Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability and discriminative ability of a modified Wingate rowing test in 12- to 18-year-old rowers

Abstract We evaluated (1) the test–retest reliability of the Wingate test conducted on a rowing ergometer, and (2) the sensitivity of this test in determining the differences in performance attained by 12- to 18-year-old rowers. Altogether, 297 male rowers aged 12.0–18.9 years (mean ± s: 14.8 ± 1.7) completed a maximal 30-s test on a rowing ergometer, and 80 rowers representing all age groups were retested after 5–7 days. No change was evident in participants' performance in terms of mean power output (P = 0.726; Cohen's d = 0.04), maximal power output (P = 0.567; Cohen's d = 0.06), and minimum power output (P = 0.318; Cohen's d = 0.11) in the second test. The intra-class correlation coefficients were high (≥0.973) and coefficients of variation were low (≤7.3%). A series of analyses of variance were used to compare the performances among 12- to 18-year-old rowers, and age-related increases in performance were evident (P < 0.001; Cohen's d = 1.91–1.96). The age-related increases in performance were similar, although reduced, when the effects of body mass were partitioned out when using analysis of covariance (P < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.82–0.85). The results suggest that: (1) the described test is reliable and can be used for maximal-intensity exercise assessment in youth rowing, and (2) it discriminates performance among 12- to-18-year-old rowers.
IEEE 802.11ac: A performance evaluation with lattice-based MMSE and zero forcing MIMO OFDM receivers

The IEEE 802.11ac amendment approved by the end of 2013 allows physical (PHY) layer data rates up to 7 Gbps in the 5 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band, while the IEEE 801.11n amendment specifies a maximum PHY layer data rate of 540 Mbps in 2.4 and 5 GHz ISM bands. In this paper, simulation results of the IEEE 802.11ac PHY layer show that the implementation of linear lattice reduction minimum mean squared error (LR-MMSE) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) detector presents a highly superior performance in relation to linear plain MMSE MIMO detector. Effects of bandwidth, channel models, modulation cardinality and number of antennas on the 802.11ac system performance are taken into account in the comparative performance evaluation between LR-MMSE and plain MMSE MIMO detectors. IEEE 802.11ac simulation results also show that, even with the application of LR techniques to obtain a subspace channel bases with lower cross-correlation among the independent linear vectors, LR-MMSE MIMO detectors have a superior performance in relation to LR zero-forcing (LR-ZF) MIMO detectors.
Corporate Tax Aggressiveness and Managerial Rent Extraction: Evidence from Insider Trading

Recent studies argue that aggressive forms of tax avoidance can be used to facilitate managerial rent extraction from shareholders (e.g., Desai 2004; Desai and Dharmapala 2006; Desai et al. 2007). Despite this agency view of tax avoidance receiving increasing attention in the literature, there is limited empirical evidence that managers actually extract rents generated from tax avoidance activities. In this paper, we examine the association between corporate tax aggressiveness and managerial rent extraction in the form of insider trading profitability. We document that, on average, insider purchase profitability, but not sale profitability, is significantly higher in more tax aggressive firms. The positive association between tax aggressiveness and insider purchase profitability is attenuated for firms with more effective monitoring and for firms with better information environments. Finally, we find that tax aggressiveness is significantly associated with greater insider sale volume in the fiscal year prior to a stock price crash. Our study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence that managers do, in fact, extract insider trading rents through corporate tax aggressiveness (Armstrong et al. 2015) and the findings are particularly important in light of the number of studies relying on the agency view of tax avoidance to develop arguments or to draw inferences.
Prevention of radiocontrast nephropathy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The vast numbers of radiocontrast procedures performed yearly paired with the increasing prevalence of renal insufficiency in the aging population has focused recent attention on radiocontrast nephropathy. No effective treatment exists for this iatrogenic disease: therefore prevention remains the key strategy. Several clinical investigations have been published over the past 2 years that address potential prophylaxis against contrast nephropathy. RECENT FINDINGS Iso-osmolar non-ionic contrast media appear to have the least nephrotoxicity. Pooled data of published randomized controlled trials of pre-procedural intravenous hydration plus N-acetylcysteine versus placebo demonstrate that acute renal failure from contrast nephropathy is rare when these therapies are given several hours in advance. Strategies that employ fenoldopam and theophylline, however, do not appear to be effective. Urine alkalinization with intravenous sodium bicarbonate may be useful, especially in high-risk patients, but further investigation is needed. SUMMARY Available evidence indicates that several hours of intravenous pre-hydration is protective against contrast nephropathy and some studies suggest that oral N-acetylcysteine administration adds to this protection. Further research is needed, however, with agents that can be administered immediately prior to contrast administration. This is particularly important for diabetics with baseline kidney disease who require emergent contrast studies and are at high risk for acute renal failure.
Handlebar injuries in children: patterns and prevention.

BACKGROUND Bicycle handlebar injuries in children are a significant cause of abdominal trauma. The present study documents 32 children with handlebar injuries who were managed at the Royal Children's Hospital over a 5-year period, and suggests a design change to bicycle handlebars which may reduce the severity of injury. METHODS A retrospective review of all the children admitted to the Royal Children's Hospital with handlebar injuries between January 1990 and January 1995 was undertaken. The age, sex, nature of injury, length of hospital stay and management were recorded. RESULTS Thirty-two children with blunt abdominal trauma or lacerations resulting from handlebar injuries were identified. Injuries included: splenic trauma (9); liver trauma (4); traumatic pancreatitis (3); transection of the pancreas (2); renal contusions (2); duodenal haematoma (1); and bowel perforation (3). In addition, there were three urethral injuries and five lacerations involving the abdominal wall and inguino-scrotal region. The presence of external bruising was a poor indicator of underlying brgan damage. Thirteen operations were performed and the mean hospital stay for the series was 9 days. CONCLUSIONS Handlebar injuries are a significant cause of both blunt abdominal trauma and lacerations to the contact area. The infrequent finding of external bruising in the presence of major organ damage suggests that, although the velocity at impact may be relatively low, the small cross-sectional area of the end of the handlebar is a major factor contributing to organ damage. Moreover, we suspect that the high proportion of lacerations observed in this type of trauma result from the sharp metallic end of the handlebar cutting through the soft rubber handle. Manufacturers of bicycles should be made aware of these findings and should adjust the design of the handlebars accordingly.
Frictional Diversification Costs: Evidence from a Panel of Fund of Hedge Fund Holdings

Using FoFs’ holdings data, we analyze the diversification choices of fund of hedge fund managers. Diversification is not a free lunch. It is not available for every fund of fund. Instead we find a positive log-linear relation between the number of constituent funds in a fund of hedge fund (n) and the respective assets under management, (AuM ). More precisely it takes the form: n^2 proportional to AuM. This relation is consistent with the predictions from a model of naive diversification (1/n) with frictional diversification costs such as due diligence costs. Finally, we demonstrate that individual FoFs diversifying more in line with our model’s predictions deliver superior performance.
Inhibition of NFAT Specifically in T Cells Prevents Allergic Pulmonary Inflammation1

NFAT is a family of transcription factors important in the regulation of cytokine genes and is widely expressed in different lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues. Consequently, the role of NFAT in CD4+ T cells during an in vivo immune response is not completely clear. In this study, we use transgenic mice expressing a dominant negative NFAT mutant exclusively in T cells to address the role of NFAT in T cells during a Th2 immune response in a model of allergic airway inflammation. We have observed that inhibition of NFAT in T cells results in a reduction of Ag-specific Th2 Ab levels and IL-4 production by CD4+ T cells. The accumulation of eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage is delayed in dominant negative NFAT-transgenic mice. These mice are also more resistant to the development of lung pathology in response to allergen exposure. We, therefore, conclude that activation of NFAT in CD4+ T cells is required for the development of a Th2 immune response in vivo and allergic airway inflammation.
Strategic Self-Presentation or Authentic Communication? Predicting Adolescents' Alcohol References on Social Media.

OBJECTIVE The current study is one of the first to examine how self-reported alcohol consumption, friends' perceived alcohol consumption, and the perceived number of friends sharing alcohol references on social networking sites (SNS) is associated with adolescents' sharing of alcohol references on SNS. METHOD A cross-sectional paper-and-pencil survey was administered among 3,172 adolescents (n = 3,133 used for analyses, mean age = 17.16 years, SD = 0.93; 50.7% male). Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. RESULTS First, the results indicated that both self-reported drinking behavior and the perceived number of friends sharing alcohol references were related to sharing alcohol references on SNS, but the perceived number of friends sharing alcohol references was a stronger predictor than self-reported drinking behavior. Friends' perceived drinking behavior was not a significant predictor. In the second place, self-reported drinking behavior was a stronger predictor for girls than for boys, whereas the perceived number of friends sharing alcohol references was a stronger predictor for boys than for girls. CONCLUSIONS Adolescents' alcohol-related self-representation is in line with their alcohol consumption and is also strongly related to what their friends are sharing. Thus, adolescents appear to communicate authentically about their drinking experiences, but the decision to do so is heavily influenced by the prevailing social norm regarding alcohol-related communication.
Evaluation of an education intervention to implement a capability model of dementia care

This paper outlines an intervention protocol used to educate carers in a project that implemented and evaluated a capability model of dementia care (CMDC) in three long-term aged care facilities. It outlines an evaluation of the content of the education and processes used to deliver the intervention through an analysis of surveys and reflective field notes. The education protocol was designed for adult learners and grounded in the six assumptions of Knowles' learning theory. Results suggest the education protocol positively impacted on the knowledge, skills and attitudes of participants towards providing quality dementia care to residents in long-term care. The paper also acknowledges the challenges involved in sustaining a practice change through an educational intervention.
Information literacy of teachers and pupils in secondary schools

A study was undertaken to examine the information literacy of teachers and pupils in two UK single-sex selective state grammar schools, one providing education for girls and the other for boys. Qualitative research techniques were chosen to enable attitudes and ethnographic data to be captured. The research methods used included: observation of 10 teachers and 40 pupils in the classroom, complemented by observation of pupils’ behaviour in the school library and computing facilities; individual interviews with members of the teaching staff in both schools; and group interviews with pupils from different year groups. The majority of the teachers were found to be information literate, although this was more the result of personal interest in information and the role it can play in their teaching than because of any attempts made by the schools or their training to encourage information literacy. Pupils were found to be adept at using a variety of sources to locate information, but the cognitive skills required to achieve this tended to be underdeveloped and received little attention within the schools studied. The most significant finding was that, although the teachers interviewed were information literate, their skills with and attitudes towards information were not being transferred to their pupils.
Polymorphism at trinucleotide microsatellite loci in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes

The subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Rhinotermitidae) is widespread throughout the eastern U.S.A. , where it is important both as a decomposer of wood and as an economic pest. The social organization and modes of colony foundation in Reticulitermes spp. are highly flexible (reviewed by Thorne 1998). However, the cryptic nesting and foraging habits of these subterranean species has made it difficult to conduct extensive studies of their social and spatial organization. Consequently, we have little information on the relative frequencies of the alternate forms of colony organization and modes of reproduction, or how these vary in response to ecological conditions. Genetic markers have great potential for elucidating colony organization and population structure, but there have only been a few studies on Reticulitermes spp. using either allozymes To provide a sensitive tool for investigating colony and population structure, I developed microsatellite markers for R. flavipes. Termites were collected from infested logs of pine and hardwood trees at various locations in North Carolina, USA. Heads of five workers from each of five colonies were used to construct the genomic library. DNA from pooled tissue was extracted using the Wizard Genomic DNA Purification Kit (Promega) after grinding in liquid nitrogen. Library construction and screening was performed largely following the protocol of Glenn (1996). The genomic DNA was digested with Sau 3AI, and fragments 300 –700 bp were selected for cloning into pZErO-2 plasmids (Invitrogen). I transformed TOP10 F ′ cells to obtain a 20 000-clone library. Plated colonies were lifted onto nylon membranes which were probed with synthetic oligonucleotides consisting of 8–10 repeats of a trinucleotide motif rich in AT (AAT, AAC, ATC, AAG and ACT). Thirty-six positive clones were sequenced. Southern blots of plasmid DNA confirmed 36 positives, for which I obtained 23 sequences containing five or more repeats. From these sequences, 20 primer pairs were designed. Microsatellite analysis was performed largely according to the methods of Oetting et al. (1995) in which the first 19 bp of the M13 forward sequencing primer (CACGACGTTGTAAAA-CGAC) is added to the 5 ′ end of one of the specific primers in each pair. The tail was attached to the left primer in each pair, except in the case of Rf 5 –10, in which it was added to the right primer. A fluorescent labelled M13 (M13F-29/IRD 800, Li-Cor) primer was included in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), yielding labelled product which was detected in a Li-Cor …
The Effect of IFRS and its Enforcement on Earnings Management: An International Comparison

Widespread adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is expected to improve accounting quality. IFRS is issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), but the IASB has no power to enforce the standards. Many are concerned that without adequate enforcement mechanisms, the benefits of IFRS adoption will be minimal. We examine the effect of IFRS and its enforcement on earnings management in financial reporting using over 100,000 firm-year observations from 2000 to 2006 across 32 countries. We conduct this examination by using a modified measure of enforcement developed by Hope (2003). We find that earnings management in IFRS adoption countries has been decreasing in recent years. The results also show that countries with stronger enforcement generally have less earnings management.
Abnormal photoreceptor outer segment development and early retinal degeneration in kif3a mutant zebrafish

Photoreceptors are highly specialized sensory neurons that possess a modified primary cilium called the outer segment. Photoreceptor outer segment formation and maintenance require highly active protein transport via a process known as intraflagellar transport. Anterograde transport in outer segments is powered by the heterotrimeric kinesin II and coordinated by intraflagellar transport proteins. Here, we describe a new zebrafish model carrying a nonsense mutation in the kinesin II family member 3A (kif3a) gene. Kif3a mutant zebrafish exhibited curved body axes and kidney cysts. Outer segments were not formed in most parts of the mutant retina, and rhodopsin was mislocalized, suggesting KIF3A has a role in rhodopsin trafficking. Both rod and cone photoreceptors degenerated rapidly between 4 and 9 days post fertilization, and electroretinography response was not detected in 7 days post fertilization mutant larvae. Loss of KIF3A in zebrafish also resulted in an intracellular transport defect affecting anterograde but not retrograde transport of organelles. Our results indicate KIF3A plays a conserved role in photoreceptor outer segment formation and intracellular transport.
Analysis of Harvest Morbidity and Radiographic Outcome Using Autograft for Anterior Cervical Fusion

Study Design. Retrospective study of 184 autologous iliac crest bone grafts used for anterior cervical fusion in 144 procedures. Objectives. To evaluate the effect of autologous iliac crest bone graft harvest site on operation and recovery and to identify patients at risk for harvest morbidity. Summary of Background Data. Although autologous iliac crest bone graft is considered the most successful grafting material, concerns about harvest morbidity provide a rationale for considering allograft. Data about the use of autograft therefore would assist spinal surgeons in selecting the appropriate substrates for fusion after anterior cervical decompression. Methods. Statistical analysis based on patient gender, smoking history, obesity, and medical or pharmacologic risk factors for wound healing was used to evaluate morbidity after patient interviews and examinations. Limited assessment of radiographic outcome also was performed. Results. A second operation because of donor site morbidity was performed in four patients (2.8%), but only one (0.7%) with meralgia paresthetica had permanent sequelae. Superficial wound infection or dehiscence occurred in 5.6% of patients, with a disproportionate number of women, obese patients, and those with medical risk represented. Protracted wound symptoms of pain and poor cosmesis were reported in 2.8% and 3.5% of patients, respectively, and also were found in a significant number of female and obese patients. Evidence of fusion was present in 97% of cases. Conclusion. Autologous iliac crest bone graft harvest results in minimal major morbidity when regional anatomy is respected and careful technique is observed. The identification of patients at risk for minor complications suggests that allograft may be appropriate in these patients; however, prospective comparison is required to identify whether graft material or technical factors determine fusion success and relative benefit.
An investigation of relational contracting norms in construction projects in Malaysia

The importance of good relationship among parties in the construction industry has been accepted as one of the central issues of an organisation's success. The growing acceptance to the Relational Contracting approaches that representing partnering, supply chain alliances and other types of collaborative working relationships shows how construction organisations are moving forward from the traditional adversarial culture to a more harmonious working environment. However the application of the Relational Contracting Norms in the context of national culture has received relatively little attention in the literature. This study attempts to fill this void by investigating how good relationships develop within construction projects in Malaysia. It also investigates the adaptability of the relational contracting norms in different cultural setting and explores whether similar relational contracting norms emerge in different projects before developing a relationship development model that is applicable to the academic and practitioners. By using qualitative approach, the main data was collected from 36 semi-structured in-depth interviews across four case studies. The results were validated by 20 follow-up interviews with selected respondents, two stages of expert interviews and cross-case analysis. This study found that good relationships within construction projects in the Malaysian construction industry developed from the interplay of twelve structural and relational dimensions that went through three stages of relationship development process in project setting. It highlights the significant importance of the value and emotion-related dimensions in developing good relationships. A relationship development model was produced based on these twelve dimensions (special contract directive, power, performance, trust, commitment, loyalty, personal relationships, emotions, values, social interaction, work inter-dependency and political connection). The research contributes to construction management literature by supporting the Transaction Cost Economics Theory and extends the Relational Contracting Theory. It proposes seven new dimensions that are incorporated in the newly proposed relationship development model. Although the study was conducted in a specific national culture, it is argued that the model is applicable to other context on the basis that spiritual, emotional and human components of the work experience could be learned by other cultures.
The Swedish Money Market Risk Premium - Experiences from the Crisis

This paper analyses the extent to which the Swedish money market risk premium has been affected by the current financial turmoil. We also examine the impact of shocks transmitted from the US and European markets in more detail. Our results indicate that the Swedish market has been significantly affected by shocks from the US market, but not from the European market. The findings also reveal that the main driver of the money market risk premium in the first part of the crisis was liquidity risk. However, during the latter part of the crisis, there has been a shift from liquidity risk to credit risk. This has specific policy implications for central banks.