Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age and gender differences in objectively measured physical activity in youth.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate age and gender differences in objectively measured physical activity (PA) in a population-based sample of students in grades 1-12. METHODS Participants (185 male, 190 female) wore a CSA 7164 accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. To examine age-related trends, students were grouped as follows: grades 1-3 (N = 90), grades 4-6 (N = 91), grades 7-9 (N = 96), and grades 10-12 (N = 92). Bouts of PA and minutes spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and vigorous PA (VPA) were examined. RESULTS Daily MVPA and VPA exhibited a significant inverse relationship with grade level, with the largest differences occurring between grades 1-3 and 4-6. Boys were more active than girls; however, for overall PA, the magnitudes of the gender differences were modest. Participation in continuous 20-min bouts of PA was low to nonexistent. CONCLUSION Our results support the notion that PA declines rapidly during childhood and adolescence and that accelerometers are feasible alternatives to self-report methods in moderately sized population-level surveillance studies.
Hepatotoxicity in HIV-infected children and adolescents on antiretroviral therapy.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Adverse drug reactions are a significant problem in patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART). We determined liver enzyme elevation frequencies in HIV-infected children and adolescents receiving ART, and their association with risk factors. DESIGN AND SETTING Cross-sectional study, at the Pediatrics Immunodeficiency Division, University Hospital, Universidade Estadual de Campinas. METHODS Medical records of 152 children and adolescents (54.6% male; median age 7.48 years) were analyzed, with a mean of 2.6 liver enzyme determinations per patient. Clinically, patients were classified in categories N (6), A (29), B (78) and C (39). Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were evaluated. Hepatotoxicity was scored as grade 1 (1.1-4.9 times upper limit of normality, ULN), grade 2 (5.0-9.9 times ULN), grade 3 (10.0-15.0 times ULN) and grade 4 (> 15.0 times ULN). To assess hepatotoxicity risk factors, odds ratios (OR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for age, gender, TCD4+ cell count, viral load and medication usage were calculated. RESULTS We observed grade 1 hepatotoxicity in 19.7 % (30/152) patients. No cases of grade 2, 3 or 4 were detected. There was a significant association between hepatotoxicity and use of sulfonamides (OR, 3.61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.50-8.70; aOR, 3.58; 95% CI, 1.44-8.85) and antituberculous agents (OR, 9.23; 95% CI, 1.60-53.08; aOR, 9.05; 95% CI, 1.48-55.25). No toxicity was associated with ART. CONCLUSIONS One fifth of patients experienced mild hepatotoxicity, attributed to antituberculous agents and sulfonamides. Our results suggest that ART was well tolerated.
An examination of firms’ strategic orientations, innovativeness and performance with large Korean companies

Purpose This paper aims to provide an examination of firms’ strategic orientations, innovativeness and performance with large Korean companies. Design/methodology/approach The authors investigated the impacts of firms’ major key strategic orientations (customer orientation [CO], competitor orientation [PO], technology orientation [TO] and internal/cost orientation [IO]) on firm innovativeness (INNO) and performance outcomes with large Korean companies. Findings The results of the analysis showed that CO, PO and TO positively influence the innovativeness, which contributes to firm performance. Originality/value The authors provide some managerial implications on the multiple roles of strategic orientations on firm INNO and performances, along with limitations of this study and future research directions.
- 1-Input and Output Hedging , Adverse Incentives and Market Power 1 By

This paper differentiates between input and output hedging. We develop an illustrative model which shows that for firms with market power, output hedging creates detrimental incentives, which are not present in competitive markets. This adds to their cost of hedging. Thus we expect large firms in non-competitive markets to hedge outputs less often, everything else equal. We test this prediction on a sample of S&P500 firms from 2001 to 2005. In the empirical work, we consider both the benefits of hedging, as discussed extensively in earlier work, and our new variables. Consistent with our model, we find that firms with market power tend not to hedge output commodity risk, while they tend to hedge input commodity risk. These results are robust to various econometric specifications and also robust when considering currency hedging. We also find support for some "traditional" control variables which proxy for the benefits of hedging. * Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University Sage Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853; dd252@cornell.edu **Rutgers Business School Newark and New Brunswick, Janice H. Levin Bldg. Rockafeller Rd. , New Brunswick, NJ 08903 ; 848 445 5641; ravid@business.rutgers. edu 1 We are very grateful to René Garcia for sharing the hedging database with us. We would like to thank seminar participants at Rutgers, Hebrew University, Yeshiva University and NYU and in particular Yakov Amihud, Kose John and David Yermack as well as Tim Adam, Adriano Rampini, Matt Spiegel, Betty Simkins and participants at the 2010 European Finance Association Meetings, the 2011 European Winter Finance meeting in Austria as well as the 2011 Oklahoma Risk Management Conference for their valuable comments. All remaining errors are our own. Ravid would like to thank the Sanger Family Foundation in Israel and the Whitcomb Center at Rutgers Business School for financial support.
Synthesis of a novel series of bispyridinium compounds bearing a xylene linker and evaluation of their reactivation activity against chlorpyrifos-inhibited acetylcholinesterase

Nine potential AChE reactivators were synthesized using a modification of currently known synthetic pathways. Their potency to reactivate AChE inhibited by insecticide chlorpyrifos was tested in vitro. 2,2′-Bis(hydroxyiminomethyl)-1,1′-(1,4-phenylenedimethyl)-bispyridinium dibromide seems to be the most potent AChE reactivator. The reactivation potency of these compounds depends on structural factors such as length of the linking chain between both pyridinium rings and position of the oxime moiety on the pyridinium ring.
Can we improve recruitment of oocyte donors with loss of donor anonymity? A hospital-based survey

Background: Loss of donor anonymity, as a result of an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act , has led to concerns regarding continued recruitment of gamete and embryo donors. This survey aims to examine the impact of loss of anonymity on willingness to donate oocytes and strategies to improve recruitment. Methods: Five hundred anonymous self-report questionnaires were randomly allocated to hospital staff between September and December 2004. Main outcome measures: To determine public awareness of gamete donation, preferred information sources for potential donors, and affect of loss of anonymity on willingness to consider gamete donation. Results: One hundred and sixty-six responses (33%) were received. Only female respondents (n=143) were analysed. Awareness of gamete donation was high (90%), with 34% willing to consider donation. Removal of donor anonymity reduced this figure to 17%. For women under 35 years of age, the corresponding figures are 43% and 19%, respectively. Potential donors may utilize multiple sources of information prior to reaching a decision about donation. Conclusions: Loss of donor anonymity reduced by half those willing to consider donation in all age groups. The future of this service depends on recruitment of donors willing to be identified. Consideration of older donors may be an option if adequate counselling occurs.
Testing the accuracy and stability of spectral methods in numerical relativity

The accuracy and stability of the Caltech-Cornell pseudospectral code is evaluated using the Kidder, Scheel, and Teukolsky (KST) representation of the Einstein evolution equations. The basic “Mexico City tests” widely adopted by the numerical relativity community are adapted here for codes based on spectral methods. Exponential convergence of the spectral code is established, apparently limited only by numerical roundoff error or by truncation error in the time integration. A general expression for the growth of errors due to finite machine precision is derived, and it is shown that this limit is achieved here for the linear plane-wave test.
Why are Pyramid-Affiliated Firms More Tax Aggressive?

This paper examines why pyramid-affiliated firms are more tax aggressive than other firms. While firms in the US are generally widely held by small shareholders, many large firms in Canada belong to business groups, which are typically organized as pyramids. This study, using Canadian listed companies for the time periods of 2010-2013, finds that firms affiliated with pyramid structures are more tax aggressive because: (1) pyramidal groups are likely to have intra-group transactions, which enable the affiliated firms to be more tax aggressive; (2) internal financing in pyramidal groups enables the affiliated firms to be more tax aggressive; and (3) pyramidal groups are likely to occupy political connections, which enable the affiliated firms to be more tax aggressive.
EE-MAC: Energy Efficient Hybrid MAC for WSN

A novel low power medium access protocol energy efficient MAC (EE-MAC) for wireless sensor network is proposed in this paper. EE-MAC targets for improving energy efficiency, delay performance and packet delivery ratio by considering various load conditions of the network. This protocol is based on the hybrid of TDMA and FDMA approaches. The novel idea behind EE-MAC is that it uses the priority concept with hybrid MAC scheduling in order to achieve its objectives. The performance of EE-MAC is obtained through simulations for various packet sizes, traffic loads, and different scenarios which show significant improvements in packet delivery ratio, energy efficiency, and delay compared to existing protocols.
Inhibition by Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus of Class I Major Histocompatibility Complex Presentation on Hepatocytes Is Mediated by Virus Envelope Pre-S2 Protein and Can Be Reversed by Treatment with Gamma Interferon

ABSTRACT Presentation of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is severely down-regulated on hepatocytes in chronic hepatitis caused by woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV). To determine which of the viral proteins mediates class I MHC antigen suppression, cultured normal woodchuck hepatocytes were transfected with the complete WHV genome, sequences encoding individual virus proteins, or whole virus genomes in which transcription of selected proteins was disabled by site-specific mutagenesis. It was found that hepatocyte presentation of class I MHC antigen was significantly inhibited following transfection with complete WHV genome or with viral subgenomic fragments encoding envelope pre-S2 protein or pre-S1 protein, which naturally encompasses pre-S2 amino acid sequence. In contrast, hepatocytes transfected with WHV X gene alone demonstrated a profound enhancement in the class I antigen display, whereas those expressing virus major S protein or nucleocapsid (core) protein were not different from control hepatocytes. Analysis of the mutated WHV sequences confirmed that the envelope pre-S2 protein was responsible for inhibition of the class I MHC antigen display. Interestingly, treatment with recombinant woodchuck gamma interferon (rwIFN-γ) restored the inhibited presentation of the class I antigen. Moreover, the class I antigen suppression was not associated with down-regulation of hepatocyte genes for class I MHC heavy chain, β2-microglobulin, transporters associated with antigen processing, and proteasome subunits. These findings indicate that the defective presentation of class I MHC antigen on hepatocytes transcribing WHV is a consequence of posttranscriptional suppression exerted by virus pre-S2 protein and that this hindrance can be fully reversed by IFN-γ.
Quality of Work Life, Job Satisfaction, and the Facets of the Relationship between the Two Constructs

Quality of Work Life (QWL) and job satisfaction are critical concepts in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM). An intellectual puzzle was chosen by the researchers with regard to whether QWL and job satisfaction are the same or different, and if different, how they are differed. By using the desk research strategy a systematic attempt was made to solve the intellectual puzzle to a reasonable extent. Both constructs were found to be different and related. Four facets of the relationship between the two constructs were revealed: Job satisfaction being a dimension of QWL; job satisfaction not being a dimension of QWL; job satisfaction working as an antecedent of QWL; and finally job satisfaction being a consequence of QWL. Formulated synthesis is perceived as an original contribution to the concepts of QWL and job satisfaction.
Evidence for the Effect of Learning on Timing of Reproduction in Blue Tits

We experimentally show that in blue tits (Parus caeruleus) egg-laying date is causally linked to experience in the previous year. Females that received additional food in the nestling period in one year laid eggs later in the next year compared with the control birds, whatever the degree of synchronization with the natural food abundance in the previous year. As a result, they raised their brood much later than the peak period of nestling food availability in the next year. The response to experience is adaptive for blue tits, which live in heterogeneous habitats where the peak period of food varies, but once settled will breed at the same location for life.
Do governance structure and financial performance matter in CSR reporting

The governance structure and financial performance of organizations have the potential to support the strategic direction of organizations in embedding social and environmental initiatives into their business activities. This is because CSR initiatives require top management commitment and support from stakeholders. In addition, the availability of financial resources could further enhance the CSR initiatives and influence strategic development. The aim of this study is to examine the influence of governance structure (specifically ownership and board structure) and financial performance on CSR reporting among Malaysian public-listed companies. The agency and signaling theories have been employed to underpin the theoretical perspectives of the study. The data for this research was sourced from content analyses of both the annual and sustainability reports of the top 100 public-listed Malaysian companies. The study reveals that board independence, board size, and the presence of women directors on the board significantly influence the reporting of CSR information. Nonetheless, government and foreign ownerships were not significant determinants of the reporting practice. In terms of financial performance, profitability was found to be significant in signaling the behavior of companies to disclose CSR information. Overall, the results of the study largely imply that board structure and profitability of organizations are critical towards the enhancement of CSR initiatives of companies. Social implications: Findings of this study indicate the positive role of women directors on the extent of CSR disclosure, which encourages diversity in the board of directors.
Long-Term Survival Among Patients With Myocardial Infarction Before Age 50 Compared With the General Population: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study

Background—The long-term prognosis for young myocardial infarction (MI) survivors remains poorly understood. Methods and Results—We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study using prospectively collected medical data from all hospitals in Denmark during 1980 to 2009. We examined 30-year cause-specific death rates among 21 693 MI patients <50 years versus 216 930 sex- and age-matched people from the general population. We calculated mortality rate ratios (MRRs) based on Cox regression. Between 1980 to 1989 and 2000 to 2009, MI mortality declined from 12.5% to 3.2% within 30 days, 5.1% to 1.6% within 31 to 365 days, and 24.2% to 8.9% within 1 to 10 years. Compared with the general population, the MRR adjusted for sex, age, and cardiovascular and noncardiovascular comorbidity decreased 4.5-fold within 30 days (from 468 to 97), 3-fold within 31 to 365 days (from 11.32 to 3.70), and 2.5-fold within 1 to 10 years (from 4.77 to 1.89). The remaining 1.89-fold increased mortality rate among 1-year survivors in 2000 to 2009 corresponded to 6 additional deaths each year per 1000 patients compared with the general population. Long-term causes of death were primarily because of cardiovascular and chronic pulmonary diseases. The excess 10-year MRR among 1-year survivors was consistent within MI subtypes, did not differ substantially between comorbidity categories, but was higher for women than men (3-fold versus 1.7-fold). Conclusions—The long-term mortality rate after MI before age 50 has decreased remarkably over the last 3 decades, but remains increased relative to the general population, mainly because of deaths from ischemic heart disease and other smoking-related diseases.
The cognitive specificity of associative responses in patients with chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE Previous studies have found evidence of an associative response bias for patients with chronic pain. This body of research is not clear, however, on whether this bias is specific to patients with chronic pain, or whether the bias is specific to pain stimuli or illness/disability stimuli. DESIGN This is a cross-sectional study involving the comparison of selected groups (chronic pain, acute pain, and medical-staff controls). METHOD This study included 80 male participants with chronic pain, 50 male participants with acute pain, and 49 male participants who served as medical staff controls. All participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a pain intensity VAS, and the single-word associate homographic response task. RESULTS Evidence was found for the specificity of pain responses to homographic pain stimuli as the chronic pain group produced more of these responses than the two comparison groups. CONCLUSIONS These findings were seen as providing evidence for an associative response bias. This bias appears specific to pain-related stimuli and reflects the cumulative effects of pain over a period of time.
Alterations of Phospholipid Metabolites in Postmortem Brain from Patients with Alzheimer's Disease a

To test the hypothesis that brain cell membranes degenerate in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we measured the levels of phospholipids, their water-soluble metabolites, and glycerophosphocholine (GPC) cholinephosphodiesterase activity in postmortem brain tissue from patients with AD and age-matched controls. We found significantly higher levels of the phospholipid catabolite GPC in AD brain. In contrast, choline and ethanolamine levels were significantly lower in AD, and phospholipid levels were slightly decreased. Furthermore, in AD the activity of the GPC-degrading enzyme GPC cholinephosphodiesterase was unaltered. Our results indicate that membrane phospholipid catabolism is increased in AD brain. Inasmuch as the tissue levels of initial phospholipid precursors were decreased, we suggest that phospholipid turnover is elevated in this neurodegenerative disease.
Micro‐scale blood particulate dynamics using a non‐uniform rational B‐spline‐based isogeometric analysis

The current research presents a novel method in which blood particulates – biconcave red blood cells (RBCs) and spherical cells are modeled using isogeometric analysis, specifically Non‐Uniform Rational B‐Splines (NURBS) in 3‐D. The use of NURBS ensures that even with a coarse representation, the geometry of the blood particulates maintains an accurate description when subjected to large deformations. The fundamental advantage of this method is the coupling of the geometrical description and the stress analysis of the cell membrane into a single, unified framework. Details on the modeling approach, implementation of boundary conditions and the membrane mechanics analysis using isogeometric modeling are presented, along with validation cases for spherical and biconcave cells. Using NURBS – based isogeometric analysis, the behavior of individual cells in fluid flow is presented and analyzed in different flow regimes using as few as 176 elements for a spherical cell and 220 elements for a biconcave RBC. This work provides a framework for modeling a large number of 3‐D deformable biological cells, each with its own geometric description and membrane properties. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first application of the NURBS – based isogeometric analysis to model and simulate blood particulates in flow in 3D. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Utilizing Management Technology Advantages in Cross-Border Acquisitions

A growing literature documents that management quality accounts for an important portion of the differences in productivity across firms and countries. One route through which management practices could affect productivity is through mergers and acquisitions. In this paper, I investigate the role of management quality on cross-border acquisition activities and outcomes. I find that cross-border deal volume is positively associated with management quality differences across countries and firms. Firms with better management practices are more likely to be the acquirers. Acquisition premia paid to the target are positively related to the difference in management quality between the acquirer and target firms. Managers of the target firm are more likely to quit when the acquiring firm has better management practices. Lastly, target firms are less likely to be divested post-acquisition when acquirer firms have better management practices. My results indicate that management as a strategic intangible asset plays an important role in the cross-border acquisition plans, activities and outcomes.
One‐Year Survey of Cutaneous Lesions in 1000 Consecutive Iranian Newborns

Abstract: Our objective was to study skin disorders in neonates within the first 48 hours of life in Ahvaz, Iran. One thousand consecutive neonates were examined in a descriptional prospective cohort study for 1 year (2002–03). The rate of skin disorders and their relationship to age of gestation and sex were calculated and analyzed using the computerized program spss version 10 and chi‐squared test (χ2). Our findings were Mongolian spots (71.3%), Epstein pearls (70.2%), sebaceous hyperplasia (43.7%), salmon patch (26.2%), hypertrichosis (25.7%), erythema toxicum (11.1%), milia (7.5%), desquamation (1.9%), hemangioma (1.3%), and miliaria (1.3%). The most frequent skin disorders were Mongolian spots, Epstein pearls, and sebaceous hyperplasia. Differences between our study findings and those of others may be based on racial differences and study method.
Bond Market Reaction to Untimely Filings of 10-K and 10-Q Reports

We examine the consequences of untimely filings of forms 10-K and 10-Q in the bond market. Using publicly traded bond data covering the period from January 2000 to December 2012, we find that the bond market reacts negatively to late filing announcements of 10-Ks and 10-Qs. We also find that the use of covenants exacerbates the market reaction to the delayed filing, and that late-filing firms are likely to experience credit rating downgrades in the ensuing six- to twelve-month period. We use an identification strategy based on matched sample analysis that separates the delayed filing per se, from the economic cause of late filing to confirm our findings. The results provide evidence that the timeliness of public disclosure is an important consideration in the pricing of corporate public debt.