Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Simple but Powerful Measure of Market Efficiency

We construct a simple measure to quantify the level of market efficiency. We apply this measure to investigate the level of market efficiency and analyze its variation over time. The main contribution of the new measure is that it makes it easy to compare market efficiency across assets, time, regions, and data frequencies. We find that markets are often efficient, but can be significantly inefficient over longer periods. Our empirical results indicates that in many periods of major economic events, financial markets becomes less efficient. This corroborates earlier results on market efficiency, and simplifies interpretation and comparisons.
Diagnostic Utility of Letter Fluency, Category Fluency, and Fluency Difference Scores in Alzheimer's Disease

Word generation tasks, specifically letter fluency and category fluency, are a standard part of most test protocols used by clinical neuropsychologists to measure aspects of language and executive retrieval functions. Given the reliance on these measures as clinical tools, it is important to understand the diagnostic implications of patients' performances. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), category fluency has generally been found to be disproportionately impaired, whereas letter fluency is usually more mildly impaired. It has been proposed that this performance pattern occurs because access to temporal-lobe semantic stores is necessary for category fluency but not letter fluency. In this study, the diagnostic utility of category fluency, letter fluency, and difference scores (letter fluency minus category fluency) in AD were examined. Forty AD patients and 221 normal control subjects took category fluency and letter fluency tests. Traditional t -test comparisons revealed that the groups differed significantly on the two test tasks and in terms of mean difference scores. However, using sensitivity and specificity to calculate predictive values, only category fluency and letter fluency (but not difference scores) were useful in predicting AD in individuals. Furthermore, category fluency was superior to letter fluency in this regard. Likelihood ratio tables are provided for use in calculating the odds of AD for specific category fluency and letter fluency scores generated by individual patients.
Dynamics of the action of dFOXO on adult mortality in Drosophila

The insulin/insulin growth factor (IGF)‐like signaling (IIS) pathway has a conserved role in regulating lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila and mice. Extension of lifespan by reduced IIS has been shown in C. elegans to require the key IIS target, forkhead box class O (FOXO) transcription factor, DAF‐16. dFOXO, the Drosophila DAF‐16 orthologue, is also an IIS target, and its overexpression in adult fat body increases lifespan. In C. elegans, IIS acts exclusively during adulthood to determine adult survival. We show here, using an inducible overexpression system, that in Drosophila continuous dFOXO overexpression in adult fat body reduces mortality rate throughout adulthood. We switched the IIS status of the flies at different adult ages and examined the effects of these switches on dFOXO expression and mortality rates. dFOXO protein levels were switched up or down by the inducible expression system at all ages examined. If IIS status is reversed early in adulthood, similar to the effects of another intervention that reduces adult mortality in Drosophila, dietary restriction (DR), there is a complete switch of subsequent mortality rate to that of flies chronically exposed to the new IIS regime. At this age, IIS thus acts acutely to determine risk of death. Mortality rates continued to respond to a switch in IIS status up to 4 weeks of adult age, but not thereafter. However, unlike DR, as IIS status was altered at progressively later ages, mortality rates showed incomplete switching and responded with progressively smaller changes. These findings indicate that alteration of expression levels of dFOXO may have declining effects on IIS status with age, that there could be some process that prevents or lessens the physiological response to a switch in IIS status or that, unlike DR, this pathway regulates aging‐related damage. The decreased mortality and increased lifespan of dFOXO overexpressing flies was uncoupled from any effect on female fecundity and from expression levels of Drosophila insulin‐like peptides in the brain.
Body composition assessment of English Premier League soccer players: a comparative DXA analysis of first team, U21 and U18 squads

Abstract Professional soccer players from the first team (1st team, n = 27), under twenty-one (U21, n = 21) and under eighteen (U18, n = 35) squads of an English Premier League soccer team were assessed for whole body and regional estimates of body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Per cent body fat was lower in 1st team (10.0 ± 1.6) compared with both U21 (11.6 ± 2.5, P = 0.02) and U18 (11.4 ± 2.6, P = 0.01) players. However, this difference was not due to variations (P = 0.23) in fat mass between squads (7.8 ± 1.6 v 8.8 ± 2.1 v 8.2 ± 2.4 kg, respectively) but rather the presence of more lean mass in 1st team (66.9 ± 7.1 kg, P < 0.01) and U21 (64.6 ± 6.5 kg, P = 0.02) compared with U18 (60.6 ± 6.3 kg) players. Accordingly, fat mass index was not different (P = 0.138) between squads, whereas lean mass index was greater (P < 0.01) in 1st team players (20.0 ± 1.1 kg · m−2) compared with U18 players (18.8 ± 1.4 kg · m−2). Differences in lean mass were also reflective of higher lean tissue mass in all regions, for example, upper limbs/lower limbs and trunk. Data suggest that training and nutritional interventions for younger players should therefore be targeted to lean mass growth as opposed to body fat loss.
Relationship of Eosinophils and Plasma Cells to Biofilm in Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Background This study investigates the relationship of eosinophils and plasma cells to biofilm in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). A prospective observational study was performed at the Keck Hospital, University of Southern California, Department of Otolaryngology, Los Angeles, CA. Methods A total of 29 patients, 20 undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery for CRS and 9 control patients undergoing septoplasty for nasal obstruction without history or evidence of CRS, were included in this study. Contiguous sinonasal mucosa sample sections were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for biofilm, microbes, eosinophil major basic protein (EMBP), and cluster designation 27 (CD27). EMBP and CD27 were used as eosinophil and plasma cell markers, respectively. Results Biofilm was visualized in 15 of 20 patients with CRS on H&E sections, confirmed by microbial presence using FISH. Biofilm was not identified in tissue samples of the nine control patients. On IHC analysis, CD27 and EMBP expression were significantly higher in patients with CRS compared with control (p < 0.05) and had greater expression in biofilm-positive patients compared with biofilm-negative patients. Nasal polyps correlated with higher expression of CD27 and EMBP, but in CRS patients without polyps CD27 and EMBP was also significantly greater in biofilm-positive specimens compared with biofilm-negative specimens. Conclusion Biofilm presence in CRS appears to correlate to host inflammatory response involving plasma cell and eosinophil recruitment.
Thyroid function and anti‐thyroid autoantibodies in untreated children with vertically acquired chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Objective The reported data on thyroid function and anti‐thyroid autoantibodies in adults with untreated hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are controversial. Data are scarce for HCV‐infected children, and only in those treated with interferon‐α (IFN‐α). We investigated thyroid function and anti‐thyroid autoantibodies in a cohort of untreated children with vertically acquired, chronic, HCV infection.
Relationship Between Forest Microwave Transmissivity and Structural Parameters for the Canadian Boreal Forest

This letter proposes relationships between boreal forest microwave transmissivity and four forest structural parameters: summer and winter Leaf Area Index (LAI) from MODIS, biomass (t ha-1), and total volume (m3 ha-1) for northern Québec, Canada. These relationships were derived for summer AMSR-E data sets that took into account the effects of canopy emission and scattering. Root mean square error results between brightness temperature simulations and ASMR-E observations are approximately 5 K. Results reported in this study can be used as forest correction equations for key surface parameter retrievals under the boreal forest canopy, such as soil moisture or snow depth/water equivalent.
Second cancer incidence and cause-specific mortality among 3104 patients with hairy cell leukemia: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND The introduction of new treatments for hairy cell leukemia has resulted in improved patient survival but also engendered increasing concern about the possibility of excess second cancers. The available evidence is conflicting, with most risk estimates based on sparse numbers. To our knowledge, no study has evaluated cause-specific mortality in patients with hairy cell leukemia. METHODS We quantified second cancer incidence and cause-specific mortality among 3104 two-month survivors of hairy cell leukemia who were reported to 16 population-based registries in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program between 1973 and 2002. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were used to quantify the risk of second cancers and causes of death, respectively. The cumulative probability of a second cancer among survivors of hairy cell leukemia was calculated using a competing risk model. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Mean follow-up of hairy cell leukemia survivors was 6.5 years (range, 2 months-29.3 years). Second cancer risk was statistically significantly elevated (SIR = 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11 to 1.37) compared with the general population. Survivors had statistically significantly higher risks of Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR = 6.61, 95% CI = 2.13 to 15.42), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR = 5.03, 95% CI = 3.77 to 6.58), and thyroid cancer (SIR = 3.56, 95% CI = 1.30 to 7.74) and a lower risk of lung cancer (SIR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.90). The cumulative probability of all second cancers was estimated to be 31.9% (95% CI = 26.2 to 37.6) 25 years after hairy cell leukemia diagnosis. Among 10,000 hairy cell leukemia patients, a total excess of about 34 cancers, including 21 non-Hodgkin lymphomas, 2 Hodgkin lymphomas, and 7 solid tumors (including 2 thyroid cancers), might be observed per year. Deaths due to solid tumors were not elevated compared with the general population (SMR = 0.9), and there were statistically significant deficits in mortality due to both cardiovascular (SMR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.56 to 0.80) and cerebrovascular (SMR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.38 to 0.93) disease. CONCLUSIONS Patients with hairy cell leukemia are at increased risk of Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and thyroid cancer. The decrease in lung cancer incidence and smoking-associated vascular mortality may reflect an inverse association of tobacco use with hairy cell leukemia. Future studies should address the roles of immunologic impairment inherent to hairy cell leukemia, treatment modalities, and other factors as codeterminants of morbidity and mortality in hairy cell leukemia survivors.
Amount of Mental Practice and Performance of a Simple Motor Task

The effects of different amounts of mental practice on the performance of a motor skill were studied. Research supports the effectiveness of mental practice on performance; however, little is known about how much practice is needed and whether there is an optimal amount for these practice effects. Participants, 209 students ages 18 to 44 years (M = 20.5, SD = 2.9), completed a pre- and posttest of dart throwing with the nonpreferred hand. In the practice phase, participants completed either 25 (Mental Practice 25), 50 (Mental Practice 50), or 100 (Mental Practice 100) trials of the darts task or 50 trials of a catching task (Catching Task). Performance for all groups improved from pre- to posttest. Improvements for the three mental practice groups were greater than for the Catching Task group; however, there were no differences for the three Mental Practice groups. The findings support the positive effect of mental practice over a control condition and suggest that small amounts of mental practice may be sufficient for performance improvements, at least for a simple motor skill.
Prenatal Iron Deficiency, Neonatal Ferritin, and Infant Cognitive Function

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of prenatal maternal iron deficiency (ID) on cord blood serum ferritin (CBSF) concentration and infant cognitive and motor development. METHODS: Our prospective cohort study included 636 mother-singleton child pairs from 828 eligible pregnant women who were enrolled during their first antenatal care (ANC) visit in Allada, Benin, into a clinical trial comparing the efficacy of mefloquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Venous blood samples of women were assessed for ferritin and hemoglobin concentrations at the first and second ANC visits (occurring at least 1-month apart) and at delivery. Women were prescribed daily iron and folic acid supplements throughout pregnancy. Hematologic examinations were repeated for cord blood at birth. At age 1 year, cognitive and motor functions of children were assessed by using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. RESULTS: The prevalence of prenatal ID at first and second ANC visits, and at delivery was 30.5%, 34.0%, and 28.4%, respectively. CBSF concentrations were similar between ID and non-ID pregnant women. Neither prenatal ID nor CBSF concentration was associated with poor cognitive or gross motor function of children at age 1 year. CBSF concentrations were lower among mothers who had ID anemia (IDA) at delivery compared with non-IDA pregnant women (adjusted mean difference: –0.2 [95% confidence interval: –0.4 to –0.0]). CONCLUSIONS: In a malaria-endemic region, ID in pregnancy in the context of iron supplementation is neither associated with CBSF concentration nor with infant cognitive and motor development. Prenatal IDA around the time of delivery is associated with lower CBSF concentrations.
Impact of parental anxiety on child emotional adjustment when a parent has cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe the relationships among parent anxiety, child anxiety, and emotional adjustment in children who have a parent with cancer. DESIGN Correlational. SETTING A large cancer center in the southeastern United States. SAMPLE Thirty-three child/parent with cancer dyads. METHODS Research packets were mailed to child/parent dyads who agreed to participate in the study. Parents completed a demographic questionnaire, a Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale, and a Personality Inventory for Children (PIC). Children completed the child version of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Parent anxiety, child anxiety, and child adjustment. FINDINGS Children who have a parent with cancer and parents who have experienced cancer report significantly higher state and trait anxiety compared to a normed population sample. Parental reports on the PIC indicated that latency-aged children (i.e., 6-12 years) showed significantly greater internalization and somatic symptoms compared to the sample norm. Parent state anxiety was negatively correlated with children's internalization and somatic symptoms. Parental anxiety accounted for the greatest variance in child adjustment. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE These study findings may provide nurses with a better understanding of the vulnerability of children who have a parent with cancer and can build a foundation for the development of supportive interventions for these children.
Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis of Acute Cholecystitis

Eighty-two patients with right upper quadrant pain and a clinical suggestion of acute cholecystitis had their gallbladder and biliary ducts ultrasonographically examined in the period immediately following admission to the hospital. Biliary calculi or signs of cholecystitis, or both, were found in 65 per cent of the cases at ultrasound examination. An additional 10 per cent had pathologic changes unrelated to the biliary tract. In 44 of 48 cases the presence of calculi or inflammation could be confirmed at surgery, autopsy or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopan-creaticography. Only one patient with a normal ultrasound examination was later found to have a small calculus in a common bile duct of normal caliber.
Breast Cancer Patients’ Treatment Expectations after Exposure to the Decision Aid Program Adjuvant Online: The Influence of Numeracy

The decision aid called ‘‘Adjuvant Online’’ (Adjuvant! for short) helps breast cancer patients make treatment decisions by providing numerical estimates of treatment efficacy (e.g., 10-y relapse or survival). Studies exploring how patients’ numeracy interacts with the estimates provided by Adjuvant! are lacking. Pooling across 2 studies totaling 105 women with estrogen receptor—positive, early-stage breast cancer, the authors explored patients’ treatment expectations, perceived benefit from treatments, and confidence of personal benefit from treatments. Patients who were more numerate were more likely to provide estimates of cancer-free survival that matched the estimates provided by Adjuvant! for each treatment option compared with patients with lower numeracy (odds ratios of 1.6 to 2.4). As estimates of treatment efficacy provided by Adjuvant! increased, so did patients’ estimates of cancer-free survival (0.37 > rs > 0.48) and their perceptions of treatment benefit from hormonal therapy (rs = 0.28) and combined therapy (rs = 0.27). These relationships were significantly more pronounced for those with higher numeracy, especially for perceived benefit of combined therapy. Results suggest that numeracy influences a patient’s ability to interpret numerical estimates of treatment efficacy from decision aids such as Adjuvant!
Coagulation and cancer: biological and clinical aspects

Summary. Malignancy affects the hemostatic system and the hemostatic system affects malignancy. In cancer patients there are a number of coagulation abnormalities which provide the background for an increased tendency of these patients to both thrombosis and hemorrhage. The causes of this coagulation impairment rely on general risk factors which are common to other categories of patients, and other factors which are specific to cancer, such as tumor type and disease stage. In addition, data from basic research indicate that the hemostatic components and the cancer biology are interconnected in multiple ways. Notably, while cancer cells are able to activate the coagulation system, the hemostatic factors play a role in tumor progression. This opens the way to the development of bifunctional therapeutic approaches that are both capable of attacking the malignant process and resolving the coagulation impairment. On the other hand, the management of thrombosis and hemorrhages in cancer patients can be different. To approach these problems, some guidelines have been released by prominent international scientific societies. Also actively investigated is the issue of identifying new biomarkers to classify the subjects at a higher risk, thus improving the prevention of thrombohemorrhagic events in these patients. Finally, novel prophylactic and therapeutic approaches are currently under development. This review provides an overview of the hemostatic complications in cancer, together with new insights into the interaction between hemostasis and cancer biology. We also review the assessment of the risk of thrombohemorrhagic events in cancer patients, and the prophylaxis and treatment of such manifestations.
The Usefulness of the Auditory N100 and P200 Component as Measures of Sensory Gating

A sensory gating deficit has been repeatedly demonstrated in schizophrenia patients, especially for the P50 component of the auditory evoked response. In the present study, we investigate whether the N100 and P200 can be used as gating measures as well, and what kind of differences exist between normal controls and schizophrenia patients for these gating measures. We also explore whether gating is absent when sequences of non-identical stimuli are presented. It was found N100 and P200 showed significantly more gating and less day-to-day variability than P50 for normal subjects. Large day-to-day and inter-subject variability was observed in schizophrenia patients. The gating indexes for the non-identical stimuli were not significantly different from the corresponding indexes for identical stimuli
A field usable qualitative anti‐protective antigen enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of human anthrax

Although all mammals, including humans, are vulnerable when they come into direct contact with infected animals, anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivorous animals. In countries like India, cutaneous anthrax is a public health problem in several regions. Hence, a simple and efficacious serodiagnostic assay for large scale surveillance of endemic populations is required. In the present study, a field‐usable, qualitative ELISA was developed for serodiagnosis of human anthrax. Results are assessed on a visual basis and no sophisticated instruments are required. Anti‐protective antigen (PA) IgG was determined by visual examination of ELISA results of 225 human serum samples (160 from healthy humans, 5 from PA vaccinated individuals and 60 from confirmed anthrax cases). Comparison of the ELISA results with the results obtained from optical density values showed compatible sensitivity and specificity. Assay sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were found to be 100%. The developed assay could be a very useful tool for serological diagnosis of anthrax infection in humans.
Economic Transformation in Bangladesh and the Income Velocity of Broad Money: An Econometric Analysis

This study has undertaken an econometric analysis of economic transformation and income velocity of broad money. To find out the relevant determinants of income velocity of money this paper used time series data on year basis. This paper focus to discover the key determinants of the velocity of money in Bangladesh using the Augmented Dicky Fuller (ADF) unit root test to inspect the stationary, Engle-Granger residual-based cointegration approach to demonstrate the co-integrating association among variables. The main conclusions of this paper are: (i) relationship exists between the velocity of money and financial development. Other important variables that determine GDP growth show a negative relationship with the velocity of money but maintain a positive relationship with the deposit interest rate. Finally, this study concludes by giving some policy recommends for Bangladesh with respect to the velocity of broad money and the monetary policy.