Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MANAGING THE AFTERMATHS OF CONTRACTING IN PUBLIC TRANSIT ORGANIZATIONS: EMPLOYEE PERCEPTION OF JOB SECURITY, ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AND TRUST

This study assesses how to manage the effects or outcomes of organizational change on job security and employee commitment in transit systems using trust-building, empowerment, employee reassurance, and job redesign strategies. The major findings are that organizational restructuring, downsizing and layoffs have contributed to erosion of employees' trust in management, organizational commitment, and feelings of having power. These general conclusions suggest the need for management to do more to build employees' trust by focusing on maintaining behavior consistency and integrity, especially on issues and decisions that affect employees' welfare. When employees perceive management as showing concern for their welfare, it could result in improved morale, increased job satisfaction, and improved productivity. Job redesign, employee empowerment, and reassurance are among the additional strategies the study recommends to be used to address the reduced levels of commitment, trust, and job security.
Why sex hormones matter for neuroscience: A very short review on sex, sex hormones, and functional brain asymmetries

Biological sex and sex hormones are known to affect functional cerebral asymmetries (FCAs). Men are generally more lateralized than women. The effect size of this sex difference is small but robust. Some of the inconsistencies in the literature may be explained by sex‐related hormonal differences. Most studies focusing on neuromodulatory properties of sex hormones on FCAs have investigated women during the menstrual cycle. Although contradictions exist, these studies have typically shown that levels of estradiol and/or progesterone correlate with the degree of FCAs, suggesting that sex differences in FCAs partially depend on hormonal state and day of testing. The results indicate that FCAs are not fixed but are hormone dependent, and as such they can dynamically change within relatively short periods throughout life. Many issues raised in this Mini‐Review refer not only to FCAs but also to other aspects of functional brain organization, such as functional connectivity within and between the cerebral hemispheres. Our understanding of sex differences in brain and behavior as well as their clinical relevance will improve significantly if more studies routinely take sex and sex hormones into account. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Outside Directors, Board Effectiveness, and Abnormal Accruals

Corporate law holds boards of directors responsible for the financial reporting process. This raises the possibility that boards will constrain earnings management activity. This paper tests for evidence of an empirical association between board effectiveness and earnings management, as proxied by abnormal working capital accruals. We measure board effectiveness in two ways: the fraction of outside board members and the presence of an audit committee. Results indicate that when the fraction of outside board members is high, managers are less likely to make income-increasing abnormal accruals to avoid reporting earnings losses or earnings reductions. Further tests indicate that the constraining effect of outside directors is restricted to firms where the separation of ownership and control is acute. These findings are robust to the specific procedure used to estimate abnormal accruals, and persist even after controlling for the monitoring effect of alternative governance mechanisms. Our evidence is consistent with the proposition that outside directors help to ensure the integrity of financial statements by reducing earnings management activity. Conversely, we find no systematic association between abnormal accruals and the presence of an audit committee. Our results suggest that board independence, rather than the mere presence of an audit committee, is the key factor in constraining earnings management activity.
A study on the prescribing pattern of drugs for acne in a tertiary care teaching hospital in odisha.

BACKGROUND Acne vulgaris is a common disease of the skin affecting the socially vulnerable young age group. There are multitudes of treatment options available but till now no studies have been reported to demonstrate the current prescribing pattern of drugs in acne vulgaris. AIM To study the prescribing pattern of drugs in acne in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Odisha, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was an observational study conducted for a period of one year on patients more than 10 yeras age and having acne attending the Skin & VD OPD. Drug induced acne and acneiform eruptions were excluded. RESULTS A total of 1210 prescriptions of acne were analysed. The male to female ratio was 1:1.29. Most patients presented with grade 2 (60%) acne followed by grade 3 (20.99%). Out of prescribed drugs, 47.44% were oral and 52.56% were topical formulations. Oral isotretinoin (68.10%) was the most frequently prescribed drug among oral formulations. Doxycycline (54.18%) was the most preferable oral antibiotic. The average number of drugs per prescription was 3.003. Polypharmacy was preferred over monotherapy. CONCLUSION In the management of acne, judicious and early intervention with oral isotretinoin improves the overall treatment outcome, the fact which has increased its use in acne patients.
Effect of Static Magnetic Fields on the Osseointegration of Immediately Placed Implants: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of static magnetic fields (SMFs) on the implants immediately placed in fresh extraction sockets. Materials and Methods:Twenty patients who were in need of 20 fixed implant-supported single crowns in the anterior maxilla were included. After tooth extraction, screw-type implants were placed immediately into fresh extraction sockets and were randomly covered with either magnetic abutment (test group) or conventional healing abutment (control group). Radio frequency analysis (RFA) was conducted at implant placement and after 1, 2, and 3 months. Marginal bone level changes were recorded 1, 2, and 3 months postoperatively. Results:The RFA measurements showed a significant higher stability for implants in test group than that of control group after 1 month (P = 0.04). At month 2, less crestal bone loss was found in the test group (P = 0.03). However, at month 3, there was no significant difference between the groups for both parameters (P > 0.05). Conclusion:SMFs caused more noticeable increase in implant stability and less bone loss during the initial weeks of healing.
Nonalcoholic Steatohepatits and Liver Steatosis Modify Partial Hepatectomy Recovery

ABSTRACT Background: The impact of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) comprising simple steatosis (NAFL) and steatohepatitis (NASH) on liver recovery after partial hepatectomy has not been evaluated. This pilot study investigated whether there is an effect of proven NAFLD on liver recovery. Methods: Thirty-one patients elected for partial hepatectomy were characterized and included into a prospective study. Liver samples were staged according to the NAFLD activity score. Liver function was measured by using the LiMAx method on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, 5, and 10. Results: Nineteen patients were identified to suffer from NAFLD (NAFL, n = 11; NASH, n = 8). In NAFL, preoperative liver function (p = .48) and hepatic recovery on POD 1, 3, and 5 was comparable to controls (p > .05, respectively), while it was impaired on POD 10 (p = .022). NASH patients had preoperative enzymatic function comparable to controls (p = .10), but there was a trend to reduced levels on POD 1 (p = .082) and 5 (p = .062), which became significant on POD 10 (p = .003). Conclusion: This study suggests that NAFLD impairs functional recovery assessed by LiMAx after partial hepatectomy.
Assurance in corporate sustainability reporting in the United Kingdom : stakeholder and corporate perspectives

Sustainability assurance is developing rapidly in the United Kingdom, despite a negative stance from management. Previous studies have examined the practice as represented in statements from 2001 to 2004, companies’ reasons for commissioning assurance services, and the views of assurance providers on stakeholder-centred practice. Despite the importance of stakeholder participation within sustainability assurance exercises, far too little attention has been paid to stakeholders and their views on the phenomenon of sustainability assurance. This research identifies the trends and emerging issues in the practice between 2001 and 2007, investigates corporate management’ views on those issues, and examines stakeholders’ perspectives on the potentialities and problems of assurance practice. The research follows a mixed-methods two phase explanatory model. A content analysis of assurance statements issued by a sample of FTSE100 companies was used to collect quantitative data on tendencies as to the choice of provider, standards used, level of assurance adopted, procedures employed, and methods of stakeholder inclusion used. Then, these issues were explored via a programme of semi-structured interviews conducted with ten representatives of FTSE100 companies, and eight representatives of different stakeholder groups, and the resulting data analyzed through the lens of key strands of Michael Power’s theory, and legitimacy and stakeholder theories. Emerging trends of hiring accountancy firms and using the AA1000AS in tandem with the ISAE3000 standard indicate change in the practice. Assurance exercises conducted with substantive test procedures, and of limited level, persist. The AA1000 is the most used standard, however, is not leading to direct participation of stakeholders. While there is some evidence of stakeholder interest, particularly on the part of nongovernmental organisations, the real driving force behind assurance is internal. Organisational constraints, particularly cost considerations, influence further development of the practice. Corporate management did express a desire to bring stakeholder involvement through stakeholder panels. Corporate management view sustainability assurance as creating value by delivering organisational legitimacy and enhancing reputation. In the current climate of voluntarism, there is a high risk of sustainability assurance being used as greenwashing. For management, sustainability assurance should serve the interest of the organisation and shareholders over other stakeholders. Through the assurance process, organisations manage and control key stakeholder groups. This view is supported by one influential stakeholder group, the investment community. Therefore, the role of stakeholder groups representing other civil society needs is fundamental to ensure that through sustainability assurance accountability is discharged to society at large.
The Enduring Role of “ Place ” in Health — A Historic Perspective

In public health, it has long been observed that “ place ”— speci ﬁ cally, where one lives — affects individual health, with the main research question distinguishing between the effects of “ context ” (de ﬁ ned as area characteristics) and “ composition ” (the characteristics of inhabitants) on health outcomes. There have been many studies in which the spatial patterning of disease has been explored, but they were often ecological in design, used broad census geographic levels, lacked individual-level data, or when available, did not simultaneously analyze community-and individual-level risk factors using appropriate modeling techniques. The paper by Diez-Roux et al. ( Am J Epi- demiol . 1997;146(1):48 – 63) represents an important expansion of the literature in terms of analytic methods used and level of geography studied. The authors demonstrated that both neighborhood- and individual-level measures of socioeconomic status work together to play an important role in shaping disease risk. Analyses incorporating both levels of data have the potential to provide epidemiologists with a deeper understanding of the divergent pathways via which neighborhood affects health.
Is There Economic Rationale for Governance of Best Practices: Evidence from Australian ‘Mid Size’ Listed Companies

This study investigates whether there is economic rationale for governance of best practices particularly as stipulated in the Australian Stock Exchange’s (ASX) corporate governance guidelines. This study extends the findings of the 2006 Horwath Mid-Cap Corporate Governance Report that found relatively weak corporate governance practices among Australian listed ‘mid size’ companies. The analysis of 126 companies, included in the report based on the availability of necessary data, shows that the firm’s level of compliance with governance of best practice is associated with its performance but the association appears tentative only. However, the findings of the study do not support the suggestion that the effect of governance flows through over the time. This is consistent with efficient market hypothesis and Australia’s continuous disclosure rule which requires companies to make timely disclosure of market-sensitive information.
Renal histology in patients with elevated serum creatinine and concurrent normal urinalysis.

INTRODUCTION Diagnosis of kidney disease is currently and primarily based on the measurement of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and urine output, and most kidney diseases with elevated serum creatinine accompany abnormal findings of urinalysis with microscopy, such as proteinuria or hematuria. The purpose of the current study was to determine the histologic diagnosis of patients with elevated serum creatinine and a concurrent normal urinalysis without underlying disease. METHODS The medical records of patients who had undergone kidney biopsies between January 1, 2003 and March 1, 2008 in three medical centers were retrospectively reviewed. The patients with an elevated serum creatinine level and a normal urinalysis were enrolled. The exclusion criteria were as follows: diabetes mellitus; hypertension; chronic liver disease; malignancies; autoimmune diseases; dependence on medications; hypokalemic nephropathy; age < 18 years. Age, duration of follow-up, post-biopsy management, and the change in levels of BUN and serum creatinine from pre-biopsy to the last visit were analyzed. RESULTS All 15 patients were included. The most frequent single diagnosis was acute interstitial interstitial nephritis, followed by hypertensive nephrosclerosis. Chronic interstitial nephritis, mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, acute tubular necrosis, secondary amyoloidosis, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and minor glomerular change were listed. The young group (< 40 years of age) included more patients with acute interstitial nephritis, and the old group (≥ 40 years of age) included more patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis. CONCLUSION Based on a correct histological diagnosis, all of the patients, except one, were properly managed and had preserved kidney function until the last visit.
Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor modulates glucagon secretion from pancreatic alpha cells: its contribution to glucose metabolism

Aim: Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reduces plasma glucose levels in obese db/db diabetic mice and is speculated to produce its effects via the hypothalamus, the regulatory centre of satiety and the autonomic nervous system. The potential effect of BDNF directly on peripheral endocrine organs, however, remains to be clarified. Here we report the effects of BDNF on hormonal secretion from pancreatic islets of Langerhans using their isolated culture.
Zebrafish Prickle1b mediates facial branchiomotor neuron migration via a farnesylation-dependent nuclear activity

The facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMNs) undergo a characteristic tangential migration in the vertebrate hindbrain. We previously used a morpholino knockdown approach to reveal that zebrafish prickle1b (pk1b) is required for this migration. Here we report that FBMN migration is also blocked in a pk1b mutant with a disruption in the consensus farnesylation motif. We confirmed that this lipid modification is required during FBMN migration by disrupting the function of farnesyl biosynthetic enzymes. Furthermore, farnesylation of a tagged Pk1b is required for its nuclear localization. Using a unique rescue approach, we have demonstrated that Pk1b nuclear localization and farnesylation are required during FBMN migration. Our data suggest that Pk1b acts at least partially independently of core planar cell polarity molecules at the plasma membrane, and might instead be acting at the nucleus. We also found that the neuronal transcriptional silencer REST is necessary for FBMN migration, and we provide evidence that interaction between Pk1b and REST is required during this process. Finally, we demonstrate that REST protein, which is normally localized in the nuclei of migrating FBMNs, is depleted from the nuclei of Pk1b-deficient neurons. We conclude that farnesylation-dependent nuclear localization of Pk1b is required to regulate REST localization and thus FBMN migration.
Long-Term Prediction of Traffic Accident Record From Bus Driver Celeration Behavior

Driver celeration (speed change) behavior of bus drivers measured a number of times was used to predict their culpable accidents over increasing time periods. It was found that predictive power was considerable (>.30 correlation) over 5 years of time with aggregated celeration (mean of repeated measurements) as independent variables, and there were also indications that power reached even further, although too low Ns made these results unreliable. Similarly, there were indications of even stronger correlations with increased aggregation of celeration values. The results were discussed in terms of the methodology needed to bring out such results, and the stability of accident-causing behavior over time.
In situ characterization of mononuclear cells in human chronic marginal periodontitis using monoclonal antibodies.

Acetone fixed cryostat sections from 25 patients with adult chronic marginal periodontitis were characterized using an indirect immunofluorescence technique with monoclonal antibodies. The amount of B lymphocytes (Leu-12 positive) varied considerably between the specimens and were usually seen in largest numbers in the most apical parts of the cellular infiltrates beneath the pocket epithelium (PE). Varying amounts of T lymphocytes (OKT 3 positive) were demonstrated in all specimens. The amount of T helper cells (OKT 4a positive) exceeded that of T suppressor/cytotoxic cells (OKT 8 positive) in the cellular infiltrates beneath the PE (OKT 4a/ OKT 8 =1.13). There was a more even distribution of these cell types beneath the oral gingival epithelium (OGE). Langerhans cells were observed within and occasionally subjacent to the OGE. Scattered macrophages (Leu-M3 or OK Ia 1 positive) were observed in the inflammatory cell infiltrates and on the connective tissue papillae beneath the OGE. HLA-DR antigen reacting with OK Ia 1 was present on cells corresponding to OKT 6 positive cells in the OGE and subjacent to the OGE as well as in the inflammatory cell infiltrates beneath the PE and in the perivascular infiltrates. In some specimens HLA-DR antigen was also found to be associated with keratinocytes in the outer parts of the OGE. Occasional NK cells (Leu-7 positive) were localized inside and subjacent to the OGE. There was a considerable variation with respect to the number and distribution of the various mononuclear cells between specimens and from section to section from the same specimen.
Conformation of Poly(ethylene oxide)-Hydroxybenzene Molecular Complexes Studied by Solid-State NMR

The conformation of poly(ethylene oxide), PEO, in molecular complexes with resorcinol (RES) and p-nitrophenol (PNP) was investigated by solid-state NMR. The two-dimensional double-quantum NMR spectrum shows that all OC−CO bonds in the PEO/RES molecular complex are gauche with ψ = 74 ± 9° and a torsion angle distribution with a width σ < 10°. The spectra of the PEO/PNP complex, however, show that 33 ± 8% of the OC−CO bonds are trans with σ < 7°. The fraction of trans bonds was also confirmed by 13C CODEX experiments. The gauche torsion angle of 70 ± 9° differs significantly from the value of 60° assumed in some models. Magic-angle-spinning 13C INADEQUATE NMR, the CODEX data, and 2H−13C REDOR NMR allowed assignment of the two observed PEO 13C NMR peaks. Both carbons on the trans bond, characterized by minimal dipolar broadening in the INADEQUATE spectrum, have chemical shifts of 69.2 ppm. The downfield gauche carbon at 71.4 ppm is 3.2 ± 0.2 A from the d-PNP OD deuteron, while the upfield 69.8 ppm gauche car.
Distribution and activity of nitrifying bacteria in natural stream sediment versus laboratory sediment microcosms

Nitrification was studied with microsensors and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in sandy sediment of a small lowland stream. Comparative measurements were performed in both intact field sediment ('natural sediment') and sediment from the same site after processing for a laboratory incubation experiment ('manipulated sediment'). In natural sediment, the nitrification activity and abundance of nitrifiers were markedly low. In contrast, nitrification activity in manipu- lated sediment (sieved, homogenized, and incubated for 5 wk in the laboratory with NH4 + -enriched stream water) was significantly higher. Similarly, abundances of NH4 + -oxidizing β-proteobacteria (AOB) and NO2 - -oxidizing Nitrospira spp. directly at the sediment surface were markedly higher than in natural sediment. AOB mixed into deep sediment layers by homogenization disappeared more quickly than Nitrospira spp. , suggesting that the latter were more persistent under anoxic con- ditions. Higher activity and abundance of nitrifiers near the sediment -water interface of manipulated sediment were explained by (1) the additional NH4 + supply via the overlying water and (2) the adverse conditions for nitrification in the field. In conclusion, the snapshot measurement in natural sediment revealed the spatial heterogeneity created by stream dynamics, whereas the sediment manipulation provided semi-natural microcosms with reduced heterogeneity suitable for factorial experiments.
The Impact of Forward-Looking Information Quality on Analysts’ Behaviour – Evidence from Germany

We analyze the quality of forward-looking information in the management reports (MR) of listed German corporations and the impact of differences in that quality on analysts’ behaviour. For several years, German corporations are bounded to provide forward-looking information separately for the three dimensions expected development, risks and opportunities. We utilize this unique setting and analyze the impact of the quality of each of the three dimensions on analysts’ behaviour. In order to measure disclosure quality, we construct an index to evaluate overall quality of forward-looking information as well as the quality of the three information dimensions. To evaluate the impact of quality scores in each of the required disclosure dimensions on analysts’ behavior, we conduct bi- and multivariate empirical tests. In the light of international efforts to provide or enhance management commentaries and particularly endow forward-looking information our results give insight on capital market effects of compulsory and structured disclosure of such information.