Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Option-Implied Risk Attitude Under Rank Dependent Utility

Some psychologists and neuroscientists suggest that humans are badly calibrated when dealing with small probabilities and/or tail events. Rank-dependent utility, one of the most important extensions of expected utility, addresses this issue with an inverse-S shaped probability weighting function. In this paper, we employ rank-dependent utility to infer a representative investor's risk preferences from option prices and the time series of the underlying. This preference calculus can explain a pricing kernel's non-monotonicity, violations of second-order stochastic dominance in option markets, and differences in risk-neutral distributions depending on whether they are estimated from option cross sections or from the underlying's time series via Girsanov's theorem. In line with the findings of psychologists and behavioral economists, we fail to reject an inverse-S shaped probability weighting function.
Clinicians’ abilities to estimate cardiac index in ventilated children and infants

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the ability of clinicians involved in the provision of paediatric intensive care to estimate cardiac index in ventilated children, based on physical examination and clinical and bedside laboratory data. METHODS Clinicians were exposed to all available haemodynamic and laboratory data for each patient, allowed to make a physical examination, and asked to first categorise cardiac index as high, high to normal, low to normal, or low, and then to quantify this further with a numerical estimate. Cardiac index was measured simultaneously by femoral artery thermodilution (coefficient of variation 5.37%). One hundred and twelve estimates were made by 27 clinicians on 36 patients (median age 34.5 months). RESULTS Measured cardiac index ranged from 1.39 to 6.84 l/min/m2. Overall, there was poor correlation categorically (κ statistic 0.09, weighted κ 0.169) and numerically (r = 0.24, 95% confidence interval 0.06 to 0.41 ), although some variation was seen among the various levels of seniority. CONCLUSION Assuming that objective measurement, and hence manipulation, of haemodynamic variables may improve outcome, these findings support the need for a safe, accurate, and repeatable technique for measurement of cardiac index in children who are critically ill.
Demonstration of a Coupled Metabolism–Efflux Process at the Choroid Plexus as a Mechanism of Brain Protection Toward Xenobiotics

Brain homeostasis depends on the composition of both brain interstitial fluid and CSF. Whereas the former is largely controlled by the blood–brain barrier, the latter is regulated by a highly specialized blood–CSF interface, the choroid plexus epithelium, which acts either by controlling the influx of blood-borne compounds, or by clearing deleterious molecules and metabolites from CSF. To investigate mechanisms of brain protection at the choroid plexus, the blood–CSF barrier was reconstituted in vitro by culturing epithelial cells isolated from newborn rat choroid plexuses of either the fourth or the lateral ventricle. The cells grown in primary culture on semipermeable membranes established a pure polarized monolayer displaying structural and functional barrier features, (tight junctions, high electric resistance, low permeability to paracellular markers) and maintaining tissue-specific markers (transthyretin) and specific transporters for micronutriments (amino acids, nucleosides). In particular, the high enzymatic drug metabolism capacity of choroid plexus was preserved in the in vitro blood–CSF interface. Using this model, we demonstrated that choroid plexuses can act as an absolute blood–CSF barrier toward 1-naphthol, a cytotoxic, lipophilic model compound, by a coupled metabolism–efflux mechanism. This compound was metabolized in situ via uridine diphosphate glururonosyltransferase-catalyzed conjugation, and the cellular efflux of the glucurono-conjugate was mediated by a transporter predominantly located at the basolateral, i.e., blood-facing membrane. The transport process was temperature-dependent, probenecid-sensitive, and recognized other glucuronides. Efflux of 1-naphthol metabolite was inhibited by intracellular glutathione S-conjugates. This metabolism–polarized efflux process adds a new facet to the understanding of the protective functions of choroid plexuses.
Careers in cross‐cultural perspective

Purpose – This paper aims to introduce a collection of papers about careers in cross‐cultural perspective, which contributes to the growing body of literature that addresses careers from different locations around the world.Design/methodology/approach – Introduces the topic, providing some background and discussion of the main concepts.Findings – Briefly introduces the papers and their main findings – differences and similarities among careers and career attributes in different cultural and national contexts.Originality/value – Contextualizes the issue and extends the overall knowledge in the topic.
IS Development Practice in New Zealand Organisations

A survey of New Zealand organisations with 200 or more full-time employees was undertaken in order to obtain an updated assessment of IS development practice. Over the period surveyed (2001-2003), larger organisations (500 or more FTEs) or those with larger IS functions (10 or more IS FTEs) undertook significantly more IS projects, more expensive projects, more projects in which users participated and more projects in which a standard method was used, than their smaller counterparts. In the same period, there has been a trend towards increased use of packaged software solutions and outsourced development or customisation of packaged solutions. Factors perceived as most important to facilitating or inhibiting development in actual IS projects were related to availability of resources, definition of user requirements, communication between developers and users, project management, management of IS development-related change, and developer knowledge of the IS development context.
Child and Youth Emotional Trauma: An Explanatory Model of Adverse Outcomes

Many child and youth clients of legal and mental health professionals have experienced emotional trauma. Indeed, a recent, salient traumatic event often precipitates the initial consultation. In understanding the client's presentation, an emphasis on the effects of the traumatic event may be simplistic, given many individuals have experienced psychosocial adversity for many years and across a range of domains. This article describes a developmental model that summarises and integrates development from infancy to adolescence. Incorporating a review of the trauma literature, the model is applied to the complex field of emotional trauma outcomes. The discussion includes the useful nosology of Type I versus Type II trauma. The developmental model assists in understanding the breadth of possible adverse outcomes in the context of individual resilience and vulnerability factors, and systemic issues such as the role of parenting, enduring biological factors, family and community resources and wider social issues.
Prediction of an Epidemic Curve: A Supervised Classification Approach

Classification methods are widely used for identifying underlying groupings within datasets and predicting the class for new data objects given a trained classifier. This study introduces a project aimed at using a combination of simulations and classification techniques to predict epidemic curves and infer underlying disease parameters for an ongoing outbreak. Six supervised classification methods (random forest, support vector machines, nearest neighbor with three decision rules, linear and flexible discriminant analysis) were used in identifying partial epidemic curves from six agent-based stochastic simulations of influenza epidemics. The accuracy of the methods was compared using a performance metric based on the McNemar test. The findings showed that: (1) assumptions made by the methods regarding the structure of an epidemic curve influences their performance i.e. methods with fewer assumptions perform best, (2) the performance of most methods is consistent across different individual-based networks for Seattle, Los Angeles and New York and (3) combining classifiers using a weighting approach does not guarantee better prediction.
Effects of voltage unbalance on normalized performance parameters

This paper evaluates the influence of unbalance supply voltage in calculating the various normalized performance parameters of three phase induction motor (3-φ IM). Firstly, the ratio of the various performance parameters of 3-φ IM, viz., stator copper loss, rotor copper loss, efficiency, output power, and output torques, under the condition of unbalance and balance supply voltage are calculated. This ratio is considered as the normalized values of the performance parameters. Secondly, the current unbalance factor, i.e., ratio of negative-to positive sequence current, is considered to evaluate the negative effects of unbalance supply on various performance parameters. The accuracy of the results of the proposed assessment method is validated through Matlab simulation. It is reveal that the unique estimation of the various performance parameters is possible only when the normalized performance parameters are considered with current unbalance factor. Further, linear relationship between voltage and current based index is derived. It is shown that, it is easy to estimate voltage based index from current based if rating of the motor is available. Finally, the need of inclusion of current based index in place of voltage based index is highlighted.
Effects of culture conditions on production of type 5 capsular polysaccharide by human and bovine Staphylococcus aureus strains

Two Staphylococcus aureus strains, the prototype human Reynolds strain and a bovine isolate, were grown in different complex media and in a synthetic medium (D. Taylor and K. T. Holland, J. Appl. Bacteriol. 66:319-329, 1989) and compared for their ability to produce type 5 capsular polysaccharide. Cell-bound and cell-free type 5 capsular polysaccharide were measured by a new one-step competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The total production and the proportion of cell-bound type 5 capsular polysaccharide were dependent on the nature of the medium, the duration of the culture, and the strain. Both strains produced more type 5 capsular polysaccharide when cultivated in the synthetic medium than when cultivated in complex media. The best yield of type 5 capsular polysaccharide, about 300 micrograms/ml of medium, was obtained with strain Reynolds grown for 48 h with shaking in the synthetic broth containing glucose as a carbon source.
The role of dendritic cells in immunity against primary herpes simplex virus infections

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a DNA virus with tropism for infecting skin and mucosal epithelia during the lytic stages of its complex life cycle. The immune system has evolved a multitude of strategies to respond to primary HSV infections. These include rapid innate immune responses largely driven by pattern recognition systems and protective anti-viral immunity. Dendritic cells (DC) represent a versatile and heterogenic group of antigen presenting cells that are important for pathogen recognition at sites of infection and for priming of protective HSV-specific T cells. Here we will review the current knowledge on the role of DCs in the host immune response to primary HSV infection. We will discuss how DCs integrate viral cues into effective innate immune responses, will dissect how HSV infection of DCs interferes with their capacity to migrate from sites of infection to the draining lymph nodes and will outline how migratory DCs can make antigens available to lymph node resident DCs. The role of distinct DC subsets and their relevant contribution to antigen presentation on MHC class I and MHC class II molecules will be detailed in the context of T cell priming in the lymph node and the elicitation of effector function in infected tissues. An improved understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of how DCs recognize HSV, process and present its antigens to naïve and effector T cells will not only assist in the improvement of vaccine-based preventions of this important viral disease, but also serves as a paradigm to resolve basic immunological principles.
A survey of managerial perspective on corporate dividend policy : evidence from Turkish listed firms

This research paper examines the corporate dividend payout behaviours of non-financial firms from Istanbul Stock Exchange (Borsa Istanbul). Survey method is conducted to investigate managerial views on corporate dividend policy. The study investigates whether the evidence in Turkish stock market on dividend policy is similar to the European and the U.S. firms’ results which are reported earlier by other studies, and moreover in what extent Lintner’s (1956) findings on dividends is supported by today’s listed firms in an emerging market. The financial managers from 38 firms out of 216 non-financial companies responded the survey. The results show that there is a significant positive relationship between cash dividends and earnings. Earnings are viewed as the most important factor in dividend decision like in European and the U.S. firms. Sustainable change in earnings, stability and level of future earnings, and the desire to distribute a proportion of earnings to shareholders are the common determinants of dividend policy. The majority of the respondents reports that they target dividends. Dividend yield is the most common measure for dividend targeting. Share repurchases are not viewed as alternative to dividend payouts unlike the U.S. firms. The study finds supporting evidences for bird-in-the-hand and signalling hypotheses, and Lintner’s model.
Penicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus: susceptibility testing, resistance rates and outcome of infection

Abstract Background: Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is an important human pathogen that causes both superficial and invasive infections. Penicillin is now rarely used in the treatment of SA infections due to widespread resistance and a concern about the accuracy of existing methods for penicillin susceptibility testing. The aims of the present study were to determine the frequency of penicillin-susceptible SA isolates from blood and wound cultures in Lund, Sweden, and to evaluate methods for penicillin testing in SA. We also wanted to investigate if penicillin-susceptible isolates are associated with higher mortality. Methods: Hundred blood culture isolates collected 2008/2009, 140 blood culture isolates from 2014/2015, and 141 superficial wound culture strains from 2015 were examined. Penicillin susceptibility was tested with disk diffusion according to EUCAST guidelines, and results were confirmed with a cloverleaf assay and PCR amplification of the BlaZ gene. Patient data for all bacteraemia cases were extracted from medical records. Results: The disk diffusion method with assessment of both zone size and zone edge appearance had high accuracy in our study. About 57% of bacteraemia isolates from 2008/2009 were sensitive to penicillin compared to 29% in 2014/2015 (p < .0001). In superficial wound cultures, 21% were penicillin susceptible. There was no difference in co-morbidity or mortality rates between patients with penicillin resistant and penicillin sensitive SA bacteraemia. Conclusion: Disk-diffusion is a simple and reliable method to detect penicillin resistance in SA, and susceptibility rates are significant. Penicillin has many theoretical advantages and should be considered in the treatment of SA bacteraemia when susceptible.
In vitro release, rheological, and stability studies of mefenamic acid coprecipitates in topical formulations

A suitable topical formulation of mefenamic acid was developed in order to eliminate the gastrointestinal disorders associated with its oral administration. Drug coprecipitates prepared with different polymers at various drug-to-polymer ratios improved drug solubility and dissolution compared to pure drug and physical mixtures. PVP polymers (ratio 1:4) produced the best results. Aqueous ionic cream, ointments of absorption and water soluble bases and gels of methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, HPMC, Carbopol® 934 and 940, and Pluronic® F127 bases containing 1–10% drug as coprecipitates of PVP polymers (1:4) were prepared. The highest drug release was achieved at 1% drug concentration from water soluble base and methylcellulose among cream/ointment and gel bases, respectively. Gels, in general yielded better release than creams/ointments. All tested medicated creams/ointments exhibited plastic flow while all gels conformed to pseudoplasticity. Most of them showed thixotropy, a desired property of topical preparations. Stability studies revealed that HPMC and methylcellulose had the smallest changes in drug content, viscosity, and pH among the formulations. Considering drug release, rheological properties, and stability, methylcellulose gel containing 1% drug as coprecipitates of PVP K90 was the best among the studied formulations, was promising for improving bioavailability of mefenamic acid and can be used in future studies.
Novel Biomarker Proteins in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Impact on Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment

In many cancers, cells undergo re-programming of metabolism, cell survival and anti-apoptotic defense strategies, with the proteins mediating this reprogramming representing potential biomarkers. Here, we searched for novel biomarker proteins in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that can impact diagnosis, treatment and prognosis by comparing the protein expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from CLL patients and healthy donors using specific antibodies, mass spectrometry and binary logistic regression analyses and other bioinformatics tools. Mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MS/MS) analysis identified 1,360 proteins whose expression levels were modified in CLL-derived lymphocytes. Some of these proteins were previously connected to different cancer types, including CLL, while four other highly expressed proteins were not previously reported to be associated with cancer, and here, for the first time, DDX46 and AK3 are linked to CLL. Down-regulation expression of two of these proteins resulted in cell growth inhibition. High DDX46 expression levels were associated with shorter survival of CLL patients and thus can serve as a prognosis marker. The proteins with modified expression include proteins involved in RNA splicing and translation and particularly mitochondrial proteins involved in apoptosis and metabolism. Thus, we focused on several metabolism- and apoptosis-modulating proteins, particularly on the voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), regulating both metabolism and apoptosis. Expression levels of Bcl-2, VDAC1, MAVS, AIF and SMAC/Diablo were markedly increased in CLL-derived lymphocytes. VDAC1 levels were highly correlated with the amount of CLL-cancerous CD19+/CD5+ cells and with the levels of all other apoptosis-modulating proteins tested. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated the ability to predict probability of disease with over 90% accuracy. Finally, based on the changes in the levels of several proteins in CLL patients, as revealed from LC-HR-MS/MS, we could distinguish between patients in a stable disease state and those who would be later transferred to anti-cancer treatments. The over-expressed proteins can thus serve as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognosis, new targets for CLL therapy, and treatment guidance of CLL, forming the basis for personalized therapy.
Vascular risk factors for atherosclerotic lesions of the middle cerebral artery detected by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)

Objectives ‐ To examine the relationship between atherosclerotic lesions of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) detected on MRA and vascular risk factors. Material and methods ‐ We retrospectively assessed 279 patients (mean age, 69.0 + 11.3 years) who visited the Department of Neurology of Masuda Red Cross Hospital and underwent three‐dimensional, time‐of‐flight MRA of the head between January 1996 and October 1998. Cases of cerebral embolism and internal carotid artery occlusion were excluded. Diagnoses were cerebral infarction (n= 152) and others (n= 127). We evaluated stenotic or occlusive lesions of the MCA (Ml portion), using MRA. Age, sex, history of hypertension, HbAlc, total cholesterol, fasting triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, lipoprotein(a), blood pressure, hematocrit, smoking and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) on ECG were included in the analysis. Results ‐ 36 patients (12.9%) had stenotic or occlusive lesions of the MCA on MRA. Univariate analysis showed that age, hypertension and HbAlc were significantly correlated with MCA lesions. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that HbAlC and hypertension were significant and independent predictors for MCA lesions. Conclusion ‐ Hypertension and high serum HbAlc levels may contribute to the development of atherosclerotic lesions of the MCA in Japanese people.
The Dimensions of Self-Concept (Dosc) as Predictors of Academic Achievement Among Mexican-American Junior High School Students

(ITBS) and (2) to ascertain the differential validity of the DOSC scales in comparison of male (n = 168) and female (n = 128) students. Relative to the first purpose the following results become apparent : (1) Level of Aspiration scores were correlated . 58 and . 62, respectively, with Total Language and Composite scores at the . 01 level of significance and . 21 with Total Mathematics scores (p < .05); (2) Anxiety scores were correlated -. 39 and -. 47, respectively, with Total Mathematics and Composite scores (p < .01) and -. 23 with Total Language scores (p < .05); and (3) Academic Interest and Satisfaction was correlated . 24 (p < .05) with Composite scores. In fulfilling the second purpose, a two group discriminant analysis involving a composite of the five DOSC scales yielded a canonical correlation of 0.41 (p < .01) corresponding to a chi-square of 53.17 (df = 5). Level of Aspiration (p < .01) and Anxiety (p < .05) scales proved to be valid discriminators. Mexican-American males did show higher Levels of Aspiration and lower Anxiety scale scores than did Mexican-American females. It was concluded that two and