Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retrospective review of diagnosis and treatment in children presenting to the pediatric department with acute scrotum.

OBJECTIVE Testicular torsion is a common acute condition in boys requiring prompt accurate management. The objective of this article was to evaluate ultrasound accuracy, findings, and clinical predictors in testicular torsion in boys presenting to the Stollery pediatric emergency department with acute scrotal pain. METHODS Retrospective review of surgical and emergency department ultrasound records for boys from 1 month to 17 years old presenting with acute scrotal pain from 2008 to 2011 was performed. Clinical symptoms, ultrasound and surgical findings, and diagnoses were recorded. Surgical results and follow-up were used as the reference standard. RESULTS Of 342 patients who presented to the emergency department with acute scrotum, 35 had testicular torsion. Of 266 ultrasound examinations performed, 29 boys had torsion confirmed by surgery. The false-positive rate for ultrasound was 2.6%, and there were no false-negative findings. Mean times from presentation at the emergency department to ultrasound and surgery were 209.4 and 309.4 minutes, respectively. Of the torsed testicles, 69% were salvageable. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound for testicular torsion were 100%, 97.9%, and 98.1%, respectively. Sonographic heterogeneity was seen in 80% of nonviable testes at surgery and 58% of patients with viable testes (p = 0.41). Sudden-onset scrotal pain (88%), abnormal position (86%), and absent cremasteric reflex (91%) were most prevalent in torsion patients. CONCLUSION Color Doppler ultrasound is accurate and sensitive for diagnosis of torsion in the setting of acute scrotum. Despite heterogeneity on preoperative ultrasound, many testes were considered to be salvageable at surgery. The salvage rate of torsed testes was high.
Genomic sequencing reveals the structure of the Kcnk6 and Map3k11 genes and their close vicinity to the Sipa1 gene on mouse chromosome 19

In this report we present the analysis of two overlapping mouse cosmid clones that contain the entire Kcnk6, Map3k11 and Pcnxl3 genes, as well as part of the Sipa1 gene. The sequence and genomic organisation of the Kcnk6 and Map3k11 genes are described in detail. Sipa1 and Map3k11, which have independently been mapped with low resolution to the centromeric region of mouse chromosome 19, are shown here to lie close to each other and to the Kcnk6 gene, which has not previously been mapped. This gene cluster maps to the vicinity of the Dancer (Dc) mutation, which involves inner ear abnormalities and circling phenotypes. Since potassium channels have been implicated in deafness disorders, we have analysed the Kcnk6 gene, which encodes a two-P domain potassium channel, in the Dc mutant. No Dc-causing mutation in the Kcnk6 coding region could be identified. However, we detected a polymorphism in the Kcnk6 gene that leads to a C-terminal extension of the encoded protein by eight amino acids.
Using sediment deposited in small reservoirs to quantify sediment yield in two small catchments of Iran.

Sediment deposition in reservoirs is a serious off-site consequence of soil erosion in Semnan Province, Iran. So far insufficient and less reliable sediment yield data have been collected for these regions. The large number of available sediment deposition rates in reservoirs makes the use of reservoir sediments very attractive for regional-scale studies of sediment delivery. This paper however discusses a methodology combination of both source fingerprinting technique and reservoir sediment survey to provide reliable data on sediment yields of geological formation for two small catchments, Iran. The study first assessed the volume and mass of deposited sediment in reservoirs. Secondary a fingerprinting technique have been used to identify the contribution and then specific sediment yield of each geological formation to reservoir sediment. Results indicate that there is some variation in specific sediment yield (SSY) among geological formations in two catchments: i.e. 10.31 t ha-1 year-1 to 0.41 t ha -1 year -1 and emphasize the importance of Quaternary units and Upper Red formations as the dominant surface source within two catchments. This is the important finding to support design and implementation of sediment control strategies in these catchments.
Efficiency of Indian banks during 1999?2008: a stochastic frontier approach

This paper compares the efficiency of Indian banking industry over two time periods, 1999â€“2003 and 2004â€“2008. Ownership effects in determining the efficiency are also compared in this paper. A Cobbâ€“Douglas stochastic frontier model is adopted in order to estimate the bank efficiency. The analysis suggests that there is a substantial efficiency improvement in the Indian banking sector during 2004â€“2008 as compared with 1999â€“2003. The overall mean efficiency of Indian banks increased to 64% in 2004â€“2008 as compared to 30% during 1999â€“2003. In between labour and capital inputs, labour is found to be the dominant input factor in determining the overall banking efficiency. Labour efficiency improved significantly from 74% in 1999â€“2003 to 98% during 2004â€“2008. Among three ownership groups, domestic private sector banks are found to be most efficient in generating the banking output measured in terms of total business and total income. The improvements in the Indian banking sector are mainly attributed due to globalisation, deregulation and advances in information technology. Nevertheless, still there is a wide scope for Indian banking industry to improve efficiency further.
Aspergillus and aflatoxin in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and groundnut cake in Eastern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to assess major Aspergillus species and aflatoxins associated with groundnut seeds and cake in Eastern Ethiopia and evaluate growers’ management practices. A total of 160 groundnut seed samples from farmers’ stores and 50 groundnut cake samples from cafe and restaurants were collected. Fungal isolation was done from groundnut seed samples. Aspergillus flavus was the dominant species followed by Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxin analyses of groundnut seed samples were performed using ultra performance liquid chromatography; 22.5% and 41.3% of samples were positive, with total aflatoxin concentrations of 786 and 3135 ng g−1 from 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 samples, respectively. The level of specific aflatoxin concentration varied between 0.1 and 2526 ng g−1 for B2 and B1, respectively. Among contaminated samples of groundnut cake, 68% exhibited aflatoxin concentration below 20 ng g−1, while as high as 158 ng g−1 aflatoxin B1 was recorded. The study confirms high contamination of groundnut products in East Ethiopia.
Exploring Relationships between Mongolian Destination Brand Equity, Satisfaction and Destination Loyalty

There has been growing interest among researchers in the concept of the customer-based brand equity (CBBE) model that is widely applied in marketing research. Viewing a tourist destination as a brand, the CBBE model has been applied recently to tourism studies and incorporates the notions of perceptual brand equity and behavioural brand equity from the marketing literature. This study proposes the destination brand equity model by incorporating various antecedents, including perceived service quality, destination awareness and destination image as the perceptual brand equity, and destination loyalty as the behavioural brand equity. A relationship model between perceptual brand equity components, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty is constructed and applied to Mongolia as a tourist destination. The study's results in general confirm the causal relationship between perceptual brand equity and behavioural brand equity. More specifically, a relationship path is identified: destination awareness → destination image → perceived quality → satisfaction → destination loyalty. The empirical implications are discussed, as is the value of the approach for destination marketers.
Random walks in Middle Eastern stock markets

This paper classifies formal stock markets in the Middle East into two categories and discuses the principal characteristics of the five markets covered in this study, those in Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman. The hypothesis that a stock market price index follows a random walk is investigated using the multiple variance ratio test. The hypothesis is rejected in two of the markets, those for Kuwaiti domestic companies and Oman. For the Israeli, Jordanian and Lebanese markets, composite stock price indices follow a random walk and so these markets are weak-from efficient. The paper discusses these result in the light of stock market characteristics.
Impact of rurality on the oral health status of 6-year-old children from central Chile: the EpiMaule study.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was the assessment of dental caries and the gingival status of 6-year-old children living in the Maule region, Chile's most rural region, and to determine if rurality was related to a higher prevalence of oral conditions. METHODS A representative sample of 485 children aged 6 years was examined using WHO methods. Children were chosen from schools belonging to urban and rural districts of the region. Caries status was obtained by deft (decayed, extracted, filled teeth), DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth) and SiC (Significant Caries) indexes. To assess gingival health status, the oral hygiene (OHI) and the gingival index (GI) were used. Urban and rural children data were compared using student's t-test at p < 0.05. RESULTS Overall caries prevalence was 80.62%. Rural children showed higher prevalence (p < 0.0001) than urban 6-year-olds, with 88.3% and 69.9%, respectively. The deft (decayed, extracted, filled teeth) index was 4.63 for the region, with 5.74 for rural and 3.09 for urban districts (p < 0.05). The SiC index was 10.23 for rural and 7.13 for urban children (p < 0.05). Mean OHI score was 1.44, but rural children had higher OHI: 1.49 compared with 1.37 for urban 6-year-olds (p < 0.0001). The GI of the region was 1.37, but no differences were detected between rural and urban children (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Children from the Maule region in Chile have a severely deteriorated oral health, higher than Chile's mean. Rural are significantly more affected than urban children. A special focus on rural communities when designing oral health policies is strongly suggested.
A Phase-Based Technique for Localization of UHF-RFID Tags Moving on a Conveyor Belt: Performance Analysis and Test-Case Measurements

A new phase-based technique for localization and tracking of items moving along a conveyor belt and equipped with ultrahigh frequency-radio frequency identification (UHF-RFID) tags is described and validated here. The technique is based on a synthetic-array approach that takes advantage of the fact that the tagged items move along a conveyor belt whose speed and path are known a priori. In this framework, a joint use is done of synthetic-array radar principles, knowledge-based processing, and efficient exploitation of the reader-tag communication signal. The technique can be easily implemented in any conventional reader based on an in-phase and quadrature receiver and it does not require any modification of the reader antenna configurations usually adopted in UHF-RFID portals. Numerical results are used to investigate the performance analysis of such methods, and also to furnish system design guidelines. Finally, the localization capability is also demonstrated through a measurement campaign in a real conveyor belt scenario, showing that a centimeter-order accuracy in the tag position estimation can be achieved even in a rich multipath environment.
Still Punching below its Weight? Actorness and Effectiveness in EU Foreign Policy

Now that European Union’s treaties have established the legal and institutional basis for concerted foreign policy action, proponents of a greater EU role on global issues tend to argue that the principle obstacle to an effective EU foreign policy is the difficulty of achieving cohesion among the member states. But is this cohesion-effectiveness linkage valid? This paper agrees that cohesion is the most important determinant of EU actorness, and proposes a concise definition and technique for measuring it. However, the paper also demonstrates that actorness is no guarantee of foreign policy effectiveness in a multi-centric world order where many do not share the EU’s policy priorities. Both the extent and the limitations of EU foreign policy cohesion are evident in a case study of the trans-Atlantic struggle over the jurisdiction of the international Criminal Court, where the EU’s soft power lost out to the US’ hard power.
High-Involvement Management Practices, Trade Union Representation and Workplace Performance in Britain

Debates about Britain's productivity performance have often drawn attention to the roles played by working practices and employment relations. In the 1980s and 1990s, trade unions were a prime focus; more recently, attention has turned to high-involvement management (HIM) practices (also referred to as 'high-performance work systems'). We combine the two to investigate the relationships between work organisation, trade union representation and workplace performance. We find that HIM has a positive impact on labour productivity. However, this effect is restricted to unionised workplaces, and seems more readily explained by concessionary wage bargaining than 'mutual gains', given the absence of any association with financial performance. These findings raise questions about the universal applicability of HIM as a route to improved workplace performance.
Treatment of children with diffuse intrinsic brain stem glioma with radiotherapy, vincristine and oral VP‐16: A Children's Oncology Group phase II study

The prognosis for children with brain stem glioma remains grim. Based on studies suggesting efficacy of vincristine and oral VP‐16, The Pediatric Oncology Group (POG, now part of the Children's Oncology Group) conducted a study using these agents in combination with standard external beam radiation for children with newly diagnosed brain stem glioma.
Has Australian Financial Reporting Become More Conservative Over Time?

This study examines whether Australian financial reporting became more conservative over the period of 1993–2009. Unlike the United States and European evidence in Givoly and Hayn (2000) and Grambovas et al. (2006), the Australian evidence is not consistent with the notion that conservatism has increased over time. The degree of conservatism fluctuates without any obvious trend over the 17‐year period, especially for the constant sample of firms appearing throughout the period. We also examine the impact of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on accounting conservatism in Australia. Our evidence suggests the adoption of IFRS has led to a decrease in conditional conservatism (i.e. asymmetric timeliness).
Portfolio choice with indivisible and illiquid housing assets: the case of Spain

This paper studies the investment decisions of Spanish households using a unique data-set, the Spanish Survey of Household Finance (EFF). We propose a theoretical model in which households, given a fixed investment in housing, allocate their net wealth across bank time deposits, stocks and mortgage. Besides considering housing as an indivisible and illiquid asset that restricts the portfolio choice decision, we take into account the financial constraints that households face when they apply for external funding. For every representative household in the EFF, we solve this theoretical problem and obtain the theoretically optimal portfolio that is then compared with households’ actual choices. We find that households significantly under-invest in stocks and deposits while the optimal and actual mortgage investments agree. Considering the three types of financial assets at once, we find that the households headed by highly financially sophisticated, older, retired, richer, and unconstrained persons are the ones investing more efficiently.
Corporate social responsibility, the cost of equity capital and ownership structure: An analysis of Chinese listed firms

This study examines the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) towards primary stakeholders on the cost of equity capital in Chinese listed firms, and divides the sample into state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non-state-owned enterprises (NSOEs) for comparison. We construct a set of CSR index systems to measure the quality of the CSR practices and use several approaches to estimate firms’ ex ante cost of equity capital. The results show that firms with higher CSR scores have significantly lower cost of equity capital. In particular, we find that investments in improving CSR towards investors make the greatest contribution to reducing firms’ equity financing costs, and the cost of capital effects of CSR is more significant in recessions than in economic booms. In addition, SOEs have better CSR and lower cost of equity capital than NSOEs, but the effect of CSR in reducing the cost of equity capital is greater for NSOEs than for SOEs. The findings suggest that CSR toward primary stakeholders can be profitable and beneficial to Chinese firms.
Integrated Assessment of Competitive-Strategy Selection with an Analytical Network Process

The present study explores efforts to identify the most appropriate competitive strategy relative to multinational biotech pharmaceutical enterprises’ strategy selection. The research uses the analytic network process (ANP) technique combining both qualitative and quantitative information to construct a hierarchical model involving interactions among various criteria for competitive-strategy selection. The most important finding shows that the most suitable competitive strategy for multinational enterprises (MNEs) is differentiation strategy. The weighted calculations reveal important criteria: an external environment analysis reveals that the three most important criteria affecting FDI competitive strategy are population size, per capita income, and healthcare and medical insurance systems; a core competency analysis reveals that the three most important criteria affecting competitive-strategy selection of FDI to China are capability in collaborating with local partners, possession of high-quality research personnel with R&D capability, and possession of a strong brand.
Meta-analysis of surgical treatments for temporomandibular articular disorders.

PURPOSE Temporomandibular joint articular disorders may cause severe pain and dysfunction. We addressed the following questions. Can any surgical procedures effectively treat these disorders? If so, which procedures are most effective? MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed meta-analyses of surgical trial results to determine whether certain surgical procedures are effective in specific patient groups. To compensate for the lack of parallel control groups in published studies and for the improvement that has been observed in untreated patients, we used historical data from nonsurgical trials to derive 3 estimates of historical control group improvement (0%, 37.5%, and 75%). To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analytic evaluation of surgical treatments for temporomandibular joint disorders. RESULTS Among patients refractory to nonsurgical therapies, surgical arthrocentesis and arthroscopy were effective for patients with disc displacement without reduction at all assumed control group improvement rates. Disc repair/repositioning had a statistically significant effect at all but the highest improvement rate. In patients with disc displacement with reduction, arthroscopy and disc repair/repositioning had statistically significant effects at all but the highest assumed rate of control group improvement. There were no statistically significant differences between the effects of any treatments. CONCLUSIONS Surgical treatments appear to provide some benefit to patients refractory to nonsurgical therapies. The most reliable evidence supports the effectiveness of arthrocentesis and arthroscopy for patients with disc displacement without reduction. Better designed trials are needed before one can accurately determine the magnitude of the benefits of surgery.
The staying power of the public corporation.

Has the publicly held corporation out-lived its usefulness? In HBR's September-October 1989 issue, Michael C. Jensen of the Harvard Business School said "yes. " The institutional shortcomings of the public corporation are so grave, he argued, that it must be considered fatally flawed. He described the emergence of a new form of enterprise-the LBO Association-that releases much of the untapped value and corrects many of the inefficiencies of large public companies. Alfred Rappaport, a professor and consultant who advises large public companies, joins the debate with a rebuttal to Jensen. Rappaport shares many of Jensen's criticisms of current strategic and financial practices among public companies. But he does not believe leveraged buyouts and other going-private transactions can replace the public corporation. This is so, he asserts, for two reasons: LBOs have a limited demand and a limited life. Rappaport argues that the publicly held corporation is worth saving. It is inherently flexible and self-renewing-properties that are fundamental to stability and progress in a market-driven economy and that transitory organizations like LBOs cannot replicate. Rappaport advances a four-point program to overhaul strategic planning, compensation, and governance to maximize shareholder value in public companies: 1. Find the highest valued use for all assets. 2. Limit investment to opportunities with credible potential to create value. 3. Return cash to shareholders when such value-creating investments are not available. 4. Establish incentives for managers and employees to focus on the critical business drivers that create value.
The Joint Effect of Investor Protection and Big 4 Audits on Earnings Quality Around the World

The association of a country's investor protection regime with the quality of reported earnings is examined for a large sample of firms from 42 countries. Three attributes of earnings are evaluated: the magnitude of abnormal accruals, the likelihood of reporting losses, and earnings conservatism (timely loss recognition). We find that earnings quality increases for firms with Big 4 auditors when a country's investor protection regime gives stronger protection to investors; specifically, abnormal accruals are smaller, there is a greater likelihood of reporting losses, and earnings conservatism is greater. In contrast, earnings of firms with non-Big 4 auditors are largely unaffected by different investor protection regimes. The study adds to a growing body of research showing that accounting practices are influenced by a country's institutions. However, our results differ from prior studies by demonstrating that country-level effects are mediated by audit enforcement, and in particular the incentives of Big 4 auditors to perform higher quality audits in countries with stricter investor protection regimes.