Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement of corporate social responsibility

This paper defines corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sets up a framework to measure it. To date, the measurement systems used and the various concepts of CSR have no systematic basis. Indicators seem to be chosen on the whim of the moment. However, at least some data now exist to measure progress on social aspects of corporate behaviour. In fact, it is even possible to use some of the available data that companies now make available in order to hazard a guess at to whether CSR is getting better or worse. Yet, the power of the "average" seems to hide a variety of sins, as seen in the short review and comparison of how CSR is measured in six well-known measurement frameworks.
Translation and validation of the Dutch version of the Oxford 12-item knee questionnaire for knee arthroplasty

Background In 1998, the Oxford 12-item knee questionnaire was developed by Dawson et al. as a self-administered disease- and site-specific questionnaire, specifically developed for knee arthroplasty patients. Since then, it has proven to be an effective outcome questionnaire, and is widely used. Despite the positive psychometric properties for the Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) population, the 12-item knee questionnaire has only been translated into a few languages. We thus translated and validated the Oxford 12-item knee questionnaire for the Dutch population. Methods and results After translation according to a forward/backward protocol, 174 knee arthroplasty patients were asked to answer the questionnaire together with an SF-36, an AKSS and a VAS. The reliability, validity, content validity and the sensitivity to change were all tested. Our Dutch version of the Oxford 12-item knee questionnaire achieved excellent scores in all of these properties. Interpretation The Dutch Oxford 12-item knee questionnaire proved to be an excellent evaluation instrument for the Dutch orthopedic surgeon and can be used for all total knee arthroplasty patients.
MONOCYTE CHEMOATTRACTANT PROTEIN-1 EXPRESSION CORRELATES WITH MONOCYTE INFILTRATION IN THE POST-ISCHEMIC KIDNEY

Chemokines play a prominent role in the acute inflammatory response in several models of kidney disease. We reported that monocyte chemotactic peptide-1 (MCP-1) mRNA is increased by ischemia-reperfusion injury. In this report, we examined the effects of ischemia-reperfusion injury on the kinetics and location of MCP-1 protein expression, the excretion of MCP-1 protein in the urine and on the infiltration of mononuclear cells in the kidney. Pair-fed Sprague-Dawley rats underwent bilateral renal ischemia (50 min) or sham ischemia and placed in metabolic cages for daily urine collections. Kidneys were harvested at d. 1, 3, 7, and 10 after ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) or sham-ischemia (S-I). Kidney MCP-1 mRNA levels were increased on d. 1 and 3 post-ischemia. Kidney MCP-1 protein levels were increased in the I-R group on d. 1 and 3. MCP-1 expression occurred predominantly in the distal tubule segments by immunohistology. There was an increase in monocytes/macrophages infiltration in the I-R group, compared to the S-I or controls by d. 1. Urinary MCP-1 excretion increased 3-fold in the I-R group, and remained elevated above the S-I group and baseline levels, on d. 3 through d. 8. Kidney MCP-1 mRNA levels, protein levels and urinary MCP-1 excretion rates are increased by ischemia-reperfusion injury. The areas of increase in MCP-1 chemoattractant expression correlates with an increase in monocyte infiltration in the kidney. Although its pathophysiologic role remains to be determined, MCP-1 may participate in, and be a biomarker for, the mononuclear inflammatory processes that occur after ischemia-induced acute renal failure.
JEWISH–ARAB WAGE GAP: WHAT ARE THE CAUSES?

Using a panel of cross sections, this study measures wage differentials between Israeli‐Arab and Jewish workers between 1991 and 2003. The wage gap is then decomposed into components corresponding to human capital, occupational segregation, selectivity, and a residual (unexplained gap). The study shows large fluctuations in the wage gap, almost doubling in the last decade, reaching 75% in 1999. Because sudden changes in the underlying characteristics of the populations are not likely, a large part of the level and changes in the wage gap were captured by the residual – possibly one of the implications of the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Duloxetine and care management treatment of older adults with comorbid major depressive disorder and chronic low back pain: results of an open‐label pilot study

In older adults, major depressive disorder (MDD) and chronic low back pain (CLBP) are common and mutually exacerbating. We predicted that duloxetine pharmacotherapy and Depression and Pain Care Management (DPCM) would result in (1) significant improvement in MDD and CLBP and (2) significant improvements in health‐related quality of life, anxiety, disability, self‐efficacy, and sleep quality.
Haemoglobin A1 and Congenital Malformation

Two hundred and thirty pregnancies were studied in 196 diabetic women. Seven women with babies found to have major malformations had a higher median first trimester haemoglobin A1 (12.9%) than the median HbA1 (10.8%) in those with normal babies (p = 0.06). No relationship was found between the occurrence of minor malformations and first trimester maternal haemoglobin A1. Two of the seven congenital malformations were diagnosed antenatally at a time when therapeutic abortion could be offered. Expert antenatal ultrasound scanning should be offered to all pregnant diabetic women as poor glycaemic control at the time of conception and organogenesis, as evidenced by raised first trimester HbA1, predisposes to congenital malformation.
Associations between Body Satisfaction and Physical Activity in Adolescents: Implications for Programs Aimed at Preventing a Broad Spectrum of Weight-Related Disorders

This study examined associations among body satisfaction and physical and sedentary activities in 4,746 adolescents. Boys with lower body satisfaction reported significantly less physical activity and more TV viewing than boys with higher body satisfaction. In girls, trends were similar, but associations were not statistically significant. Associations were similar among overweight youth. In no instances, were lower levels of body satisfaction significantly associated with higher physical activity levels. These findings suggest that interventions that strive for increased physical activity in youth should avoid strategies that may lead to decreases in body satisfaction. Rather, programs should simultaneously strive to increase physical activity and improve body satisfaction. This type of approach may be effective in preventing obesity while avoiding increasing participants’ risk for a low body satisfaction, unhealthy weight control practices, and eating disorders.
Phosphorylation of SOS3-Like Calcium-Binding Proteins by Their Interacting SOS2-Like Protein Kinases Is a Common Regulatory Mechanism in Arabidopsis1[W][OA]

The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome encodes nine Salt Overly Sensitive3 (SOS3)-like calcium-binding proteins (SCaBPs; also named calcineurin B-like protein [CBL]) and 24 SOS2-like protein kinases (PKSs; also named as CBL-interacting protein kinases [CIPKs]). A general regulatory mechanism between these two families is that SCaBP calcium sensors activate PKS kinases by interacting with their FISL motif. In this study, we demonstrated that phosphorylation of SCaBPs by their functional interacting PKSs is another common regulatory mechanism. The phosphorylation site serine-216 at the C terminus of SCaBP1 by PKS24 was identified by liquid chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry analysis. This serine residue is conserved within the PFPF motif at the C terminus of SCaBP proteins. Phosphorylation of this site of SCaBP8 by SOS2 has been determined previously. We further showed that CIPK23/PKS17 phosphorylated CBL1/SCaBP5 and CBL9/SCaBP7 and PKS5 phosphorylated SCaBP1 at the same site in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the phosphorylation stabilized the interaction between SCaBP and PKS proteins. This tight interaction neutralized the inhibitory effect of PKS5 on plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity. These data indicate that SCaBP phosphorylation by their interacting PKS kinases is a critical component of the SCaBP-PKS regulatory pathway in Arabidopsis.
Policies and Effectiveness of Foreign Aid: The Case of Sri Lanka

This empirical study investigates foreign aid’s effectiveness in stimulating growth by considering economic policies and the factors that influenced aid flow in Sri Lanka during the period of 1980-2008. For both analyses, a single-equation instrumental variable estimation method is employed. The results derived from this study suggest that aid is positively associated with growth in a good policy environment in Sri Lanka. Regarding determinants, in terms of trade openness and budget deficits the results suggest that aid was transferred into Sri Lanka under a conditional policy environment. Inflation is positively associated with aid flow. Unrest in the country and per capita growth negatively influenced aid, whereas commercial interests, natural disasters, political stability, and poverty are positively associated with aid inflow.
The Glenn A. Fry Award Lecture (1995). Myopia development in childhood.

PURPOSE The Orinda Longitudinal Study of Myopia is a 12-year project examining predictive factors for the onset of myopia, the underlying etiologies of myopia, and normal eye growth in school children. METHODS This paper reports on all measurements made of the ocular components (cycloplegic refractive error, corneal curvature, crystalline lens power, and axial ocular dimensions), parental history of myopia, and near work activity in children participating in the Orinda Longitudinal Study of Myopia between 1989 and 1993. An analysis of the interaction between parental history of myopia and children's near work is conducted on the cross-sectional study data from 1993. RESULTS The cross-sectional and longitudinal data show a gradual decrease in refractive error from low hyperopia toward emmetropia, no shift in corneal curvature, a gradual decrease in crystalline lens power, thinning of the crystalline lens, and elongation of the eye between the ages of 6 and 14 years. Parental history is more contributory to a statistical model predicting myopia than is near work, but near work is a significant factor as well. We can find no evidence of statistical interaction between parental history and near work in explaining the presence or absence of myopia. CONCLUSIONS The emmetropization process is evident in the gradual decrease in refractive error toward emmetropia, the axial elongation of the eye, and the compensating decrease in crystalline lens power. Both nature and nurture play a role in the etiology of myopia, although the predominant role appears to belong to a positive parental history of myopia. This role does not appear to be through an interaction between parental myopia status and children's near work activity.
A Model of Intertemporal Discount Rates in the Presence of Real and Inflationary Autocorrelations

This paper discusses the pricing of assets in an intertemporal rational-expectations model when real production and inflation evolve according to first-order autocorrelated processes. The focus is on the structure of the various intertemporal discount rates (yields) exhibited by this economy. Yield curves are identified for consumption claims, indexed bonds, and nominally riskless bonds and can be extended to any claim that can be approximated by a (finite) linear combination of such securities. The model demonstrates that, if the average term structure for nominally riskless securities is upward sloping, then the yield curve for consumption (market) claims is downward sloping, suggesting that conventional methods for computing long-term discount rates err by not accounting for maturity factors. The paper also explores the relationship between the intertemporal equilibrium and its embedded single-period equilibria. The singleperiod risk measures in this economy are derived and shown to be (generally) functions of maturity. A model of nominal bond betas is constructed along these lines. It is shown that bond betas that are increasing functions of maturity do not necessarily imply an upward-sloping term structure. THIS PAPER HAS TWO objectives. The first is to utilize the rational-expectations model to obtain a general perspective on pricing, rather than restricting its focus only to the term structure of nominally riskless assets. The second objective is to investigate the implications of autocorrelations in the basic processes of the economy. In a recent working paper, Fama and French [11] report evidence of temporary components for portfolio returns that resemble negative autocorrelation. One interpretation of this phenomenon is market inefficiency, but Fama and French are careful to note that autocorrelations may not be inconsistent
Designing and using research questionnaires

Purpose - – This article aims to draw on experience in supervising new researchers, and the advice of other writers to offer novice researchers such as those engaged in study for a thesis, or in another small-scale research project, a pragmatic introduction to designing and using research questionnaires. Design/methodology/approach - – After a brief introduction, this article is organized into three main sections: designing questionnaires, distributing questionnaires, and analysing and presenting questionnaire data. Within these sections, ten questions often asked by novice researchers are posed and answered. Findings - – This article is designed to give novice researchers advice and support to help them to design good questionnaires, to maximise their response rate, and to undertake appropriate data analysis. Originality/value - – Other research methods texts offer advice on questionnaire design and use, but their advice is not specifically tailored to new researchers. They tend to offer options, but provide limited guidance on making crucial decisions in questionnaire design, distribution and data analysis and presentation.
Unravelling proximate cues of mass flowering in the tropical forests of South‐East Asia from gene expression analyses

Elucidating the physiological mechanisms of the irregular yet concerted flowering rhythm of mass flowering tree species in the tropics requires long‐term monitoring of flowering phenology, exogenous and endogenous environmental factors, as well as identifying interactions and dependencies among these factors. To investigate the proximate factors for floral initiation of mast seeding trees in the tropics, we monitored the expression dynamics of two key flowering genes, meteorological conditions and endogenous resources over two flowering events of Shorea curtisii and Shorea leprosula in the Malay Peninsula. Comparisons of expression dynamics of genes studied indicated functional conservation of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and LEAFY (LFY) in Shorea. The genes were highly expressed at least 1 month before anthesis for both species. A mathematical model considering the synergistic effect of cool temperature and drought on activation of the flowering gene was successful in predicting the observed gene expression patterns. Requirement of both cool temperature and drought for floral transition suggested by the model implies that flowering phenologies of these species are sensitive to climate change. Our molecular phenology approach in the tropics sheds light on the conserved role of flowering genes in plants inhabiting different climate zones and can be widely applied to dissect the flowering processes in other plant species.
Self-Reported Differences in Empowerment Between Lurkers and Posters in Online Patient Support Groups

BACKGROUND Patients who visit online support groups benefit in various ways. Results of our earlier study indicated that participation in online support groups had a profound effect on the participants' feelings of "being empowered. " However, most studies of online patient support groups have focused on the members of these groups who actively contribute by sending postings (posters). Thus far, little is known about the impact for "lurkers" (ie, those who do not actively participate by sending postings). OBJECTIVE In the present study, we explored if lurkers in online patient support groups profit to the same extent as posters do. METHODS We searched the Internet with the search engine Google to identify all Dutch online support groups for patients with breast cancer, fibromyalgia, and arthritis. Invitations to complete an online survey were sent out by the owners of 19 groups. In the online questionnaire, we asked questions about demographic and health characteristics, use of and satisfaction with the online support group, empowering processes, and empowering outcomes. The online questionnaire was completed by 528 individuals, of which 109 (21%) identified themselves as lurkers. RESULTS Lurkers (mean age 47 years) were slightly older than active participants (mean age 43 years, P = .002), had a shorter disease history (time since diagnosis 3.7 years vs 5.4 years, P = .001), and reported lower mental well-being (SF 12 subscore 37.7 vs 40.5, P = .004). No significant differences were found in other demographic variables. Posters indicated visiting the online support groups significantly more often for social reasons, such as curiosity about how other members were doing, to enjoy themselves, as a part of their daily routine (all P < .001), and because other members expected them to be there (P = .003). Lurkers and posters did not differ in their information-related reasons for visiting the online support group. Lurkers were significantly less satisfied with the online support group compared to posters (P < .001). With regard to empowering processes such as "exchanging information" and "finding recognition," lurkers scored significantly lower than posters. However, lurkers did not differ significantly from posters with regard to most empowering outcomes, such as "being better informed," "feeling more confident in the relationship with their physician," "improved acceptance of the disease," "feeling more confident about the treatment," "enhanced self-esteem," and "increased optimism and control. " The exception was "enhanced social well-being," which scored significantly lower for lurkers compared to posters (P < .001). CONCLUSION Our study revealed that participation in an online support group had the same profound effect on lurkers' self-reported feelings of being empowered in several areas as it had on posters. Apparently, reading in itself is sufficient to profit from participation in an online patient support group.
Mental disorders and violence in a total birth cohort: results from the Dunedin Study.

BACKGROUND We report on mental disorders and violence for a birth cohort of young adults, regardless of their contact with the health or justice systems. METHODS We studied 961 young adults who constituted 94% of a total-city birth cohort in New Zealand, April 1, 1972, through March 31, 1973. Past-year prevalence of mental disorders was measured using standardized DSM-III-R interviews. Past-year violence was measured using self-reports of criminal offending and a search of official conviction records. We also tested whether substance use before the violent offense, adolescent excessive perceptions of threat, and a juvenile history of conduct disorder accounted for the link between mental disorders and violence. RESULTS Individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence, marijuana dependence, and schizophrenia-spectrum disorder were 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-3.5), 3.8 (95% CI, 2.2-6.8), and 2.5 (95% CI, 1.1-5.7) times, respectively, more likely than control subjects to be violent. Persons with at least 1 of these 3 disorders constituted one fifth of the sample, but they accounted for half of the sample's violent crimes (10% of violence risk was uniquely attributable to schizophrenia-spectrum disorder). Among alcohol-dependent individuals, violence was best explained by substance use before the offense; among marijuana-dependent individuals, by a juvenile history of conduct disorder; and among individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, by excessive perceptions of threat and a history of conduct disorder. CONCLUSIONS In the age group committing most violent incidents, individuals with mental disorders account for a considerable amount of violence in the community. Different mental disorders are linked to violence via different core explanations, suggesting multiple-targeted prevention strategies.
Relationship between graft‐versus‐host disease and graft‐versus‐leukaemia in partial T cell‐depleted bone marrow transplantation

The success of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is limited by the major complications, graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) and relapse. The very beneficial effect of maximal T‐cell depletion of the graft for prevention of GVHD has been counterbalanced by an increase in graft failure and relapse of disease. Therefore, we started an approach of partial T‐cell depletion of the graft. GVHD and graft‐versus‐leukaemia (GVL) are strongly correlated after non‐T cell‐depleted BMT. Here, we report whether the correlation between GVHD and GVL also exists in partial T cell‐depleted BMT from sibling donors. We retrospectively studied 117 adult patients with early haematological malignancies. Our method of partial T‐cell depletion gave a relapse rate in patients with acute leukaemias similar to that observed in non‐T cell‐depleted BMT. However, patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia had a relapse rate that was similar to that observed in maximal T cell‐depleted BMT. We found a significant correlation between the presence of chronic GVHD and an improved disease‐free survival. Nevertheless, overall survival was lower in patients with chronic GVHD. There was no correlation between the occurrence of acute GVHD and disease‐free or overall survival.
Which Competitive Efforts Lead to Future Abnormal Economic Rents? Using Accounting Ratios to Assess Competitive Advantage

Strategy theory suggests that firms can impede mean reversion of economic rents by employing competitive efforts, thereby impacting profitability, forecasting, and valuation. We use realized operating performance to establish which competitive effort proxies effectively protect rents. The inclusion of competitive advantage proxies improves future accounting return forecasts and several efforts generalize across industries including power over suppliers and the credible threat of expected retaliation (Porter, 1980). Traditional barriers-to-entry proxies (product differentiation, innovation, and capital requirements) do not result in higher profitability once risk- and industry-adjusted. Finally, competitive efforts are not fully impounded into stock price, resulting in abnormal future returns.
The Ideological “Coherence” of the Brazilian Party System, 1990-2009

This paper contributes to the debate about the ideological coherence of the Brazilian party system. Using discriminant function analysis of 20 years of surveys of Brazilian legislators, we find that the party system now exhibits relatively little coherence. Though the Worker's Party (PT) is clearly distinct, no clear ideological differences exist between the placement of the system's three other main parties. Moreover, the spatial distance between the PT and the other parties is diminishing over time. Given the importance of a coherent ideological map to any consolidated party system, we question the notion that the Brazilian party system has gradually consolidated. Indeed, our results suggest the opposite: in recent years the Brazilian party system has become relatively more “inchoate. ”