Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expert beliefs and practices regarding neuropsychological validity testing

Abstract Objective: The current study investigated expert beliefs and practices as they relate to neuropsychological validity testing. Methods: North American neuropsychologists with expertise in neuropsychological validity testing (n = 24) were surveyed on numerous items related to validity testing. Results were analyzed and compared to findings from a prior expert survey and a recent survey of a general sample of neuropsychological practitioners. Results: Responses varied among experts on some items, indicating that experts have differences of opinion and practice regarding certain validity testing topics. However, expert opinion converged on a number of topics central to validity testing, particularly those highlighting the need for and importance of validity testing in neuropsychological assessment. Notably, expert responses on these topics often agreed with responses obtained from a prior expert sample and a general sample of neuropsychological practitioners. Conclusions: The results allow practitioners to see the range of validity testing beliefs and practices among current experts. Especially in those areas where consensus emerged, the results provide a way for practitioners to determine if their practices are consistent with those of their expert colleagues.
Do the Determinants of Employability and Earnings Returns Produce Similar Outcomes in Metropolitan and Regional Labour Markets? The Case of New South Wales, Australia

Mallik G. , Basu P. K. , Hicks J. and Sappey R. Do the determinants of employability and earnings returns produce similar outcomes in metropolitan and regional labour markets? The case of New South Wales, Australia, Regional Studies. This paper analyses and compares the determinants of employability and earnings return outcomes in two diversified labour markets in Australia. Using advanced econometric techniques to analyse Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURF) data from the 2006 Census, the paper identifies educational qualifications, broad occupational group, immigration status and age as the major determinants. In general, the metropolitan Sydney market places a greater value on higher education qualifications than do labour markets in the regions; immigrants, particularly from non-English speaking countries, are more likely to be disadvantaged in Sydney; and ageing provides a mixed impact in regional areas where on average older people work longer, but at lower wages.
Mobile Communication and Local Information Flow: Evidence from Distracted Driving Laws

We examine the influence of mobile communication on local information flow and local investor activity using the enforcement of statewide distracted driving restrictions, which are exogenous events that constrain mobile communication while driving. By restricting mobile communication across a potentially sizable set of local individuals, these restrictions could inhibit local information flow and, in turn, the market activity of stocks headquartered in enforcement states. We first document a decline in Google search activity for local stocks when restrictions take effect, suggesting that constraints on mobile communication significantly affect individuals’ information search activity. We further find significant declines in local trading volume when restrictions are enforced. This drop in liquidity is (1) attenuated when laws provide substitutive means of mobile communication and (2) magnified when locals have long car commutes and when their daily commutes overlap with regular exchange hours. Moreover, trading volume suffers the most for local stocks with lower institutional ownership, less analyst coverage, and more intangible information. Additional analyses show lower intraday volume during local commute times when mobile connectivity is constrained. Together, our results suggest that local information and local investors matter in stock markets and that mobile communication is an important mechanism through which these elements operate to affect liquidity and price discovery.
Ciprofloxacin Ophthalmic Solution versus Rifamycin Ophthalmic Solution for the Treatment of Conjunctivitis and Blepharitis

The efficacy and safety of ciprofloxacin (0.3%) ophthalmic solution and rifamycin (1%) ophthalmic solution for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis and blepharitis was compared in this randomized, double-masked, parallel-group study. Forty-one patients, 19 on ciprofloxacin and 22 on rifamycin, were culture-positive on admission and evaluated for efficacy. There was clinical improvement in more than 90% of patients in each group at the end of the seven-day treatment period. However, clinical cure rates on day 7 appeared to be higher with ciprofloxacin (53%) than rifamycin (23%; p = 0.061, Mann-Whitney test). Bacteriological eradication rates were comparable: the infecting organisms were eradicated in 68% of patients on ciprofloxacin and 77% with rifamycin. There were no serious adverse reactions to either treatment. One patient in each group was withdrawn on account of a mild allergy. In conclusion, topical ciprofloxacin was effective and well tolerated and would be a particularly useful agent for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis and blepharitis.
High involvement management, high-performance work systems and well-being

Studies on the impact of high-performance work systems on employees' well-being are emerging but the underlying theory remains weak. This paper attempts to develop theory of the effects on well-being of four dimensions of high-performance work systems: enriched jobs, high involvement management, employee voice, and motivational supports. Hypothesized associations are tested using multilevel models and data from Britain's Workplace Employment Relations Survey of 2004 (WERS2004). Results show that enriched jobs are positively associated with both measures of well-being: job satisfaction and anxiety–contentment. Voice is positively associated with job satisfaction, and motivational supports with neither measure. The results for high involvement management are not as predicted because it increases anxiety and is independent of job satisfaction.
Immature relationships in the new multi-level United Kingdom: perspectives from Wales

This paper explores the new multi-level relationships that exist in the UK postdevolution. In focusing on Wales, it uses two case studies to test some key propositions around system weaknesses; namely, poor intelligence and inadequate collaboration and communication between the ‘centre’ and the devolved nations. The paper suggests that this has resulted in unbalanced relationships and underdeveloped policy learning between the nations of the UK.
Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Africa

Despite economic and institutional reform in Africa during the past decade, the flow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the region continues to be disappointing and uneven. In this study we use the fixed and random effects models to explore whether the stylized determinants of FDI affect FDI flows to Africa in conventional ways. Based on a panel dataset for 29 African countries over the period 1975 to 1999, the paper identifies the following factors as significant for FDI flows to Africa: economic growth, inflation, openness of the economy, international reserves, and natural resource availability. Contrary to conventional wisdom, political rights and infrastructures were found to be unimportant for FDI flows to Africa. The significance of a variable for FDI flows to Africa was found to be dependent on whether country- and time-specific effects are fixed or stochastic.
Was Kuchma's censorship effective? mass media in Ukraine before 2004

Abstract Censorship intensified in Ukraine during Leonid Kuchma's second term as president, and analysts often use this as an indicator of the country's democratic backsliding. This article looks at the motivations behind the media muzzling and questions its effectiveness given that the country exploded in revolution in late 2004.
Offshoring, Foreign Direct Investment, and the Structure of U.S. Trade

Theory suggests that multinational enterprises (MNEs) play the role of factor service intermediaries in international trade. This paper presents the results of an empirical analysis that exploits variation in the intrafirm trade by U.S. MNEs across countries and industries to assess this theory. The results provide support for recent models of multinational enterprise and suggest that the activities of U.S. MNEs alter the structure of international trade, particularly among middle-income countries. (JEL: D2, F1, F23, L2) (c) 2006 by the European Economic Association.
Vulgarisation of Keynesianism in China's response to the global financial crisis

ABSTRACT When Keynesianism received renewed interest in the global financial crisis, some economists regarded China’s response as exemplary of effective Keynesian counter-cyclical strategy or even a non-crisis development strategy. At the same time, there have been critical voices against China’s Keynesian measures. This article therefore asks: To what extent was China’s response to the global financial crisis Keynesian? What factors determined the Chinese characteristics of Keynesian policy both in design and in implementation? It points out that China did follow a Keynesian formula in its crisis response, boosted infrastructure construction, GDP growth and created some employment. However, Chinese Keynesianism is a vulgarised version that is merged with its developmental state model. It simply boasted a big state and massive deficit spending, and socialised investment without really benefiting consumers or the private sector. This article also provides an analysis of how ideational and institutional politics in China vulgarised Keynesianism and exacerbated socio-economic problems. Ideational politics included the dominance of Keynesian discourse at the beginning of the crisis and an obsession with short-term results. Institutional factors included ‘firework’ local government politics, the state being captured by state-owned enterprises and a concentration of central distributive power without proper monitoring over implementation.
Employee Discretion and Performance Pay

ABSTRACT: This study examines the relationship between performance pay and the decision to delegate the choice of work methods and scheduling. I compare two theoretical approaches, based on specific knowledge and measurement costs, respectively. Both perspectives suggest a complementarity between discretion and performance pay, but the former predicts a positive effect of job complexity on discretion and performance pay, and the latter implies a negative effect. Results suggest that group and firm‐wide incentives are used to decentralize decisions and to take advantage of employees' specific knowledge, whereas piece rates are driven by performance measurement considerations and are not associated with more discretion.
Mechanisms and modulation of microvesicle uptake in a model of alveolar cell communication

Extracellular vesicles, including exosomes and shed microvesicles (MVs), can be internalized by recipient cells to modulate function. Although the mechanism by which extracellular vesicles are internalized is incompletely characterized, it is generally considered to involve endocytosis and an initial surface-binding event. Furthermore, modulation of uptake by microenvironmental factors is largely unstudied. Here, we used flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and pharmacologic and molecular targeting to address these gaps in knowledge in a model of pulmonary alveolar cell-cell communication. Alveolar macrophage–derived MVs were fully internalized by alveolar epithelial cells in a time-, dose-, and temperature-dependent manner. Uptake was dependent on dynamin and actin polymerization. However, it was neither saturable nor dependent on clathrin or receptor binding. Internalization was enhanced by extracellular proteins but was inhibited by cigarette smoke extract via oxidative disruption of actin polymerization. We conclude that MV internalization occurs via a pathway more consistent with fluid-phase than receptor-dependent endocytosis and is subject to bidirectional modulation by relevant pathologic perturbations.
An Econometric Contribution to the U.S. Defense—Growth Nexus: Evidence from Error Correction Model

Past and contemporary research has examined the relationship between military spending and economic growth and has reported mixed results. These conflicting findings are perhaps due to the methodologies employed. Consequently, this study employs a simple, parsimonious New Growth model to investigate the link between military spending and economic growth in the United States over the period 1/1959—1/2001 by adopting a more robust estimation technique. It follows the Johansen co-integration and error correction methodology coupled with vector autoregression (VAR) and innovation accounting techniques. Findings are robustly substantiated and reveal that military spending and growth have neither a statistical nor an economic impact on each other. This suggests that current U.S. political debates opposing or favoring military spending on the grounds of its economic merit are irrelevant.
A male perspective on infertility.

_T o provide effective care for infertile couples, it is important for health care professionals to understand the meaning of infertility not only for men and women as a couple, but as individuals as well. This study was conducted to explore the infertility experiences of 10 men who perceived themselves as being or having been unable to conceive a child with their partners. The men, who were recruited through newspaper advertisements, had varying reasons for their inferi'lity, but all had undergone at least six months of medical treatment for it. Each man was interviewed in his own home or in the investigator's office and asked to talk about his experiences. The goal was to provide an explanation and understanding of the infertility experience from a male perspective.
Plasma Adiponectin Levels in Elderly Patients with Prediabetes

Background The significance of adiponectin levels in elderly individuals with prediabetes has yet to be determined. Thus, the present study was performed to evaluate the relationships between adiponectin levels and anthropometric variables, body composition parameters, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles in elderly prediabetic patients. Methods The present study included 120 subjects with prediabetes who were >65 years of age and were selected from among 1,993 subjects enrolled in the Korea Rural Genomic Cohort Study. All subjects underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test and tests for measurement of insulin sensitivity. All diagnoses of prediabetes satisfied the criteria of the American Diabetes Association. Results Plasma adiponectin levels were lower in elderly prediabetic subjects than elderly subjects with normal glucose tolerance (P<0.01) as well as in elderly prediabetic patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) than in those without MetS (P<0.02). When the subjects were categorized into two groups according to plasma adiponectin levels, the waist-to-hip ratio and 2-hour insulin levels were significantly lower in individuals with high plasma adiponectin levels than in those with low plasma adiponectin levels. Additionally, the plasma adiponectin levels of elderly prediabetic subject were inversely correlated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio, visceral fat, visceral fat ratio, and 2-hour insulin levels. Conclusion The present findings demonstrated that the major factors correlated with adiponectin levels in elderly prediabetic subjects were BMI, WC, waist-to-hip ratio, visceral fat, visceral fat ratio, and 2-hour insulin levels.
[Two novel mutations of the ADAR1 gene associated with dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria].

OBJECTIVE To identify potential mutation of the ADAR1 gene in a Chinese family and a sporadic case affected with dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria(DSH). METHODS Clinical data and peripheral blood samples from the pedigree and the sporadic patient were collected. Following extraction of genomic DNA, all 15 exons and exon-intron flanking sequences of the ADAR1 gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and subjected to direct sequencing. RESULTS A novel frame-shift mutation c.2638delG (p.Asp880ThrfsX15) from the patients of the pedigree was detected in exon 8 of the ADAR1 gene. And a novel nonsense mutation c.2867C>A (p.Ser956X) was detected in exon 10 of the ADAR1 gene from the sporadic case. Neither mutation was identified among the unaffected family members nor 100 unrelated healthy controls. CONCLUSION The frame-shift mutation c.2638delG (p.Asp880ThrfsX15) and the nonsense mutation c.2867C>A (p.Ser956X) in the ADAR1 gene probably underlie the DSH in our patients.
Levered and Unlevered Beta

We prove that in a world without leverage cost the relationship between the levered beta ( L) and the unlevered beta ( u) is the No-costs-of-leverage formula: L = u + ( u - d) D (1 - T) / E. We also analyze 6 alternative valuation theories proposed in the literature to estimate the relationship between the levered beta and the unlevered beta (Harris and Pringle (1985), Modigliani and Miller (1963), Damodaran (1994), Myers (1974), Miles and Ezzell (1980), and practitioners) and prove that all provide inconsistent results.
Airflow Uniformity Through Perforated Tiles in a Raised-Floor Data Center

The maximum equipment power density (e.g. in power/rack or power/area) that may be deployed in a typical raised-floor data center is limited by perforated tile airflow. In the design of a data center cooling system, a simple estimate of mean airflow per perforated tile is typically made based on the number of CRAC's and number of perforated tiles (and possibly a leakage airflow estimate). However, in practice, many perforated tiles may deliver substantially more or less than the mean, resulting in, at best, inefficiencies and, at worst, equipment failure due to inadequate cooling. Consequently, the data center designer needs to estimate the magnitude of variations in perforated tile airflow prior to construction or renovation. In this paper, over 240 CFD models are analyzed to determine the impact of data-center design parameters on perforated tile airflow uniformity. The CFD models are based on actual data center floor plans and the CFD model is verified by comparison to experimental test data. Perforated tile type and the presence of plenum obstructions have the greatest potential influence on airflow uniformity. Floor plan, plenum depth, and airflow leakage rate have modest effect on uniformity and total airflow rate (or average plenum pressure) has virtually no effect. Good uniformity may be realized by using more restrictive (e.g. 25%- open) perforated tiles, minimizing obstructions and leakage airflow, using deeper plenums, and using rectangular floor plans with standard hot aisle/cold aisle arrangements.
Exploring the Validity of the Short Version of the Problem Behaviours Assessment (PBA-s) for Huntington's disease: A Rasch Analysis.

BACKGROUND The short version of the Problem Behaviours Assessment (PBA-s) is the recommended outcome measure for behavioural symptoms in Huntington's disease. Rasch analysis was used to further investigate the measurement limitations of the PBA-s. OBJECTIVES 1) To assess the psychometric properties of the 11 severity and frequency items within the PBA-s and 2) to determine the construct validity of using a total PBA-s score as a clinical outcome measure. METHODS PBA-s data for 517 participants from Enroll-HD were included in the Rasch analysis. Separate analyses were conducted for the severity and frequency items of the PBA-s, using RUMM2030 software. Achieving fit to the model provides supporting evidence that all items contribute to a single underlying latent trait. This property is defined as internal construct validity. RESULTS The total PBA-s severity score demonstrated several important limitations, including disordered response categories for all 11 severity items, local dependency and poor targeting. However, modifying the original five-point scoring system to a four-point system resulted in ordered response categories for seven of the severity items and achieved a good overall fit to the Rasch model. For the total PBA-s frequency score, fit to the model was not achieved even after amendments to the scoring system. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that with reduction to a four-point scoring system, the total PBA-s severity score may be considered a valid clinical outcome measure. This study also suggests limitations in the use of a total PBA-s frequency score.
The Response of Consumption to Income Innovations: Evidence from UK Regions

D EJUAN J. (2003) The response of consumption to income innovations: evidence from UK regions, Reg. Studies 37 , 445-451. The permanent income hypothesis (PIH) predicts an income innovation has the same size effect on consumption as on permanent income. This paper tests this prediction using time series data from 11 regions of the UK over the 1971-94 period. The empirical results support the PIH. D EJUAN J. (2003) La réponse de la consommation à des innovations de revenu: des preuves provenant des régions du R-U , Reg. Studies 37 , 445-451. L'hypothèse de la permanence du revenu (Permanent Income Hypothesis; PIH) prédit que l'importance de l'effet d'une innovation de revenu sur la consommation est la même que celui sur le revenu permanent. A partir des données présentées en série temporelle et provenant de 11 régions du R-U sur la pé riode de 1971 à 1994, cet article cherche à évaluer cette prédiction. Il s'avère que les résultats empiriques viennent à l'appui du PIH. D EJUAN J. (2003) Die Reaktion des Verbrauches auf Einkommensinnovationen: Beweise von den Regionen des UK, Reg. Studies 37 , 445-451. Die Festeinkommenhypothese (permanent Income Hypothesis=PIH) sagt voraus, daß Einkommensinnivation eine ebenso große Auswirkung auf den Verbrauch hat wie Festeinkommen. Dieser Aufsatz prüft diese Voraussage mit Hilfe von Zeitseriendaten von elf Regionen des UK im Zeitraum 1971-1994. Die empirischen Ergebnisse bestätigen die Festeinkommenhypothese.
Achieving relational outcomes in casual dining restaurants through consumer commitment

The purpose of the study is to identify how we can achieve positive word-of-mouth (WOM) and share of purchases through consumer commitment in casual dining restaurants. This study proposes the theory of organizational commitment and the framework of the relationship development process as the theoretical foundation to identify the antecedents of consumer commitment (i.e. identification, switching costs, and satisfaction), and tests the role of consumer commitment between its antecedents and relational outcomes (i.e. share of purchases and positive WOM). The results of the study support that commitment plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between its antecedents and share of purchases. In addition, commitment exerts a full mediating role on the effects of identification and switching costs on positive WOM intentions, while it plays a partial mediating role between satisfaction and positive WOM intentions. Managerial implications are discussed to maximize delivering relational outcomes based on consumer commitment and its antecedents.