Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Repeatability of measurement in determining stature in sitting and standing postures

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of sitting and standing postures on the repeatability of a stadiometer designed to detect small variations in spinal length. Two groups of ten healthy subjects, with no previous or known history of back problems, participated in this study. One group was measured in the standing posture, while the other group was measured in a sitting posture. All subjects gave informed consent to participate in this study. Subjects had a set of landmarks defining the spinal contour marked on their backs and then stood in the stadiometer for three series of ten measurements to be performed. At the end of each measurement, the subjects were requested to move away from and then be repositioned in the stadiometer. Subjects improved the repeatability across the measurement series. At the end of the second measurement series, all subjects presented mean standard deviations of 0.43±0.08 mm (range 0.300.50 mm) in the standing posture. In the sitting posture, deviations of less than 0.05 mm were obtained only at the end of the third measurement series (0.48±0.08 mm; range 0.340.62 mm), suggesting that this posture required three measurement series before repeatable measurements could be assured rather than two in the standing posture.
Is the tourism-led growth hypothesis valid for Turkey?

Like many developing countries, Turkey has also given priority to the development of tourism industry as a part of its economic growth strategy. This study intends to investigate whether tourism has really contributed to the economic growth in Turkey. The interaction between tourism and economic growth is investigated by making use of leveraged bootstrap causality tests. This method is robust to the existence of non-normality and ARCH effects. Special attention is given to the choice of the optimal lag order of the empirical model. It is found that the tourism-led growth hypothesis is supported empirically in the case of Turkey.
Estimation of Stock Price Variances and Serial Covariances from Discrete Observations

Abstract Stock price discreteness adds noise to price series. The noise increases return variances and adds negative serial correlation to return series. Standard variance and serial covariance estimators therefore overestimate the variance and serial covariance of the underlying stock values. Discreteness-induced variance and serial covariance depend on underlying volatility and on the size of the bid/ask spread. Simple formulas for approximating the effects of discreteness on variance and serial correlation are derived and presented. The approximations, which are accurate in daily data, can be used to adjust the standard variance and serial covariance estimators.
Sarcopenia and Health Care Utilization in Older Women

Background: Although there are several consensus definitions of sarcopenia, their association with health care utilization has not been studied. Methods: We included women from the prospective Study of Osteoporotic Fractures with complete assessment of sarcopenia by several definitions at the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Year 10 (Y10) exam (1997–1998) who also had available data from Medicare Fee- For-Service Claims (N = 566) or Kaiser Encounter data (N = 194). Sarcopenia definitions evaluated were: International Working Group, European Working Group for Sarcopenia in Older Persons, Foundation for the NIH Sarcopenia Project, Baumgartner, and Newman. Hurdle models and logistic regression were used to assess the relation between sarcopenia status (the summary definition and the components of slowness, weakness and/or lean mass) and outcomes that included hospitalizations, cumulative inpatient days/year, short-term (part A paid) skilled nursing facility stay in the 3 years following the Y10 visit. Results: None of the consensus definitions, nor the definition components of weakness or low lean mass, was associated with increased risk of hospitalization or greater likelihood of short-term skilled nursing facility stay. Women with slowness by any criterion definition were about 50% more likely to be hospitalized; had a greater rate of hospitalization days amongst those hospitalized; and had 1.8 to 2.1 times greater likelihood of a short-term skilled nursing facility stay than women without slowness. There was the suggestion of a protective association of low lean mass by the various criterion definitions on short-term skilled nursing facility stay. Conclusion: Estimated effects of sarcopenia on health care utilization were negligible. However, slowness was associated with greater health care utilization.
Compensating for Innovation: Do Small Firms Offer High- Powered Incentives That Lure Talent and Motivate Effort?

Empirical studies commonly confirm that small firms enjoy efficiency advantages in generating innovation. However, the origin of this advantage remains poorly understood. This study explores the hypothesis that small firms enjoy advantages over large firms in crafting effective, incentive-intensive employment contracts that lure top engineering talent and motivate high effort. These hypotheses are tested using data from a sample of R&D engineers in Silicon Valley and the Route 128 area. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Public Opinion and Public Sector Performance: Are Individuals’ Beliefs About Performance Evidence-Based or the Product of Anti–Public Sector Bias?

ABSTRACT Public management scholars have long observed that Americans’ attitudes about public sector performance are negative, even though public sector organizations often perform at a high level. We use a survey experiment to test whether this negativity is a product of anti-public sector bias, using package delivery as our context. We also test whether objective performance information can correct this bias. Our results suggest that individuals expect a lower level of performance from the United States Postal Service (USPS) than Federal Express (FedEx), a prominent private sector shipping organization. Moreover, our results suggest that objective performance information does not completely override this “expectation bias”—individuals rate USPS and FedEx differently, even when their ratings are based on identical favorable performance updates.
Neurodegeneration of mouse nigrostriatal dopaminergic system induced by repeated oral administration of rotenone is prevented by 4‐phenylbutyrate, a chemical chaperone

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is primarily characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. Previous studies have demonstrated that chronic systemic exposure of Lewis rats to rotenone produced many features of PD, and cerebral tauopathy was also detected in the case of severe weight loss. The present study was designed to assess the neurotoxicity of rotenone after daily oral administration for 28 days at several doses in C57BL/6 mice. In addition, we examined the protective effects of 4‐phenylbutyrate (4‐PBA) on nigral dopamine (DA) neurons in rotenone‐treated mice. 4‐PBA was injected intraperitoneally daily 30 min before each oral administration of rotenone. Chronic oral administration of rotenone at high doses induced specific nigrostriatal DA neurodegeneration, motor deficits and the up‐regulation of α‐synuclein in the surviving DA neurons. In contrast to the Lewis rat model, cerebral tauopathy was not detected in this mouse model. 4‐PBA inhibited rotenone‐induced neuronal death and decreased the protein level of α‐synuclein. These results suggest that this rotenone mouse model may be useful for understanding the mechanism of DA neurodegeneration in PD, and that 4‐PBA has a neuroprotective effect in the treatment of PD.
Immunohistochemical Features of a Feline Spinal Cord Gemistocytic Astrocytoma

A gemistocytic astrocytoma is described in the spinal cord of a 3-year-old, spayed, female, Domestic Shorthair cat. The neoplasm was tested for glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and p53 protein expression. On histologic exanimation, the neoplastic cells were pleomorphic, with distinct cell borders and abundant cytoplasm that frequently extended into variably sized fibrillar processes. Neoplastic cells were strongly positive for GFAP and negative for EGFR. Eight percent (mean percentage) of neoplastic cells were p53 positive. Only 1 p53-positive cell was found in the normal spinal cord. The increased expression of p53 in the neoplasm was suggestive of an abnormal biological behavior of the p53 protein and its possible involvement in the neoplastic process of feline astrocytoma.
Sexual Function and Somatopsychic Reactions in Vulvectomy‐Operated Women and their Partners

Sexual function and somatopsychic reactions were examined in 25 women following vulvectomy and in 15 of their partners. More than half of the women had both sexual dysfunction and psychological problems. Their partners had no sexual dysfunction but almost half had psychological problems. An important reason for this seems to be insufficient information and advice both pre‐ and postope‐ratively and failure to recognize a developing stricture of the introitus vaginae. Frequent control and advice to both partners both pre‐ and postoperatively is desirable. Less extensive surgical procedures in selected cases should be considered.
Strategic Planning and Performance: An Exploratory Study of Housing Associations in Northern Ireland

Based on qualitative data this paper explores the resons for the non-profit housing sectors enthusiastic embrace of strategic planning practices. Evidence is presented on the use of specified techiniques by housing associations in Northeren Ireland and their impact on the performance of the assocaitions. Without dismissing rational goel seeking explanations for adoption, the study concludes the strategic planning is also a legimation seeking practice. Evidence suggest that the contested nature of performance in the non-profit sector makes it hard for chief executives to sustain a rational goal based argument for adopting strategic planing.
The clinical pharmacology profile of the new antiepileptic drug perampanel: A novel noncompetitive AMPA receptor antagonist

The clinical pharmacology profile of a drug critically determines its therapeutics, and this review summarizes the characteristics associated with the antiepileptic drug (AED) perampanel. A PubMed literature search was performed for perampanel. Congress abstract data are included where necessary and Eisai Ltd provided access to unpublished data on file. After oral ingestion, perampanel is rapidly absorbed and peak plasma concentrations occur 0.5–2.5 h later; its bioavailability is ~100%. Although the rate of perampanel absorption is slowed by food co‐ingestion, the extent absorbed remains unchanged; therefore, perampanel can be administered without regard to meal times. The pharmacokinetics of perampanel are linear and predictable over the clinically relevant dose range (2–12 mg); perampanel is 95% protein‐bound to albumin and α1‐acid glycoprotein. Perampanel is extensively metabolized (>90%) in the liver, primarily by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4, to various pharmacologically inactive metabolites. In healthy volunteers, the apparent terminal half‐life is ~105 h, whereas the calculated effective half‐life is 48 h. These half‐life values allow for once‐daily dosing, which will aid patient compliance and in the event of a missed dose, will have minimal impact on seizure control. In healthy volunteers prescribed carbamazepine, half‐life decreases to 25 h. Clearance values are not significantly different in adolescents (~13.0 ml/min) and the elderly (~10.5 ml/min) compared with adults (10.9 ml/min). Perampanel has minimal propensity to cause pharmacokinetic interactions. However, it is the target of such interactions and CYP3A4‐inducing AEDs enhance its clearance; this can be used to advantage because dose titration can be faster and thus optimum therapeutic outcome can be achieved sooner. Perampanel 12 mg, but not 4 or 8 mg, enhances the metabolism of the progesterone component of the oral contraceptive pill, necessitating the need for an additional reliable contraceptive method. Overall, perampanel has a favorable clinical pharmacology profile, which should aid its clinical use.
When do trade credit discounts matter? Evidence from Italian firm-level data

Italian firms are top users of trade credit in an international comparison. The paper offers some clues to the determinants of this stylized fact exploiting the answers of about 1900 manufacturing firms on a wide range of contractual features, separately for domestic and foreign customers. The main finding of the univariate analysis is that, with the almost totality of transactions made on credit, there is no evidence that this way of financing is more expensive than loans. An econometric investigation shows that discounts offered have the expected effect of reducing payment delays mostly for customers located abroad, where customary credit periods are shorter and creditors’ rights protection is more effective. The result is consistent with the poor explanatory power of discounts received in regressions for the trade debt period of domestic firms.
Transformational leadership and creativity: exploring the mediating effects of creative thinking and intrinsic motivation

This study investigates the effect of transformational leadership on the followers' creativity through the mediation of creative thinking and intrinsic motivation. Data were collected from the Research and Development employees of 50 companies in Taiwan. It is found that the creative thinking and the intrinsic motivation fully mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and creativity. It is also found that the transformational leadership has a relatively smaller effect on creative thinking than on intrinsic motivation. In addition, creative thinking has a greater effect on creativity than does intrinsic motivation. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Uncertainties in Accounting for CO2 From Fossil Fuels

Marland and colleagues (1999) conducted a comparison of two large, “(partially) independent” efforts to estimate national emissions of CO2. The two estimates for the United States differed by only 0.9%, but the absolute value of this difference was greater than total emissions from 147 of the 195 countries analyzed. the atmosphere, countries and companies analyze CO2 emissions and trade emissions permits, and individuals try to be environmentally sensitive. It is not surprising that there is a need to estimate emissions and to understand the accuracy of these estimates. There has been considerable discussion about the challenges of measuring carbon sources and sinks in the biosphere, but there has been less recognition that emissions from fossil-fuel combustion are also subject to uncertainty. How accurate are CO2 emissions estimates, and how accurate do they need to be? Can we measure the emissions from fossil-fuel combustion well enough to understand their implications for the global carbon cycle, to know whether a country that agrees to reduce emissions by x% has achieved its goal, or to be sure that a company that buys permits to offset its emissions has received what it paid for? CO2emissions are actually measured in only a few places, and then with still considerable
Fragmented Integration and Business Cycle Synchronization in the Greek Regions

This paper examines the degree of business cycle synchronicity among Greek regions and investigates the determinants of the business cycle co-movements of output associated with specific functional and spatial aspects of the integration process among the Greek regions. We analyse nearly 30 years (1980–2008) of data at the NUTSIII level (prefectures). We conclude that the business cycles of prefectures are more synchronized with the NUTSII regional cycle than with the national business cycle revealing a regional (NUTSII) border effect. Moreover, the intensification of the integration process seems to diachronically affect the structural characteristics of the Greek regions and the geography of cyclical synchronization. Our study reveals a two-stage integration process where in the first stage we detect the existence of urbanization economies, while in the second one the existence of localization economies. Furthermore, our study reveals that the metropolitan regions have a low level of business cycle synchronicity with the other regions, stressing Greece's pattern of economic and structural dualism.
Television, Tourism, and Rural Life

This article analyzes the relationship among dramaturgy, tourism, and rurality. Through an ethnographic study of Goathland in North Yorkshire—the filming location for the U.K. television drama series Heartbeat—the rural is shown to be a cultural performance that invokes certain lifestyle preferences that are both reliant and counterpoised to urban society. However, when urban viewers exchange the virtuality of television viewing for the corporeality of visiting the rural scenes that have become a familiar part of their cultural landscapes, the consequences are much more profound, nuanced, and complex than the demarcation of positive or negative impacts reified in certain managerialist discourses. Moreover, the article shows how the public and private spaces of the rural are being fundamentally transformed by the types of global consumption and mobility that “film-induced tourism” represents.
Stem cells for cardiac regeneration and possible roles of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily

Abstract Heart failure is a leading cause of death worldwide. Studies of stem cell biology are essential for developing efficient treatments. Recently, we established and characterized c-kit-positive cardiac stem cells from the adult rat heart. Using a MethoCult culture system with a methyl-cellulose-based medium, stem-like left-atrium-derived pluripotent cells could be regulated to differentiate into skeletal/cardiac myocytes or adipocytes with almost 100% purity. Microarray and pathway analyses of these cells showed that transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and noggin were significantly involved in the differentiation switch. Furthermore, TGF-β1 may act as a regulator for this switch because it simultaneously inhibits adipogenesis and activates myogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. However, the effect of TGF-β varies with developmental stage, dosage, and timing of treatment. In the present review, the findings of recent studies, in particular the use of c-kit-positive cardiac stem cells, are discussed. The effects of the TGF-β superfamily on differentiation, especially on adipogenesis and/or myogenesis, have important implications for future regenerative medicine.
Managing R&D Project Shifts in High‐Tech Organizations: A Multi‐Method Study

High‐tech organizations maintain a portfolio of R&D projects that address problems with different levels of complexity. These projects use different strategies to search for technological solutions. Projects refining existing products, processes, and technologies, for instance, employ a local search strategy to improve performance, while projects developing new products, processes, and technologies employ a distant search strategy. However, projects can shift in their levels of complexity due to exogenous technological changes, and failure to change search strategy in turn can negatively impact project performance. This study first develops grounded theory via case studies to understand how high‐tech organizations manage R&D projects when complexity shifts. The case data come from 142 informants in 12 R&D projects at three high‐tech business units. A cross‐case comparison shows that three interconnected mechanisms positioned at multiple levels within the organization enable high‐tech organizations to identify such shifts and adjust the project's search. We refer to this strategy as responsive search. We then conduct agent‐based simulation experiments to examine the conditions under which the responsive search outperforms other canonical search strategies. Overall, this study sheds light on the underexplored question of how to make mid‐project corrections by effectively identifying and managing shifts in project complexity.
Inequality Observed: A Study of Attitudes Towards Income Inequality

If people in two societies with similar distributions of income, experience income lnequality in very different ways, the consequences of income lnequality wilf also be very different in these societies. Where the tolerance for inequality is low and there is a widespread feeling that the distribution of incomes is unjust, income inequality may well promote social unrest and social conflict. On the other hand, where the tolerance for inequality is high and the belief that individual effort and perforrnance should be highly rewarded is widespread, the same income distribution might well be rejected as too egalitarian. Zie: Introduction
Benefits and Barriers of Crowdsourcing in B2B Firms: Generating Ideas with Internal and External Crowds

In recent years crowdsourcing has increased in popularity as a method for gathering ideas for new innovations and providing solutions to existing problems. This means that firms apply the wisdom of crowds to certain tasks and challenges. Various crowdsourcing initiatives and platforms seem to provide new channels and ways to enable this in practice. The purpose of this paper is to examine how business-to-business (B2B) firms can interact with different groups of contributors in order to receive new ideas, feedback and solutions for improving their products and services. Based on theoretical conceptualization, combined with empirical evidence, we propose a layered framework for approaching crowdsourcing in a B2B context. The empirical results of this paper reveal benefits but also practical challenges to overcome before crowdsourcing can be effectively utilized in the B2B sector.
Passing Reading First: Prominence and Processes in an Elite Policy Network

Reading became a hotbed of policy activity during the 1990s with both state and federal policymakers launching major initiatives to raise reading achievement. When President George W. Bush introduced his Reading First initiative in early 2001, we saw a unique opportunity to investigate the policy processes, antecedents, and unplanned events surrounding an important and potentially controversial initiative. We began with the assumption that major policy changes are typically made by powerful actors operating in relatively open issue networks. In regard to the Reading First legislation, however, we found a small clique of inside policy entrepreneurs who fashioned major changes in a short period. Upon recognizing this condition, we expanded the research purpose to describe the actions of this insider policy group.