Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with left atrial size in obese children: an observational study.

OBJECTIVE Left atrial size can be considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The measurements of left atrium may be used to assess obesity, which is an important risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. It is aimed to determine the factors that effect to the left atrial size, which is an indicator of cardiac risk in obese children without hypertension. METHODS The cross-sectional observational study was performed between April 2008 and September 2009 at the clinic of Pediatric Cardiology. Eighty obese and 82 lean children were studied. Diagnosis of obesity was defined according to the World Health Organization classification as the standard deviation score of body mass index being over + 2 standard deviation of the same gender and age. All subjects underwent two-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiographic studies. Student's t-test, Chi-square test, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple stepwise regression analyses were used to compare the subjects, differences in group proportions, evaluate the relation of variables with the left atrial size, and examine the effects of significant independent variables, respectively. RESULTS The mean age of obese patients was 11.7±2.2 years and it of lean subjects was 11.7±2.2 years. Body weight, body mass index, standard deviation score of body mass index, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance statistically increased in obese children (p<0.05). The left atrial size statistically correlated (p<0.05) with age (r=0.523), body mass index (r=0.394), waist circumference (r=0.421), diastolic blood pressure (r=0.230), insulin resistance (r=0.350), and left ventricular mass (r=0.535). It was determined that age (beta=0.491; 95% CI=0.091-0.892; p=0.001) and left ventricular mass (beta=0.055; 95% CI=0.026-0.085; p=0.017) were the most effective independent factors associated with left atrial size among other independent factors in multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION We found that left atrial size was mostly influenced by age and left ventricular mass in obese children. Therefore, it is important that left atrial size is follow up in childhood obesity.
Update on Tick-Borne Rickettsioses around the World: a Geographic Approach

SUMMARY Tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group of the genus Rickettsia. These zoonoses are among the oldest known vector-borne diseases. However, in the past 25 years, the scope and importance of the recognized tick-associated rickettsial pathogens have increased dramatically, making this complex of diseases an ideal paradigm for the understanding of emerging and reemerging infections. Several species of tick-borne rickettsiae that were considered nonpathogenic for decades are now associated with human infections, and novel Rickettsia species of undetermined pathogenicity continue to be detected in or isolated from ticks around the world. This remarkable expansion of information has been driven largely by the use of molecular techniques that have facilitated the identification of novel and previously recognized rickettsiae in ticks. New approaches, such as swabbing of eschars to obtain material to be tested by PCR, have emerged in recent years and have played a role in describing emerging tick-borne rickettsioses. Here, we present the current knowledge on tick-borne rickettsiae and rickettsioses using a geographic approach toward the epidemiology of these diseases.
Cetuximab and chemotherapy as initial treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND We investigated the efficacy of cetuximab plus irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin (FOLFIRI) as first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer and sought associations between the mutation status of the KRAS gene in tumors and clinical response to cetuximab. METHODS We randomly assigned patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-positive colorectal cancer with unresectable metastases to receive FOLFIRI either alone or in combination with cetuximab. The primary end point was progression-free survival. RESULTS A total of 599 patients received cetuximab plus FOLFIRI, and 599 received FOLFIRI alone. The hazard ratio for progression-free survival in the cetuximab-FOLFIRI group as compared with the FOLFIRI group was 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72 to 0.99; P=0.048). There was no significant difference in the overall survival between the two treatment groups (hazard ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.81 to 1.07; P=0.31). There was a significant interaction between treatment group and KRAS mutation status for tumor response (P=0.03) but not for progression-free survival (P=0.07) or overall survival (P=0.44). The hazard ratio for progression-free survival among patients with wild-type-KRAS tumors was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.50 to 0.94), in favor of the cetuximab-FOLFIRI group. The following grade 3 or 4 adverse events were more frequent with cetuximab plus FOLFIRI than with FOLFIRI alone: skin reactions (which were grade 3 only) (in 19.7% vs. 0.2% of patients, P<0.001), infusion-related reactions (in 2.5% vs. 0%, P<0.001), and diarrhea (in 15.7% vs. 10.5%, P=0.008). CONCLUSIONS First-line treatment with cetuximab plus FOLFIRI, as compared with FOLFIRI alone, reduced the risk of progression of metastatic colorectal cancer. The benefit of cetuximab was limited to patients with KRAS wild-type tumors. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00154102.)
Marketing Performance Measurement Ability and Firm Performance

Marketing practitioners are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their contribution to firm performance. It has been widely argued that an inability to account for marketing's contribution has undermined its standing within the firm. To respond to this pressure, marketers are investing in the development of performance measurement abilities, but to date, there have been no empirical studies of whether the ability to measure marketing performance has any actual effect on either firm performance or marketing's stature. In this study of senior marketing managers in high-technology firms, the authors examine the effect of ability to measure marketing performance on firm performance, using both primary data collected from senior marketers and secondary data on firm profitability and stock returns. They also explore the effect of ability to measure marketing on marketing's stature within the firm, which is operationalized as chief executive officer satisfaction with marketing. The empirical results indicate that the ability to measure marketing performance has a significant impact on firm performance, profitability, stock returns, and marketing's stature within the firm.
Developing and validating total quality management (TQM) constructs in the context of Thailand's manufacturing industry

Purpose – To provide reliable and valid constructs of total quality management (TQM) and a measurement instrument in the context of manufacturing industries in newly industrialized countries for evaluating the TQM implementation process and to target improvement areas.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a review of TQM literature and expert opinions, ten TQM constructs (nine implementation constructs and one outcome construct) were identified. A detailed questionnaire was developed with the items for ten TQM constructs along with the questions on quality performance and information about the respondents. The questionnaire was then sent to randomly selected ISO 9000 certified manufacturing companies in Thailand. Out of 1,000 questionnaires sent, 275 usable samples were returned giving a response rate of 27.5 percent. Based on the data from the survey, exploratory factor analysis was done to ensure that items in each scale reflected sufficiently the scope of each construct. Internal consistency analysis .
Superficial temporal artery calcification in patients with end-stage renal disease: Association with vascular risk factors and ischemic cerebrovascular disease

Abstract Background and Purpose: Extracranial superficial temporal artery (STA) calcification is an unusual finding seen in patients with chronic kidney disease and has unknown ramifications with respect to intracranial ischemic disease. We sought to determine the association between the risk factors for vascular calcification and this rare phenomenon, in patients with chronic renal failure, and to assess the coexistence of cerebral ischemia. Materials and Methods: Medical records and laboratory data on risk factors for vascular calcification were retrospectively retrieved for 453 patients with a discharge diagnosis of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). CT head examinations were reviewed to identify and associate STA calcification with 1) risk factors for the vascular calcification, 2) intracranial artery calcification, and 3) cerebral ischemia (white matter and/or cortical ischemic changes). Results: STA calcification was present in 9.9% (45/453) of the studied cohort. The prevalence of cerebral ischemia was 24.4% (11/45) in patients with STA calcification and 9.3% (38/408) in patients without it. Diabetes mellitus (OR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.059-6.208; P=0.037) was independently associated with the risk of STA calcification. The risk of cerebral ischemia, however, was not related to STA calcification (P=0.221). Conclusion: The presence of diabetes mellitus is important in describing the risk of STA calcification in patients with ESRD, whereas age, gender, hypertension, serum calcium, serum phosphate, or serum hemoglobin levels are not. The risk of cerebral ischemia is not related to STA calcification but has the strongest association with diabetes mellitus.
Business Process Reengineering Within the Media Industry in Taiwan

This study sets out to investigate the impacts of information technology (IT) infrastructure on “business process reengineering” (BPR) within the media industry. The survey results indicate that dynamic environments (DEs) significantly impact IT adoption and dynamic capabilities (DCs). The results also demonstrate that BPR is positively and directly influenced by the IT adoption and DCs, and indirectly by DEs. This study contributes media literature in terms of providing empirical evidence and identifying various dimensions of BPR. It also provides some managerial insights.
Electromyographic activity in patients with temporomandibular disorders.

Evaluation of masticatory muscle activity by surface electromyography (EMG) is a valuable tool for diagnosing dysfunction of the masticatory apparatus. However, controversy exists with regard to the usefulness of the EMG for patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Forty patients with TMD were subjected to surface EMG of the masticatory muscles. These patients had consulted because of temporomandibular pain and clicks. In most cases (75%), the symptoms affected the patient's left side. Overall mean resting activity was 2.52 microV+/-1.25 microV (s.d.), which is slightly higher than in comparable healthy subjects (1.92+/-1.20 microV). Mean resting activity was highest in the anterior digastric muscle (3.49 microV) on the left side. Overall mean activity during clenching was 66.77+/-35.22 microV, which is about half that observed in healthy subjects (110.30+/-82.97 microV). During leftward movement of the jaw, activity was on average highest in the left digastric, while during rightward movement, activity was on average highest in the right anterior temporal (AT). Our results thus indicate that patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder show: (1) a slight increase in basal tone; (2) a significantly reduced capacity for clenching; and (3) an apparently paradoxical inhibition of the dysfunctional-side AT during movement of the mandible towards that side.
Novel QTL at chromosome 6p22 for alcohol consumption: Implications for the genetic liability of alcohol use disorders

Linkage studies of alcoholism have implicated several chromosome regions, leading to the successful identification of susceptibility genes, including ADH4 and GABRA2 on chromosome 4. Quantitative endophenotypes that are potentially closer to gene action than clinical endpoints offer a means of obtaining more refined linkage signals of genes that predispose alcohol use disorders (AUD). In this study we examine a self‐reported measure of the maximum number of drinks consumed in a 24‐hr period (abbreviated Max Drinks), a significantly heritable phenotype (h2 = 0.32 ± 0.05; P = 4.61 × 10−14) with a strong genetic correlation with AUD (ρg = 0.99 ± 0.13) for the San Antonio Family Study (n = 1,203). Genome‐wide SNPs were analyzed using variance components linkage methods in the program SOLAR, revealing a novel, genome‐wide significant QTL (LOD = 4.17; P = 5.85 × 10−6) for Max Drinks at chromosome 6p22.3, a region with a number of compelling candidate genes implicated in neuronal function and psychiatric illness. Joint analysis of Max Drinks and AUD status shows that the QTL has a significant non‐zero effect on diagnosis (P = 4.04 × 10−3), accounting for 8.6% of the total variation. Significant SNP associations for Max Drinks were also identified at the linkage region, including one, rs7761213 (P = 2.14 × 10−4), obtained for an independent sample of Chinese families. Thus, our study identifies a potential risk locus for AUD at 6p22.3, with significant pleiotropic effects on the heaviness of alcohol consumption that may not be population specific. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Comparative Analysis of Company-sponsored and Independent Foundations

FOUNDATIONS As organizational researchers continue to scrutinize the various implications of greater corporate involvement in the provision of social goods and services, it is important to also consider the effects of company sponsorship on the behavior of philanthropic foundations. With their accumulated funds and social influence, foundations play central mediating roles within the U.S. nonprofit sector. Moreover, because independent and company-sponsored foundations are established with the same basic function and fiduciary responsibilities, a structured comparison of the two foundation types allows us to isolate the specific implications of corporate involvement in the support of nonprofit organizations. Applying organizational theories that emphasize resource access and resource dependence, we propose that company-sponsored foundations benefit from having access to the resources of sponsoring companies. They are also influenced by the market-based motivations of their for-profit sponsors. Consistent with these expectations, our matched-sample analysis shows that company-sponsored foundations tend to raise more funds and distribute grants with lower paid administrative overheads. However, their grant-making is also more dispersed and less relational over time. We discuss the implications of these findings for the nonprofits that rely on foundation support, and for broader debates about the implications of greater corporate involvement in the social sector. 3 " What organizational scholars have to say about corporate involvement in societal affairs seems essential, for the risks of involving companies in broad societal problems may match the risks of excluding them " (Margolis and Walsh, 2003, p. 296). INTRODUCTION Mounting pressures on states to reduce spending and a concomitant pressure on corporations to fill the funding voids make Margolis and Walsh's (2003) call to action increasingly relevant. As such, much ink has spilled over the various roles that companies might play in addressing social and environmental concerns. This is evident in the considerable attention that is devoted to the design and performance of corporate philanthropy programs (Smith, 1994; Porter et al., 2002). Accompanying the widespread activity and commentary is a more limited number of organizational studies that systematically probe the benefits and costs of greater corporate involvement in societal affairs. Thus, it has been suggested that " we know little about the ways that corporations form relationships with local governments, local nonprofit communities, and the priorities they assign to the philanthropic practices on which they engage " (Guthrie 2010). This limited academic engagement is troubling because the benefits and costs of greater corporate involvement are potentially enormous. Protagonists point …
The Relationship between Earnings Management and Social Responsibility, Emphasizing New Paradigms for Accounting - Profit Companies Listed in Tehran Stock Exchange 2007-2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between earnings management and social responsibility, with an emphasis on new paradigms of accounting-profit companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange for the year 2007-2012. In this study there have been used to measure earnings management, the modified Jones model, to collect data on the changing social responsibility questionnaire Syngapkdy and colleagues (1996) and a questionnaire for collecting data related to organizational commitment Hunt and colleagues (1989), due to their high reliability and validity. In this study, 39 companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange were reviewed for the (2007-2012) period. To test the hypotheses with regression models used econometric software E views 6. The research findings show a negative relationship between earnings management and corporate social responsibility, and about 15% of corporate social responsibility of the variation in the inverse variables is affected by the size of the company, financial and earnings management. The company’s financial performance positively related to earnings management. Finally, organizational commitment is negatively associated with earnings management and firm performance.
Immunotherapy approaches to treat adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia

ABSTRACT Recent developments in immunotherapy are improving treatment results of B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This advancement is promoted by new monoclonal antibodies such as inotuzumab ozogamicin, ofatumumab and blinatumomab, by rituximab, and by genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor-modified T-cells. These treatments, variously targeting CD22, CD20 and CD19 antigens, yield unprecedented high rates of hematologic and molecular remissions even when used in monotherapy and in chemo-resistant or post-transplantation relapsed patients. Beside the encouraging results in relapsed/refractory disease, these agents may open a totally new era in the frontline management of this illness, redefining treatment standards and options for different risk subsets and placing the achievement of a molecular remission at the forefront of treatment objectives. The ever increasing importance of modern immunotherapy in improving treatment design and therapeutic outcome is reviewed.
The impact of supplier downsizing on performance, satisfaction over time, and repurchase intentions

Purpose – The purpose of this study is first to investigate how well downsized suppliers, as compared to non‐downsized suppliers, are able to satisfy their business customers over time; and second whether these same business customers having stronger or weaker repurchase intentions toward downsized suppliers, as compared to non‐downsized suppliers.Design/methodology/approach – A random sample of 560 purchasing professionals from a wide range of industries and firms provide responses on the performance of, their satisfaction with, and their repurchase intentions toward downsized and non‐downsized industrial suppliers.Findings – The results of the study indicate that downsized suppliers, as compared to non‐downsized suppliers, overall are doing a significantly poorer job of satisfying their business customers, leading to significantly lower ratings of loyalty and repurchase intentions. However, some surprising results emerge regarding the non‐linear pattern of low, medium and high levels of downsizing on pe.
Pharmacological priming of adipose‐derived stem cells for paracrine VEGF production with deferoxamine

Adipose‐derived stem cells (ASCs) show great potentials in applications such as therapeutic angiogenesis, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Pharmacological preconditioning of stem cells to boost the release of cytoprotective factors may represent an effective way to enhance their therapeutic efficacy. In this study, the aim was to determine whether deferoxamine can enhance the release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from in vitro expanded ASCs. It is demonstrated that deferoxamine (50–300 μm) upregulated VEGF expression in a concentration‐ and time‐dependent fashion. At the concentrations used, deferoxamine did not show any cytotoxic effects. The stimulatory effect of deferoxamine on VEGF expression was mediated by augmentation of hypoxia inducible factor‐1 in ASCs, but independent of its antioxidant properties. Moreover, deferoxamine enhanced the paracrine effects of ASCs in promoting the regenerative functions of endothelial cells (migration and in vitro wound healing activities). This study provides evidence that deferoxamine might be a useful drug with low cell toxicity for pharmacological preconditioning of ASCs to enhance their capacity of VEGF production. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Benchmarking supplier risks using Bayesian networks

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a methodology for benchmarking supplier risks through the creation of Bayesian networks. The networks are used to determine a supplier's external, operational, and network risk probability to assess its potential impact on the buyer organization.Design/methodology/approach – The research methodology includes the use of a risk assessment model, surveys, data collection from internal and external sources, and the creation of Bayesian networks used to create risk profiles for the study participants.Findings – It is found that Bayesian networks can be used as an effective benchmarking tool to assist managers in making decisions regarding current and prospective suppliers based upon their potential impact on the buyer organization, as illustrated through their associated risk profiles.Research limitations/implications – A potential limitation to the use of the methodology presented in the study is the ability to acquire the necessary data from current and poten.
DIFFERENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF [U‐14C]GLUCOSE AND [U‐14C]GLYCEROL AMONG MOLECULAR SPECIES OF PHOSPHATIDYL CHOLINE, PHOSPHATIDYL ETHANOLAMINE AND 1,2‐DIACYLGLYCEROL IN RABBIT BRAIN 1 2

Specific radioactivities of molecular species of phosphatidyl choline(PC), phosphatidyl ethanolamine(PE) and 1,2‐diacylglycerol were determined in rabbit brain 15 and 30 min after intraventricular injection of 10OpCi of either [U‐14C]glucose or [U‐14C]glycerol. The rate of de nouo synthesis of glycerophospholipids and their molecular species could be determined after glycerol labelling, since 94.0–99.7% of 14C activity was recovered in glyceryl moieties of brain lipids. After injection of glucose radioactivity was measured in both glyccrol and acyl residues of lipids.
Credit Markets, Board Size, and Board Composition

This paper investigates how a board of directors’ decisions depend on its composition and size. We make two departures from neoclassical theory: we assume that insiders on boards of directors are unaware of some states of the world, and that outsiders are unaware of the probability distribution of a project’s possible returns. Under these two unawareness assumptions, we show that outsider control and larger board sizes protect creditors’ interests and thereby help solve an asset substitution problem. We relate our results to the empirical literature and oer additional empirical predictions.