Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Corporate Financial Leverage on Financial Performance: A Study on Publicly Traded Manufacturing Companies in Bangladesh

The study strives to examine the effect of financial leverage on financial performance in a developing country context using two OLS regression models based on panel data consisting of 816 cases (48 companies x 17 years). Financial performance is measured using ROA, ROE, EPS, and Tobin’s Q, and financial leverage is measured using the debt-assets ratio and debt-equity ratio. It is observed that ROA and Tobin’s Q are negatively correlated with financial leverage, which is in line with the assumptions of the pecking order theory, market timing theory, and many empirical studies. However, financial leverage has a positive effect on ROE and no effect on EPS. These results are also consistent with the MM theorem, static trade off theory and many other empirical studies. Yet again, the two OLS models have put forward conflicting results while taking EPS as the dependent variable. The results corroborate the inefficient use of debt capital and suggest the need to improve the reliability of accounting information.
Suppressing Temporal Pedestal in Nd:glass Laser Systems by Avoiding Far-Field Spectral Phase Noise

The impact of spectral phase noise on the temporal pulse contrast is explored experimentally by using two zero-dispersion stretchers (Offner stretcher and two-lens stretcher). The results show clearly that a long temporal pedestal appears when there exists far-field spectral phase noise, which greatly degrades the pulse contrast. In our proof-of-principle experiment, by using a two-lens stretcher, the far-field spectral phase noise is avoided and the noise pedestal of the amplified pulse in a Nd:glass laser system is reduced, with the contrast reaching a level of 10 –11 in the 60-ps time window before the main pulse. This simple method may pave the way in a PW-level Nd:glass laser by directly using pre-cleaning techniques.
The potential for cross‐addiction in post‐bariatric surgery patients: Considerations for primary care nurse practitioners

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Possible mental health issues for post-bariatric surgery patients include the development of cross-addictions after the rapid weight loss period. No validated screening tool to assess for possible cross-addictions exists. The main purpose of this study was to develop recommendations for modifying an existing addiction screening tool (the Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire) for use by primary care providers. METHODS A qualitative descriptive design was used with triangulation of input from the scholarly literature, content experts (CEs), and post-bariatric surgery patients. Three focus groups were conducted with post-bariatric surgery patients (n = 12) with the same questions asked of the CEs (n = 3). Content analysis was used to analyze the transcripts. CONCLUSIONS The following themes regarding addictions after bariatric surgery were identified through consensus: alcohol, gambling, shopping, exercise, food starving/bingeing, and sexuality/relationships. Dissonant themes included caffeine and tobacco by the post-bariatric surgery patients and prescription/illicit medications by the CEs. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Targeted screening for early identification of problem behaviors by primary care providers may result in appropriate referral to and management by mental health providers, assisting ongoing success of bariatric surgery.
Contribution of methotrexate in precipitation of manic episode in bipolar affective disorder explored: a case report

Bipolar affective disorder is characterized by recurring episodes of mania with or without, but commonly with, episodes of depression. It usually begins in adolescence and can cause enduring and substantial impairment if left untreated. It needs a long-term treatment with mood stabilizers to prevent relapses. Elevated or depressed mood relapses can be either primary or secondary. However, primary mood relapses can occur without a significant precipitating factor, more often tending to occur following stressful life events or discontinuation of mood stabilizer medications. Secondary mood relapses can be caused by many conditions, such as physical illnesses, substance misuse and medications. When a mental illness coexists with another physical illness and the treatment of one complicates the other, it adds complexity to the selection of appropriate pharmacological regime for either condition. In this paper, the authors present a case of bipolar affective disorder who had two episodes of mania likely precipitated by methotrexate, which were reversed by the withdrawal of the offending drug (methotrexate). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, to date there have been no published reports in the literature in which methotrexate, an immunosuppressive and a cytotoxic drug, precipitated a manic episode in a patient with bipolar affective disorder.
Bronchial secretory immunoglobulin a deficiency correlates with airway inflammation and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

RATIONALE Although airway inflammation can persist for years after smoking cessation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the mechanisms of persistent inflammation are largely unknown. OBJECTIVES We investigated relationships between bronchial epithelial remodeling, polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) expression, secretory IgA (SIgA), airway inflammation, and mural remodeling in COPD. METHODS Lung tissue specimens and bronchoalveolar lavage were obtained from lifetime nonsmokers and former smokers with or without COPD. Epithelial structural changes were quantified by morphometric analysis. Expression of pIgR was determined by immunostaining and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemistry was performed for IgA, CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes, and cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus antigens. Total IgA and SIgA were measured by ELISA and IgA transcytosis was studied using cultured human bronchial epithelial cells. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Areas of bronchial mucosa covered by normal pseudostratified ciliated epithelium were characterized by pIgR expression with SIgA present on the mucosal surface. In contrast, areas of bronchial epithelial remodeling had reduced pIgR expression, localized SIgA deficiency, and increased CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocyte infiltration. In small airways (<2 mm), these changes were associated with presence of herpesvirus antigens, airway wall remodeling, and airflow limitation in patients with COPD. Patients with COPD had reduced SIgA in bronchoalveolar lavage. Air-liquid interface epithelial cell cultures revealed that complete epithelial differentiation was required for normal pIgR expression and IgA transcytosis. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that epithelial structural abnormalities lead to localized SIgA deficiency in COPD airways. Impaired mucosal immunity may contribute to persistent airway inflammation and progressive airway remodeling in COPD.
Resource Mobilisation and Precarious Workers’ Organisations: An Analysis of the Chilean Subcontracted Mineworkers’ Unions

Despite the poor working conditions, between 2003 and 2007 Chilean miners organised the longest and largest strikes in the country since the 1980s, obtaining one of the most important recent victories of the Latin American labour movement. This article uses this experience to illustrate the importance of the links between precarious workers and political activists. Drawing on 18 months of extensive fieldwork conducted at several mining sites in Chile, the article contends that the analysis of precarious workers’ organisations needs to consider workers’ access to different organisational resources, and the role that political parties’ militants play in such access, particularly in the Global South.
Tourism-Led Growth Hypothesis: A New Global Evidence

The primary aim of this study is to determine whether the tourism-led growth hypothesis is globally valid by accounting for countries’ income levels and their institutional qualities, against a panel dataset of 167 countries. The institutional qualities referred to are political stability and corruption control. We employ the dynamic panel generalized method of moments (GMM) approach to examine the relationship. It can be inferred from the exercise that tourism positively contributes to economic growth but the effect varies across countries at different levels of income and institutional qualities. Therefore, the effect of tourism on economic growth is contingent on levels of income and institutional qualities of the host tourism countries. Policy initiatives that aim to promote and strengthen institutional qualities should be undertaken for a country to enjoy the beneficial impact of tourism on economic growth and development.
Fracture resistance of immature teeth filled with BioAggregate, mineral trioxide aggregate and calcium hydroxide.

UNLABELLED Abstract - Background: The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the long-term fracture resistance of human immature permanent teeth filled with BioAggregate (BA), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and calcium hydroxide (CH). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study consisted of single rooted premolar teeth with immature root formation extracted for orthodontic reasons. A total of 28 immature premolars with average root length of 10.7 mm and apical diameter of 3 mm were included in the study. The pulps were extirpated and the canals were prepared using an apical approach. The teeth were randomly assigned to four groups: Group I: DiaRoot(®) BA (DiaDent, Burnaby, BC, Canada), Group II: Angelus MTA (MTA-A; Angelus, Londrina, Brazil), Group III: ProRoot(®) MTA (MTA-PR; Dentsply, Tulsa, OK, USA), Group IV: CH (Sultan Chemists Inc., Englewood, NJ, USA). The teeth were placed in saline solution at 4°C for 1 year. The root of each tooth was then embedded in an acrylic resin block. All specimens were loaded at a crosshead speed of 1 mm min(-1) in an Instron testing machine and the peak loads up to fracture were recorded. Data were analysed statistically by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-tests. RESULTS Mean (±SD) failure loads (MPa) were: 37.69 ± 14.43 for BA group, 32.94 ± 8.15 for MTA-A group, 28.74 ± 9.49 for MTA-PR group and 23.18 ± 8.48 for CH group. The BA group exhibited the highest fracture resistance and the CH group showed the lowest resistance to fracture. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in fracture resistance were found between the DiaRoot-BA and CH groups, and also between the MTA-A and CH groups. CONCLUSION Within the limitations of this study, data suggest that DiaRoot-BA-filled immature teeth demonstrate higher fracture resistance than other groups at 1 year. Considering the long-term risk of cervical root fracture associated with immature teeth, the use of DiaRoot-BA as a root canal filling material appears to be the most advantageous of the materials tested.
DETERMINANTS OF FEMALE LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION IN ZAMBIA: A MICRO DATA ANALYSIS BY CHIKUMBE SANKWA

There are many factors that influence females to enter the labour market. Women in most of the developing countries are underrepresented in the labour force. In this regard, the equity and efficiency related Sustainable Development Goals, in particular; ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities; achieving gender equality and empower all women; promoting sustained economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all have become desirable goals and target for policy formulation. This research focused on the determinants of female labour force participation in Zambia, with the view that labour market participation of women will improve their relative economic positions and also increase overall economic growth of the country. The study employed the Logit Model to analyse secondary data from 2014 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey. The results suggest that an increase in age influence women to join the labour force. Women with primary, secondary and higher education are more economically active than those without. Ownership of land and having children who are under five years of age also encourage them to engage in the labour market. Conversely, increasing the number of household members and ownership of television affected female labour force participation negatively. Additionally, women who are Non-Catholics are less likely to participate in economic activities. It is concluded that, in order to improve the working condition of female labour force, government should ensure that more women have access to education and limiting the family size would influence women to be more productive. Religious beliefs should be reviewed especially in the school curriculum and women should secure rights to own land.
No Evidence of Association of the Arg72Pro p53 Gene Polymorphism with Cancer Risk in the Saudi Population: a Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND Earlier studies on the association between p53 codon 72 Arg>Pro polymorphism and cancer risk were inconclusive and conflicting for the Saudi population. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between the codon 72 Arg>Pro polymorphism and overall cancer risk in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched all eligible published studies and data were pooled together to perform the meta-analysis. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for homozygous, heterozygous, dominant and recessive genetic models. RESULTS A total of five eligible published studies covering 502 cancer cases and 784 healthy controls were included in the meta-analysis. No publication bias was detected in this study. The results suggested that the variant (Pro vs Arg: p=0.960; OR=1.004, 95% CI=0.852-1.183), homozygous (Pro.Pro vs Arg.Arg: p=0.970; OR=1.006, 95% CI=0.729-1.390), heterozygous (Arg.Pro vs Arg.Arg: p=0.473; OR=0.783, 95% CI=0.402-1.527) carriers were not associated with overall cancer risk. Similarly, dominant (Pro.Pro+Pro.Arg vs Arg.Arg: p=0.632; OR=0.886, 95% CI=0.540-1.454) and recessive (Pro.Pro vs Pro.Arg+Arg.Arg: p=0.269; OR=1.163, 95%CI=0.890-1.521) models also did not indicate increased risk of cancer. CONCLUSIONS The current meta-analysis suggests that the codon 72 Arg>Pro polymorphism of the p53 gene might not contribute to cancer susceptibility in Saudi population. Future well designed large case control studies are needed to validate our findings.
The effect of the deterioration of insulin sensitivity on beta-cell function in growth-hormone-deficient adults following 4-month growth hormone replacement therapy.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the combined effect of GH treatment on body composition and glucose metabolism, with special focus on beta-cell function in adult GHD patients. In a double-blind placebo-controlled design, 24 GHD adults (18M/6F), were randomized to 4 months treatment with biosynthetic GH 2 IU/m2s.c. daily (n =13) or placebo (n =11). At inclusion and 4 months later an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) whole-body scanning were performed. During the study period, body weight decreased 1.6 kg from 94.0 +/- 18.7 to 92.4 +/- 19.4 kg (mean +/- SD) (P<0.05) in the GH-treated group, but remained unchanged in the placebo group. Fat mass decreased from 32.4 +/- 9.6 to 28.1 +/- 10.5 kg (P<0.001), whereas lean body mass increased from 58.3 +/- 11.5 to 61.0 +/- 11.7 kg (P<0.01) in the GH-treated group. Treatment with GH for 4 months resulted in a significant increase in fasting blood glucose (before GH 5.0 +/- 0.3 and after 5.4 +/- 0.6 mmol/l, P<0.05), fasting plasma insulin (before GH 38.4 +/- 30.2 and after 55.3 +/- 34.7 pmol/l, P<0.02) and fasting proinsulin (before 8. 1 +/- 6.7 and after 14.6 +/- 16.1 pmol/l, P<0.05). The insulin sensitivity index SI, estimated by Bergmans Minimal Model, decreased significantly [before GH 1.1 +/- 0.7 and after 0.4 +/- 0.2 10(-4)(min x pmol/l), P<0.003]. The non-insulin-dependent glucose uptake (glucose effectiveness SG did not change (before GH 0.017 +/- 0.005 and after 0.015 +/- 0.006 min-1, NS). Insulin secretion was enhanced during GH therapy, but insufficiently to match the changes in SI, resulting in a higher blood glucose level during an OGTT. Blood glucose at 120 min was 5.5 and 6.3 mmol/l before and after GH treatment, respectively (P = 0.07). One patient developed impaired glucose tolerance. Short-term GH replacement therapy in a dose of about 2 IU/m2 daily in GHD adults induces a reduction in insulin sensitivity, despite favourable changes in body composition, and an inadequate enhancement of insulin secretion.
NATIVE SUPERCOLONIES OF UNRELATED INDIVIDUALS IN THE INVASIVE ARGENTINE ANT

Abstract Kinship among group members has long been recognized as a main factor promoting the evolution of sociality and reproductive altruism, yet some ants have an extraordinary social organization, called unicoloniality, whereby individuals mix freely among physically separated nests. This type of social organization is not only a key attribute responsible for the ecological dominance of these ants, but also an evolutionary paradox because relatedness between nestmates is effectively zero. Recently, it has been proposed that, in the Argentine ant, unicoloniality is a derived trait that evolved after its introduction into new habitats. Here we test this basic assumption by conducting a detailed genetic analysis of four native and six introduced populations with five to 15 microsatellite loci and one mitochondrial gene. In contrast to the assumption that native populations consist of family-based colonies with related individuals who are aggressive toward members of other colonies, we found that native populations also form supercolonies, and are effectively unicolonial. Moreover, just as in introduced populations, the relatedness between nestmates is not distinguishable from zero in these native range supercolonies. Genetic differentiation between native supercolonies was very high for both nuclear and mitochondrial markers, indicating extremely limited gene flow between supercolonies. The only important difference between the native and introduced populations was that supercolonies were several orders of magnitude smaller in the native range (25–500 m). This size difference has important consequences for our understanding of the evolution and stability of unicolonial structures because the relatively small size of supercolonies in the native range implies that competition can occur between supercolonies, which can act as a break on the spread of selfish mutants by eliminating supercolonies harboring them.
Technical Efficiency Variation for Irrigated Maize Producers: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

The study was conducted to estimate technical efficiency levels of irrigated maize farmers and to identify efficiency influencing variables among them supplemented by Tibila surface water Irrigation scheme which is found in the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia. A stochastic frontier production model was used to estimate the levels of technical efficiency for randomly selected 113 irrigated maize producers and provides an empirical analysis of the determinants of inefficiency so as to search out the way to increase smallholders’ maize production and productivity using one step estimation technique. The descriptive result revealed that the mean of maize yield per quarter of hectare is 960 quintal which is lower than the plot level agronomic standard of the project i.e. 12 quintal. The classical test for the production variables indicates that they were not used at the plot level agronomic standard input requirement of the project.The econometric result of the study found that old aged household head, low levels of education, lack of credit services and limited livestock holding were found to have a positive effect on technical inefficiency of irrigated maize farmers. Providing irrigated maize producers with accurate and reliable information when they use factors of production, granting credit facility, strengthening households’ livestock ownership and livestock marketing system, improving educational level of farmers through necessary aids and reliefs are recommended policy implications. Keywords: Technical Efficiency, Irrigated Maize, Smallholder Farmer, Stochastic Production Frontier, Tibila irrigation project.
[Study of tolerability and reactogenicity of pandemic vaccines against influenza type A/H1N1].

AIM To study tolerability and safety of pandemic vaccines against influenza A/H1N1 "INFLUVIR" and "PANDEFLU" on limited group of volunteers during phase I clinical trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty healthy volunteers were participated in phase I clinical trial. Clinical and laboratory tests of volunteers randomized to 2 groups (20 persons received vaccine and 10 persons - placebo) were performed. "INFLUVIR" vaccine was administered by intranasal route. Volunteers were hospitalized and followed up for development of local and systemic adverse events during 7 days after vaccination. "PANDEFLU" was administered intramuscularly; vaccinees were followed for 7 days in outpatient settings. RESULTS. Phase I clinical trial showed good tolerability and low reactogenicity of "INFLUVIR" and "PANDEFLU" vaccines. There were no moderate and severe local and systemic adverse events registered. CONCLUSION On the basis of performed phase I clinical trial, phase II trial was recommended to perform in order to assess the reactogenicity, safety and immunogenicity of studied vaccines.
Behavioral and Emotional Disturbances in the Offspring of Depressed Parents with Anger Attacks

Background: To examine the emotional and behavioral characteristics of the offspring of depressed parents with and without anger attacks. Methods: Forty-three parents who met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) completed the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist – Parent Report Version (CBCL) for each of their birth children (n = 58, age range 6–17 years). Unpaired t tests were used to evaluate the CBCL scale score differences between children of parents with and children of parents without anger attacks. Baseline demographics and clinical differences between the two groups of parents were also evaluated. Results: Parents with anger attacks had a significantly younger age of onset of MDD. Offspring of depressed parents with anger attacks were found to have significantly lower social and school competency scale scores and higher scores for delinquency, attention problems, and aggressive behavior. In addition, this group was found to have a significantly higher total T score (a global measure of psychopathology). Conclusions: There are some important differences between offspring of depressed parents with and without anger attacks. This finding may be important in identifying and formulating intervention strategies for childhood problems in the offspring of depressed parents.