Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variáveis fundamentalistas e os retornos das ações

This paper examines the influence of three fundamental variables (market capitalization, price-earnings ratio, and book-to-market ratio), and the CAPM beta in the explanation of the average returns of the stocks traded in Sao Paulo Stock Exchange during the period of March 1987 to February 1996. Multiple regression coefficients were estimated using SUR methodology. The results showed that the fundamental variables can explain a significant part of the cross-sectional returns. However, beta continues to play a significant role in the explanation of the risk-return relationship.
Guidelines for the Pharmaceutical Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Our purpose is to briefly summarize current principles for the pharmaceutical management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on the basis of evidence from the literature or, failing that, consensus. From the 2011 guidelines on, the grading of evidence is done according to the GRADE system as high, moderate, low or very low strength of evidence, where high strength of evidence is the highest degree of evidence (see Appendix 1). In cases where a statement does not lead to a clear recommendation, or recommendations are founded on consensus or expert opinion only, no grading of evidence is presented. The list of references includes key references supporting the grading of evidence but is not a complete list of relevant literature. The recommendations, wherever applicable, largely agree with international recommendations, above all the 2010 EULAR (the European League Against Rheumatism) recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with antirheumatic drugs [1-4], the 2008 ACR (American College of Rheumatology) recommendations for the use of nonbiological and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis [5], and the preliminary version of the national guidelines for the musculoskeletal diseases of the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare [6]. The grading of evidence is largely based on the work done in connection with the collection of scientific material for the guidelines of the National Board. In those cases, further information on the evidence compiled and the grading of it may be found in the documentation of the National Board [6]. The recommendations are the result of further development of the latest update of the national treatment guidelines of the Swedish Society of Rheumatology, 2010.
The role of estrogen in bone growth and formation: changes at puberty

Correspondence: Divya Singh Division of endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute (Council of Scientific and industrial Research), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, india Tel +91 522 2612411-418 ext 4246 Fax +91 522 2623938 email divya_singh@cdri.res.in Abstract: A high peak bone mass (PBM) at skeletal maturity is a good predictor for lower rate of fracture risks in later life. Growth during puberty contributes significantly to PBM achievement in women and men. The growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis has a critical role in pubertal bone growth. There is an increase in GH and IGF-1 levels during puberty; thus, it is assumed that sex steroids contribute to higher GH/IGF-1 action during growth. Recent studies indicate that estrogen increases GH secretion in boys and girls, and the major effect of testosterone on GH secretion is via aromatization to estrogen. Estrogen is pivotal for epiphyseal fusion in young men and women. From studies of individuals with a mutated aromatase gene and a case study of male patient with defective estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-α), it is clear that estrogen is indispensable for normal pubertal growth and growth plate fusion. ER-α and estrogen receptor-beta (ER-β) have been localized in growth plate and bone. ER knockout studies have shown that ER-α−/− female mice have reduced linear appendicular growth, while ER-β−/− mice have increased appendicular growth. No such effect is seen in ER-β−/− males; however, repressed growth is seen in ER-α−/− males, resulting in shorter long bones. Thus, ER-β represses longitudinal bone growth in female mice, while it has no function in the regulation of longitudinal bone growth in male mice. These findings indicate that estrogen plays a critical role in skeletal physiology of males as well as females.
Membrane-associated CD40L and sCD40L in atherothrombotic disease

Summary Recent data suggests that CD40L is involved in the pathogenesis of atherothrombotic disease. This review will focus on the history of CD40L, its role in platelet-mediated pathogenesis of atherothrombotic disease, its association to clinical syndromes and procedures, and its role in determining plaque rupture.
Radiographic evidence of silicosis risk in the diatomaceous earth industry.

There is limited and conflicting evidence regarding the exposure-response relationship between exposure to crystalline silica and silicosis; the level of risk to current workers remains uncertain. We conducted an epidemiologic investigation of 1,809 workers in the diatomaceous earth industry, where exposures to crystalline silica are primarily to the cristobalite form. On the basis of the median of three independent readings, 81 (4.5%) workers were judged to have opacities on chest radiographs (small opacities, profusion >= 1/0, and/or large opacities). Age-adjusted relative risk of opacities increased significantly with cumulative exposure to crystalline silica. The concentration of respirable crystalline silica to which workers were exposed (highly correlated with period of hire) was an important determinant of risk after accounting for cumulative exposure. For workers with an average exposure to crystalline silica of <= 0.50 mg/m3 (or hired >= 1950), the cumulative risk of opacities for a cumulative exposure to crystalline silica of 2.0 mg/m3-yr was approximately 1.1%; for an average exposure > 0.50 mg/m3 (or hired < 1950), the corresponding cumulative risk was 3.7%. These findings indicate an exposure-response relationship between cumulative exposure to crystalline silica and radiographic opacities; moreover, the relationship was substantially steeper among workers exposed at the highest average concentrations of crystalline silica.
Tail dependence between Central and Eastern European and major European stock markets: a copula approach

This article analyses dynamic tail dependence between the returns of the three largest Central and Eastern European (CEE) stock markets (Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland) and two major Eurozone stock markets (Germany and France). Tail dependence is modelled by a constant and dynamic ‘symmetrized Joe-Clayton’ (SJC) copula assuming GARCH stock market return processes. The results of the dynamic SJC copula model show that the dependence between pair-wise observed stock markets is time-varying and asymmetric with lower tail dependence mostly exceeding upper tail dependence. The results of the article imply that advantages of international portfolio diversification are reduced in downturns.
Ghent revisited: Unemployment insurance and union membership in Belgium and the Nordic countries

The exceptionally high union density rates in Denmark, Finland and Sweden are attributed to a particular form of voluntary unemployment insurance, known as the Ghent system. Heavily subsidized by the state and administered by union funds, it strongly motivates workers to become union members. Belgium has a partial Ghent system: while unemployment insurance is compulsory, trade unions retain an important role in the provision of benefits. Belgian union density is at an intermediate level; but as in other Ghent countries, its level is currently higher than in the 1970s. This article argues that the Belgian institutional set-up provides stronger incentives for manual workers in industry with lower educational attainment and a past unemployment record. In Denmark, Finland and Sweden, the Ghent system recruits workers across different occupations and educational levels. However, its appeal seems to have lessened over recent years, particularly among younger workers.
Long-term anaesthesia using inhalatory isoflurane in different strains of mice—the haemodynamic effects

The aim of this study was to establish a simple and safe method of anaesthesia for intravital microcirculatory observations in small laboratory animals. The usefulness of isoflurane inhalation anaesthesia has been investigated in different strains of mice commonly used in experimental medicine. These were the hairless (hr/hr, n = 12), the BALB/c (n = 12) and the nude mouse (nu/nu, n = 3). Anaesthesia was maintained by mask inhalation of isoflurane vaporized at concentrations of up to 4% in the induction phase, at 1.5% during acute surgical procedures and at 0.8-1.3% during prolonged experimental observations. Isoflurane was vapoured in a N2O/O2 mixture and saturated with 32-36% FiO2. During observations the body temperature was kept constant at 37°C. The tail artery was cannulated for monitoring of mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). To maintain the body fluid balance, isotonic saline was administered at a constant rate of 0.2 ml/h. Arterial blood samples were drawn for blood-gas analysis at the end of the experiments. All animals survived the anaesthesia protocol lasting between 3 and 6.5 h. During isoflurane inhalation, no breathing complications or changes in systemic circulatory parameters were observed. Mean values of MAP and HR were 79± 3 mmHg and 486± 13 min-1, respectively, over the entire observation period. A moderate acidosis was recorded in animals under isoflurane anaesthesia, with alterations of arterial blood pH, paO2 and pCO2 values (7.29± 0.06, 130± 19 mmHg and 35.6± 4.7 mmHg, respectively). In conclusion, inhalation anaesthesia with isoflurane is useful for experimental studies in the mouse due to (1) the simplicity of administration of the anaesthetic, (2) the rapid induction of anaesthesia, (3) easy control of the depth of anaesthesia, (4) the low percentage of complications, and (5) stable MAP and HR during observations lasting several hours. The proposed technique is especially suitable for observations of the microcirculation under intravital fluorescence microscopy.
Sedentary behaviours and socio-economic status in Spanish adolescents: the AVENA study.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to describe the influence of socio-economic status (SES) on the prevalence sedentary behaviours among Spanish adolescents. METHODS Cross-sectional data from Spanish adolescents from the Alimentación y Valoración del Estado Nutricional de los Adolescentes (AVENA) Study (2002). A national representative sample of 1776 adolescents aged 13-18.5 years provided information about time spent watching television (TV), playing with computer or videogames and studying. Parental education and occupation were assessed as SES. Participants were categorized by gender, age, parental education and occupation. Logistic regression models were used. RESULTS No gender differences were found for TV viewing. For computer and videogames use (weekdays), more boys played >3 h/day (P < 0.001), whereas a higher percentage of girls reported studying >3 h/day (P < 0.001). Among boys, parental education and occupation were inversely associated with TV viewing, parental occupation directly associated with study and maternal education inversely with computer and videogames use during weekdays (all P < 0.05). For girls, parental occupation was inversely associated with TV viewing. CONCLUSION Spanish adolescents presented different sedentary patterns according to age, gender and SES. Boys reported more time engaged in electronic games, whereas girls reported more time studying. Parental occupation had more influence than parental education on the time spent in sedentary behaviours.
Tourism Carrying Capacity: Tempting Fantasy or Useful Reality?

Increased interest in the sustainability of tourism development initiatives has triggered expanding concerns about the capability of both tourism destinations and protected areas to accommodate recreational use. In many cases, planners and scientists have turned to the concept of tourism or recreation carrying capacity as a way of formulating problem definitions and management actions. The concept of a tourism or recreation carrying capacity evolved from a neo-Malthusian perspective of resource limitations. The concept also carries a number of assumptions that are unsupported in the real world and raises questions about the objectives of tourism and protected area management actions. The conditions needed to establish a carrying capacity are rarely achieved in the real world. There may be specific and limited situations where numerical capacities may be appropriate (parking lots, etc.) but these are often a function of investment. By changing the character of the question from 'How many is too many? ' to 'What are the appropriate or acceptable conditions? ', the issues giving rise to discussions about carrying capacity are addressed. A variety of planning frameworks, such as Visitor Experience and Resource Protection and Limits of Acceptable Change have been developed to address issues of visitor impact.
The cytologic category of oncocytic (Hurthle) cell neoplasm mostly includes low-risk lesions at histology: an institutional experience.

DESIGN The cytological diagnosis of oncocytic/Hurthle cell neoplasms (OCN) represents a challenge with which cytopathologists face up to in their practice. The majority of these lesions undergo surgery for a definitive characterization of the nature mainly due to their more aggressive behavior than other malignant follicular lesions. In this study, we aimed at the evaluation of the effective malignant rate in a large cohort of OCNs. METHODS From January 2008 to December 2011, we analyzed 150 cyto-histological OCNs and 64 benign oncocytic/Hurthle lesions (BOL). Both groups of patients were analyzed for clinical and cyto-histological parameters. All the nodules were sampled under sonographic guidance and processed with the liquid-based cytological method. RESULTS In agreement with literature, we found a significant correlation only with female gender in both OCN (P=0.0160) and BOL groups. The 64 BOLs were histologically diagnosed as 15 Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT), 45 hyperplastic nodules in HT, and four papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC, 6.2%). The 150 OCNs resulted in 141 (94%) oncocytic adenomas and nine (6%) malignant lesions. The latter group included five oncocytic carcinomas (OCC), three oncocytic variants of PTC, and one macrofollicular PTC featured by mild nuclear clearing with a dispersive cellular pattern. The malignant rate was respectively 6.2% in BOLs without any OCC whereas 3.3% OCC diagnosed in the OCN category. CONCLUSIONS Our OCNs mostly resulted in histological adenomas with a lower rate of malignancy than in other series. Some morphological parameters (nuclear clearing, dysplasia, and dispersive cellular pattern) might be helpful in stratifying OCN patients into different risks of malignancy.
Spatial Dependence of Technology Spillovers among Trading Partners

Abstract: Previous literature suggests that trade contributes to knowledge and technology spillovers among trading partners. Using panel data and country-specific fixed effects, we show that the technology of a country is explained by existing technology of its major trading partners. We build an endogenous growth model for OECD countries for the 1960–2010 period; we draw the residuals to measure the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) of each country. Then, using spatial econometrics, we regress the TFP of each country on previous TFP of its major trading partners. In addition, we run a Random Coefficient Model, to let this relationship vary randomly by country. Finally, we run the endogenous growth model again, but now it includes the spatial lag term as an explanatory variable.
Molecular epidemiology of KI and WU polyomaviruses in infants with acute respiratory disease and in adult hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

Polyomaviruses KI (KIPyV) and WU (WUPyV) were described recently in children with acute respiratory disease. The pathogenic potential of these human viruses has not been determined completely, but a correlation between immunosuppression and virus reactivation has been suggested. In the present study, the association between KI/WUPyV infection and immunosuppression was investigated using sequential nasopharyngeal aspirates from asymptomatic adult hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. In parallel, an investigation on the WU/KIPyV prevalence in children with acute respiratory disease was also carried out. Two of the 126 samples obtained from the 31 hematopoietic transplant recipients were positive for KIPyV (1 sample, 0.79%) and WUPyV (1 sample, 0.79%). Both samples were obtained 15 days after allogeneic transplantation and virus persistence was not observed in subsequent samples. In symptomatic children, 7 of the 486 nasopharyngeal aspirates were positive for WUPyV (1.4%) and 1 for KIPyV (0.2%). Single polyomavirus infection was detected in four patients, whereas the remaining patients were co‐infected with respiratory syncityal virus (three patients) or adenovirus (one patient). The results suggest that WU/KIPyVs have a limited circulation in Italy and a low pathogenic potential in young children. Brief and asymptomatic infection can occur in hematopoietic transplant recipients. J. Med. Virol. 82:153–156, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pregnancy Outcomes for Women With Placenta Previa in Relation to the Number of Prior Cesarean Deliveries

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between the number of prior cesarean deliveries and pregnancy outcomes among women with placenta previa. METHODS: Women with a placenta previa and a singleton gestation were identified in a concurrently collected database of cesarean deliveries performed at 19 academic centers during a 4-year period. Maternal and perinatal outcomes were analyzed after stratifying by the number of cesarean deliveries before the index pregnancy. RESULTS: Of the 868 women in the analysis, 488 had no prior cesarean delivery, 252 had one prior cesarean delivery, 76 had two prior cesarean deliveries, and 52 had at least three prior cesarean deliveries. Multiple measures of maternal morbidity (eg, coagulopathy, hysterectomy, pulmonary edema) increased in frequency as the number of prior cesarean deliveries rose. Even one prior cesarean delivery was sufficient to increase the risk of an adverse maternal outcome (a composite of transfusion, hysterectomy, operative injury, coagulopathy, venous thromboembolism, pulmonary edema, or death) from 15% to 23%, which corresponded, in multivariable analysis, to an adjusted odds ratio of 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.2–2.9). Conversely, gestational age at delivery and adverse perinatal outcome (a composite measure of respiratory distress syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, intraventricular hemorrhage grade 3 or 4, seizures, or death) were unrelated to the number of prior cesarean deliveries. CONCLUSION: Among women with a placenta previa, an increasing number of prior cesarean deliveries is associated with increasing maternal, but not perinatal, morbidity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
CSR activities in award‐winning Thai companies

Purpose - This case-study research aims to examine best CSR practices in four Thai companies that were given CSR awards. The purpose is to report on best practices in CSR in Thailand. Design/methodology/approach - Four Thai companies that received the best CSR awards from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) in 2006 were selected. The data were collected through a questionnaire, interviews, and company documents and web sites. Findings - CSR activities in the top Thai companies were based on moral or altruistic motivations with a focus on both production-process and philanthropic outcomes. The driving forces behind CSR activities in these companies were CEO leadership, company performance, and stakeholders' expectations. Their CSR framework followed the stakeholders' model and issues management which arranged CSR activities into five main categories: education, arts and culture, sports, environment, and public welfare. Critical issues in managing CSR activities were selection of appropriate CSR activity, participation by people in communities affected by the CSR activity, gaining shareholders' support and understanding, and appropriate CSR evaluation methods. Research limitations/implications - The research studied only four companies in Thailand. This may limit generalizations and may provide only a foundation for further research rather than definitive conclusions. Originality/value - The findings of the research may be useful for: companies in Thailand or in other countries which are considering adopting CSR activities appropriate to their environment; researchers who might utilize the findings for furthering their CSR work; and indicating the contribution and the valuable role of both local and international CSR institutes and networks.
Aggregate and Individual Price Adjustment

Central to the Keynesian interpretation of economic fluctuations is the notion that prices and wages are rigid or "sticky," so that movements in aggregate demand, rather than being quickly reflected in price level movements, have instead long-lasting effects on output and economic activity. The word "rigidity" covers, in fact, two quite different notions. The first, which I shall refer to as real rigidity, is that real wages and markups of prices over wages respond little to shifts in demand. The second, which I shall refer to as nominal rigidity, is that nominal wages and prices respond slowly to changes in their determinants and in particular respond slowly to each other. Both real and nominal rigidities combine to lead to lasting effects of changes in aggregate demand on output.
Preparation and properties of diphtheria toxoids in submerged culture. 3. Development of a new semisynthetic medium.

A new medium has been developed which does not contain any meat digest products and is suitable for the deep-culture production of high-potency diphtheria toxins. The main ingredient is a commercially available, tryptic digest of casein known as N.Z. Amine type A. It has been found that when the iron, calcium, and phosphate levels in the medium are carefully controlled by suitable additions of ferrous sulphate, calcium chloride, and inorganic phosphate solutions, high levels of diphtheria toxin are regularly produced (200 Lf/ml in a 48-hour growth period).
Understanding the influence of corporate social responsibility on corporate identity, image, and firm performance

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on corporate identity, image and firm performance in a multi‐industry setting, in order to support evidence that the effects of CSR differ in different industry settings.Design/methodology/approach – The study, based on pre‐existing CSR scales, was tested using data collected from a sample of 389 European companies. Hypotheses are based on the examination of the moderating effects of CSR using a group comparison method.Findings – Contingency models show that CSR triggers the corporate‐image‐building process and that its relationship to company success varies significantly based on company size, industry and marketing budget.Research limitations/implications – This research was conducted within a specific region in the EU and as such these findings may or may not be generalized to other regions like Asia or the USA. In addition, the secondary data of the study did not include stakeholders other than customers.