Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distinct clinical features associated with microsatellite instability in colorectal cancers of young patients

The Hong Kong Chinese population has an unusually high incidence of colorectal cancer in the young, suggestive of hereditary susceptibility. To search for a genetic basis for this predisposition, we studied the incidence of microsatellite instability (MSI) in paraffin‐embedded colectomy specimens of 124 young (<50 years old) Chinese colorectal cancer patients referred to the Hong Kong Hereditary Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry from 1995 to 1998. By medical record review and personal interview, we searched for distinct clinical features associated with the manifestation of MSI in this group of patients. For patients with MSI tumours, blood was taken for detection of germline mutation in 2 mismatch repair (MMR) genes. MSI was present in 33 tumours from 23 males and 10 females (26.6%). Ongoing mutation analysis has so far identified MMR gene mutations in 8 patients with MSI tumours. The incidence of MSI increased significantly with decreasing age at cancer diagnosis. For patients aged 30 to 49, MSI tumours were located mainly at the proximal colon. However, for exceptionally young patients (<30 years), MSI tumours tended to be at the distal large bowel. This observation suggested a differential activity of the MMR pathway in colorectal carcinogenesis in different age groups. On multivariate analysis, young age at cancer diagnosis, proximal tumour location, a strong family history of colorectal cancer, and a personal history of metachronous cancer were independent predictors for MSI status. This knowledge may have an impact on the management of young colorectal cancer patients and their families. Int. J. Cancer 89:356–360, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Diaphragmatic eventration in children: laparoscopy versus thoracoscopic plication.

AIM To determine the best way to perform diaphragmatic plication for diaphragmatic eventration (DE) using minimally invasive surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of pediatric cases of DE treated between 2007 and 2012. Thoracoscopic plication (TP) is performed using single-lung ventilation with three 5-mm ports; laparoscopic plication (LP) is performed using three or four 5-mm ports. The choice of technique was determined preferentially by the treating surgeon. RESULTS There were 20 subjects (13 treated by LP and 7 treated by TP). Etiology of DE was phrenic nerve injury (LP, n=11; TP, n=1) and muscular deficiency (LP, n=2; TP, n=6). Mean age (LP, 18 months; TP, 25 months) and weight (LP, 8.0 kg; TP, 9.7 kg) at surgery were not significantly different. Mean operating time was 155.6 minutes in LP and 167.0 minutes in TP (P=not significant). Mean intraoperative end-tidal CO2 was 41.9 mm Hg (range, 35-52 mm Hg) in LP and 36.9 mm Hg (range, 33-41 mm Hg) in TP (P=.01). Mean duration of postoperative ventilation was 1.2 days in LP and 1.3 days in TP (P=not significant). Mean time taken to recommence feeding postoperatively was 1.6 days in both groups (P=not significant). Complications were one conversion to thoracotomy in TP, 1 case of atelectasis in each group (P=not significant), and 6 cases of recurrence in LP versus none in TP (P=.04). CONCLUSIONS Both TP and LP are beneficial for treating small children with DE. However, there is a higher incidence of recurrence after LP, and the role of TP in cardiac patients requiring subsequent surgery is debatable.
Criminal Violence and Democratization in Central America: The Survival of the Violent State

Abstract Why does Nicaragua have less violent crime than Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras? All these countries underwent political transitions in the 1990s. Many explanations point to the legacies of war, socioeconomic underdevelopment, and neoliberal structural reforms. However, these arguments do not fully explain why, despite economic reforms conducted throughout the region, war-less Honduras and wealthier Guatemala and El Salvador have much more crime than Nicaragua. This article argues that public security reforms carried out during the political transitions shaped the ability of the new regimes to control the violence produced by their own institutions and collaborators. In the analysis of the crisis of public security, it is important to bring the state back. The survival of violent entrepreneurs in the new security apparatus and their relationship with new governing elites foster the conditions for the escalation of violence in northern Central America.
Measuring X-Efficiency in NCAA Division III Athletics

This article expands on previous research regarding the relative efficiency of National Collegiate Athletic Association III Athletic Departments. In our analysis, we employ Frontier Analysis to develop an efficiency score for each program over the time frame of 2007-2008 to 2011-2012. We find that private schools dominate the rankings of the most efficient athletic departments. In addition, it is clear that some inputs are more valuable than others. In reviewing the yearly cross-sectional results, it is evident that for the average institution, increasing the number of female students participating in sports will yield the greatest expected increases in Director’s Cup points.
The Effect of Audit Committee Expertise, Independence, and Activity on Aggressive Earnings Management

This study investigates whether the expertise, independence, and activities of a firm's audit committee have an effect on the quality of its publicly released financial information. In particular, we examine the relationship between audit committee characteristics and the extent of corporate earnings management as measured by the level of income‐increasing and income‐decreasing abnormal accruals. Using two groups of U.S. firms, one with relatively high and one with relatively low levels of abnormal accruals in the year 1996, we find a significant association between earnings management and audit committee governance practices. We find that aggressive earnings management is negatively associated with the financial and governance expertise of audit committee members, with indicators of independence, and with the presence of a clear mandate defining the responsibilities of the committee. The association is similar for both income‐increasing and income‐decreasing earnings management, suggesting that audit com.
Comparative Analysis of Commercial Banks Liquidity Position: The Case of Tanzania

This paper gives an overview picture of commercial banks liquidity position in Tanzania for the period of ten years (2000 to 2009). The study employed the liquidity measures of commercial banks, and on that basis the performance in terms of liquidity position was established. The paper used the casual research design as the methodology of the study since the casual design is best suited to determine cause and effects of the phenomenon. This paper utilizes secondary data from National Bank of Commerce (NBC), CRDB and National Microfinance Bank (NMB). The criteria used is total deposit to core funding, liquid asset to demand liabilities and Gross loans to total deposit Tanzania for the period of ten years, and finally the hypothesis was tested to know whether there is a significant difference in terms of liquidity position by using ANOVA test. The findings revealed that the commercial banks under study have strongest liquidity level although it varied over years and National Microfinance Bank maintained strongest liquid level compared to the other two banks.
Open-Market Stock Repurchase and Stock Price Behavior When Management Values Real Investment

This paper provides a simple explanation of open-market stock repurchases and the stock price behavior surrounding them. There is ex ante asymmetry of information with regard to the private benefits that corporate managers can attain from real investments. In our model, open-market repurchase announcements reveal information about the managers' private benefits when real investment opportunities are unprofitable in terms of firm values. This study differs from previous studies in that we show that announcements of open-market repurchase programs can be believable without the restriction that the announcements are commitments. Empirically, the model simultaneously predicts that a stock price will drop prior to an open-market repurchase announcement and will rise in response to the announcement. These predictions are consistent with stylized facts.
Estimating the Probability of Trade Union Membership: A Study of Men and Women in Britain

The paper examines the determinants of the individual decision to unionize for British employees and uses micro data from the 1975 National Training Survey. The unionization probability is estimated separately for manual and non-manual men, and full-time and part-time women. An interesting finding is that personal characteristics of both men and women generally do not affect the unionization probability. This result run, counter to the common perception that family responsibilities explain low female trade union density.
C-reactive protein, platelets, and patent ductus arteriosus

Abstract The association between inflammation, platelets, and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has not been studied so far. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether C-reactive protein (CRP) is related to low platelet count and PDA. This was a retrospective study of 88 infants with a birth weight ≤1500 g and a gestational age ≤30 weeks. Platelet count, CRP, and an echocardiogram were assessed in all infants. The subjects were matched by sex, gestational age, and birth weight. Differences were compared using the χ2, t-test, or Mann–Whitney U-test, as appropriate. Significant variables were entered into a logistic regression model. The association between CRP and platelets was evaluated by correlation and regression analysis. Platelet count (167 000 vs. 213 000 µl−1, p = 0.015) was lower and the CRP (0.45 vs. 0.20 mg/dl, p = 0.002) was higher, and the platelet count correlated inversely with CRP (r = −0.145, p = 0.049) in the infants with vs. without PDA. Only CRP was independently associated with PDA in a logistic regression model (OR 64.1, 95% confidence interval 1.4–2941, p = 0.033).
Exploring the impact of corporate social responsibility on consumer behaviour in India

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is playing an increasingly prominent role in today's business environment. Worldwide, the most admired companies abide by a code of serving people's interests, not only their own. Indian organisations have also realised that besides growing their businesses it is also vital to build trustworthy and sustainable relationships with the community at large. In India, the effect of CSR though not profound, is evident in small efforts the industry is making. Despite this increasing emphasis on CSR in the marketplace, little is known about the effects of CSR actions on consumers especially in India. This study focuses on investigating the impact of CSR on consumer behaviour in India. In this research, emphasis is on examining consumers' awareness about CSR activities of firms, their reactions towards socially responsible organisations and impact on their intention to purchase goods.
Fair Value Accounting and Market Efficiency

This paper analytically examines how market efficiency affects the effectiveness of fair value accounting (FVA). Fair value accounting has been one of the most controversial accounting subjects. The recent global financial crisis highlights the disparity between the views of its supporters who see it as panacea and its critics who consider it a Pandora’s box. The research on FVA, with the mixed findings, also failed to yield a conclusive outcome. In the history of financial reporting FVA has fallen in and out of favor with regulatory bodies several times. It appears that the changes in regulatory position towards FVA tended to occur in the aftermath of a major financial crisis, suggesting that the effectiveness of FVA is affected by the state of market conditions. Using a simple model tracking the performance of a portfolio over a two-period investment cycle under fair value accounting and historical cost accounting (HCA) regimes respectively, this study finds that fair value accounting is more effective when the market efficiency level is high, and vice versa. The findings of this paper suggest a new dimension in future research of FVA and provide a possible reconciliation of the contradicting empirical results of the existing studies.
Inhibition of AMPK/Autophagy Potentiates Parthenolide‐Induced Apoptosis in Human Breast Cancer Cells

Parthenolide is the main bioactive component in feverfew, a common used herbal medicine, and has been extensively studied in relation to its anti‐cancer properties. However there have been very few in‐depth studies of the activities of this compound at the molecular level. Here, we showed that parthenolide increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), induced cell death, activated AMPK and autophagy, and led to M phase cell cycle arrest in breast cancer cells. Removal of ROS inhibited all parthenolide‐associated events, such as cell death, AMPK activation, autophagy induction, and cell cycle arrest. Blockade of autophagy relieved cell cycle arrest, whereas inhibition of AMPK activity significantly repressed the induction of both autophagy and cell cycle arrest. These observations clearly showed that parthenolide‐driven ROS activated AMPK‐autophagy pathway. Furthermore, inhibition of either AMPK or autophagy significantly potentiated parthenolide‐induced apoptosis. Therefore, our results show that parthenolide activates both apoptosis pathway and AMPK‐autophagy survival pathway through the generation of ROS, and that suppression of AMPK or autophagy can potentially enhance the anti‐cancer effect of parthenolide on breast cancer cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 115: 1458–1466, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An investigation into a peer module mentoring programme in economic and management sciences

All South African universities face the challenges of student success and retention - a challenge compounded by under-prepared students from diverse backgrounds. This article explores peer module mentoring as a possible approach to facilitate student success in Economic and Management Sciences. An ex post facto quantitative research methodology, with a web-based questionnaire, was implemented. Perspectives of both mentors and mentees who participated in the faculty module mentoring programme during 2012 were investigated regarding their motivation for participation and evaluation of the programme. The module mentoring programme was experienced as being beneficial by both the mentors and mentees. Altruistic, cognitive, social, personal growth and financial benefits were derived from the programme. The findings provide a strong argument in favour of the expanding and continuation of module mentoring programmes in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. The findings are not generalisable beyond the scope of the particular faculty and institution, but provide input and guidance for decision-making related to student support initiatives. The continuance of the module mentoring programme entails investments in terms of both money and time. This article considers the benefits derived from these investments in a faculty-wide module mentoring programme at a South African university.
Negative evaluations of self and others, and peer victimization as mediators of the relationship between childhood adversity and psychotic experiences in adolescence: the moderating role of loneliness.

OBJECTIVE Previous research has identified an association between traumatic experiences and psychotic symptoms. Few studies, however, have explored the underlying mechanisms and contingent nature of these associations in an integrated model. This study aimed to test a moderated mediation model of negative childhood experiences, associated cognitive processes, and psychotic experiences within a context of adolescent loneliness. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. METHODS A total of 785 Northern Irish secondary school adolescents completed the survey. A moderated mediation model was specified and tested. RESULTS Childhood experiences of threat and subordination were directly associated with psychotic experiences. Analyses indicated that peer victimization was a mediator of this effect and that loneliness moderated this mediated effect. CONCLUSION A new model is proposed to provide an alternative framework for assessing the association between trauma and psychotic experience in adolescence that recognizes loneliness as a significant contextual moderator that can potentially strengthen the trauma-psychosis relationship. PRACTITIONER POINTS Moderated mediation analyses poses an alternative framework to the understanding of trauma-psychosis associations Adolescent loneliness is a vulnerability factor within this association Data are based on a Northern Irish sample with relatively low levels of loneliness Cross-sectional data cannot explore the developmental course of these experiences in adolescence.
Politics, Political Competition, and the Political Budget Cycle in Canada, 1870–2000: A Search Across Alternative Fiscal Transmission Mechanisms

In this paper we use Engel-Granger cointegration and error correction methodology to combine I(1) economic variables with I(0) political variables to test the hypothesis that Canadian federal fiscal instruments have been influenced by overtly political factors (elections, party affiliation, minority government etc.)-the hypothesis that there is a “political budget cycle” in Canadian annual data spanning1870-2000. One reason for believing that such a cycle might exist is the belief both within and outside of politics that political parties have an incentive to manipulate economic outcomes for electoral purposes and so produce a political business cycle. Hence to motivate our work on fiscal instruments, we first ask whether there is any evidence consistent with the predictions of either partisan or opportunistic political theories in Canadian macro data. The finding that there is tentative support for a partisan cycle in real output growth then leads us to consider whether such a cycle could have been transmitted through fiscal policy. Our findings with respect to three fiscal instruments, expenditure, taxation and the overall deficit, give little support to any current political theory of the cycle but do provide support for the hypothesis that the degree of political competition matters in explaining policy time series processes both with respect to long run government size and to shorter run variations in expenditure, taxation and the overall deficit about that long run size. Thus while our findings concur with absence of any significant cyclical connection between fiscal instruments and economic outcomes, as pointed out earlier by Serletis and Afxentiou (1998), our results highlight a different channel by which politics seem to influence economic policy. As such they reinforce the more detailed findings presented earlier by Ferris, Park and Winer (2005) on the role of political competition strictly with respect to the evolution of government size in Canada.
PG 1237, Royal Cemetery of Ur: Patterns in Death

This article discusses the identity of the people buried in the Great Death Pit PG 1237, a mass grave of the Royal Cemetery of Ur, and the ways they died and entered the shaft. Admittedly, the evidence required to positively solve the many taphonomic and osteological questions involved does not exist, because of the way the site was excavated and published in the early twentieth century. Nonetheless, the original excavators’ skill and unquestioned care in mapping and recording still prepares the ground for new alternative interpretations. As the ‘Rams Caught in a Thicket’ (two statuettes found in the mass grave) may have been the front parts of lyres, and almost all the dead might have entered the shaft impersonating musicians, singers and dancers, the paramount importance of music in the funerals of Sumerian elites is emphasized. New radiographic evidence recently suggested that some of the buried persons were killed violently, refuting the traditional theory of a voluntary mass suicide by poison. The bodies of the victims might have been formally prepared and serially brought to the pit in burial groups. Stratigraphy and spatial distribution reveal consistent depositional patterns dictated by specific rituals, as already proposed on the basis of more limited evidence by other authors. Formal arrangement and ritualism, in turn, support Woolley's identification of the graves as sacred constructions and thus reaffirms their royal character. The article ends by considering the historical meaning of the nature of these impressive funerals at the verge of the political unification of Mesopotamia by the house of Sargon.
A Deep Insight into the Sialotranscriptome of the Chagas Disease Vector, Panstrongylus megistus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

ABSTRACT Saliva of blood-sucking arthropods contains a complex cocktail of pharmacologically active compounds that assists feeding by counteracting their hosts' hemostatic and inflammatory reactions. Panstrongylus megistus (Burmeister) is an important vector of Chagas disease in South America, but despite its importance there is only one salivary protein sequence publicly deposited in GenBank. In the present work, we used Illumina technology to disclose and publicly deposit 3,703 coding sequences obtained from the assembly of >70 million reads. These sequences should assist proteomic experiments aimed at identifying pharmacologically active proteins and immunological markers of vector exposure. A supplemental file of the transcriptome and deducted protein sequences can be obtained from http://exon.niaid. nih.gov/transcriptome/P_megistus/Pmeg-web.xlsx.
The Impact of Carbon Emission Reducing Design Features on Office Occupiers’ Choice of Premises

Energy saving measures, if incorporated into existing and new buildings, can help the UK to achieve its ambitious goal to reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. Yet, the penetration of such technologies has been slow in the commercial real estate market. This paper examines the attitudes and preferences of office end users and their acceptance of carbon emission reducing technologies. It employs conjoint analysis to model the real estate decision-making of 150 respondents who claimed to have an input into their organisation’s choice of premises. The findings demonstrate that functionality and accessibility remain top priorities in occupiers’ choice of premises. Lower rents, improved corporate image and productivity are revealed as attributes that could compensate occupiers for energy-efficient attributes that restrict control over internal environment and operation of equipment. The paper discusses instruments to promote greater acceptance and penetration of carbon emission reducing design features in the office market.
Persistence, the Transmission Mechanism and Robust Monetary Policy

In this paper we first explore the impact of nominal and real persistence on the transmission process of various shocks in an estimated DSGE model of euro area. We then analyse its impact on optimal monetary policy and investigate the performance of various monetary policies when the policy maker is uncertain about the degree of nominal and real persistence. JEL Classification: E4, E5