Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A MULTIDIMENSIONAL VIEW OF EDI: TESTING THE VALUE OF EDI PARTICIPATION TO FIRMS

The percentage of trading partners with whom firms share information via electronic data interchange (EDI) was the single measurement for past studies. This paper argues that the intensity of EDI participation is a multidimensional concept incorporating 1. range, the percentage of trading partners with whom a firm shares information. 2. width, the extent to which a firm used EDI. 3. depth, the percentage of data processing done via EDI relative to manually. The level of EDI participation will affect the value of EDI.
Chaotics: The Business of Managing and Marketing in the Age of Turbulence

The world economy has been changed irrevocably and companies must plan now for the “new normality. ” For the foreseeable future the economy will no longer ebb and flow like the smooth upward rising sine waves of the past, but rather will look like the choppy spikes of a heartbeat in an EKG—a series of nonuniform W’s—rather than the traditional sine waves of “normal economies” that we’ve experienced in previous economic cycles over the past 50 years. Business leaders need to throw away the old two-playbook strategy book—one for the up-cycle and the other for the down-cycle (recession)—and instead create a fresh strategic framework for managing both vulnerability and opportunity, while coping with intermittent and unpredictable instability—a CHAOTICS® approach to managing in The Age of Turbulence. Companies instead must now capitalize on the new heightened and continuously turbulent environment—the new normality—to steadily grow more responsive, more robust, and more resilient to achieve Business Enterprise Sustainability as they seek to anticipate the unexpected detours and make adjustments based on a multitude of scenarios, and keep on driving forward on the long, and now turbulent, road to success. The world has entered a new economic stage: The Age of Turbulence Today, globalization and information technology are the main forces that are creating a new phenomenon, interlocking fragility. While interconnectivity and interdependence work in everyone’s favor in good times, this “interlocking fragility” spreads much pain and damage, virally, in bad times.
Depression of muscle and cutaneous afferent‐evoked monosynaptic field potentials during fictive locomotion in the cat

1 Monosynaptic extracellular field potentials evoked by electrical stimulation of ipsilateral hindlimb nerves carrying muscle group I, II and cutaneous afferents were examined during fictive locomotion. Fifty‐eight field potentials were recorded in the dorsal and intermediate laminae throughout the mid‐lumbar to first sacral segments and fictive locomotion was evoked by mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) stimulation in paralysed decerebrate cats. 2 The majority (96 %) of group I, II and cutaneous‐evoked field potentials were decreased during fictive locomotion. Group I, cutaneous and dorsal group II potentials were reduced on average to about 80 % of control values. Group II field potentials recorded in the intermediate laminae were reduced to a mean of 49 % of control values. Cyclic variations in field potential amplitude between the flexion and extension phases were observed in 24 of 45 cases analysed. Of those 24 field potentials, the two group I and four cutaneous field potentials were smaller during the flexion phase. All eleven group II and the remaining seven cutaneous fields were smaller during extension. In all but two cases, these cyclic variations were smaller than the tonic depression upon which they were superimposed. 3 In 7/9 group II field potentials examined, reductions (on average to 85 % of control) began with the onset of MLR stimulation that produced tonic activity in the motor nerves before the onset of rhythmic alternating, locomotor discharges. In six of the seven cases the field potential depression increased with the establishment of fictive locomotion. This observation and the cyclic modulation of field potentials during fictive locomotion suggests that the depression was strongly linked to the operation of the spinal locomotor circuitry. 4 Depression of the monosynaptic components of the field potentials suggests a reduction in synaptic transmission from primary afferents to first‐order spinal interneurones during fictive locomotion. Accordingly, the larger depression of intermediate group II field potentials may indicate a preferential reduction in transmission from group II afferents to interneurones located in intermediate spinal laminae. 5 Flexion reflexes evoked by group II and cutaneous afferents were also depressed during MLR‐evoked fictive locomotion. The possibility that this depression results from a reduction in transmission from primary afferents, and in particular from group II afferents, ending on interneurones in the intermediate laminae is discussed.
RAINFALL EROSIVITY FOR THE STATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO ESTIMATED BY ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK

The Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are mathematical models method capable of estimating non-linear response plans. The advantage of these models is to present different responses of the statistical models. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop and to test ANNs for estimating rainfall erosivity index (EI30) as a function of the geographical location for the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and generating a thematic visualization map. The characteristics of latitude, longitude e altitude using ANNs were acceptable to estimating EI30 and allowing visualization of the space variability of EI30. Thus, ANN is a potential option for the estimate of climatic variables in substitution to the traditional methods of interpolation.
Long-term outcomes of generalized tonic-clonic seizures in a childhood absence epilepsy trial

Objective: To determine incidence and early predictors of generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCs) in children with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE). Methods: Occurrence of GTCs was determined in 446 children with CAE who participated in a randomized clinical trial comparing ethosuximide, lamotrigine, and valproate as initial therapy for CAE. Results: As of June 2014, the cohort had been followed for a median of 7.0 years since enrollment and 12% (53) have experienced at least one GTC. The median time to develop GTCs from initial therapy was 4.7 years. The median age at first GTC was 13.1 years. Fifteen (28%) were not on medications at the time of their first GTC. On univariate analysis, older age at enrollment was associated with a higher risk of GTCs (p = −0.0009), as was the duration of the shortest burst on the baseline EEG (p = 0.037). Failure to respond to initial treatment (p < 0.001) but not treatment assignment was associated with a higher rate of GTCs. Among patients initially assigned to ethosuximide, 94% (15/16) with GTCs experienced initial therapy failure (p < 0.0001). A similar but more modest effect was noted in those initially treated with valproate (p = 0.017) and not seen in those initially treated with lamotrigine. Conclusions: The occurrence of GTCs in a well-characterized cohort of children with CAE appears lower than previously reported. GTCs tend to occur late in the course of the disorder. Children initially treated with ethosuximide who are responders have a particularly low risk of developing subsequent GTCs.
The Effects of Dietary Restriction on Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF)-I and II, and IGF-Binding Proteins in Chickens

Abstract The effect of feed (energy/protein) restriction on circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and II, and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) was examined in young (4-week-old) chickens, increasing levels of feed restriction caused progressive growth retardation, as evidenced by decreased body-weight gain and reduced bone growth. Plasma concentrations of both IGF-I and IGF-II were decreased, and the degree of reduction in the plasma concentrations of these growth factors appeared to be related to the magnitude of feed restriction. A tendency for greater decreases in these growth factors appeared to be associated with greater feed restriction at the majority of time points evaluated. However, nutritional restriction had a greater effect on plasma concentrations of IGF-I than on those of IGF-II. The reductions in plasma concentrations of IGF-I were observed earlier in the experiment and at a lower degree of nutritional deprivation than for plasma concentrations of IGF-II, possibly suggesting greater sensitivity of IGF-I plasma concentrations to feed restriction. Three IGFBPs with molecular weights of 30, 36, and 40 kDa were detected by radioligand assay following separation by SDS-electrophoresis. The 30-kDa IGFBP was most affected by feed restriction with binding activity of this IGFBP increased by 2 days of feed restriction irrespective of the degree of feed deprivation. The binding activity of the 36-kDa IGFBP was increased, albeit transiently, on the second day of feed restriction. Nutritional restriction had no discernible effect on the binding activity of the 40-kDa IGFBP. Increases in the binding activity of the 30-kDa IGFBP appeared to correspond with the observed decreases in IGF-I plasma concentrations. This suggests decreased bioavailability of IGF-I, and possibly IGF-II, attributed to the formation of a complex between IGF-I and the 30-kDa IGFBP during feed restriction. The initial increase in binding activity of the 36-kDa IGFBP may suggest that this binding protein also plays a role in the regulation and availability of circulating concentrations of IGF-I and IGF-II. Although the binding activity of the 40-kDa IGFBP was unaffected by feed restriction, we can not exclude its importance in the regulation of IGF-I. The substantial binding activity of the 40-kDa IGFBP observed in this experiment suggests that it is one of the major chicken IGFBPs, and that its role in IGF-I regulation warrants further study.
Outward FDI from and Intraregional FDI in ASEAN: Trends and Drivers*

Developing-country transnational corporations (TNCs) are increasing in importance in the global economy. Outward FDI from developing countries is a proxy indicator to measure how much of an important role enterprises of developing countries have played in the world market and how they benefit from globalization where border barriers are reduced. This study finds that ASEAN enterprises have extended their business activities within ASEAN, East Asia, and then to the world, as both regional and global players.
Differential NF-κB pathways induction by Lactobacillus plantarum in the duodenum of healthy humans correlating with immune tolerance

How do we acquire immune tolerance against food microorganisms and commensal bacteria that constitute the intestinal microbiota? We investigated this by stimulating the immune system of adults with commensal Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria. We studied the in vivo human responses to L. plantarum in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study. Healthy adults ingested preparations of living and heat-killed L. plantarum bacteria. Biopsies were taken from the intestinal duodenal mucosa and altered expression profiles were analyzed using whole-genome microarrays and by biological pathway reconstructions. Expression profiles of human mucosa displayed striking differences in modulation of NF-κB-dependent pathways, notably after consumption of living L. plantarum bacteria in different growth phases. Our in vivo study identified mucosal gene expression patterns and cellular pathways that correlated with the establishment of immune tolerance in healthy adults.
Mutual funds and the U.S. equity market

Mutual funds have become an important intermediary between households and financial markets, especially the equity market. About half of all households have a mutual fund account, and mutual funds hold about one-fifth of household financial assets. Because households have favored equity investments in their mutual fund accounts, mutual funds currently hold about one-fifth of all publicly traded U.S. equities. In addition to discussing the recent growth of mutual funds and their role in household finances, this article analyzes the relationship between households' investment decisions in equity mutual funds and equity market prices.
Impact of Defense Style on Brief Psychotherapy of Postpartum Depression

In this study, we evaluated the impact of defense style (DS) on outcome and its relation to the therapeutic alliance. Women with postpartum depression were allocated to a brief psychotherapeutic intervention. To evaluate DS and the therapeutic alliance, the Defense Style Questionnaire and the Working Alliance Inventory were employed. The main outcome was the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score at end point; anxiety and retention in treatment were also evaluated. Fifty-nine patients were included; 46 completed the therapy and 65.4% responded (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score <10). Intense use of immature defenses was related to persistence of depression and anxiety symptoms at end point, even when controlled for potential confounders. Results tended to confirm a hierarchy of DSs independently of the alliance. Clinicians should be aware of possible differential responses to brief psychotherapies related to DS.
Evidence on the Impact of Education on Innovation and Productivity

This paper investigates the importance of the educational mix of employees at the rm level for the probability of rms being involved in innovation activities. We distinguish between four types of innovation: product, process, organisational, and marketing innovation. Moreover, we consider three di erent types of education for employees with at least 16 years of schooling: technical sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Furthermore, we examine the in uence of these di erent innovation activities on rm productivity. Using a rotating panel data sample of Danish rms, we nd that di erent types of innovations are related to distinct educational types. Moreover, we nd that rms that adopt product and marketing innovation are more productive than rms that adopt product innovation but not marketing innovation and rms that adopt marketing innovation but not product innovation. In addition, rms that adopt organisational and process innovation demonstrate greated productivity levels than forms that adopt organisational innovation but not process innovation that again demonstrate greater productivity than rms that do not adopt process innovation but not organisational innovation. Finally, we establish that product and marketing innovation as well as organisational and process innovation are complementary inputs using formal tests for supermodularity. Complementarity can be rejected for all other pairs of innovation types.
Why Malaysian second board companies switch auditors: Evidence of Bursa Malaysia

The auditor switching phenomenon was found to have implications to the value credibility of financial reporting and the cost of monitoring management activities Therefore, it has been widely and extensively studied in developed countries by academicians, accounting professionals and industry experts due to the great number of switches in the early 1970s. Despite the growing concerns of this issue, few studies appear to have been made in Malaysia to examine the significant reasons of auditor switching. Thus, this study was conducted with the objective of identifying major determinants of auditor switch among companies listed on Second Board of Bursa Malaysia, formerly known as Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE), especially during the period from 1997 to 1999, which coincide with the Asian financial crisis. In order to examine the determinants of auditor switch among second board companies, this study uses logistic regression model, in particular, the stepwise method. From the results, this study indicates that leverage, growth turnover, financing activities, longevity of audit engagement and audit fee were the significant determinants of auditor switch during the period of financial International Research Journal of Finance and Economics Issue 13 (2008) 124 crisis. However, receiving qualified audit report was not found to be the factor of auditor switch among the Second Board companies in Malaysia during this period.
Regulatory and pathogenetic mechanisms of autoantibodies in SLE

In the 53 years since the discovery of anti-DNA autoantibodies in lupus 1, 2, 3, recalcitrant questions have been pondered and possible answers have been debated. The discovery of anti-DNA autoantibodies presented many puzzles: How is immunological tolerance to native B-form DNA broken? What elicits characteristic systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) autoantibodies? Which of the diverse anti-nuclear reactivities are pathogenic? What is the role of autoantibodies in the clinical presentation of disease? How do genetic predisposition and environmental triggers contribute to SLE? These questions were brought into focus by Professor David Stollar in an introductory presentation to an intense, three-day meeting set among the rugged and inspiring scenery of the Norwegian arctic coastline (the Scientific Program is included as supplemental File 1). Other participants presented and discussed topics directed to understanding the origin and clinico-pathological impact of autoantibodies to chromatin and phospholipid antigens. In the following, several aspects of the workshop are discussed.
Metabonomics technologies and their applications in physiological monitoring, drug safety assessment and disease diagnosis

In this review, metabonomics, a combination of data-rich analytical chemical measurements and chemometrics for profiling metabolism in complex systems, is described and its applications are reviewed. Metabonomics is typically carried out using biofluids or tissue samples. The relevance of the technique is reviewed in relation to other ‘-omics’, and it is shown how the methods can be applied to physiological evaluation, drug safety assessment, characterization of genetically modified animal models of disease, diagnosis of human disease, and drug therapy monitoring. The different types of analytical data, mainly from nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, are summarized. The outputs from a metabonomics study allow sample classification, for example according to phenotype, drug safety or disease diagnosis, and interpretation of the reasons for classification yields information on combination biomarkers of effect. Transcriptomic and metabonomic data is currently being further integrated into a holistic understanding of systems biology. An assessment of the possible future role and impact of metabonomics is presented.
Board Structure and Corporate Financial Performance: Empirical Evidence from Vietnam's Listed Firms

In this study, we investigated the relationships between board structure and financial performance, limited to nonfinancial firms listed on the Vietnam Stock Exchange. First, we found that a dual leadership structure, where the CEO and Chairman positions are held by the same person, was positively associated with firm-level financial performance. Second, we found evidence inconsistent with previous empirical findings that board size is positively associated with significantly higher financial performance. In particular, we found that the proportion of outside directors was negatively correlated with financial performance after controlling for endogeneity. These results proved to be robust with other model specifications and estimation methods. If poor-performing firms nominate additional outside directors under pressure from dissatisfied shareholders, these results could be explained. Additionally, we found strong evidence indicating a positive linear relationship exists between ownership by the Chairman (a proxy for board ownership) and firm performance.
Public and private agricultural extension : beyond traditional frontiers

This study was initiated to examine the appropriate roles of the public and private sectors in the delivery of agricultural support services. It is one of a series of studies focusing on this issue; the others discuss the public and private sector roles in agricultural research, seed production and distribution, and livestock and crop protection services. The present study analyzes the economic nature of the different types of agricultural information communicated to rural clients, the results of which are used to generate a framework for establishing the appropriate roles of the various participants in the agricultural extension sector. A review of worldwide experiences indicate that many governments are undertaking cost recovery programs which are fostering the development of a market for agricultural extension services. The evolving structure of the agricultural sector has also led to increased specialization of farmer technology and information needs, which has in turn created more opportunities for private sector participation. However, the selective participation of the private sector, particularly in only providing services where the economic returns to delivery are reasonable, requires continued participation of the public sector, complemented by other non-private organizations, if an optimal level of supply of services is to be ensured.
Primary preeclampsia in the second pregnancy: effects of changes in prepregnancy body mass index between pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between changes in prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) between a woman's first two pregnancies and incidence of preeclampsia in the second pregnancy. METHODS We performed a population-based retrospective cohort analysis using data on women's first two singleton pregnancies (n=136,884) in Missouri (1989-1997). The study was restricted to women without preeclampsia in the first pregnancy. Prepregnancy BMI (kg/m(2)) was categorized as underweight (less than 18.5), normal (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), and obese (30 or greater). Analyses were adjusted for confounders through multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS The incidence rate of preeclampsia in the second pregnancy was 2.0%. In comparison with women who were of normal BMI in both pregnancies, the risk for preeclampsia increased when BMI changed between the first two pregnancies from underweight to obese (odds ratio [OR] 5.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-18.2), normal to overweight (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.7-2.3), normal to obese (OR 3.2, 95% CI 2.5-4.2), and overweight to obese (OR 3.7, 95% CI 3.1-4.3). Being obese or overweight in both pregnancies was associated with increased risk of preeclampsia in the second pregnancy. Women who increased their BMI from underweight to normal or overweight between pregnancies had risks of preeclampsia comparable with those with normal BMI in both pregnancies. African-American, but not white, women who had a reduction in BMI from obese or overweight to normal between pregnancies remained at increased risk for preeclampsia. CONCLUSION Increases in prepregnancy BMI from normal weight to overweight or obese between pregnancies are associated with increased risk of preeclampsia in the subsequent pregnancy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II.
Thinking for a living : how to get better performance and results from knowledge workers

What's a Knowledge Worker, Anyways? How Knowledge Workers Differ, and the Difference It Makes Interventions, Measures, and Experiments in Knowledge Work Knowledge Work Processes Organizational Technology for Knowledge Workers Developing Individual Knowledge Worker Capabilities Investing in Knowledge Workers' Networks and Learning The Physical Work Environment and Knowledge Worker Performance Managing Knowledge Workers