Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate governance strength and stock market liquidity in Malaysia

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of corporate governance strength on stock market liquidity in an emerging country, namely, Malaysia, by constructing a corporate governance score that captures both internal monitoring mechanisms (board of directors’ characteristics, audit committee’s characteristics and internal audit function) and external monitoring mechanism (audit quality). Design/methodology/approach - The study uses a sample of 2,020 yearly firm observations in Bursa Malaysia over the period 2009-2012. The ordinary least square regression and several estimation methods such as two-stage least squares using instrumental variables (IV-2SLS) and dynamic GMM are employed. Findings - This study finds a significant positive association between corporate governance effectiveness and stock market liquidity. The finding is robust to alternative liquidity measurements, to alternative estimation methods, and to endogeneity bias. Research limitations/implications - This result implies that the firms with effective monitoring mechanisms mitigate information asymmetry which leads to less adverse selection problems among traders. Practical implications - This study provides implications for regulators to help design regulations that enhance stock market liquidity. This study could also help investors and traders to formulate their trading decisions, and enables firms to know the importance of strengthening the corporate governance monitoring mechanisms. Originality/value - This study constructs a corporate governance effectiveness measure by combining both internal and external monitoring mechanisms. These mechanisms have not been constructed together in one score in the corporate governance literature and the impact of internal audit function, as an internal monitoring mechanism on liquidity, has yet to be examined.
A five generation family with a novel mutation in FOXC2 and lymphedema worsening to hydrops in the youngest generation

We describe a five generation family with dominantly inherited lymphedema, but no distichiasis, in which 3/3 affected offspring in the fifth generation have died of fetal hydrops and related birth defects. Mutational analysis disclosed a novel mutation in FOXC2 (R121C) in affected members. We searched for possible genetic influences on the greater severity of lymphedema (hydrops) in the fifth generation. Karyotypes disclosed an extra band in Xp in one affected fetus, but this was also found in the mother. Copy number variation (CNV) studies on four members of the pedigree (mother of the three severely affected fetuses/infants; one severely affected; a full, and a half, unaffected sibs) did not detect the source of the Xp band or a possible influence on the severe phenotype. However, use of SNP arrays did allow identification of the portion of the maternal proximal Xp shared by a hydrops‐affected daughter and son which was not shared by an unaffected daughter from the same sibship. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Donor Cancer Transmission in Kidney Transplantation: A Systematic Review

Transplantation of any biological material from a donor to a host will carry some inherent risk of disease transmission. Our aims were to summarize the totality of the published evidence about donor cancer transmission among kidney transplant recipients and to determine the cancer‐specific survival of these patients. We systematically reviewed all case reports, case series and registry studies that described the outcomes of kidney transplant recipients with donor cancer transmission published to December 2012. A total of 69 studies with 104 donor‐transmitted cancer cases were identified. The most common transmitted cancer types were renal cancer (n = 20, 19%), followed by melanoma (n = 18, 17%), lymphoma (n = 15, 14%) and lung cancer (n = 9, 9%). Patients with melanoma and lung cancers had the worst prognosis, with less than 50% of recipients surviving after 24 months from transplantation. Recipients with transmitted renal cancers had the best outcomes, with over 70% of recipients surviving for at least 24 months after transplantation. Overall, the risk of donor transmission of cancer appears low, but there is a high likelihood of reporting bias. Our findings support the current recommendations for rejecting organs from donors with a history of melanoma and lung cancer, but suggest that the use of donor kidneys with a history of small, incidental renal cell cancer may be reasonable.
AKR ecotropic murine leukemia virus SL3-3 forms envelope gene recombinants in vivo

The ecotropic AKR virus SL3-3 was injected into neonatal mice of the high-leukemia strains HRS/J and CWD/J and the low-leukemia strains CBA/J, SEA/J, and NIH Swiss. SL3-3 was highly leukemogenic in each strain, and 90% of the inoculated animals died by 6 months of age. T1 oligonucleotide fingerprint analysis of the genomic RNAs of viruses recovered from 9 of 13 leukemic animals revealed the presence of the SL3-3 virus and recombinant viruses with polytropic virus-related envelope gene sequences. Recombinant proviruses were detected by the Southern blot technique in the DNAs of 17 of 18 tumors. The pattern of substitutions within the envelope genes of the SL3-3 recombinant viruses appeared to be dependent on the strain of the animal. These observations indicate that the SL3-3 virus formed envelope gene recombinants in vivo in each of the strains that were studied. However, the role of these recombinants during leukemogenesis remains to be defined.
Family financial support in income security for older parents in Hong Kong and South Korea

Abstract This study aims to explore the importance of family financial support from adult children to their older parents in Hong Kong and South Korea. These two societies share some similar social circumstances. For example, both societies are facing dynamically rapid ageing and possessing the traditional Confucian value of filial piety. Based on these social contexts, we firstly investigate the conceptual framework on family financial support by reviewing related theories. We secondly examine the World Bank pension multi-pillars of both societies to understand the role of family financial support to secure older people’s income. We thirdly address relevant social policy programmes to examine how both governments encourage family financial support. We fourthly employ empirical data to investigate how family financial support is important in both the societies. In addition, we compare the differences and similarities of their family financial support in light of contextual background, the World Bank multi-pillar framework, relevant social policies, and empirical data. Through this, this study is expected to enrich our understanding of the characteristics and role of family financial support of both societies. Moreover, it is hoped that this paper can provide some insights about the future prospect of welfare development for older people in Hong Kong.
Gastrointestinal promotility drugs in the critical care setting: A systematic review of the evidence*

Context Gastrointestinal promotility agents may improve tolerance to enteral nutrition, reduce gastroesophageal reflux and pulmonary aspiration, and therefore have the potential to improve outcomes of critically ill patients. Objective To systematically review and critically appraise studies of promotility agents in the critical care setting. Data Sources Computerized bibliographic search of published research (1980–2001), citation review of relevant articles, and contact with primary investigators. Study Selection Randomized trials of critically ill adult patients that evaluated the effect of promotility agents on measures of gastrointestinal motility were included. Data Extraction Relevant methods and outcome data were abstracted in duplicate by independent investigators. Data Synthesis We reviewed 60 citations; 18 articles met the inclusion criteria (six studies of feeding tube placement, 11 studies evaluating gastrointestinal function, and one study of clinical outcomes). The heterogeneity of study methods and outcomes measured precluded a quantitative synthesis of the data. Although there are conflicting studies, the larger and more methodologically robust studies suggest that metoclopramide has no effect on feeding tube placement. Erythromycin has been shown to increase success rates with small-bowel tube placement in two studies. Eight of ten studies evaluating the effect of cisapride, metoclopramide, or erythromycin on measures of gastrointestinal transit demonstrated positive effects; the two studies that did not were relatively small (n = 27 and 10) and likely had inadequate power to detect a difference in treatment effect. No study demonstrated a positive effect on clinical outcomes. Conclusions As a class of drugs, promotility agents appear to have a beneficial effect on gastrointestinal motility in critically ill patients. A one-time dose of erythromycin may facilitate small-bowel feeding tube insertion. Administration of metoclopramide appears to increase physiologic indexes of gastrointestinal transit and feeding tolerance. Concerns about safety and lack of effect on clinically important outcomes preclude strong treatment recommendations.
Femoral Anastomotic Aneurysms

Both the literature and this experience support host vessel degeneration as the primary etiologic factor in femoral anastomotic aneurysms. Associated factors that produce increased "intra-anastomotic tension," such as hypertension, superficial femoral artery occlusion, and flow turbulence, appear to contribute to vessel deterioration. Other factors, much less prevalent in present-day vascular surgery, such as rigid grafts, deficient suture material, inappropriate angle of incidence, and excessive tension on the graft can contribute to anstomotic disruption. Certain guidelines may be helpful in the management of femoral pseudoaneurysm. 1) Redo the entire anstomosis, rather than simply resuturing a disrupted edge. 2) Use minimal dissection to avoid injury to outflow vessels and to limit disruption of supportive tissue. 3) Use braided synthetic suture material. 4) Avoid tension by interposing a segment of graft between the proximal graft limb and the host vessel. 5) Use knitted Dacron for the interposed segment so the new anastomosis to the host vessel will be with softer, more pliable fabric. 6) Assure smooth adequate outflow by end-to-end anastomosis with a patch angioplasty or distal bypass. These guidelines should lead to a safe, reliable solution to one of the vexing complications of aortofemoral bypass procedure.
Robust synchronization and channel estimation for the OFDM-based WLAN systems

As an effective technique for combating multipath fading and for high data rate transmission over wireless channels, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is extensively used in wireless local area network (WLAN) systems to support high performance bandwidth-efficient multimedia services. In this paper, novel synchronization and channel estimation schemes are proposed for the OFDM-based WLAN systems. Analyses and simulation results show that the proposed schemes exhibit good performances and are robust in harsh fading channel environments and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions.
Fibroblast Growth Factors Stimulate Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation and Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase Activity in Primary Cultures of Hippocampal Neurons

Abstract: Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are not only mitogens, but they also promote the differentiation of various cell types. For instance, basic FGF (bFGF) provides a critical trophic support for hippocampal neurons in culture. To elicit their biological effects, FGFs interact with high‐affinity receptors that are transmembrane proteins with a cytoplasmic portion containing a tyrosine kinase activity. The tyrosine phosphorylation pattern was examined in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons derived from rat embryos. In these cultures grown for 3 days in the absence of serum, the addition of bFGF causes a rapid increase of tyrosine phosphorylation for various proteins with an optimal level after 5 min of bFGF exposure. Concomitantly, bFGF activates mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) activity measured with a selective MAP kinase peptide. The activity increased rapidly after the addition of bFGF and remained elevated even when cultures were treated for 1 h with bFGF. Both acidic and basic FGF were able to enhance protein tyrosine phosphorylation and MAP kinase activity, whereas nerve growth factor and epidermal growth factor did not elicit any of these responses. These data indicate that some of the transduction signals (i.e., tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of MAP kinase) that have been described for the proliferative effect of FGFs are also involved when FGFs act as trophic factors for postmitotic neurons in culture.
Texting to Motivate Language Learning: WhatsApp Group Chats and Near Peer Role Modeling (NPRM)

During the Soviet era, the Kazakh language underwent harsh times and was on the brink of extinction from urban areas in Kazakhstan. Today, the country is paving its way towards reviving the language. This article details an effort to support Kazakh language learning in motivating secondary school students through the use of technology. Through the development of a small-scale project connecting university students as Near Peer Role Models (NPRM) with secondary school students, we used WhatsApp texting group chats as a means to encourage authentic communication in the Kazakh language and discovered five tangible results and suggested next steps.
Double blind randomized clinical trial examining the efficacy of bupivacaine suprascapular nerve blocks in frozen shoulder.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the pain, contracture, and disability associated with idiopathic frozen shoulder are diminished by a series of 3 indirect bupivacaine suprascapular nerve blocks delivered in an ambulatory care clinic. METHODS A double blind randomized controlled trial of patients referred by primary care and specialty clinics in Montreal to an ambulatory tertiary care academic facility. Patients and controls underwent a series of 3 indirect suprascapular nerve blocks at 7 day intervals using either 10 c.c. bupivacaine 0.5 (Marcaine) in the treatment group or 10 c.c. of physiological saline in controls. Subjects in both groups were taught a program of shoulder range of motion exercises to be done at home. The primary outcome measure was the McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) short form at 1 month post-randomization (2 weeks after last injection). The secondary outcome measures were disability measured by the simple shoulder test and glenohumeral joint contracture measured by shoulder range of motion measurements. RESULTS Thirty-four subjects were randomized from 58 screened. Average age of subjects was 52 years. Mean duration of pain prior to randomization was one year. Dropout rate was 11% in the treatment group, 30% in the placebo group. A 64% reduction in pain in the treatment group versus 13% in the placebo group was observed at one month as measured by the MPQ multidimensional pain descriptors score (p = 0.03). A nonsignificant 15.8% improvement in shoulder function in the treatment group versus 4% in the placebo group (p = 0.24) was also noted. No improvement in shoulder range of movement was noted. No side effects other than transient vagal symptoms and local tenderness at the injection site were reported. CONCLUSION The use of bupivacaine suprascapular nerve blocks was effective in reducing the pain of frozen shoulder at one month. Clinical studies with a larger number of subjects and a longer study period will help determine the duration and nature of the effect of bupivacaine suprascapular nerve blocks in treating the pain, disability, and glenohumeral joint contracture of frozen shoulder.
Human metapneumovirus reinfection among children in Thailand determined by ELISA using purified soluble fusion protein.

BACKGROUND Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a newly discovered paramyxovirus that causes acute respiratory illness. Despite apparent near-universal exposure during early childhood, immunity is transient. METHODS An indirect screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a recombinant soluble fusion (F) glycoprotein derived from hMPV was used to test for anti-F IgG in 1,380 pairs of acute- and convalescent-stage serum samples collected from children in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand. RESULTS Of the 1,380 serum sample pairs tested, 1,376 (99.7%) showed evidence of prior infection with hMPV. Sixty-six paired specimens demonstrated a >or=4-fold rise in titer, for an overall reinfection rate of 4.9%. Two children demonstrated evidence of an initial infection. Forty-eight of the 68 new infections or reinfections occurred in 2000, accounting for 13.2% of all nonflaviviral febrile illnesses in the study population in that year. Of 68 positive cases, 85.3% complained of cough and 66.2% complained of rhinorrhea, compared with 61.4% and 49.0% of negative cases, respectively (P < .01). All positive samples were also tested for an increase in titer of antibodies to respiratory syncytial virus F, and 27% exhibited a >or=4-fold rise. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that hMPV reinfections cause illness at a rate equal to that seen for initial infections. hMPV may have a more significant impact in older children than previously realized and may be the cause of significant outbreaks in this population.
Posture alteration as a measure to accommodate uneven ground in able-bodied gait

Though the effects of imposed trunk posture on human walking have been studied, less is known about such locomotion while accommodating changes in ground level. For twelve able participants, we analyzed kinematic parameters mainly at touchdown and toe-off in walking across a 10-cm visible drop in ground level (level step, pre-perturbation step, step-down, step-up) with three postures (regular erect, ~30° and ~50° of trunk flexion from the vertical). Two-way repeated measures ANOVAs revealed step-specific effects of posture on the kinematic behavior of gait mostly at toe-off of the pre-perturbation step and the step-down as well as at touchdown of the step-up. In preparation to step-down, with increasing trunk flexion the discrepancy in hip−center of pressure distance, i.e. effective leg length, (shorter at toe-off versus touchdown), compared with level steps increased largely due to a greater knee flexion at toe-off. Participants rotated their trunk backwards during step-down (2- to 3-fold backwards rotation compared with level steps regardless of trunk posture) likely to control the angular momentum of their whole body. The more pronounced trunk backwards rotation in trunk-flexed walking contributed to the observed elevated center of mass (CoM) trajectories during the step-down which may have facilitated drop negotiation. Able-bodied individuals were found to recover almost all assessed kinematic parameters comprising the vertical position of the CoM, effective leg length and angle as well as hip, knee and ankle joint angles at the end of the step-up, suggesting an adaptive capacity and hence a robustness of human walking with respect to imposed trunk orientations. Our findings may provide clinicians with insight into a kinematic interaction between posture and locomotion in uneven ground. Moreover, a backward rotation of the trunk for negotiating step-down may be incorporated into exercise-based interventions to enhance gait stability in individuals who exhibit trunk-flexed postures during walking.
Tradeoffs in the Realization of Electrically Pumped Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers

The design and realization of substrate emitting 980-nm electrically pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (EP-VECSELs) is reported. A method to characterize the detuning of the cavity and spontaneous emission of the epitaxial material is described, and an experimental study of the effect of substrate doping on the operating characteristics of devices is presented. A reduction in optical loss and enhanced current-gain characteristics with a reduction in substrate doping from 2 × 108 to 4 × 1017 cm-3 is demonstrated. Spatial carrier distributions, evidenced by near-field profiling of devices without external feedback indicate similar current spreading behavior for the two-substrate dopings. Devices with diameter greater than 70 μm and current spreading layer thickness of 100 μm are shown to suffer from nonuniform carrier injection into the active region. Power scaling properties of the devices are investigated in both pulsed and CW operation. We realize devices with CW powers of 133 mW at 981 nm from a 150 μm device with 4 × 1017 cm-3 substrate doping at 0 °C, which is limited by nonoptimal cavity-gain peak detuning.
Inequality Amid Income Stagnation: Italy Over the Last Quarter of a Century

The paper analyses the evolution of inequality in Italy from 1989 to 2014, focusing on three business-cycle phases: the 1992 currency crisis, the moderate growth from 1993 to 2007, and the double-dip recession from 2008 to 2013. Data from the national accounts and the Bank of Italy’s Survey on Household Income and Wealth are used. Results show that income inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, rose sharply during the recession of the early 1990s but much less during the recent double-dip recession, though the share of people at risk of poverty rose similarly during the two crises. The stability of (synthetic) distributive inequality measures is explained by the fact that the reduction in income during the double-dip recession hit the whole population. Despite this apparent stability, two changes stand out: the widening gap between the young and the elderly and the fact that the deterioration in living conditions was borne wholly by households whose primary earner was foreign born.
Regulation of energy expenditure during prolonged athletic competition.

BACKGROUND Athletic competitions, such as the Tour de France, demand both momentary bursts of very high power output and the ability to provide high levels of energy expenditure for several weeks. As such, they provide a model of the ability for sustained muscular activity, which is important in terms of how humans are understood, not only as athletes, but also within an evolutionary context. METHODS Laboratory correlated HR responses were made of elite professional cyclists (N=7) during successive competitions in one of the three grand tours in cycling in successive years, with the intent of evaluating the magnitude and pattern of energy expenditure. HR recordings were normalized into a training impulse (TRIMP) score, summating the intensity and duration of each race, and tracked over the duration of successive tours. RESULTS Although the day-by-day pattern of HR responses in exercise intensity zones associated with exercise intensities below the first ventilatory threshold, between the first and second ventilatory thresholds, and above the second ventilatory threshold varied in response to the course and competitive situation, the net accumulation of both time in each of the HR zones and TRIMP was remarkably constant from one tour to the next, both within the group at large as well as within individual athletes. The magnitude of accumulation of TRIMP was similar to that of previous reports on elite tour cyclists. CONCLUSIONS We interpret these results as evidence that humans adopt a pacing strategy designed to optimally distribute energy reserves over the duration of each tour.