Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A better widget? Three lessons for improving addiction treatment from a meta-analytical study.

OBJECTIVE To discuss how to develop more effective treatment programmes than those currently available for addictive disorders. DATA SOURCES The Swedish SBU report, published in English in 2003, was used as a database. It includes 641 randomized controlled trials and seven longitudinal prospective studies. METHODS Meta-analytical calculations were performed in several areas using standardized mean differences (d) effect-size estimate and homogeneity testing. Three critical issues have been the focus of the present analysis: the early intervention phase, treatment procedures and their additive properties and the transitional period between early and late effects of treatment. RESULTS The main findings while integrating the results in a new way were that intervention studies with one single session showed a small but robust homogeneous effect size, whereas studies of interventions with several sessions were heterogeneous with large and small effect sizes among the included studies. Similar effect sizes were found in alcohol, opioid and cocaine treatment studies. Agonist treatment yielded the highest effect sizes. Some evidence was found for a possible additive effect for cognitive behaviour therapy and naltrexone as well as for aversive treatment (disulfiram) and psychosocial treatment in alcohol dependence. So far studies on the transition period between short- and long-term outcome are few and inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS There is a prospect of improving addiction treatment, and the following areas are suggested by meta-analysis for future research: (a) to examine in more detail the process between the first and second session of intervention; (b) to randomize simultaneously for independent categories of psychosocial and psychopharmacological treatment; and (c) to intensify studies on the transitional period between short- and long-term outcome.
Competitive Analysis with Differentiated Products

Differentiated products are the central economic focus of competition in consumer goods products such as cereal, soda, and beer. We first estimate demand models which do not restrict unduly the pattern of consumer preferences as does much previous research in the area of differenciated products. Using recently available transactions data we estimate own and cross price elasticities in a relatively unrestricted manner. We next turn to competitive analysis using our estimated demand system. We consider two applications in this paper. The main economic factor that we consider is that the firms which produce the differentiated products almost always tend to be multi-product firms in the given industry. Our first application is competitive analysis when two firms are allowed to merge. The other application that we consider is inference on the competitive structure in an industry. In both applications we consider the effect of a multi-product firm where its competitive decisions for one brand affects it sales and prices for other brands that it produces.
Professionalization of Family Business and Performance Effect

This study seeks to understand the governance of post–initial public offering (IPO) family firms and its impact on performance. Using an analysis of a balanced panel data set of 205 publicly listed firms in Taiwan spanning 10 years (2,050 firm-years), we found that extensive family control has a negative impact on the post-IPO performance and that nonfamily block shareholders may divest their stockholdings in these firms to protect their investments. To sustain equity support from their block shareholders, post-IPO family firms should combine the use of family control with professional management in their corporate governance structure.
The Forward Exchange Rate Bias Puzzle: Evidence from New Cointegration Tests

An important puzzle in international finance is the failure of the forward exchange rate to be a rational forecast of the future spot rate. It has often been suggested that this puzzle may be resolved by using better statistical procedures that correct for both non-stationarity and nonnormality in the data. We document that even after accounting for non-stationarity, nonnormality, and heteroscedasticity using parametric and non-parametric tests on data for over a quarter century, US dollar forward rates for horizons ranging from one to twelve months for the major currencies, the British pound, Japanese yen, Swiss franc, and the German mark, are generally not rational forecasts of future spot rates. These findings of non-rationality in forward exchange rates for the major currencies continue to be puzzling especially as these foreign exchange markets are some of the most liquid asset markets with very low trading costs.
A security-constrained energy and spinning reserve markets clearing system using an interior-point method

Summary form only given as follows. A model and solution approach to a daily energy and spinning-reserve electricity markets clearing system is presented in this paper. The model considers offers for energy supply and spinning reserve, bids for demand of energy and re-schedulable bilateral contracts. System security is taken into account by using a direct-current model. The model represents the clearing system used by an ISO in charge of both the market and system security. The clearing system is formulated as an optimization problem which is solved using an interior-point method (IPM), taking advantage of the problem's special structure.
GPU-based nonlocal filtering for large scale SAR processing

In the past few years nonlocal filters have emerged as a serious contender for denoising synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, offering superior noise reduction and detail preservation compared to many other filters. In this manuscript we analyze how nonlocal filters, whose computational costs were so far prohibitive for large scale processing, can be implemented efficiently on graphics processing units (GPU). As a case study NL-SAR, a state of the art SAR filter, is implemented to run on a NVIDIA Tesla K40. We describe the appeal of GPUs, or any other coprocessor, for nonlocal filters. Nonlocal filtering of TanDEM-X interferograms for generating digital elevation models with a higher resolution and accuracy is given as an application that benefits from efficient and fast nonlocal filtering.
Association Between Borrower and Lender State Ownership and Accounting Conservatism

ABSTRACT We examine the association between borrower (firm) and lender (bank) state ownership and accounting conservatism for a sample of Chinese firms. We hypothesize that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) adopt less conservative accounting than non-state-owned enterprises (NSOEs) because lenders are less concerned with downside risk for SOEs than for NSOEs. We also hypothesize a negative relation between conservatism and the fraction of total loans a firm borrows from state-owned banks (SBs) because SBs have weaker demand for assurance of sufficient net assets to cover loan repayments than non-state-owned banks (NSBs). We find support for both hypotheses. Further analyses reveal that: (1) firms that borrow from commercial SBs exhibit more conservative accounting than firms that borrow from policy SBs and (2) firms adopt more conservative accounting as they get more loans from banks with foreign ownership or exclusively foreign banks. However, the results of these additional analyses are to some extent sensitive to alternative measures of accounting conservatism. Copyright (c), University of Chicago on behalf of the Accounting Research Center, 2010.
The alpha attenuation test: assessing excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy-cataplexy.

Daytime sleep tendency was assessed in 10 drug-free patients with narcolepsy-cataplexy and 10 normals matched for age and gender. Following nocturnal polysomnography, the alpha attenuation test (AAT) and the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) were administered during five sessions occurring at 2-hour intervals beginning at 0900 and 1000 hours, respectively. For the AAT, participants were polysomnographically recorded for 8 minutes while seated in an illuminated room with their eyes alternately opened and closed. Power spectral analyses of electroencephalograph (EEG) activity at 02-A1 (10 second epochs) were calculated using fast Fourier transformations (FFT) within the alpha frequency range (8-12 Hz) to obtain ratios of mean eyes-closed to mean eyes-open alpha power (i.e. the alpha attenuation coefficient, AAC). The narcoleptics were sleepier than the normals as indicated by a significantly smaller mean AAC and a significantly shorter mean latency to stage 1 on the MSLT. These findings suggest that the AAT may provide a quick and practical objective assessment of the excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) associated with narcolepsy.
A Nonlinear Transient Analysis of Regenerative Frequency Dividers

This paper introduces a nonlinear analysis of tuned regenerative dividers that explores into the transient behavior of the system. Broadly, two such divider implementations have been dealt with, tuned regenerative dividers and injection locked dividers. A detailed nonlinear analysis based on the application of Stroboscopic concept and the first-order perturbation method is used to derive closed-form expressions for start-up condition, output amplitude, maximum operating bandwidth, and frequency spectrum when regenerative dividers go out of ldquolockingrdquo range. Based on the developed theory, design guidelines for high frequency regenerative dividers have been charted out. The results are verified through extensive numerical and SpectreRF simulations of several gigahertz dividers in 0.18- CMOS technology.
Factors affecting people participation in Hariyali project under Nalagarh block of Himachal Pradesh

The study examined the programme related and socio-economic factors affecting people’s participation in Haryali project of Nalagarh block in Himachal Pradesh through a survey of 71 project related personnel and 428 farmers. The findings showed that in total 22 factors (4 pertaining to programme and 18 socio-economic) were perceived by the respondents which affected the people’s participation. Some of the key socio-economic factors influencing people’s participation were lack of awareness about programmes, illiteracy, poor economic conditions, lack of faith in government programmes, subsidy culture, village politics, lack of exposure visits, low interest in money contribution, lack of demonstrations and transparency. Programme related factors were lack of Entry Point Activities (EPA), lack of flexibility in expenditure according to field conditions, variation in wage payments and lack of provision of advance payments. Policy and development emphasis on these factors would lead to greater participation in Haryali watershed development programme.
Farm credit member‐borrowers' preferences for patronage payments

Purpose - Many associations in the Farm Credit System, which are financial cooperatives, pay their member-borrowers a cash patronage payment based on the amount of loan volume with the association. In today's competitive lending environment, some Farm Credit associations have offered lower interest rates on new loans but these new member-borrowers have to forgo their cash patronage payment to receive this new, lower-interest rate loan. The purpose of this paper is to identify Farm Credit member-borrowers' preferences for patronage refunds received as a cash payment versus lower fixed real estate interest rates. Design/methodology/approach - Preferences for patronage refunds or lower fixed interest rates are elicited from Farm Credit Services of East Central Oklahoma member-borrowers via conjoint analysis. Findings - Results show that member-borrowers strongly prefer patronage refunds compared to lower fixed interest rates. Originality/value - This paper fulfills a need to better understand patronage refund programs within the Farm Credit System.
E-government value priorities of Danish local authority managers

The management of eGovernment is a central topic in the improvement of public administration, where the underlying values of eGovernment practitioners are an important (but often taken for granted) motivation for strategy and implementation of eGovernment projects. This chapter offers a value analysis of central trends in the public administration literature: New Public Management, the post-Weberian Bureaucracy and the New Public Service. Using the assumption that eGovernment is driven largely by public administrations and therefore shares public management values, we develop a value model for eGovernment. Administrative Efficiency focuses on value for money logics highlighted by New Public Management thinking. Service Improvement, derived from the tradition of public service, emphasises the value of providing better services to citizens. Citizen Engagement, with its roots in liberal democratic arguments, promotes democracy, deliberation and dialogue. A set of Foundational Values grounded in the deeply-rooted bureaucratic tradition is also identified. A preliminary study of local authority managers’ values shows a heavy bias towards administrative efficiency and an absence of concern for citizen engagement; the implications of these results are briefly discussed.
Planning for urban tourism: a critique of borough development plans and tourism policy in London.

The paper presents a critique of tourism policy in London in the context of local environmental plans and central government policy for tourism and hotel development. Rationales for local authority tourism policies are assessed in relation to city-level planning imperatives and local land-use plan formulation. A comparative analysis of borough development plans and the treatment of tourism is based on a survey of London's 33 unitary authorities. The paper presents a World City case study of urban tourism from the position of the environmental planning process and in the light of the highly concentrated distribution of hotel provision and tourist activity in London. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chronic intracarotid cannulation of pigeons for administration of behaviorally active peptides

Chronic intracarotid cannulation of the common carotid artery was performed in the pigeon. The catheter system of polyethylene tubing consisted of an indwelling component and an injection component. The indwelling component was exteriorized at the occiput so the bird could not reach the catheter with its beak. Following surgery, the pigeons were housed individually and received food and water ad libitum and no special care was necessary. The catheter was flushed daily with heparin in 0·9% NaCl solution to maintain patency. 30 pigeons were continuously or intermittently infused with bioactive peptides for up to 60 days after cannulation.
Differences in Components at Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity Reaction Sites in Mice Immunized with Either a Protective or a Nonprotective Immunogen of Cryptococcus neoformans

ABSTRACT Cell-mediated immunity is the major protective mechanism against Cryptococcus neoformans. Delayed swelling reactions, i.e., delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), in response to an intradermal injection of specific antigen are used as a means of detecting a cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to the antigen. We have found previously that the presence of an anticryptococcal DTH response in mice is not always indicative of protection against a cryptococcal infection. Using one immunogen that induces a protective anticryptococcal CMI response and one that induces a nonprotective response, we have shown that mice immunized with the protective immunogen undergo a classical DTH response characterized by mononuclear cell and neutrophil infiltrates and the presence of gamma interferon and NO. In contrast, immunization with the nonprotective immunogen results in an influx of primarily neutrophils and production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) at the DTH reaction site. Even when the anticryptococcal DTH response was augmented by blocking the down-regulator, CTLA-4 (CD152), on T cells in the mice given the nonprotective immunogen, the main leukocyte population infiltrating the DTH reaction site is the neutrophil. Although TNF-α is increased at the DTH reaction site in mice immunized with the nonprotective immunogen, it is unlikely that TNF-α activates the neutrophils, because the density of TNF receptors on the neutrophils is reduced below control levels. Uncoupling of DTH reactivity and protection has been demonstrated in other infectious-disease models; however, the mechanisms differ from our model. These findings stress the importance of defining the cascade of events occurring in response to various immunogens and establishing the relationships between protection and DTH reactions.
THE REGIONAL ACCREDITATION PROCESS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES: A CASE STUDY OF EFFECTIVENESS

OF DISSERTATION THE REGIONAL ACCREDITATION PROCESS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES: A CASE STUDY OF EFFECTIVENESS This companion dissertation reports the findings of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. In addition, prior ample evidence confirms that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The case study contexts are common in higher education in general: a) an external partnership, (b) an ad hoc team, (c) a traditional, cross-divisional service unit, and (d) a grant-funded student service unit. Emerging positive organizational theory and research shows promise for revealing performance-influencing phenomena and behaviors that are not adequately represented in standard measures. Therefore, this collaborative case study research was designed to explore positive influences on the success of the four community college units. This companion dissertation consists of three manuscripts. Chapter 2, a technical report, contains the collaboratively-written synthesis of findings from the four individual case studies. Key findings across the units suggest the influence on performance of: (a) a people-first culture, (b) authentic, trusting, inclusive leadership, and (c) resource richness beyond constrained tangible resources. In Chapter 3, the researcher presents the key findings of the individual case study that looks at the success of an ad hoc committee formed to guide their institution through the accreditation process. The findings of this study emphasize the important role that leadership plays in the team’s success. In Chapter 4, the researcher shares lessons learned throughout the research process and by walking through her leadership journey from reluctant to authentic leader.
Significant association between asthma risk and the GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletion polymorphisms: An updated meta‐analysis of case–control studies

Polymorphisms in GSTM1 and GSTT1 may be associated with asthma risk, yet several studies and meta‐analyses have reported inconclusive results. Therefore, an updated meta‐analysis was conducted. Literature searches were performed using the Pubmed, Embase and Web of Science databases until October 2012. Variant ‘null’ genotype was compared with wild‐type ‘present’ in the pooled data. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA 11.0. A total of 26 case–control studies were suitable for inclusion in the meta‐analysis. In the overall population, a significant association was found for both the GSTM1 (odds ratio (OR) = 1.452; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.192–1.770) and GSTT1 polymorphism (OR = 1.792; 95% CI:1.293–2.483). For subgroup analysis by age, GSTM1 significantly increased risk for both children (OR = 1.368; 95% CI: 1.051–1.781) and adults (OR = 1.859; 95% CI: 1.183–2.921). For GSTT1, a significant association was only found in the adult population (OR = 2.312; 95%CI: 1.204–4.439). Based on subgroup analysis by ethnicity, a significant association for GSTM1 was found in Europe (OR = 1.303; 95% CI: 1.018–1.667), Africa (OR = 2.175; 95%CI: 1.560–3.031) and Latin America (OR = 2.265; 95%CI: 1.375–3.729). For GSTT1, significantly increased risk was found only for Asian (OR = 2.105; 95% CI: 1.101–4.025) and Russian (OR = 2.747; 95% CI: 1.071–7.046) populations. This meta‐analysis provides evidence that GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms may be risk factors for asthma.
Studies on effects of calcineurin inhibitor withdrawal on arterial distensibility and endothelial function in renal transplant recipients1

Whether withdrawal of calcineurin inhibitors has a beneficial effect on disturbed endothelial function and large artery distensibility in renal transplant recipients is not clear. We studied the effects of cyclosporine A (CsA) withdrawal on arterial compliance and endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) in a prospective, randomized trial; 24 renal transplant recipients receiving mycophenolate mofetil were randomized to withdrawal (n=12) or continuation of CsA (n=12). At baseline and after 6 months, carotid and brachial artery distensibility coefficients and brachial FMD were measured. Brachial distensibility coefficients increased in both groups (withdrawal: 11.1±1–14.9±2 10–3/kPa, continuation: 10.7±1–15.2±3 10–3/kPa, P <0.05, respectively). However, there was no significant effect of treatment on carotid artery distensibility coefficients, FMD, or graft function. Withdrawal of CsA failed to improve carotid artery distensibility or brachial FMD in patients after renal transplantation. Our data indicate that CsA treatment does not contribute significantly to endothelial dysfunction observed in renal transplant recipients.
The Public School as a Public Good: Direct and Indirect Pathways to Community Satisfaction

ABSTRACT: Individuals’ satisfaction with their community can play an important role in urban politics, and the quality of public schools is a key predictor of community satisfaction. However, most discussions of public schools focus only on their educational and social benefits for children, although others expand the scope to consider benefits to their parents as well. In this paper, we take a broader view, arguing that local public schools are providers of public goods that potentially benefit all members of a community, including those without school-aged children. Using data from the Soul of the Community survey, we examine the relationship between public school quality and community satisfaction in 26 U.S. communities, and find no differences between individuals with and without school-aged children at home. Furthermore, for those without children, we find that the effect of schools on community satisfaction is partially mediated by community-based social capital, suggesting that public schools provide both direct and indirect pathways to community satisfaction. We conclude with a discussion of these findings, focusing on their implications for the maintenance and structure of public schools in American cities.