Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantifying the Effect of the Gst on Inflation in Australia's Capital Cities: An Intervention Analysis

This article examines the magnitude and duration of the effect of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on inflation in Australia's eight capital cities using the Box and Tiao intervention analysis and quarterly data spanning from 1948:4 to 2003:1. We found that the GST had a significant but transitory impact on inflation only in the September quarter of 2000 when this new tax system was implemented. In this quarter inflation showed an additional increase of 2.6 per cent in Sydney (minimum effect) and 2.8 per cent in Australia as a whole, and the figure for Hobart was 3.3 per cent (maximum effect). Based on Wald test results, we also found some evidence that there is no significant (or substantial) difference in the average price changes among capital cities. We could not reject the null hypothesis that the GST increased the consumer price index by 2.8 per cent across the board in various cities. These results are also consistent with previous studies and surveys.
A retrospective study of ultrasound-guided high intensity focussed ultrasound ablation for multiple uterine fibroids in South Africa

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the shrinkage rate, symptom relief and improvement of the quality of life following ultrasound-guided high intensity focussed ultrasound (USgHIFU) for multiple uterine fibroids. Methods: From October 2015 to November 2016, 81 black women with multiple symptomatic fibroids underwent USgHIFU. The number of the fibroids ranged from 3 to 9. The shrinkage rate of fibroids, symptom severity score and quality of life were evaluated following USgHIFU. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the uterine fibroid symptom and quality of life (UFS-QOL) questionnaire were used for evaluation. Results: The mean age of patients was 35.3 ± 5.9 years. The average weight of these patients was 68.4 ± 11.4 kg, with the median abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness of 38.0 ± 11.4 mm. The median fibroid volume was 36.0 (range: 1.8–1220.1) cm³. During HIFU, 60.5% of the patients reported lower abdominal pain, 43.2% sciatic/buttock pain, 60.5% skin “burning” sensation, 6.2% abnormal vaginal discharge and 13.6% transient leg pain. No severe complications were observed. The average volume reduction rate of fibroids in 21 patients who completed the follow-up was 32.5 ± 24.0, 42.3 ± 32.2 and 52.5 ± 36.3% 1, 3 and 6 months after HIFU, respectively. The UFS score decreased and the QOL values significantly increased during the follow-up period. Re-intervention treatment occurred in two of the 21 patients 6 months after HIFU. One patient conceived 3 months after HIFU, and she had a term vaginal delivery without any obstetrical complications. Conclusions: Based on our results, USgHIFU is safe and effective in treating patients with multiple uterine fibroids.
Genistein modulates splenic natural killer cell activity, antibody-forming cell response, and phenotypic marker expression in F(0) and F(1) generations of Sprague-Dawley rats.

The potential effects of the phytoestrogen genistein (GEN) on the immune system were evaluated in both F(0) (dams) and F(1) generations of Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to a soy-free diet containing low (L: 25 ppm), middle (M: 250 ppm), and high (H: 1250 ppm) levels of GEN. In dams, exposure to GEN from Gestation Day 7 to Postpartum Day 51 (totally 65 days) produced a significant increase in NK cell activity (M and H), while a decrease in the percentage of helper T cells (H). In F(1) males, exposure to GEN gestationally, lactationally, and through feed from Postnatal Days 22 to 64 (total 78 days) produced an increase in the relative weights (% body) of spleen (L and H) and thymus (L). Furthermore, exposure to GEN increased the number of splenic B cells (H), T cells (L, M, and H), and T-cell subsets (L, M, and H). Although GEN decreased the percentages of splenic NK cells (L, M, and H), no effect on the activity of NK cells was observed. In F(1) females, exposure to GEN produced a decrease in terminal body weight (H), with an increase in the relative weight of spleen (L, M, and H). Exposure to GEN also increased the number of splenic B cells (L), macrophages (L and M), T cells (H), helper T cells (L and H), and cytotoxic T cells (M and H). Additionally, exposure to GEN increased the percentages of T cells (M and H), helper T cells (H), and cytotoxic T cells (M and H). Moreover, the spleen IgM antibody-forming cell response to sheep red blood cells was enhanced (H), although the percentages of B cells were decreased (M and H). No effect on the activity of NK cells was observed; however, the percentages of splenic NK cells were decreased by GEN (L and H). In conclusion, these results demonstrate that exposure to GEN can modulate the immune responses in Sprague-Dawley rats. Furthermore, the sexual dimorphic effects of GEN in F(1) male and female rats suggest that there may be interactions between GEN and the responses modulated by sex hormones.
OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY OF HIGH-LATITUDE WISE-SELECTED SOURCES

We report on the results of an optical spectroscopic survey at high Galactic latitude (|b| ⩾ 30°) of a sample of WISE-selected targets, grouped by WISE W1 (λeff = 3.4 μm) flux, which we use to characterize the sources WISE detected. We observed 762 targets in 10 disjoint fields centered on ultraluminous infrared galaxy candidates using DEIMOS on Keck II. We find 0.30 ± 0.02 galaxies arcmin−2 with a median redshift of z = 0.33 ± 0.01 for the sample with W1 ⩾ 120 μJy. The foreground stellar densities in our survey range from 0.23 ± 0.07 arcmin−2 to 1.1 ± 0.1 arcmin−2 for the same sample. We obtained spectra that produced science grade redshifts for ⩾90% of our targets for sources with W1 flux ⩾120 μJy that also had an i-band flux ≳ 18 μJy. We used this for targeting very preliminary data reductions available to the team in 2010 August. Our results therefore present a conservative estimate of what is possible to achieve using WISE's Preliminary Data Release for the study of field galaxies.
Essays on the Macroeconomics of Monetary Union

This essay investigates the impact of the formation of a monetary union on equilibrium unemployment in a two-country monetary model with strategic wage setting and open-economy spillovers. It is shown that the monetary regime affects the tradeoff between real consumer wages and unemployment faced by the labor unions. Consequently, the equilibrium rate of unemployment is endogenous and depends on the monetary regime. In particular, a switch from a flexible exchange rate regime to a monetary union reduces unemployment, provided that the degree of central bank conservatism is sufficiently high, whereas with low degrees of conservatism unemployment rises. This non-neutrality result of a monetary union does not depend on the existence of an inflation bias, that is, the outcome is unchanged even though the central banks target the equilibrium rate of unemployment.
The Effect of Board Size, Board Independence and CEO Duality on Dividend Policy of Companies: Evidence from Tehran Stock Exchange - TI Journals

Abstract: Corporate governance as a mechanism and means of creating balance between shareholders and management, cause to reduce agency problems and will reduce this probability that managers pursue suboptimal dividend policy. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of board size, board independence and CEO duality on the dividend policy of listed companies in Tehran Stock Exchange. For this purpose, a sample of 140 companies over the time span of 2006-2010 was chosen for this study. Using F-Limer and Hausman tests, among the methods of common effects, fixed effects and random effects for model fitting and hypotheses testing, the fixed effects method was chosen. The results have shown that there is significant and positive relationship between board size and dividend policy. But significant relationship between the variables of board independent and CEO duality with dividend policy of companies has not been observed.
Is There an Association Between Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Carotid Intima-media Thickness? Preliminary Data

Inflammation is a predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Thus, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) may be associated with CVD. We assessed carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT; an indicator of CVD risk) in 42 patients with IBD, free of CVD or diabetes; 26 with Crohn's disease (CD) and 16 with ulcerative colitis (UC). The cIMT was significantly greater in patients with IBD compared to 42 healthy controls (0.62 ± 0.08 vs 0.52 ± 0.06 mm; P < .0005). The cIMT did not differ between patients with CD and UC or between the different disease activity and treatment groups. Factors associated with cIMT were age, body mass index, and IBD, with the latter making a greater contribution. The IBD is a predictor of cIMT, even when other CVD risk factors are considered. These findings suggest an association between early arterial wall alterations and IBD. Such an association should be proven in larger studies that should assess the incidence of CVD in patients with IBD.
The effect of spiritual leadership and other elements on employees' empowerment of Iran's bank: Case study of Guilan Province

For creating spirituality in the workplace, establishing spiritual leadership is necessary to strengthen the commitment of staff and to improve their activities. To achieve this goal, a conceptual model was used. A sample size of 363 personnel was selected; data and information were collected using questionnaires, field and library research and Laserl software. Findings indicated that there is a significant and positive relationship between leadership dimensions (visions, hope and faith, altruistic love, membership, commitment and productivity or performance feedback of leader) and employee’s empowerment of both public and private sectors banks in Guilan Province.
[18F]3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine-PET in NHL patients: whole-body biodistribution and imaging of lymphoma manifestations--a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE The nucleoside 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine (alovudine) is an antiviral agent accumulating in proliferating cells. We prospectively evaluated the biodistribution of the PET tracer [18F]3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine (FLT) and its value in detecting manifestations of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). METHODS In this pilot study, 7 patients (6 male, 1 female) with indolent NHL (2), NHL in transformation (2) or aggressive NHL (3) were examined. Patients received initial staging or restaging with an interval of at least 10 weeks between therapy and positron emission tomography (PET). Mean doses of 324 +/- 165 MBq FLT were injected intravenously. Static PET scans were performed 50-70 minutes after application. Maximum standardized uptake values (SUV) of organs and NHL manifestations were calculated. FLT-positive lesions were verified by biopsies (3 lesions) or aspiration smears (5 lesions in 4 patients). RESULTS Biodistribution: The tracer accumulated physiologically in hematopoietic marrow and in the liver. It was renally excreted. SUV of organs 1 hour after injection were: bones with hematopoietic marrow, 9.9 +/- 4.7; liver, 5.2 +/- 1.0; kidneys, 4.0 +/- 1.7; spleen, 3.0 +/- 1.2; bones without hematopoietic marrow, 1.9 +/- 1.1; lungs, 0.8 +/- 0.3. NHL manifestations: In 7 patients, diagnosis was verified as true positive by histology/cytology. Maximum lymphoma SUV of FLT positive lesions were 6 for the indolent group and 8-11 for lymphoma in transformation. In the aggressive group, SUV were 6, 14, and 17. The low SUV in this group was found in a highly proliferate large-cell anaplastic lymphoma combined with marked sclerosis of 30%. CONCLUSIONS In this pilot study, FLT-PET was suitable in the imaging of NHL manifestations. In NHL with normal cellularity, FLT accumulated more intensely in aggressive NHL and NHL in transformation than in indolent NHL. Bones with hematopoietic marrow and the liver were the organs with the highest physiological uptake.
An Integrated Research Course Sequence: Empowering Teacher Candidates to Become Researchers in their Classrooms

This article examines one attempt to empower teacher candidates to become researchers in their own classrooms through an integrated research course sequence in the Masters of Arts in teaching program at Quinnipiac University. The author first outlines a number of teacher education programs that have shown some success in preparing new teachers to acquire the knowledge and skills to engage in action-based teacher research. The author then describes the three-semester research course sequence at Quinnipiac while highlighting what students learn and are expected to do in each semester. The author analyzes the surveys and interviews he conducted with some recent graduates of this program who reported that they had already began doing action research in their own classrooms, while highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the research course sequence. The final part of this article discusses some implications that can be gleaned from this example of those teacher education programs that are attempting to cultivate teacher-researchers.
Aid Effectiveness on Accumulation: A Meta Study

The AEL (aid effectiveness literature) studies the macroeconomic effects of development aid using cross-country or panel data econometrics. It contains 97 papers of which 43 study whether development aid leads to increasing accumulation. The aggregate results of the 43 studies are that aid increases investment with about 25% of the aid, while most of the remaining 75% of the effect is crowded out by a fall in savings. However, these aggregate results are so variable that it is dubious if accumulation rises.
Corporate Governance and Corporate Financing and Investment during the 2007‐2008 Financial Crisis

type="main"> We examine the impact of the 2007-2008 financial crisis on nonfinancial firms’ financing and investment activities and the role of corporate governance in alleviating the adverse consequences of the external capital supply shock. Employing a difference-in-differences research design, we find that better governance mitigates the disruption caused by the bank credit supply shock to firms’ financing and investment activities. A variety of robustness tests suggest that our findings are unlikely to be driven by an endogeneity problem. We obtain similar results when we extend the sample period to include the delayed spillover from the banking sector to other capital market sectors.
Identification of eukaryotic promoter regulatory elements using nonhomologous random recombination

Understanding the regulatory logic of a eukaryotic promoter requires the elucidation of the regulatory elements within that promoter. Current experimental or computational methods to discover regulatory motifs within a promoter can be labor intensive and may miss redundant, unprecedented or weakly activating elements. We have developed an unbiased combinatorial approach to rapidly identify new upstream activating sequences (UASs) in a promoter. This approach couples nonhomologous random recombination with an in vivo screen to efficiently identify UASs and does not rely on preconceived hypotheses about promoter regulation or on similarity to known activating sequences. We validated this method using the unfolded protein response (UPR) in yeast and were able to identify both known and potentially novel UASs involved in the UPR. One of the new UASs discovered using this approach implicates Crz1 as a possible activator of Hac1, a transcription factor involved in the UPR. This method has several advantages over existing methods for UAS discovery including its speed, potential generality, sensitivity and lack of false positives and negatives.
Life Events: Perceptions and Frequencies

&NA; Life changes have been associated with illness onset. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) records numerical perceptions of the meaning of life events while the Schedule of Recent Experience (SRE) records the frequency of occurrence of life events. Data on these two instruments from 19 studies done in this laboratory have been surveyed and analyzed. They reveal significant variability among groups in their perceptions of life events as well as in their reports of the frequency of occurrence. Variables indicated to be of significance in either or both of these parameters were age, marital status, sex, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, level of education, culture, and experiencing of an event. These variables impose caution on investigations that relate life changes to illness.
The determinants of corporate debt maturity: evidence from UK firms

This paper investigates the empirical determinants of corporate debt maturity structure. This is done by testing several leading theoretical models of debt maturity structure using a cross-sectional data set of 321 non-financial UK firms. The evidence lends considerable support to the prediction that the impact of firm size on debt maturity is positive. The findings also provide support for the notion that firms match the maturity structure of their debt to that of their assets. The findings reveal that agency-related costs and volatility of firm value exert a negative impact on debt maturity. The empirical analysis provides no evidence that taxes affect debt maturity structure. Finally, the empirical analysis is not supportive of the signalling hypothesis that firms use their debt maturity structure to signal information to the market.
The Long Run Share Price Performance of Malaysian Initial Public Offerings (Ipos)

This paper investigates the long run share price performance of 454 Malaysian IPOs during the period 1990 to 2000. In contrast with developed markets, significant "over"performance is found for equally-weighted event time CARs and buy-and-hold returns using two market benchmarks, though not for value-weighted returns or using a matched company benchmark. The significant abnormal performance also disappears under the calendar-time approach using the Fama-French (1993) three factor model. While the long run performance of Main and Second Board IPOs does not differ, the year of listing, issue proceeds and initial returns are found to be performance-related. Copyright 2007 The Authors Journal compilation (c) 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Contrast sensitivity comparison between AcrySof ReSTOR and Acri.LISA aspheric intraocular lenses.

PURPOSE To evaluate distance contrast sensitivity under photopic, mesopic, and mesopic with glare conditions after implantation of the AcrySof ReSTOR (Alcon Laboratories Inc) and Acri.LISA (Carl Zeiss Meditec) intraocular lenses (IOLs). METHODS Binocular contrast sensitivity function was measured with the Optec 6500 FACT contrast sensitivity chart at distance and at three lighting conditions (85 cd/m2 and 3 cd/m2 with and without glare) in 36 eyes of 18 patients implanted with the AcrySof ReSTOR aspheric SN6AD3 IOL and 40 eyes of 20 patients implanted with the Acri.LISA 366D IOL. Results after implantation were compared between lenses at 1 and 6 months. RESULTS Our results revealed that both IOLs provided good best spectacle-corrected visual acuities at distance and near vision (approximately 20/20), and no statistically significant differences were noted between models at different time points after surgery. Both IOLs provided contrast sensitivity within the normal range in photopic conditions. Under low lighting conditions, a reduction in contrast sensitivity for both lenses, particularly at higher spatial frequencies, was noted. No significant differences were observed between both IOLs at any lighting condition. CONCLUSIONS The AcrySof ReSTOR SN6AD3 and Acri.LISA aspheric IOLs provided contrast sensitivity within normal range under photopic conditions and a reduction in contrast sensitivity under mesopic conditions, with no significant differences between the two brands.
Learning‐induced Increase of Immediate Early Gene Messenger RNA in the Chick Forebrain

The immediate early genes c‐fos and c‐jun are activated rapidly in nerve cells in response to in vivo and in vitro stimulation. Because of their involvement in transcriptional regulation, the products of these genes have been proposed as nuclear signals for consolidation of long‐term memory. However, no specific changes of immediate early gene expression in relation to learning have yet been reported. Compared with quiet controls, training young chicks to discriminate food grains from inedible pebbles results in a 4.8‐fold elevation of c‐fos and a 3.7‐fold elevation of c‐jun mRNA in the forebrain 30 min after an 8‐min training session. Compared to chicks that had learned the discrimination and were merely repeating already learned behaviour, the increase in c‐jun mRNA in the learning group was 64% (P < 0.03) but a 24% increase in c‐fos mRNA was not significant. Because the increased expression is higher in birds that are learning the task than in those that are repeating already learned behaviour, and is not proportional to behavioural activity per se, we conclude that learning a new task is itself responsible for enhanced expression of the genes.
Early Responses to Climate Change: An Analysis of Seven U.S. State and Local Climate Adaptation Planning Initiatives

Abstract State and local governments in the United States manage a wide array of natural and human resources that are particularly sensitive to climate variability and change. Recent revelations of the extent of the current and potential climate impact in this realm such as with the quality of water, the structure of the coasts, and the potential and witnessed impact on the built infrastructure give these political authorities impetus to minimize their vulnerability and plan for the future. In fact, a growing number of subnational government bodies in the United States have initiated climate adaptation planning efforts; these initiatives emphasize an array of climate impacts, but at different scales, scopes, and levels of sophistication. Meanwhile, the current body of climate adaptation literature has not taken a comprehensive look at these plans nor have they questioned what prompts local adaptation planning, at what scope and scale action is being taken, or what prioritizes certain policy responses over.
Clinical and haemodynamic effects of milrinone in the treatment of low cardiac output after cardiac surgery.

We have studied the haemodynamic effects of i.v. milrinone, a new phosphodiesterase inhibitor, in patients with low cardiac output after cardiac surgery. Thirty-five patients with a cardiac index (Cl) less than 2.5 litre min-1 m-2 and a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) greater than 8 mm Hg were given a loading dose of milrinone 50 micrograms kg-1 followed by an infusion at one of three rates: 0.375 micrograms kg-1 min-1, 0.5 micrograms kg-1 min-1 or 0.75 micrograms kg-1 min-1 for 12 h. After 1 h there were increases in Cl (35%) (P less than 0.001), heart rate (13%) (P less than 0.01) and stroke volume index (19%) (P less than 0.005). There were decreases in mean arterial pressure (12%) (P less than 0.01), systemic vascular resistance (35%) (P less than 0.001) and PCWP (24%) (P less than 0.05). Pulmonary vascular resistance was unchanged or reduced and left ventricular stroke work index was unchanged or increased. The haemodynamic improvements were sustained throughout the infusion period. Milrinone was tolerated well: three patients developed tachycardia greater than 125 beat min-1, one patient developed atrial fibrillation and one patient had a short run of atrial bigemini. We conclude that milrinone is a useful agent in the treatment of patients with a reduced cardiac output after cardiac surgery.