Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Utility of the Swine Model to Assess Biological Rhythms and Their Characteristics during Different Stages of Residence in a Simulated Intensive Care Unit: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the utility of the mammalian swine model under simulated intensive care unit (sICU) conditions and mechanical ventilation (MV) for assessment of the trajectory of circadian rhythms of sedation requirement, core body temperature (CBT), pulmonary mechanics (PM) and gas exchange (GE). Data were collected prospectively with an observational time-series design to describe and compare circadian rhythms of selected study variables in four swine mechanically ventilated for up to seven consecutive days. We derived the circadian (total variance explained by rhythms of τ between 20 and 28 h)/ultradian (total variance explained by rhythms of τ between 1 and <20 h) bandpower ratio to assess the robustness of circadian rhythms, and compare findings between the early (first 3 days) and late (subsequent days) sICU stay. All pigs exhibited statistically significant circadian rhythms (τ between 20 and 28 h) in CBT, respiratory rate and peripheral oxygen saturation, but circadian rhythms were detected less frequently for sedation requirement, spontaneous minute volume, arterial oxygen tension, arterial carbon dioxide tension and arterial pH. Sedation did not appear to mask the circadian rhythms of CBT, PM and GE. Individual subject observations were more informative than group data, and provided preliminary evidence that (a) circadian rhythms of multiple variables are lost or desynchronized in mechanically ventilated subjects, (b) robustness of circadian rhythm varies with subject morbidity and (c) healthier pigs develop more robust circadian rhythm profiles over time in the sICU. Comparison of biological rhythm profiles among sICU subjects with similar severity of illness is needed to determine if the results of this pilot study are reproducible. Identification of consistent patterns may provide insight into subject morbidity and timing of such therapeutic interventions as weaning from MV.
Chimpanzees ’ fl exible targeted helping based on an understanding of conspeci fi cs ’ goals

Humans extensively help others altruistically, which plays an important role in maintaining cooperative societies. Although some nonhuman animals are also capable of helping others altruistically, humans are considered unique in our voluntary helping and our variety of helping behaviors. Many still believe that this is because only humans can understand others’ goals due to our unique “theory of mind” abilities, especially shared intentionality. However, we know little of the cognitive mechanisms underlying helping in nonhuman animals, especially if and how they understand others’ goals. The present study provides the empirical evidence for flexible targeted helping depending on conspecifics’ needs in chimpanzees. The subjects of this study selected an appropriate tool from a random set of seven objects to transfer to a conspecific partner confrontedwith differing tooluse situations, indicating that they understoodwhat their partner needed. This targeted helping, (i.e., selecting the appropriate tool to transfer), was observed only when the helpers could visually assess their partner’s situation. If visual access was obstructed, the chimpanzees still tried to help their partner upon request, but failed to select and donate the appropriate tool needed by their partner. These results suggest that the limitation in chimpanzees’ voluntary helping is not necessarily due to failure in understanding others’ goals. Chimpanzees can understand conspecifics’ goals and demonstrate cognitively advanced targeted helping as long as they are able to visually evaluate their conspecifics’ predicament. However, they will seldom help others without direct request for help.
The Effects of Concomitant Phenytoin Administration on the Steady-State Pharmacokinetics of Quetiapine

Quetiapine fumarate ('Seroquel') is a newly introduced atypical antipsychotic with demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. It is extensively metabolized, predominantly by cytochrome P450 3A4. Therefore, concurrent administration of drugs that induce or inhibit this enzyme may affect quetiapine pharmacokinetics. This study demonstrated that the potent cytochrome P450 enzyme-inducer phenytoin did indeed have a marked effect on the metabolism of quetiapine, resulting in a 5-fold increase in clearance when administered concomitantly to patients with DSM-IV-diagnosed schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. These results indicate that dosage adjustment of quetiapine may be necessary when the two drugs are given concurrently and that caution may be required when administering other drugs that inhibit or induce cytochromes, particularly P450 3A4.
The impact of electronic service quality's dimensions on customer satisfaction and buying impulse

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for measuring the effects of electronic service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction and buying impulse. The functional nature of customer buying impulsivity is introduced as a moderator. This variable measures both the general tendency of customers either to trust or not to trust buying impulses and their level of satisfaction from impulsive purchases. The research utilised an online questionnaire administered to 4,109 clients of a leading French e-commerce Website specialising in electronic and cultural goods. The results highlight the principal dimensions of Website quality and their direct influence on customer satisfaction and impulse buying. In addition to this direct effect, the impact of Website quality dimensions on impulse buying is also mediated by customer satisfaction. Functional buying impulsivity moderates the influence of Website quality dimensions on satisfaction and on buying impulses as well as the influence of satisfaction on buying impulses. As a conclusion, limits and research avenues are examined and discussed.
Service quality and marketing performance in business‐to‐business markets: exploring the mediating role of client satisfaction

Drawing on relevant literature, the authors empirically test a model of business loyalty in a sample of 234 clients of information systems suppliers, integrating the concepts of service quality, satisfaction, and loyalty. The study builds on recent advances in services marketing theory and assesses the relationships underlying the identified constructs in the specific industry. A clear pattern of service quality dimensions is established following the Gronroos conceptualisation. Several important findings are reported, including the empirical verification of the mediating role of industrial satisfaction in the formation of loyalty attributes. Industrial satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between accessibility and loyalty and partially mediates latent construct's relationship with technical assistance and delivery service. The results provide robust evidence concerning the direct effect of industrial satisfaction on loyalty. accessibility, delivery, and product reliability as antecedents of industrial satisfaction.
Studies of carcino‐fetal proteins. III. Development of a radioimmunoassay for α‐fetoprotein. Demonstration of α‐fetoprotein in serum of healthy human adults

A radioimmunoassay (RIA) for human α‐fetoprotein (α‐FP) was developed. The sensitivity threshold of the method is 250 picograms per ml, which means that it is 20,000‐40,000 times more sensitive than immunodiffusion, and covers completely the thousandfold concentration gap between the α‐FP levels in normal human serum and the level detectable by immunodiffusion. Evidence for the presence of α‐FP in serum of healthy human individuals is as follows: (I) Normal serum in 1:5 dilution inhibited the binding of labelled α‐FP by antibody. (2) The activity inhibiting in RIA could be removed from serum by prior treatment with anti‐α‐FP immunoadsorbent. (3) At low pH α‐FP could be eluted from immunoadsorbent that had been previously treated with serum. (4) After fractionation of normal human serum by electrofocusing the activity inhibiting in RIA was present in a fraction whose isoelectric point was that previously shown for fetal α‐FP.
Can banks improve customer relationships with high quality online services

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the impact of online service quality on the level of customer delight and on the development of customer relationships.Design/methodology/approach – A self‐complete survey was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 200 Australian respondents who use online banking. Factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to test the proposed model of relationships.Findings – Online service quality has no impact on customer delight, e‐trust or the development of stronger relationships with customers. It does have a relationship to e‐loyalty. However, the “efficiency” dimension of online service quality is related to e‐trust and also indirectly to relationship strength through e‐trust. The “personal need” and “site organization” dimensions of online service quality are related to e‐loyalty, with “personal needs” exhibiting the strongest impact. Customer delight has no relationship to online service quality, nor e‐trust, relationship strength.
Pengaruh Kinerja Lingkungan dan Biaya Lingkungan terhadap Kinerja Keuangan pada BUMN

This research aims to examine the effect of environmental performance and environmental cost to financial performance. The sample were taken from eighteen annual reports and sustainability report of three state owned enterprises listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange period of 2004-2011. A multiplier linear regression analysis was used to test the the effect of environmental performance and environmental cost to financial performance. This research found that environmental performance and environmental cost has effect to financial performance simultaneously. Environmental performance partially has effect positively to financial performance while environmental costs has no effecct to financial performance. Good environmental performance will be positif responded by investor that can increase stock price. Social responsibility through environmental cost incurred less attention to the needs of stakeholder so has no effect to financial performance.Keywords: environmental performance, environmental cost, and financial performance.
The relations between dividend policy and stock returns in the Dar Es Salaam Stock Exchange, Tanzania

i Declaration ii Acknowledgements iii List of Abbreviations iv List of Appendices vi List of Figures vii List of Tables viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem 5 1.3 Research Objectives 5 1.4 Research Questions 6 1.5 Significance and Justification of the Study 6 1.6 Limitation of the study 7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 8 2.
Promoting environmental protection in Nigeria through environmental education: the role of women

This paper examined the various roles women play in environmental education to promote environmental protection in Nigeria. The paper maintained that Nigeria like most countries in Africa face serious environmental challenges on several fronts including poverty, pollution, land degradation, water security, forest fires, deforestation, climate change and urbanisation due mainly to population pressure. The importance of environmental education has been strongly emphasized not just through schools and colleges but also through training in business and industry, through community activities and through raising public awareness of the environment. It is stressed here that women, being the first teachers of our children, have the capacity to influence others like husbands, house-helps and neighbours and their closeness to the environment supports the need for environmental education right from home for environmental consciousness. The challenges facing women in a bid to carry out this all-important task as highlighted in this paper include inadequate trained personnel, lack of government commitment to funding, lack of flow of information to decision makers, cultural/religious factors, social and economic factors, lack of time and other domestic duties at home. The paper established that the environment, a common heritage of humanity needs to be sustainably managed to fight against poverty, food shortage as well as homelessness which can be some of the serious consequences of environmental degradation. Keywords : Environmental protection, environmental education, promotion, women Journal of Environmental Extension Vol. 6 2007: pp. 17-24
The profitability and consistency of the accounting abnormal accruals anomaly in UK firms

This research explores new evidence on the profitability, consistency and potential explanations of the accruals anomaly. We extend prior research into the association between earnings and share price by discrirninating between firms on the basis of the abnormal accruals contained in the reported operating profits. We investigate the accounting abnormal accruals enigma using U.K company data for the period 1968- 2005 to see whether companies reporting incomes consisting of the highest [lowest] operating abnormal accruals as a proportion of total assets significantly earn lower [higher] returns than the generality of the companies. We define a firm's abnormal accrual as the difference between its actual and normal total accruals. Total accruals are calculated as the change in non-cash working capital before income taxes payable less total depreciation expense. The themes of this thesis are two-fold. First, the time-series version of the Modified Jones Model is employed to decompose total operating accruals as they appear on the sample companies' financial statements into normal and abnormal accruals. Second, an empirical examination of the profitability and consistency of the abnormal accruals anomaly is undertaken. Abnormal returns for abnormal accruals deciles are estimated using a range of tests: the market-, the size-, the book-to-market- and the size-and-book-to-market-adjusting tests. Our abnormal returns estimates for the abnormal accruals deciles show evidence that the abnormal accruals anomaly in the UK is driven particularly by the highest abnormal accruals firms with significant negative abnormal returns over three years of about 4-5% per annum. Potential risk explanations for the observed accruals anomaly based on variety of tests including the use of the Fama and French three factor model are provided. The findings indicate that the abnormal accruals anomaly is robust after controlling for the risk factors. Therefore, the implication of this study is to short sell those shares in the highest abnormal accruals decile or, alternatively, to avoid buying them.
Current status of pediatric kidney transplantation in China: data analysis of Chinese Scientific Registry of Kidney Transplantation

Background Kidney transplantation (KTx) is the primary therapy for children with renal failure. Unlike KTx in adult patients, it is commonly agreed that pediatric KTx in China is far behind that of America. There has been no systematic analysis of Chinese pediatric KTx reported. This study aimed to demonstrate the current status of pediatric KTx in China. Methods Registry data of pediatric KTx (1983‐2012) from Chinese Scientific Registry of Kidney Transplantation (CSRKT) were retrospectively analyzed. Results There were 851 pediatric KTx from 102 transplant units. The recipients were (15.4±2.5) years of age, 93.9% of who were over 10 years old. Chronic glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis accounted for 75.6% of recognized primary diseases. Allografts were from deceased donors (72.2%) or living donation (27.7%). The patient survival for 1, 3, 5, and 10 years was 96.9%, 94.2%, 92.3%, and 92.3% and the graft survival was 94.6%, 91.4%, 86.3%, and 79.2%, respectively. The majority of post‐transplant complications were acute rejection and infections. Annual transplant reached the peak in 2008 (n=114), and decreased sharply in 2006 (n=41) and 2010 (n=57). The percentage of pediatric KTx in total KTx was highest in 2007 (1.95%) and decreased to trough level in 2010 (1.0%). Living donation increased by 32.5‐folds from 2004 to 2008 and then decreased by 86.6% till 2010. The percentage of living donation in pediatric or total KTx dynamically changed in a similar manner, while living donation ratio in pediatric KTx was much higher. Conclusions Kidney transplant can provide long‐term benefits to pediatric recipients. Rejection and infections are worthy of concern during follow‐up. Pediatric kidney transplant in China is very much lagging behind that in developed countries. Living donation played an important role in its development in the past decades. New strategies for implementation are encouraged to increase the priority of uremic children in organ allocation so as to promote its progress in China.
Social Capital, Networks, and Knowledge Transfer

We examine how social capital dimensions of networks affect the transfer of knowledge between network members. We distinguish among three common network types: intracorporate networks, strategic alliances, and industrial districts. Using a social capital framework, we identify structural, cognitive, and relational dimensions for the three network types. We then link these social capital dimensions to the conditions that facilitate knowledge transfer. In doing so, we propose a set of conditions that promote knowledge transfer for the different network types.
Intercompany Loans and Profit Shifting - Evidence from Company-Level Data

This paper is concerned with tax-planning strategies of multinational corporations. A theoretical analysis discusses the choice of the capital structure in a setting where intercompany loans can be used to shift profits to low-tax countries. Empirical evidence is provided using micro-level panel data of virtually all German multinationals made available by the Bundesbank. This comprehensive dataset allows us to exploit differences in taxing conditions of almost eighty countries during a period of nine years. The empirical results confirm a robust impact of tax-rate differences within the multinational group on the use of intercompany loans, supporting the profit-shifting hypothesis. However, the implied tax-revenue effects are rather small, suggesting that costs related to adjusting the capital structure for profit-shifting purposes are substantial.
Development of a Method for Isolation of Islets From Human Fetal Pancreas

Three methods for the preparation of islets from human fetal pancreas (17.4 ± 1.2 wk gestational age) were compared. In each method, the pancreases were minced and followed by 1) no collagenase digestion, 2) 5 min of collagenase digestion, or 3) 14 min of collagenase digestion. The culture conditions prevented adherence of the fragments. Culture for 6–7 wk of minced fetal pancreas without collagenase digestion resulted in fragments that were a mixture of cells positive for insulin or glucagon, ducts, necrotic debris, and other unidentified cells with complete degeneration of the acinar cells. Culture of minced pancreas digested for 5 min with collagenase resulted in fragments that superficially appeared to be islets but did not have the size characteristics of human fetal islets and contained fibrous and duct elements not seen in islets. Culture of minced pancreas digested for 14 min with collagenase resulted in islets that were released into the medium and harvested by picking. These islets were morphologically similar to islets of the intact human fetal pancreas and isolated islets from rat neonatal pancreas. These islets and fragments were viable for at least 7–8 wk in culture.
Making himself attractive: the growing consumption of grooming products

Explores men’s increasing use of grooming products by considering the link between the construction of the male concept under postmodern conditions and the consumption of toiletries. Applies an interpretist research approach, incorporating phenomenological interviewing and emic as well as interpretative group techniques to data analysis. Suggests that men consume male grooming products to alter their body and body image and proposes that through changing this image, the respondents aimed either to create or to alter their “self‐identity”. Also suggests that the respondents consume male grooming products not simply for the tangible benefits they provide but also for the meanings conveyed by consuming them. Concludes that image creation, concerns about enhancing one’s attractiveness, reducing the ageing process and the maintenance of health are factors combined with the pleasure of using grooming products which fuel the current market growth.
Clear lens extraction and intraocular lens implantation in normally sighted hyperopic eyes.

BACKGROUND Currently used corneal refractive procedures do not offer a perfect solution for high hyperopia. This article proposes clear lens extraction and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation for the correction of high hyperopia. METHODS Extracapsular clear lens extraction and posterior chamber IOL implantation was performed in 10 normally sighted eyes of five patients with a hyperopic spherical equivalent refraction between +7.88 and +9.75 D. The follow-up period was 18 months. RESULTS Mean uncorrected visual acuity improved from count fingers to 20/25. All eyes saw 20/30 or better without correction. Postoperative correction ranged from -0.37 to +0.50 diopters (mean, 0.01). The mean endothelial cell loss percentage at 18 months was 11.2% +/- 1.87% (range, 8% to 13%). CONCLUSIONS The excellent results of contemporary cataract surgery, the reduced morbidity, patient satisfaction, as well as accuracy and rapid stability of the refraction suggest that clear lens extraction and IOL implantation are useful refractive procedures for the correction of high hyperopia.
Distracted Institutional Investors

I investigate how distraction affects the trading behavior of professional asset managers. Exploring detailed transaction-level data, I show that managers with a large fraction of portfolio stocks that have an earnings announcement are significantly less likely to trade in other stocks, suggesting that these announcements divert attention from trading decisions for other stocks. This distraction effect is more pronounced for nonpassive managers who engage in active stock selection choices. Finally, I identify three channels through which distraction hurts managers’ performance: Distracted managers trade less profitably, incur slightly higher transaction costs, and are less likely to close losing positions.
Search by Firms and Labor Market Policies

This paper develops a model of search by employers in which search to fill a vacancy affects firms' probability of hiring, duration of the employment relationship, cost of a vacancy and the expected productivity of the job. I employ a model with uncertainty about the quality of a match: it could be of good or bad quality. Firms conduct interviews where they learn the probability of the match being of good quality and select the worker with the highest probability. Hence, more interviews increase the chance of getting a good quality match thereby reducing separations. I find that firms mostly adjust the number of interviews they conduct when labor market policies are introduced to the model. Counterfactual exercises where firms cannot adjust the number of interviews reveal that selection channel mostly mitigates the effect of policy on unemployment rate.