Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fat From Different Foods Show Diverging Relations With Breast Cancer Risk in Postmenopausal Women

Abstract: The aim was to explore previous findings within the Malmo Diet and Cancer cohort (Sweden) that ω6-fatty acid intakes are positively associated with breast cancer risk among women 50 yr of age and older and specifically examine relations between breast cancer risk and fat from different food groups. Incident breast cancer cases (n = 237) were matched to controls (n = 673) on age and screening date. A modified diet history method, a structured questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements provided data. Fat-food variables from 24 food groups were computed. Conditional logistic regression examined breast cancer risk associated with energy-adjusted exposure categories of fat-food variables. Fat from fermented milk products was negatively associated with breast cancer risk (trend, P = 0.003). The highest quartiles of vegetable oil-based dietary fats (odds ratio, OR = 1.74; confidence interval, CI = 1.12-2.72) and dried soup powders (OR = 1.59; CI = 1.04-2.43) showed positive associations. Dietary fiber did not influence associations.
The Effect of Venture Capital Investment—Evidence from China's Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises Board

In this paper, we use a matched sample to empirically test the effect of venture capital investment on the companies listed on the mall and edium‐ized nterprises oard in hina. We find that hinese venture capitalists neither add value to their invested firms in the initial public offering (IPO) process nor improve operating performance. Rather, compared with their non‐venture‐backed counterparts, venture‐backed firms are associated with a greater level of IPO underpricing and inferior operating performance both before and after IPO. Our findings in hina support neither the certification/monitoring hypothesis nor the grandstanding hypothesis, but partly support the adverse selection hypothesis.
Food Labeling Use and Differentiated Consumers Behavior: A Survey Analysis in Spanish Food Market

Research on consumer’s use of food labels have been heavily increasing in the last 20 years from some pioneering works in the eighties. Different analytical approaches to the subject may be identified in the scientific literature, among them, the analysis of the use of different types of information often labeled in food markets, and its relationship with some consumer characteristics. The paper fall into the scope of this type of approach. From a survey to 1500 Spanish consumers, stratified by regions (zone) and type of habitat (rural, urban and metropolitan), a composite index, made by aggregating reading frequencies of nine different types of information (calories, ingredients, expiry date, nutritional composition, etc.) has been calculated, and both an OLS and a ordered multinomial Probit models have been estimated trying to find out the relationship between the intensity of using food labels and some characteristics and features of consumers. From this analysis some conclusions have, finally, been drawn.
Bare Metal vs. Drug-Eluting Stents for Extracranial Vertebral Artery Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Nonrandomized Comparative Studies

Purpose To compare through meta-analysis the use of drug-eluting stents (DES) vs. bare metal stents (BMS) in the treatment of extracranial vertebral artery (EVA) disease. Methods A literature search of the PubMed database was conducted to identify English-language articles in which both BMS and DES stenting were performed for EVA stenosis by the same investigator(s). Further, eligible studies had to provide data on in-stent restenosis during follow-up. The search identified 9 nonrandomized studies that met the inclusion criteria. The random effects model was employed to pool data. Meta-regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationships between risk of restenosis and the age of patients, the length of follow-up, or the percentage of male patients. Results Reported technical success was high (range 99.2%–100%) and comparable for BMS [100% (276/276)] and DES [99.4% (166/167)]. The use of DES was associated with significantly lower (p<0.0001) overall restenosis rates [8.2% (14/170) over follow-up periods averaging 16 to 43 months] compared to BMS [23.7% (68/287) over mean follow-up periods of 19 to 46 months]. Moreover, DES showed significantly lower symptomatic restenosis rates as compared to BMS [4.7% (8/169) for DES vs. 11.6% (32/275) for BMS; p=0.005]. There was no change in the risk of restenosis for any factor explored in the meta-regression analysis. Conclusion This meta-analysis demonstrates that the use of DES for extracranial vertebral artery stenting significantly reduces both the rate of restenosis and recurrence of symptoms as compared to BMS. In future, randomized trials are needed to support these findings.
An intellectual capital-based differentiation theory of innovation practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to respond to calls to research recognising impediments to innovation practice. The paper argues that decision-making preferences by risk-averse managers are a key impediment to the organisational support required for the commercialisation of new ideas, by exploring the relationship between forms of intellectual capital (IC) and innovation. As a result, categories are derived that contrast with the current grand theory that IC drives innovative practices. Design/methodology/approach – The paper critically examines cross-sectional empirical data gathered through semi-structured interviews with 27 Australian executive managers from leading Australian companies and the public sector. These interviews elicited narratives about successful and unsuccessful innovations where interviewees had significant involvement in the outcome. In all, 54 narratives of innovation from executive managers – 27 successes and 27 failures, were analysed using the repertory grid technique to u.
Propriospinal transmission of the locomotor command signal in the neonatal rat

Long direct bulbospinal projections are known to convey descending activation of locomotor networks. Less is understood about the role, if any, of propriospinal mechanisms in this function. Here we review our recent studies on propriospinal neurons in the in vitro neonatal rat brainstem‐spinal cord preparation. Neurochemical suppression of synaptic activity in the cervicothoracic spinal cord blocked locomotor‐like activity, suggesting synaptic relays make a critical contribution to descending transmission of the locomotor signal. Staggered contralateral hemisections in the cervicothoracic region, intended to eliminate all long direct bulbospinal transmission, failed to suppress locomotion, suggesting the propriospinal system alone is sufficient. Midsagittal lesion experiments showed that locomotor‐related commissural components are required for rhythm generation in response to electrical stimulation of the brainstem and are redundantly distributed. No single segment was essential, although a bi‐directional gradient was noted, centered on the thoracolumbar junction. These results strongly favor a role for propriospinal mechanisms in the activation of locomotion and suggest that propriospinal neurons are a logical target for interventions to restore locomotor function after spinal cord injury.
Genetics of Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus-Induced Mammary Tumors: Linkage of Tumor Induction to the gagGene

ABSTRACT Retroviruses are believed to induce tumors by acting as insertional mutagens that activate expression of cellular protooncogenes. Indeed, almost 90% of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-induced mammary tumors in C3H/He mice show upregulation of Int protooncogenes. We have analyzed three different MMTV variants [MMTV(C3H), MMTV(HeJ), and a genetically engineered MMTV hybrid provirus (HP)] for tumorigenicity in mice from two distinct genetic backgrounds. All three viruses were tumor causing in BALB/cJ mice. However, only MMTV(C3H), but not MMTV(HeJ) or HP, induced mammary tumors in C3H/He mice. All of the viruses were infectious on either background and up-regulated expression of Int genes in tumors they induced. Like HP, MMTV(HeJ) was found to be a genetic recombinant between endogenousMtv1 provirus and exogenous MMTV(C3H). Sequence comparison of MMTV variants linked the tumorigenicity of MMTV(C3H) to thegag region of the retrovirus.
What determines microcredit interest rates?

High microcredit interest rates cause fierce debates among practitioners, scholars and even the general public. To objectify these discussions, this article investigates determinants of microcredit interest rates by using a worldwide data set of 712 microfinance institutions (MFIs). We examine how cost factors, gender, regulation, lending methodology and organizational type affect microcredit interest rates. Controlling for other microfinance- and country-specific factors, we identify the operating expenses as the main factor influencing microcredit interest rates. Furthermore, our findings show that MFIs tend to subsidize interest rates charged with income from investments not related to their lending activities.
A Data-Driven Approach Based on Auto-Regressive Models for Energy-Efficient Clouds

The steadily increasing success of Cloud Computing is causing a huge rise in its electrical power consumption, contributing to higher energy costs, as well as to the greenhouse effect and the global warming. One of the most common key strategies to reduce the power consumption of data centers is the consolidation of virtual machines, whose effectiveness strongly depends on a reliable forecasting of future computational resource needs. In fact, servers are typically configured to handle peak workload conditions even if they are often under-utilized, that results in a wastefulness of resources and inefficient energy consumption. Motivated by these issues, this paper describes a data-driven approach based on auto-regressive models to dynamically forecast virtual machine workloads, for energy-aware allocations of virtual machines on Cloud physical nodes. Virtual machine migrations across physical servers are periodically done on the basis of the estimated virtual machine demands, by minimizing the number of active servers. Experimental results show encouraging benefits in terms of energy saving, while satisfying performance constraints and service level agreement established with users.
Optimising time-varying network flows by low-revenue tolling under dynamic user equilibrium

This paper presents a dynamic congestion charging framework that includes a dynamic user equilibrium (DUE) network model to optimize a tolling scheme, whose objective(s) may be determined by the transport planner. The framework presented may be utilised to evaluate potential charging regimes; this paper concentrates on the feasibility of extending the concept of minimal-revenue tolls from the static to time-varying environment. We discuss the limitations in the transference of this optimisation objective and propose a pragmatic approach designed to allow the planner to balance the effect of extracting additional toll revenue against achievable network benefit. We investigate the ability of this framework to incorporate various tolling scenarios and to illustrate the production of low-revenue tolls. The numerical tests use a fixed toll across the entire time period for a range of demand scenarios and a fairly stable tolling solution is observed.
Do Managerial Objectives Drive Bad Acquisitions?

This paper documents for a sample of 327 US acquisitions between 1975 and 1987 three forces that systematically reduce the announcement day return of bidding firms. The returns to bidding shareholders are lower when their firm diversifies, when it buys a rapidly growing target , and when the performance of its managers has been poor before the acquisition. These results are consistent with the proposition that managerial rather than shareholders' objectives drive bad acquisitions.
Construction of Regional Input-Output Tables Using Nonsurvey Methods

Regional input-output tables are usually not constructed from survey data but are estimated using nonsurvey regionalization methods, which saves time and money. However, traditional regionalization methods ignore cross-hauling (the simultaneous exporting and importing of one and the same type of product). This flaw results in an underestimation of trade and an overestimation of regional output multipliers. This article presents a new approach based on an estimate of product heterogeneity, which addresses the problem of cross-hauling and is applicable to European System of Accounts tables with indirectly allocated imports. Its application is illustrated by the estimation of a regional input-output table for North Rhine—Westphalia, one of Germany's federal states. The results are compared to the traditional commodity balance approach, indicating that the new method suffers far less from the underestimation of trade and the overestimation of multipliers.
Different Response to Amine Fluoride by Streptococcus mutans and Polymicrobial Biofilms in a Novel High-Throughput Active Attachment Model

Background/Aims: The antimicrobial resistance of microorganisms in biofilms and the polymicrobial interactions in these biofilms that modulate resistance require novel strategies to evaluate the efficacy of caries-preventive compounds. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of a caries-preventive agent in Streptococcus mutans and polymicrobial biofilms. Methods: We developed a novel high-throughput active attachment model. The model consisted of a custom-designed lid containing glass discs that fit on top of standard 24-well plates. Biofilms were formed using either S. mutans C180-2 or saliva. At the end of biofilm formation (up to 96 h) the biofilms were treated with amine fluoride (AmF) solutions. The viability of the biofilms was determined by CFU counts, and metabolic activity was measured via lactate production. Results: The effect of AmF on the viability of the polymicrobial biofilms was significantly less than that on the S. mutans biofilms, indicating a higher resistance in the complex biofilms. Both types of biofilms became more resistant to AmF with age. The higher resistance of the polymicrobial biofilms was not reflected in metabolic activity; in dose-response experiments AmF reduced lactate production in both types of biofilms to the same extent. Moreover, the age-induced increased resistance in the polymicrobial biofilms was less pronounced in terms of the inhibition of metabolic activity. Conclusions: This study clearly shows that when evaluating the efficacy of caries-preventive compounds it is essential to use appropriate polymicrobial biofilm models, and more importantly that efficacy needs to be judged based on the reduction of acid formation (i.e. cariogenic potential) as well as on bacterial viability.
The Role of Psychology in Enhancing Cybersecurity

W ith 70% of the world’s total population projected to have access to the Internet by 2017, compared to 33% in 2011, the human factor remains security’s weakest link in cyberspace. Psychology, through its insight into human nature, has a crucial role to play in mitigating this risk. The shift of focus from technology to psychology is logical because even the most sophisticated security systems remain incapable of preventing people from falling victim to social engineering, or risking financial and social loss to a false promise of payoff. It is also necessary because of the high cost of cybercrime on societies, governments, and individuals. A study published by Norton Internet Security estimated that cybercrimes cost individuals, corporations, and governments more than $100 billion in 2012 alone. It also highlighted a 200% rise in cost per victim compared to the previous year. The impact of cybercrime, however, goes beyond financial detriment; researchers found that victims often experience symptoms similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Others have found a high risk of secondary victimization among people close to victims. Individuals are at a psychological disadvantage when faced with cybercrime. They are often not presented with sufficient information to make optimal decisions in privacy sensitive situations. Calculated under this bounded rationality, estimates of risk-versus-payoff parameters are skewed. But even in cases when sufficient information is available, individuals, enticed by prospects of immediate gratification, and under the influence of optimism bias, tend to fall victim of hyperbolic discounting, and assign lower risk values to privacy decisions. Using their understanding of human behavior in cyberspace, psychologists can introduce cultural and behavioral shifts toward higher security on both the individual and the collective levels through:
Learning to Collude: An Experiment in Convergence and Equilibrium Selection in Oligopoly

The paper considers a simple oligopoly model where firms know their own and the average pay-off in the industry. Firms choose decision rules for trading. The theory predicts that there are three types of Nash equilibria in this game (collusive, Cournot and Stackelberg). Our experiments test the selection process. We find that there is clear evidence of convergence to an equilibrium, and whilst both Cournot and collusive outcomes were selected, the collusive equilibrium is more common. The experimental results also give insights into the process of individual learning, confirming that subjects follow aspiration rules rather than reinforcement rules.
Comparison between parametric and semi-parametric cox models in modeling transition rates of a multi-state model: application in patients with gastric cancer undergoing surgery at the Iran cancer institute.

BACKGROUND Research on cancers with a high rate of mortality such as those occurring in the stomach requires using models which can provide a closer examination of disease processes and provide researchers with more accurate data. Various models have been designed based on this issue and the present study aimed at evaluating such models. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data from 330 patients with gastric cancer undergoing surgery at Iran Cancer Institute from 1995 to 1999 were analyzed. Cox-Snell Residuals and Akaike Information Criterion were used to compare parametric and semi-parametric Cox models in modeling transition rates among different states of a multi-state model. R 2.15. 1 software was used for all data analyses. RESULTS Analysis of Cox-Snell Residuals and Akaike Information Criterion for all probable transitions among different states revealed that parametric models represented a better fitness. Log-logistic, Gompertz and Log-normal models were good choices for modeling transition rate for relapse hazard (state 1? state 2), death hazard without a relapse (state 1? state 3) and death hazard with a relapse (state 2? state 3), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Although the semi-parametric Cox model is often used by most cancer researchers in modeling transition rates of multi- state models, parametric models in similar situations- as they do not need proportional hazards assumption and consider a specific statistical distribution for time to occurrence of next state in case this assumption is not made - are more credible alternatives.
Complications of Diagnostic Arteriography Performed by a Vascular Surgeon in a Recent Series of 558 Patients

This article analyzes the complication rates of diagnostic arteriographies performed by a single vascular surgeon and compares them to those previously published by interventional radiologists. Five hundred fifty-eight consecutive patients who underwent diagnostic arteriographies were analyzed. A modification of one study's criteria was used to compile perioperative complications. The technical success rate was 99%. These included 345 aortoiliofemoral arteriograms with runoff, 64 aortoiliofemoral arteriograms for abdominal aortic aneurysms, 83 aortoiliofemoral arteriograms with contralateral selective iliacs, 35 aortoiliofemoral arteriograms with carotids, and 27 aortoiliofemoral arteriograms with selective visceral/renal. Femoral artery puncture was used in 93%, and left brachial artery in 7%. The mean amount of contrast was 97 cc and the mean operative time was 25 minutes. The overall complication rate was 3.8% (1.3% major), which was comparable to what was published previously (1.9% and 2.9%) but superior to what we published previously as performed by our radiologists (7%, p <.001). A logistic regression could not find any variables that were significant for the prediction of a major complication. However, increased age, a longer operating time (≥ 30 minutes), and smoking were associated with an increase in overall complications. It was determined that diagnostic arteriography can be done safely by experienced vascular surgeons with low complication rates that compare favorably with what was published by interventional radiologists.
Tobacco Control Policies, Birth Outcomes, and Maternal Human Capital

Smoking during pregnancy can have significant adverse health effects for babies, yet many women smoke during pregnancy. In this paper, we examine whether state tobacco control policies lead to improved birth outcomes and to what extent the success of these policies depends on accumulated maternal human capital. We use data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System in a time period when states significantly changed their tobacco control policies. Results show that the smoking policies are limited in their effectiveness. The largest improvements in birth outcomes from higher cigarette prices are among babies of women who have accumulated the least human capital.
Sacral Neuromodulation for Refractory Urge Incontinence Is Less Effective Following Spinal Surgery

Patients with neurogenic disorders and voiding dysfunction have been reported to respond poorly to sacral neuromodulation. We report on our experience in treating voiding symptoms with sacral neuromodulation after spinal surgery. The medical charts of patients evaluated for sacral neuromodulation from 2000–2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Indications, need for explantation, and clinical success (>50% symptom improvement) were recorded. The cohort of patients who had undergone prior spinal surgery was compared to patients with no history of spinal surgery or neurological disease. Thirty-two patients with a history of spinal surgery and 136 with no history of neurologic disease underwent sacral neuromodulation testing. Twenty men and women (62.5%) from the spinal surgery group ultimately underwent permanent implantation. Seventeen of the 32 patients were diagnosed with urge incontinence, of whom 52.9% reported a successful outcome at a mean of 2.3 years of follow-up, compared to an 80.3% success rate in patients with no history of spinal surgery (p = 0.018). Sixteen of 32 carried a diagnosis of urgency/frequency with 62.5% success at last follow-up, compared 73.9% (p = 0.35) of those without a history of spinal surgery or neurological disease. Thirteen of 32 patients diagnosed with urinary retention experienced a 61.5% long-term success rate, compared with 63.6% for those without spinal surgery and urinary retention. Six of 20 (30.0%) in the spinal surgery group were explanted at a mean time of 2.9 years, compared with 27 of 102 (26.5%) of the non-neurologic patients. Clinical success can be achieved using sacral neuromodulation in patients with voiding dysfunction and a history of spinal surgery; however, those with urge incontinence are less likely to report significant improvement.