 ng/ml) in group I, and 70.8 ng/ml (range: 1.8 to 725 ng/ml) in group II. Mean values found in gallbladder bile were 4.1 ng/ml (range: 1.0 to 8.6 ng/ml) in the control group, 14.3 ng/ml (range: zero to 93.0 ng/ml) in group I, and 154.8 ng/ml (range: 14.0 to 534.7 ng/ml) in group II. CONCLUSIONS The CEA level in gallbladder bile is elevated in patients with liver metastases. Determination of CEA both in peripheral serum and in gallbladder bile enabled patients with liver metastases to be distinguished from those without such lesions. The level of CEA in gallbladder bile, however, seems to lead to a more accurate diagnosis of liver metastases secondary to colorectal adenocarcinoma.
Quality versus Quantity: The Case of Forward-Looking Disclosure

Empirical studies do not make a clear distinction between the quantity and quality of disclosure. As it is generally assumed that the quantity of information has an implication in determining its quality, quantity measures are often used as proxy for disclosure quality. Nonetheless, the measurement of the quality of disclosure is recognized as a relevant question that is still open and the importance of developing measures of disclosure quality is emphasized in literature. This paper disputes the idea that the quantity of disclosure is a sound proxy for the quality of disclosure. The adoption of multidimensional frameworks for the appreciation of disclosure is discussed and an index for quality disclosure is proposed. Moving from the assumption that high-quality information should usefully support external users in the judgment of past and future performance, we hypothesize that high-quality disclosure is positively associated with accuracy and negatively associated with the dispersion of analysts' earnings forecasts. We show analytically that the proposed framework captures dimensions of annual report disclosure that are considered useful by financial analysts in forecasting earnings and that the proposed measure of disclosure quality has a stronger positive statistical association with accuracy and a stronger negative association with the dispersion of financial analysts' earnings forecasts than a simple index of disclosure quantity has.
Insider Trading and the Post‐Earnings Announcement Drift

We show that trades by corporate insiders after an earnings announcement determine in part the extent of the postâ€ earnings announcement drift anomaly. Contrarian trades mitigate the underâ€ reaction to earnings announcements, and confirmatory trades allow for price discovery with price movements continuing in the same direction as the earnings surprise. These results are consistent with insider trading being a mechanism that provides relevant information on transitory or permanent changes to the earnings process, allowing the market to make appropriate inferences about the nature of the earnings surprise.
Capital Mobility in African Countries

It is well known that one of the important aspects of achieving sustainable development is to preserve macroeconomic stability, which is closely related to the extent of capital mobility. Given the importance of the subject for open economies, this paper examines the degree of capital mobility for African countries by using among other methodologies the Feldstein- Horioka coefficients. To determine those coefficients, we use time series data and methods, along with the Dynamic Heterogeneous panel approach. We find significant cross-country heterogeneity in the dynamic of income per capita, investment rate, and saving rate; and conclude that it is invalid to pool data across our sample countries. Furthemore, the empirical findings reveal that for African countries included in the sample, the estimated saving retention coefficients are at the same time, small and high indicating respectively higher and lower degrees of capital mobility and therefore, challenging the results of Feldstein – Horioka on developing countries.
Learning sustainable water practices through participatory irrigation management in Thailand

Participatory irrigation management (PIM) was adopted in Thailand in 2004 to encourage the sustainable use of water in the agricultural sector. The research presented in this paper sought to understand the relationships between public participation, learning, and the implementation of more sustainable water practices through PIM in Thailand. Data was collected through document reviews, observation, informal meetings, and a total of 55 semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews of local irrigators from two case study regions around the Krasiew Reservoir. Results showed that participating in PIM activities facilitated both instrumental (e.g., water supply and demand data, benefits of on‐time water delivery) and communicative (e.g., reasons for past PIM failure, expectations of fellow farmers) learning among PIM participants. Findings also revealed that social action is fostered through the recognition of human dignity and compassionate communication that instils a sense of ownership and solidarity among irrigators. Sustainable water practices among local farmers were spurred further through learning that the reservoir is a finite water source.
Dynamic Inbound Rate Adjustment Scheme for Virtualized Cloud Data Centers

This paper proposes a rate adjustment scheme for inbound data traffic on a virtualized host. Most prior studies on network virtualization have only focused on outbound traffic, yet many cloud applications rely on inbound traffic performance. The proposed scheme adjusts the inbound rates of virtual network interfaces dynamically in proportion to the bandwidth demands of the virtual machines. key words: network virtualization, dynamic rate adjustment, inbound data traffic, cloud application
Fifty Years of Psychological Contract Research: What Do We Know and What are the Main Challenges?

The 24th volume in this prestigious series of annual volumes, the International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2009 includes scholarly, thoroughly researched, and state–of–the–art overviews of developments across a wide range of topics in industrial and organizational psychology. An international team of highly respected contributors reviews the latest research and issues in the field with eight chapters supported by extensive bibliographies. This volume is ideal for organizational psychologists, MSc level students in organizational psychology, and researchers seeking literature on current practice in industrial and organizational psychology.
CEO pay, firm size, and corporate performance: evidence from Canada

Executive compensation of 755 Canadian firms is examined over the period 1991-95, and evidence is obtained consistent with previous studies: CEO pay rises with firm size and compensation is tied to company performance. In addition, executives in utilities earn lower pay, and their compensation is less responsive to performance, than is true for their counterparts in other industries. Some novel findings are also documented. First, the sales elasticity of CEO compensation is greater in larger firms. Second, while CEO turnover probability is generally negatively related to the firm's stock performance, the threat of dismissal appear to be less pronounced in small firms.
The role of relative absorptive capacity in improving suppliers' operational performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between relative absorptive capacity and suppliers' operational performance.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses structural equation modelling of survey data from 218 Canadian manufacturers referring to a particular relationship with one of their customers.Findings – Results suggest that only the first dimension of the relative absorptive capacity – knowledge sharing routines – influences the knowledge transferred from the customer to the supplier. Knowledge transfer acts as a mediator between knowledge sharing routines and the supplier's operational performance improvement.Research limitations/implications – The absence of a significant association between the second dimension of relative absorptive capacity – overlapped knowledge bases – and knowledge transfer is a surprising result that should be further investigated.Originality/value – This appears to be the first study to operationalise and empirically test relative absorptive capacit.
Triple Antiviral Therapy as a New Option for Patients With Interferon Nonresponsive Chronic Hepatitis C

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of triple antiviral therapy with interferon, ribavirin, and amantadine in comparison with interferon and ribavirin combination treatment in patients with interferon‐nonresponsive chronic hepatitis C. We performed an open‐label, prospective randomized controlled trial at a secondary referral center. We used a 2:1 ratio, patients received interferon, ribavirin, and amantadine, or interferon and ribavirin for 12 months, and were followed up for an additional 6 months. Ninety‐four consecutive adult interferon nonresponders with chronic hepatitis C were screened. Sixty consecutive elected patients entered the study. No patients withdrew because of adverse effects. Forty patients received interferon alfa (5 megaunits on alternate days), ribavirin (800‐1,000 mg daily), and amantadine (200 mg daily) for 12 months, and 20 patients received the same treatment without amantadine. At the end of follow‐up, alanine transaminase (ALT) level normalization was maintained in 23 of 40 patients (57%) after triple therapy, but in 2 of 20 patients (10%) after double therapy (P < .001, RR = 2.11, 95% CI, 1.43‐3.12), whereas disappearance of serum HCV RNA persisted in 19 of 40 patients (48%) and in 1 of 20 patients (5%), respectively (P < .001, RR = 1.81, 95% CI, 1.32‐2.47). The safety profile was similar in the 2 groups. In conclusion, in patients with interferon‐nonresponsive chronic hepatitis C, triple antiviral therapy for 1 year results in a high rate of sustained biochemical and virologic responses.
Genomic organization and polymorphisms detected by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography of porcine SLC11A1 gene

SLC11A1 (also known as Natural Resistance Associated Macrophage Protein1, NRAMP1) plays a crucial role in resistance of inbred mice to infection with several intracellular pathogens such as Mycobacterium, Leishmania and Salmonella. In this study, PCR amplification and sequencing were performed to obtain the genomic organization and sequence of porcine SLC11A1 gene by comparative genomic analysis. Results showed that porcine SLC11A1 gene consists of 15 exons and 14 introns, which is consistent with that of mice and human. All introns were sequenced and their nucleotide sequences were submitted to GenBank. The exon/intron boundaries were determined by comparing cDNA sequence with amplified genomic DNA sequences. Mutational analysis was performed on exonic and neighboring intronic region by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and sequencing confirmation. Forty polymorphisms were identified; six are located in exons and thirty-four in introns. Two exonic polymorphisms are nonsynonymous changes (D6H and V175I), three are synonymous changes (S23, G33 and I155), and one is in 3′ UTR. The availability of the fine genomic organization and identification of the polymorphisms will facilitate the evaluation of porcine SLC11A1 functional role in diseases resistance or susceptibility.
Microcredit, Income Assistance, and Households' Time Allocation to Self-employment

Douglas A. Akhimienmhonan University of Saskatchewan Microcredit, Income Assistance, and Households’ Time Allocation to Self-employment Co supervisors: Dr. Murray E. Fulton and Dr. David Natcher This study develops a model to explain why some households in the United States and Canada opt for microcredit (MC) that seems to decrease their utilities in the short term. Some microcredit participants allocate time to less-productive microenterprises rather than engage in paid work. The role of sequential lending is examined in understanding household participation in microcredit programs. Sequential lending means that a household’s current use of microcredit gives it access to greater funds in the future. Under a multi-period model, the effect of current use of microcredit on future utilities is captured. To keep the analysis simple, households are assumed to live in two periods — the present and the future. The model acknowledges that households are heterogeneous with respect to their relative preference for income and leisure. Two types of households are assumed. The type-1 household has a high relative preference for income: the type-2 household has a high relative preference for leisure. Each household has a reservation utility, — the utility it would derive if it self-selected out of the microcredit program. The reservation utility derives from leisure and paid earnings (as well as from income assistance benefits in the case of income assistance recipients). Each household also faces a utility from self-selecting into the microcredit program. The microcredit is small, thus the current period utility from participating in the MC program may be less than the current period reservation utility. But with sequential lending, a current period participant will have access to a larger loan in the future and utility with that loan may increase beyond the reservation utility. Each household self-selects into the microcredit program only if the net present value of its anticipated utility with microcredit exceeds the net present value of its reservation utility. A household’s likelihood of self-selecting into the microcredit program is an increasing function of its discount factor, its productivity in self-employment, and the size of
Uncertainty, Political Clientelism, and Voter Turnout in Latin America: Why Parties Conduct Rallies in Argentina

Party brokers have information about voters’ political preferences and their likelihood of turning out to vote, and are able to target clientelistic inducements and monitor voter participation in exchange for voters’ electoral support. Yet, brokers may also use the clientelistic inducements they receive from party bosses to pursue their personal enrichment, at the cost of lost votes for their party. Why would brokers distribute party goods to voters? I argue that bosses force brokers to pursue the party’s electoral goals rather than their own material gain by distributing rewards and punishments based on their ability to turn out voters. Drawing on an original dataset that traces the political careers of 555 municipal candidates between 1995 and 2005, with field and archival research, participant observation, and over 100 in-depth interviews gathered during 24 months of fieldwork across precincts in Argentina, I show how bosses combine information from voter turnout at rallies and elections. I find that it is by comparing a broker’s ability to mobilize voters to rallies and elections that bosses are able to make better inferences about reliable brokers who will distribute party goods to voters, and unreliable brokers who will use party goods to pad their own pockets.
The Great Divide: political candidate and voter polarisation over Global Warming in Australia

Attitude polarization between conservative and progressive politicians over global warming has an important influence upon public acceptance of action on climate change. Political party identification theorists claim that political elites provide cues that guide party supporters on complex political issues. In Australia, as in the USA, the UK and elsewhere, public attitudes on climate change are deeply divided on the basis of party identification and political ideology. Multivariate analyses of Australian candidate and voter survey data show that coalition candidates and their supporters are far less likely than their Labor or Greens counterparts to believe global warming will pose a serious threat to their way of life. Attitudes toward global warming are also more polarized according to party allegiance among candidates than among voters. Controlling for social background and political ideology, Coalition identifiers are less concerned about the dangers of climate change, far less supportive of the carbon tax and less likely to support renewable energy options than Greens or Labor identifiers are, but much more supportive of nuclear power as an alternative energy source.
Dissociations between Conscious Access and Unconscious Processing in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe and complex psychiatric disorder resulting in delusions, hallucinations, and cognitive impairments. Across a variety of paradigms, an elevated threshold for conscious perception has been repeatedly observed in persons with schizophrenia. Remarkably, even subtle measures of subliminal processing appear to be preserved. We argue here that the dissociation between impaired conscious access and intact unconscious processing may be due to a specific disruption of top-down attentional amplification. This proposal is compatible with the neurophysiological disturbances observed in schizophrenia, including dysconnectivity, abnormal neural oscillations, and glutamatergic and cholinergic dysregulation. Therefore, placing impaired conscious access as a central feature of schizophrenia can help researchers develop a coherent and parsimonious pathophysiological framework of the disease.
Personality and the gender wage gap

In this study, we investigate whether personality traits contribute towards a better understanding of the reasons for the gender wage gap. We explore whether two of the personality factors put forward by Bowles et al. (2001) as likely to be incentive enhancing in the employer–employee relationship can explain the difference in wages for women and men. These are (1) personal self efficacy (Locus of Control (LoC)) and (2) time preference. We also study the role of the so called Big Five personality traits (extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, openness intellect and conscientiousness), which have been associated with earnings in several recent studies. Using a sample of Dutch employees, we found that 11.5% of the observed gender wage gap could be ascribed to differences in the personality trait scores (mainly in agreeableness and intellect), while less than 0.5% could be ascribed to gender differences in the returns to the traits. The addition of personality traits to a traditional human capital model reduces the unexplained part of the gender wage gap from 75.2% to 62.7%. We therefore conclude that these traits represent a valuable addition to the model.
Motor vehicle crash fatalities in the elderly: rural versus urban.

BACKGROUND The elderly contribute disproportionately to hospital trauma mortality and expense. This population and its traffic fatality rate are increasing. The purpose of this study was to determine how the effect of age on vehicle-related mortality is modified by population density. METHODS FARS data for vehicle drivers and passengers were analyzed after linkage to census age-specific county population and area estimates. Characteristics of crash fatalities in the elderly (> or =65 years old) were compared with younger victims, for each quartile of county population density. RESULTS There were 5905 fatalities among the elderly, and 26,159 among the younger population, yielding annual rates (per 100,000) of 17.6 and 11.4. Rates were higher in counties with lower population density, but always higher among the elderly. Elderly fatal crash victims in all county quartiles were less likely to be male, unrestrained, riding with an intoxicated driver, or traveling over 60 MPH; all these risk factors were more frequent at lower population densities, regardless of age. Fatal crashes at intersections were more likely in the elderly, especially at higher population densities. CONCLUSION Older age and lower population density independently increase vehicle-related mortality. Differing characteristics in each category suggest different preventive strategies.