Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolic syndrome and risk of venous thromboembolism: Longitudinal Investigation of Thromboembolism Etiology

Summary. Background: In a recent case–control study, the odds of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) among deep vein thrombosis cases were almost twice those among controls. We tested the hypothesis that the incidence of non‐cancer‐related venous thromboembolism (VTE) is higher among adults with MetSyn and further, that associations are stronger for idiopathic than secondary VTE. Methods: A total of 20 374 middle‐aged and elderly adults were followed for over 12 years for incident VTE in the Longitudinal Investigation of Thromboembolism Etiology (LITE). All hospitalizations were identified and VTEs validated by chart review. Baseline MetSyn was defined using ATP III guidelines, including ≥3 of the following components: abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, low HDL‐cholesterol, high triglycerides and high glucose. Because sex modified the relation between MetSyn and VTE (pinteraction = 0.001), proportional hazards regression analyses were stratified by sex to assess the associations of MetSyn and its components with risk of incident non‐cancer‐related VTE, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Incident VTE (n = 358) included 196 idiopathic events. Baseline MetSyn was associated with risk of total VTE (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.30, 2.59) and idiopathic VTE (HR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.02, 2.47) among men, but not women. The association was largely attributable to abdominal obesity (HR of VTE = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.51, 2.93, in men; HR of VTE = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.24, 2.34, in women), with no additional contribution by the other MetSyn components. Conclusion: Although abdominal obesity was associated with increased risk of VTE in both men and women, MetSyn and its other components do not seem important in VTE etiology.
The analgesic tramadol has minimal effect on gastrointestinal motor function.

AIMS The analgesic tramadol, an opioid agonist and monoaminergic reuptake blocker, has been assumed to interfere less with gastrointestinal motor function than other opioid analgesics, but this has not been specifically investigated. In this study we examined the effect of tramadol on variables of gastrointestinal motor function. METHODS Ten healthy volunteers participated in a two-arm, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, cross-over study comparing tramadol 50 mg and placebo solutions given four times a day for 10 days. Oro-caecal (lactulose H2-breath test) and colonic (solid markers) transit times and anal sphincter pressures were measured after 10 days dosing. RESULTS Median oro-caecal transit time was 90 min (interquartile range: 75-105) with placebo and 90 min (60-105) with tramadol (not significant). The median total colonic transit time increased from 45.6 h (25.2-64.8) with placebo to 58.8 h (50.4-78.0) with tramadol (not significant), which is still within the normal range (< 60 h). Anal sphincter resting pressures were not significantly changed by tramadol compared with placebo. CONCLUSIONS Tramadol has a minor delaying effect on colonic transit, but no effect on upper gastrointestinal transit or gut smooth muscle tone. Tramadol may be a useful analgesic where interference with gut motor function is undesirable.
Who is 'most valuable'? Measuring the player's production of wins in the National Basketball Association

How does one measure the productivity of an individual participating in a team sport? The purpose of this inquiry is to answer this question via an econometric model that links the player's statistics in the National Basketball Association (NBA) to team wins. This model will then be employed in the measurement of each player's marginal product. Such a measurement is useful in answering the question offered in the title, or a broader list of questions posed by both industry insiders and other interested observers. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor is a key mediator in inflammatory and arthritic pain

Objectives Better therapies are needed for inflammatory pain. In arthritis the relationship between joint pain, inflammation and damage is unclear. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM–CSF) is important for the progression of a number of inflammatory/autoimmune conditions including arthritis; clinical trials targeting its action in rheumatoid arthritis are underway. However, its contribution to inflammatory and arthritic pain is unknown. The aims of this study were to determine whether GM–CSF controls inflammatory and/or arthritic pain. Methods A model of inflammatory pain (complete Freund's adjuvant footpad), as well as two inflammatory arthritis models, were induced in GM–CSF−/− mice and development of pain (assessment of weight distribution) and arthritic disease (histology) was assessed. Pain was further assessed in a GM–CSF-driven arthritis (methylated bovine serum albumin/GM–CSF) model and the cyclooxygenase-dependence determined using indomethacin. Results GM–CSF was absolutely required for pain development in both the inflammatory pain and arthritis models, including for IL-1-dependent arthritic pain. Pain in a GM–CSF-driven arthritis model, but not the disease itself, was abolished by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, indicating separate pathways downstream of GM–CSF for pain and arthritis control. Conclusions GM–CSF is key to the development of inflammatory and arthritic pain, suggesting that pain alleviation could result from trials evaluating its role in inflammatory/autoimmune conditions.
Share Valuation and Corporate Equity Policy

In recent years many contributions have appeared which examine the effects of corporate and personal taxation on firm financial policy. However, there has yet to appear an adequate explanation of why corporations continue to distribute dividends despite their disadvantageous tax treatment. We study this problem anew, in the context of an overlapping generations growth model with corporations financed by equity. Among our findings are: (1) capital owned by corporations may well be undervalued, even in the long run; (2) as a result of such undervaluation, firms may find it in the best interest of their stockholders to distribute dividends; and (3) an increase in the tax on distributions, while depressing the return to personal saving, may lead to an increase in the capital intensity of the economy. We also consider the criterion firms will use in evaluating new investment projects.
Single-tooth replacement in the anterior maxilla by means of immediate implantation and early loading: clinical and aesthetic results at 5 years.

BACKGROUND The hypothesis of the present study was that the early loading of single implants-supported restorations, replacing single extracting teeth in the anterior region of the maxilla in case of fresh extraction sockets with residual hard and soft tissue preservation, could be a successful procedure. METHODS Twenty-one implants were placed into maxillary anterior fresh extraction sockets using a flapless technique. Temporary restorations, which were fabricated from the impression taken immediately after implant placement, were connected within 2 weeks. These temporary restorations were adjusted in order to avoid any direct occlusive contacts. Six months after implantation, the implants were restored with single-teeth all-ceramic prostheses. Patients were followed for 5 years. Radiographic and clinical examinations were made at baseline, at time of definitive crowns delivery, and each subsequent year. Survival rate, cortical bone responses, and peri-implant mucosal responses were evaluated. RESULTS One implant was lost at 6 months. Clinical osseointegration of 20 implants was achieved (95.2% implant survival rate after 5 years) with minimal gingival recession and papillae preservation. The mean change in marginal cortical bone level was 0.40 mm at 6 months and 0.83 mm at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS Within the limit of the present study, the data indicate that, under a strictly controlled oral hygienic regimen, single-tooth implants, with immediate placement and early loading protocol, may be used in anterior maxillary fresh extraction sockets with residual hard and soft tissues preservation, if patients are selected carefully and if high primary stability is strictly followed.
Differences between Domestic Accounting Standards and IAS: Measurement, Determinants and Implications

This study analyzes determinants and effects of differences between Domestic Accounting Standards (DAS) and International Accounting Standards (IAS). We use an extensive list of differences between DAS and IAS to create two indices, absence and divergence. Absence measures the extent to which the rules regarding certain accounting issues are missing in DAS but are covered in IAS. Divergence applies in circumstances where the rules regarding the same accounting issue differ in DAS and IAS. It measures the extent of differences between DAS-based rules and IAS-based rules. Using a sample of 30 countries for 2001, we show that absence is (mainly) determined by the importance of the equity market and ownership concentration, while divergence is positively associated with the level of economic development and the importance of the accounting profession, but is constrained by the importance of equity markets. Our analysis suggests that a higher level of absence implies more opportunities for earnings management and for decreases in firm-specific information to investors. A larger divergence from IAS is associated with richer firm-specific information in capital markets.
“Empirical Estimation of Risk Measures and Related Quantities,” Bruce L. Jones and Ricǎrdas Zitikis, October 2003

VYTARAS BRAZAUSKAS* AND THOMAS KAISER We congratulate Dr. Jones and Dr. Zitikis for making a very valuable contribution to an important area of actuarial research, which involves the price determination of an insurance risk. In this article the authors introduced a unifying representation of risk measures originally defined in terms of expectations with respect to distorted probabilities, and they proposed a general (and intuitively appealing) approach for estimation of these quantities. In particular, using asymptotic theory for L-statistics, they have developed the empirical nonparametric estimators for these risk measures. In this discussion we examine finite-sample performance of the proposed (asymptotic) confidence intervals. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we investigate the following questions:
Political Culture and Perception of Political Marketing Tools: A Cross-Generational Comparison

This study explores differences in political culture and perceptions of political marketing between generations. Growing educational level is significant in transforming individuals' political culture. Changes are assumed to affect younger more than older generations. The authors use a random sample of 301 respondents. Statistical techniques are employed for the data analysis. In order for political marketing to play a leading role in the political education of the younger generation, it has to be trusted and ahead of the emerging political culture. The results do not support the hypothesis about the cross-generational differences in perceptions of political marketing. This means that we have to reconsider the way political marketing has been employed so far in Greece.
Size, Seasonality, and Stock Market Overreaction

Abstract Recent research finds that the prior period's worst stock return performers (losers) outperform the prior period's best return performers (winners) in the subsequent period. This potential violation of the efficient markets hypothesis is labeled the “overreaction” phenomenon. This paper shows that the tendency for losers to outperform winners is not due to investor overreaction, but to the tendency for losers to be smaller-sized firms than winners. When losers are compared to winners of equal size, there is little evidence of any return discrepancy, and in periods when winners are smaller than losers, winners outperform losers.
Invited commentary: the incremental value of customization in defining abnormal fetal growth status.

Reference tools based on birth weight percentiles at a given gestational week have long been used to define fetuses or infants that are small or large for their gestational ages. However, important deficiencies of the birth weight reference are being increasingly recognized. Overwhelming evidence indicates that an ultrasonography-based fetal weight reference should be used to classify fetal and newborn sizes during pregnancy and at birth, respectively. Questions have been raised as to whether further adjustments for race/ethnicity, parity, sex, and maternal height and weight are helpful to improve the accuracy of the classification. In this issue of the Journal, Carberry et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2013;178(8):1301-1308) show that adjustment for race/ethnicity is useful, but that additional fine tuning for other factors (i.e., full customization) in the classification may not further improve the ability to predict infant morbidity, mortality, and other fetal growth indicators. Thus, the theoretical advantage of full customization may have limited incremental value for pediatric outcomes, particularly in term births. Literature on the prediction of short-term maternal outcomes and very long-term outcomes (adult diseases) is too scarce to draw any conclusions. Given that each additional variable being incorporated in the classification scheme increases complexity and costs in practice, the clinical utility of full customization in obstetric practice requires further testing.
Effectiveness of a prenatal education programme on breastfeeding outcomes in Taiwan.

AIMS The objectives of this study were to design a structured prenatal education programme on breastfeeding and to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. Indicators of effectiveness were selected based on Kirkpatrick's Training Evaluation Model, including satisfaction with the programme, breastfeeding knowledge, breastfeeding attitude, breastfeeding satisfaction, breastfeeding problems and rate of exclusive breastfeeding. METHODS This study applied a quasi-experimental design. The experimental group included 46 women who received a 90-minute group educational programme on breastfeeding during their 20th-36th week of pregnancy. Each experimental subject was matched by a control subject according to age, educational level, work status and pregnancy gestational age. Control subjects did not receive any intervention. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires at preintervention, postintervention, three days postpartum and one month postpartum. RESULTS Satisfaction with the programme was high. The experimental group had higher scores in breastfeeding knowledge and breastfeeding attitude at three days postpartum. The experimental group showed higher breastfeeding satisfaction at three days and one month postpartum. There were no significant differences in experiencing breastfeeding problems. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding was higher for the experimental group at three days and one month postpartum, but the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated the effectiveness of a prenatal education programme on maternal knowledge, attitude and satisfaction toward breastfeeding. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Other hospitals could apply this model to plan and evaluate their prenatal education programme on breastfeeding.
1against the Mainstream: Nazi Privatization in 1930s Germany

Nationalization was particularly important in the early 1930s in Germany. The state took over a large industrial concern, large commercial banks, and other minor firms. In the mid-1930s, the Nazi regime transferred public ownership to the private sector. In doing so, they went against the mainstream trends in western capitalistic countries, none of which systematically reprivatized firms during the 1930s. Privatization was used as a political tool to enhance support for the government and for the Nazi Party. In addition, growing financial restrictions because of the cost of the rearmament programme provided additional motivations for privatization.
Logit Demand Estimation Under Competitive Pricing Behavior: An Equilibrium Framework

Discrete choice models of demand have typically been estimated assuming that prices are exogenous. Since unobservable (to the researcher) product attributes, such as coupon availability, may impact consumer utility as well as price setting by firms, we treat prices as endogenous. Specifically, prices are assumed to be the equilibrium outcomes of Nash competition among manufacturers and retailers. To empirically validate the assumptions, we estimate logit demand systems jointly with equilibrium pricing equations for two product categories using retail scanner data and cost data on factor prices. In each category, we find statistical evidence of price endogeneity. We also find that the estimates of the price response parameter and the brand-specific constants are generally biased downward when the endogeneity of prices is ignored. Our framework provides explicit estimates of the value created by a brand, i.e., the difference between consumers' willingness to pay for a brand and its cost of production. We develop theoretical propositions about the relationship between value creation and competitive advantage for logit demand systems and use our empirical results to illustrate how firms use alternative value creation strategies to accomplish competitive advantage.
The four ‘R’s of openness and ALMS analysis: frameworks for open educational resources

A significant movement in education concerns the use of open educational resources. By ‘open’ it is generally meant that the resource is available at no cost to others for adaptation and reuse in different contexts. However, ‘open’ is not a simple dichotomy; rather, there is a continuum of openness. We discuss four separate aspects of reuse and demonstrate how these describe different levels of openness. We discuss how the licensing and technical aspects of open educational resources affect the relative openness of an open educational resource. Implications for those creating open educational resources are discussed.
Larger Return to Cash Acquisitions: Signaling Effect or Leverage Effect?

This article investigates the signaling theory and the benefit of debt theory to explain higher returns for bidders offering cash rather than stock, using Standard and Poor's debt rating reviews and changes. Results imply that cash acquisitions and stock acquisitions have different sources of value creation. Benefit of debt seems to be the main source of value in cash acquisitions, whereas the synergy effect outweighs the leverage effect in stock takeovers. Although stock appears to be used for the most unsuccessful acquisitions, this study does not find convincing evidence that cash is used for good acquisitions.
Electromagnetically induced distributed feedback intersubband lasers

We propose a method to coherently generate uniform and phase-shifted complex-coupled (CC) semiconductor distributed feedback (DFB) lasers based on intersubband transitions in n-doped quantum-well structures. This is done by utilizing infrared-induced coherent optical processes in these structures including resonant enhancement of refractive index of the conduction intersubband transitions and generation of laser-induced transparency and gain without inversion. We show that these coherent phenomena can generate electromagnetically induced gratings where the index and gain/loss perturbations and their relative phases can be manipulated using an infrared laser beam. This allows us to coherently control optical feedback in a waveguide structure, switching from a case where there is no feedback in the absence of the infrared laser to the case where different types of CC optical feedbacks are generated as this field is properly adjusted. These include generation of gain and index perturbations (partly gain-coupled DFB laser), pure index corrugation (index-coupled DFB laser), and loss and index perturbations (loss-coupled DFB laser). We study these feedback mechanisms in the cases where the optically induced gratings are uniform along the cavity or have a /spl pi//2 phase shift. We discuss mode characteristics of such electromagnetically induced DFB intersubband lasers and find out how here the gain- and index-coupled DFB lasers are associated, respectively, with gain without inversion and laser-induced transparency in the conduction intersubband transitions of quantum-well structures.
Experiential Bases for Relationship Development: A Study of Alumni Relationships

ABSTRACT This research focuses on the relationships that students develop with their university after they have graduated. Many universities have developed alumni associations with the implicit or explicit aim of generating a source of finance or sources of future commercial and political influence. A longitudinal study measures the emotions associated with specific aspects of students' experience of their university in general and the graduation ceremony in particular. It is hypothesized that emotions are the key drivers that determine students' behavior in their long-lasting relationship with the university. Emotions are measured using Izard's Differential Emotions Scale (Izard, 1971), whereas propensity to develop a relationship is measured over time using attitudinal and behavioral measures. This article presents the first output of a longitudinal study and establishes the validity of measurement scales for the focal constructs. Among preliminary results is the finding that emotions generated by attendance at a graduation ceremony are more highly correlated with future behavioral intention than levels of involvement during students' attendance at the university.
Show Me the Band and I Will Show You the Market

This research specifically focuses on visitors to three different live music performance bands who performed in South Africa, namely The Script, Coldplay, and Kings of Leon. A destination-based survey was undertaken at all three events’ concerts. A factor analysis was performed to identify the motives of the visitors, where after ANOVAs were done to determine the influence of the different bands on visitors’ demographic profiles, motives, and preferences. The results show significant differences between the different attendees at the concerts of the three bands, thereby confirming that the type of music genre influences the type of attendee.
A DELPHI STUDY OF TEACHERS’ AND PROFESSIONALS’ PERCEPTIONS REGARDING THE IMPACT OF THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND LEGISLATION ON SECONDARY AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The objective of this study was to identify the perceptions of secondary agriculture teachers and education professionals of Illinois regarding the potential impacts of the No Child Left Behind legislation on secondary programs. The Delphi technique for obtaining group consensus was employed to accomplish the stated objective of the study. A panel of 20 agriculture teachers and in-service education professionals were purposively selected to serve as the expert participants in the study. The panel received a series of four mailed questionnaires including a free response question, a Likert-type questionnaire, and two questionnaires indicating levels of agreement with specific themes. The impacts of the No Child Left Behind legislation as identified by secondary agriculture teachers and education professionals were: the certification of provisional agricultural teachers, core academic accreditation, budget constraints, loss of agriculture teachers, decrease of agricultural courses taught, loss of Perkins funding, loss of state career and technical education funding, elimination of career and technical education programs, career and technical education courses being raised to same level as core academic credit, students being discouraged to take agricultural courses, and more application of core academics in the agricultural classroom.