Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age‐related walking in children with spina bifida

The aim of this study was to examine children with myelomeningocele (spina bifida) who were investigated according to the level of neurosegmental lesion and to determine the number who walked and their average age at commencement/cessation of walking. The data have been collected since 1978 at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne during annual evaluations of patients with spina bifida and high‐level paralysis. After screening for established criteria and assigning to a neurosegmental lesion level, 173 children were examined for their ability to walk, with or without aids, in a community setting. Thirty‐five children had lesions at the thoracic level, and seven walked at a mean age of 4 years 6 months. Three children with a lesion at the thoracic level ceased walking at a mean age of 7 years 6 months. Ten children had lesions at the high‐lumbar level (L1/2), and five walked at a mean age of 5 years 2 months. Three children who had lesions at the high‐lumbar level ceased walking at a mean age of 6 years 11 months. Fifteen children had lesions at the mid‐lumbar level (L3) and nine walked at a mean age of 5 years. Three ceased walking at a mean age of 7 years. Forty‐five children had lesions at the low‐lumbar level (L4/5) and 38 walked at a mean age of 3 years 10 months. Five ceased walking at a mean age of 9 years 1 month. Sixty‐eight children had lesions at the sacral level; all of whom walked at an average age of 2 years 2 months. None had ceased walking by the end of the study period. Delay in achieving ambulation can be expected in all children with spina bifida, including those with low neurosegmental level lesions. Furthermore, some children with high lesion level, given the opportunity, might be expected to ambulate effectively in the community but may cease walking after 3 to 4 years of this activity, which is earlier than previously recorded.
The Impact of Segment Definition on the Accuracy of Analysts' Earnings Forecasts

Abstract This study investigates forecast error determinants for a set of forecasts of annual corporate earnings, generated by UK analysts 22 months prior to the announcement dates. This study is particularly concerned with the impact of segmental data on forecast errors; the hypothesis under test is whether finer segment definitions provide market participants with improved insight. If segments are too broad or vague (e.g. rest of the world) it is unlikely that data for such segments will provide analysts with any additional information regarding the current corporate position or future prospects. The results of this study provide evidence of predictive gains to both line- of-business data and geographic data, although these gains appear to be concentrated within a sub-sample of firms for which analysts appear to have specific difficulty in forecasting earnings, i.e. those experiencing negative changes in earnings. The results also indicate that forecast errors are: negatively related to firm size; posit.
Small Head Circumference is Associated With Less Education in Persons at Risk for Alzheimer Disease in Later Life

Studies suggest that individuals who are at increased risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) in late life differ on measures of cognition, linguistic performance, and brain metabolism in earlier adult life compared with those with lower risk of this illness. The present study was undertaken to determine whether smaller head circumference (HC), a predictor of AD in late life, could influence educational attainment earlier in life, specifically among individuals at increased risk for AD. Data from the Nun Study, a longitudinal clinicopathologic study of dementia, were analyzed using logistic regression to assess the association between HC and attainment of less than a bachelor's degree. Modification of this association was studied by comparing those with and without evidence of increased AD risk, including possession of apolipoprotein E (APOE)-ϵ4 alleles, occurrence of dementia before death, and satisfaction of AD neuropathologic criteria at autopsy. Small HC was associated with lower educational attainment in those carrying an APOE-ϵ4 allele [odds ratio (OR)=6.27, 1.21 to 32.48], those who became demented (OR=3.23, 1.27 to 8.21), and those who fulfilled AD neuropathologic criteria (OR=5.03, 1.29 to 19.66), but not in those without these characteristics. These findings suggest that small HC limits educational attainment only among individuals who have greater risk of AD owing to their APOE genotype or who are destined to develop this illness later in life.
Aviation, Space or Aerospace? Exploring the Knowledge Networks of Two Industries in The Netherlands

Little is known about the extent to which the structure of knowledge networks differs between industries and to what degree knowledge relations occur between actors in different industries. This paper presents a network study on the Dutch aviation and space industry. Both industries are often treated as similar and categorized as aerospace accordingly, although they show variations in their knowledge bases. Our study shows that the structure of the knowledge networks differs between the two industries, and few knowledge linkages have been established between the two. Our findings suggest that the gap between the two industries' knowledge networks is more pronounced for market knowledge than for technological knowledge. Non-profit organizations do seem to bridge the knowledge networks of the two industries.
The Mobilization Calendar

Recent studies hold out political mobilization as the possible solution to low and declining voter turnout. This research explores the effects of face-to-face mobilization efforts that, in the course of 7 months, reached more than 4,500 registered voters in a Florida State House primary race. Controlling for their past voting history, the mobilization effort did increase turnout by about 10% of the electorate. However, the effects were dependent on the timing of the contact, as more distant efforts to mobilize had a much weaker effect on turnout. The combination of distant contact aimed at an infrequent voter was especially ineffective in improving turnout. The results suggest that implementing more face-to-face mobilization efforts would increase turnout but that the window of opportunity for such efforts is limited.
Corporate Governance and the Cost of Capital: An International Study

This study shows that firms with good corporate governance are consistently associated with both lower cost of equity and cost of debt capital in an international setting. The association between corporate governance and the cost of equity is more pronounced in countries with strong legal systems, extensive disclosure practices, and good government quality. However, the relation between corporate governance and the cost of debt is stronger in countries characterized by weak legal protection, low transparency, and poor government quality. The differential relations can be attributed to asymmetric payoffs received by creditors and shareholders.
New Policy on Circumcision—Cause for Concern

* Abbreviations: AAP = : American Academy of Pediatrics • UTI = : urinary tract infection • HIV = : human immunodeficiency virus • STD = : sexually transmitted disease • CIS = : carcinoma in situ The negative conclusions on newborn circumcision drawn by the recent American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Task Force on Circumcision are misleading and contrary to the current medical evidence, including data in the body of the report itself1 and in the references cited therein. As professionals closely involved with clinical investigations on newborn circumcision,2–7 we are compelled to express our concern about this report. The Task Force states that newborn circumcision is not recommended and that the procedure is “not essential to the child's current well-being. ”1 The media and the public are now understandably convinced that the AAP has adopted an anticircumcision stance compared with its previous neutral position on newborn circumcision.2 This attitude has not only been taken by the activist anticircumcision forces but also by the respected media: eg, “Circumcision Loses a Key Endorsement” ( Washington Post ),8 “Circumcision Benefits Disputed” ( Chicago Sun-Times ),9 “Pediatricians Turn Away From Circumcision” ( CNN ),10 and “Circumcision Opponents Energized by About-Face of Academy of Pediatrics” ( Forward ). 11 One would assume that in the decade since the 1989 report,2 new evidence must have appeared demonstrating substantial disadvantage of newborn circumcision. However, the opposite is true. Considerable published data from the past 10 years (much of it cited in the current report) confirm and reinforce previous evidence on the medical benefits of newborn circumcision, particularly in protecting against urinary tract infection (UTI) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Pain—a major disadvantage of the procedure—has been shown to be safely and effectively controlled by local anesthesia. With more proven advantages and fewer disadvantages, how could the Task Force issue a statement that could only be interpreted as reversing previous policy and discouraging newborn circumcision? The report of the 1989 Task Force, for which 1 of the authors (E.J.S.) …
Endogenous Coalition Formation in Cooperative Oligopolies

Coalition formation among firms in a cooperative oligopolistic market is endogenously derived in terms of the relevant market characteristics: market demand, firm costs, and the behavioral assumptions that every possible coalition of firms makes about firms that are not in the coalition. This is done by defining different games in characteristic function form, each game corresponding to a different assumption about how a coalition's opponents will respond. By establishing cooperative equilibria that cannot be upset by any firm acting alone or any group of firms acting in concert, the authors are able to derive coalition formation in the market endogenously. Copyright 1989 by Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association.
Immobilisation of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus using natural carriers

There is a growing interest to immobilize desired bacteria using inexpensive materials in order to improve the wastewater treatment process. Three different types of carriers namely natural zeolite, magnesium-exchanged natural zeolite and quartz sand of different particle size were used to immobilize the phosphate-accumulating bacteria Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and to determine which one was the most effective. Bacteria were cultured for 24 h in various reactors containing different particle sizes of each of the carriers. The majority of the cultured bacterial population was immobilised onto the different carriers by means of adsorptive growth while a minority of free cells was observed in the supernatant. The number of immobilised viable cells (CFU) depended on the type of carrier and the particle size. The highest loading rate of immobilised cells (68.61±1.11 x 108 CFU/g) was observed with the smallest particle size (<0.125 mm) of magnesium-exchanged natural zeolite.
Spanish SMEs’ Subsidized and Guaranteed Credit during Economic Crisis: A Regional Perspective

Briozzo A. and Cardone-Riportella C. Spanish SMEs’ subsidized and guaranteed credit during economic crisis: a regional perspective, Regional Studies. This study analyses the effects of two Spanish public programmes that provide financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): (1) subsidized credit by the Official Credit Institute and (2) bank credit guaranteed by a mutual guarantee society. The study was conducted from a regional perspective and it compares the effects of the two programmes during normal times with the effects during economic crisis. During stable periods, these programmes affect the growth of assets, sales and the sales to assets ratio. However, during recession, the effects extend to the growth of employment and the sales to employee ratio. Moreover, there are significant regional differences.
A hybrid three-class brain–computer interface system utilizing SSSEPs and transient ERPs

Objective. This paper investigates the fusion of steady-state somatosensory evoked potentials (SSSEPs) and transient event-related potentials (tERPs), evoked through tactile simulation on the left and right-hand fingertips, in a three-class EEG based hybrid brain–computer interface. It was hypothesized, that fusing the input signals leads to higher classification rates than classifying tERP and SSSEP individually. Approach. Fourteen subjects participated in the studies, consisting of a screening paradigm to determine person dependent resonance-like frequencies and a subsequent online paradigm. The whole setup of the BCI system was based on open interfaces, following suggestions for a common implementation platform. During the online experiment, subjects were instructed to focus their attention on the stimulated fingertips as indicated by a visual cue. The recorded data were classified during runtime using a multi-class shrinkage LDA classifier and the outputs were fused together applying a posterior probability based fusion. Data were further analyzed offline, involving a combined classification of SSSEP and tERP features as a second fusion principle. The final results were tested for statistical significance applying a repeated measures ANOVA. Main results. A significant classification increase was achieved when fusing the results with a combined classification compared to performing an individual classification. Furthermore, the SSSEP classifier was significantly better in detecting a non-control state, whereas the tERP classifier was significantly better in detecting control states. Subjects who had a higher relative band power increase during the screening session also achieved significantly higher classification results than subjects with lower relative band power increase. Significance. It could be shown that utilizing SSSEP and tERP for hBCIs increases the classification accuracy and also that tERP and SSSEP are not classifying control- and non-control states with the same level of accuracy.
Low-cost import competition and firm exit: evidence from the EU

This article investigates the impact of import competition on firm exit from the manufacturing industries of eight European Union countries. A distinction is made between imports originating from low-cost countries and other imports. While the exit of small firms is high and small firms react strongly to import competition originating from other advanced countries, their exit is not found to be directly affected by imports from low-cost countries. Conversely, the exit rate of larger firms is much smaller in magnitude, but their exit is systematically and positively related to growing imports from low-cost countries. Such empirical evidence is consistent with small and larger firms making up different strategic groups within the same industries, where they face foreign competition of a different nature.
Diamagnetic Levitation Promotes Osteoclast Differentiation From RAW264.7 Cells

The superconducting magnet with a high magnetic force field can levitate diamagnetic materials. In this study, a specially designed superconducting magnet with large gradient high magnetic field (LGHMF), which provides three apparent gravity levels (μg, 1 g, and 2 g), was used to study its influence on receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation from preosteoclast cell line RAW264.7. The effects of LGHMF on the viability, nitric oxide (NO) production, morphology in RAW264.7 cells were detected by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method, the Griess method, and the immunofluorescence staining, respectively. The changes induced by LGHMF in osteoclast formation, mRNA expression, and bone resorption were determined by tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining, semiquantity PCR, and bone resorption test, respectively. The results showed that: 1) LGHMF had no lethal effect on osteoclast precursors but attenuated NO release in RAW264.7 cells. 2) Diamagnetic levitation (μg) enhanced both the formation and bone resorption capacity of osteoclast. Moreover, diamagnetic levitation up-regulated mRNA expression of RANK, Cathepsin K, MMP-9, and NFATc1, while down-regulated RunX2 in comparison with controls. Furthermore, diamagnetic levitation induced obvious morphological alterations in osteoclast, including active cytoplasmic peripheral pseudopodial expansion, formation of pedosome belt, and aggregation of actin ring. 3) Magnetic field produced by LGHMF attenuated osteoclast resorption activity. Collectively, LGHMF with combined effects has multiple effects on osteoclast, which attenuated osteoclast resorption with magnetic field, whereas promoted osteoclast differentiation with diamagnetic levitation. Therefore, these findings indicate that diamagnetic levitation could be used as a novel ground-based microgravity simulator, which facilitates bone cell research of weightlessness condition.
Psychiatrists' Perspectives on Antipsychotic Dose and the Role of Plasma Concentration Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

Background: Why psychiatrists choose a particular dose of antipsychotic for an individual patient with schizophrenia is unknown. This study aimed to investigate consultant psychiatrists' perspectives on the dose titration and their attitudes towards therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for antipsychotics. Method: A cross-sectional quantitative questionnaire study of consultant psychiatrists based in London was conducted. A new questionnaire was developed, in part, based on the findings from focus groups. Themes included dose choice, titration, switching, and the pros and cons of TDM use. Results: For 105 consultant psychiatrists, choice of antipsychotic was most influenced by perceived side-effects/tolerance (63.8%). When choosing an optimum dose, most based this on their past clinical experience of patients presenting in a similar way (80.0%), perspectives on the equivalent doses of 2 antipsychotics (69.5%), or the individual patient's stated dose preference (61.9%). Factors thought to warrant a lower dose (eg, first episode psychosis) were consistent with a former study, and 59.0% of the clinicians believed it acceptable to switch antipsychotics ≥4 per year. The majority of clinicians currently routinely use TDM for clozapine (82.9%), and previous use of TDM for clozapine was found to predict likely future use of TDM with antipsychotics (&khgr;2 = 5.51, P = 0.019). Furthermore, clinicians agreed that TDM could assist in minimizing the risk of dose-related side effects (77.1%). However, 32.4% did not agree that TDM would improve clinical outcomes. Overall, there was a positive attitude towards TDM for antipsychotics, and almost all clinicians (84.8%, 95% confidence interval, 77.9–91.7) would use it if widely available. Conclusions: Current prescribing decisions regarding antipsychotic dose are mainly influenced by clinician intuition, previous experience, and patient preference. Although some expressed concerns regarding the evidence base, most clinicians reported that they would use TDM for antipsychotics if readily available.
Quantitative impacts of alternative East Asia free trade areas: a CGE assessment

The aim of this thesis is to make a comprehensive assessment and comparison of the quantitative economic impacts at both the domestic and the international level of four alternative FTA options in East Asia - ASEAN-China, ASEAN-Japan, ASEAN-Korea and East Asia - by using a static multi-region, multi-sector CGE model as a tool. With two main extensions to the "standard" CGE model in this study - the introduction of unemployment and the incorporation of highly disaggregated household data (Thailand is a case study) - the analysis is enhanced on the issues of labour markets and poverty and the income distribution. The model results show that trade liberalisation could alleviate real wage inequality in countries abundant in unskilled labour, i.e. China and ASEAN. In contrast, real wage inequality worsens in Japan and Korea, where skilled labour is relatively abundant. The unemployment feature incorporated in the model gives quantitative predictions of both lower unemployment and higher real wages. In general, under a regional agreement - East Asia FTA - member countries would enjoy higher economic welfare gains than under any of the bilateral agreements - ASEAN-China FTA, ASEAN-Japan FTA or ASEAN-Korea FTA. When focusing on poverty and income distribution effects in Thailand, the model results at the national level suggest that all the trade liberalisation options will alleviate the poverty problem in Thailand, but that the degree of poverty reduction will vary depending upon the implemented policy. The poverty in the poorest community (villages), and in the poorest region (the Northeast) improves the most from the East Asia FTA. On the other hand, trade liberalisation, under all options,does not have a major impact on income disparity in Thailand. Sensitivity tests indicate that these results are robust. However, such an "ideal" regional agreement might be deterred by the different strategies of other East Asia nations and by the uneasy relationship between China and Japan, reflecting their economic and political differences.
Endocardium Minimally Contributes to Coronary Endothelium in the Embryonic Ventricular Free Walls.

RATIONALE There is persistent uncertainty regarding the developmental origins of coronary vessels, with 2 principal sources suggested as ventricular endocardium or sinus venosus (SV). These 2 proposed origins implicate fundamentally distinct mechanisms of vessel formation. Resolution of this controversy is critical for deciphering the programs that result in the formation of coronary vessels and has implications for research on therapeutic angiogenesis. OBJECTIVE To resolve the controversy over the developmental origin of coronary vessels. METHODS AND RESULTS We first generated nuclear factor of activated T cells (Nfatc1)-Cre and Nfatc1-Dre lineage tracers for endocardium labeling. We found that Nfatc1 recombinases also label a significant portion of SV endothelial cells in addition to endocardium. Therefore, restricted endocardial lineage tracing requires a specific marker that distinguishes endocardium from SV. By single-cell gene expression analysis, we identified a novel endocardial gene natriuretic peptide receptor 3 (Npr3). Npr3 is expressed in the entirety of the endocardium but not in the SV. Genetic lineage tracing based on Npr3-CreER showed that endocardium contributes to a minority of coronary vessels in the free walls of embryonic heart. Intersectional genetic lineage tracing experiments demonstrated that endocardium minimally contributes to coronary endothelium in the embryonic ventricular free walls. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggested that SV, but not endocardium, is the major origin for coronary endothelium in the embryonic ventricular free walls. This work thus resolves the recent controversy over the developmental origin of coronary endothelium, providing the basis for studying coronary vessel formation and regeneration after injury.
Product Warranties and Double Moral Hazard

This article explores a model of warranties in which moral hazard problems play a key role. The goal is to understand the important characteristics of warranties, including their provision of incomplete insurance and the relationship between product quality and coverage. We analyze a model in which buyers and sellers take actions that affect a product's performance. Since these actions are not cooperatively determined, an incentives problem arises. We characterize the optimal warranty contract and undertake comparative statics to determine the predicted correlation of warranty coverage and product quality.