Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Global Communication and Foreign Policy

This study investigated the effects global communication is having on the formulation and conduct of foreign policy and showed that it both constrains leaders and officials yet provides them with opportunities to advance their goals. The article presents a taxonomy where global communication is viewed as an actor in the policy process with corresponding attributes of type, activity, context, and concept. Four types of actors are identified controlling, constraining, intervening, and instrumental. The article critically and respectively examines concepts developed to explain each type: the "CNN Effect theory, " "real-time policy," "international political brokerage, " and "media diplomacy. " Although some of these concepts were found to be useful, major progress in this field requires interdisciplinary research based on joint application of theories arid models from both communication and international relations.
The Effects of Audit Committee Members’ Age and Additional Directorships on the Cost of Equity Capital in the USA

In this paper, we examine the associations between the cost of equity capital and two audit committee (AC) characteristics: (1) average AC members’ age and (2) average number of AC members’ other directorships. This study is motivated by the recent emphasis on the important role of ACs in overseeing financial reporting and audit processes, as well as the recognition of the critical role of capital costs in firms' operational efficiency and profitability. The empirical results show that the cost of equity capital is lower in US firms with higher average AC members’ age. We do not find any evidence that the average number of AC members’ other directorships is associated with the cost of equity capital. We also find that age could be another proxy for AC members’ experience. Our findings provide evidence that supports the call of the US Securities and Exchange Commission for greater board diversity (including age). Our study not only demonstrates the important role of ACs in corporate governance, but also enriches the literature by examining the two AC characteristics that are rarely mentioned in prior studies.
Are Financial or Moral Scandals Worse? It Depends.

Abstract Previous analysis finds that people respond differently to “financial” (e.g., tax evasion) and “moral” (e.g., sexual misconduct) political scandals. However, experimental and observational studies tend to reach different conclusions about which type of scandal induces a stronger negative reaction from the public. We use an experiment embedded in a national survey to examine the possibility that these divergent findings can, in part, be explained by a failure to consider the effects of abuses of power. Consistent with previous experimental work, we find that people respond more negatively to financial scandals than to moral scandals when they do not involve abuses of power. However, abuses of power substantially affect responses to both types of scandals. We also find that moral and financial scandals affect personal and job evaluations of a politician differently. These findings support our contention that to understand public responses to scandal, it is crucial to consider the relationship between the scandalous behavior and the official's formal responsibilities.
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN WAGE GROWTH AND JOB MOBILITY OF YOUNG WORKERS IN SPAIN

This paper analyzes the work histories of young workers, focusing on gender differences in work interruptions and job changes. I use the European Community Household Panel (Spanish section, 1994- 2001) to build a measure that considers heterogeneity in the accumulation of experience and to compare men’s and women’s mobility patterns. Returns to cumulated experience are greater than returns to potential experience, especially for women. Turnover rates are similar, but for males it is important to hold a position with responsability, to have a family or to live in economic poles whereas for females, to work part-time or the firm size.
The Relationship among Organizational Culture, Leadership Style, Information and Communication Technology and Organization Efficiency

The objective of a firm is to maximize wealth for stakeholders and to manage the relationship between leadership and technology, which is the key to developing and increasing organization efficiency. While balanced scorecards are used in many corporations to evaluate performance, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is widely used in organizations to increase competitive advantage and differentiate from competitors. This research provides factors which enable organizations to understand the importance of ICT and best utilize it to support their business. Therefore, organizational culture and leadership are the primary focal points of this research. A questionnaire was developed to collect information about the relationship among culture, leadership, ICT and organization efficiency. This research adopts multiple linear regressions as a statistical tool to analyse the collected data. The results shown that culture and leadership have no direct impact on ICT, but ICT impacts organization efficiency. Keywords—Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Leadership style, Organization culture, Organization efficienc
Evaluation of cytotoxicity and up-regulation of gelatinases in human fibroblast cells by four root canal sealers.

AIM To investigate the effects of root canal sealers on the cytotoxicity and gelatinolytic activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in human fibroblasts. METHODOLOGY Human fibroblasts (MRC5, 3×10(5) cells per well) were incubated directly or indirectly with AH Plus, Endomethasone N, Pulp Canal Sealer EWT or Sealapex for 30 min, 1, 4 or 24 h (time-points). The cytotoxicity of all root canal sealers was determined by counting viable cells using the trypan blue exclusion assay. Supernatants of cell cultures incubated with root sealers directly or indirectly were collected after each time-point to determine the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 gelatinolytic activity by gelatin zymography. Data were analysed using anova and the Tukey's tests. RESULTS Cells secreted MMP-2 after periods of 4 and 24 h; however, there were no significant differences between the sealers. Secretion of gelatinases was elevated by root canal sealers in direct contact with the cell monolayer when compared to indirect contact (P < 0.05). At the time-points tested, no gelatinolytic activity could be detected in the control group without the sealers. The cytotoxicity results revealed that all sealers were cytotoxic in both contact forms. Sealapex had the lowest cytotoxicity and AH Plus the most cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS All root canal sealers induced the expression of MMP-2 in MRC5 fibroblasts. AH Plus had the highest cytotoxicity amongst the tested sealers, but all were associated with cytotoxic effects.
Sociodemographic characteristics of anaemic gravidae at booking: a preliminary study at Llesha, Western Nigeria.

BACKGROUND Anaemia in pregnancy is a significant cause of direct and indirect morbidity and mortality to both the pregnant mother and her fetus. The prevalence however remains undetermined in many parts of Africa. The study aims at determining the prevalence of anaemia and sociodemographic characteristics of anaemic pregnant women in a Nigerian tertiary obstetric care centre. METHODS A cross-sectional study involving all pregnant women that registered for ante-natal care between 1st January 2001 and 30th of June 2001 in Wesley Guild Hospital Unit of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-lfe. RESULTS Prevalence of anaemia among the pregnant women during the period of study was 62.2%. Two percent of the women had severe anaemia. Parity and gestational age at booking significantly influenced the prevalence of anaemia. CONCLUSION Prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in developing world is still unacceptably high, and it calls for improvement in standard of living for our pregnant women.
Improving the Measurement of Cross-Border Securities Holdings: The Treasury International Capital SLT

In the wake of the financial crisis, growing interest in improving the measurement of cross-border securities positions and flows spurred the introduction of a new Treasury International Capital (TIC) reporting form, the TIC Security Long Term (SLT). This article reviews the existing structure of TIC cross-border position and flow data, the benefits that the new SLT can provide, and the incoming information from the first two reporting months of SLT data, September and December 2011. While some patterns and characteristics of the SLT data will become clear only after more data have accumulated, the SLT data have already begun to provide timely insights on U.S. and foreign cross-border investment flows that are different from the monthly estimates provided by existing flow data.
Hysteresis Bands and Transaction Costs

In the presence of transactions costs, no matter how small, arbitrage activity does not necessarily render equal all riskless rates of return. When two such rates follow stochastic processes, it is not optimal immediately to arbitrage out any discrepancy that arises between them. The reason is that immediate arbitrage would induce a definite expenditure of transactions costs whereas, without arbitrage intervention, there exists some, perhaps sufficient, probability that these two interest rates will come back together without any costs having been incurred. Hence, one can surmise that at equilibrium the . nancial market will permit the coexistence of two riskless rates that are not equal to each other. For analogous reasons, randomly fluctuating expected rates of return on risky assets will be allowed to differ even after correction for risk, leading to important violations of the Capital Asset Pricing Model. The combination of randomness in expected rates of return and proportional transactions costs is a serious blow to existing frictionless pricing models.
Mentorship quality and protégés' work-to-family positive spillover, career satisfaction and voice behavior in China

Mentoring has long captured the attention of scholars due to its effects on personal lives and career and organizational success. This study investigates the impact of mentorship quality, as perceived by protégés, while lending consideration to the moderating role of interpersonal citizenship behavior (ICB). Results from a two-wave survey of 173 Chinese protégés indicate that mentorship quality positively influences work-to-family positive spillover (WFPS), career satisfaction and voice behavior. Moreover, career satisfaction fully mediates the association between mentorship quality and voice behavior. Furthermore, the mentorship quality–WFPS relationship is stronger when the receipt of ICB is high rather than low. The findings are discussed with respect to the theoretical contributions of and practical implications for human resource management.
Would Australia–New Zealand Be a Viable Currency Union? Evidence from Interstate Risk‐Sharing Performances

type="main" xml:id="coep12130-abs-0001"> In this article, we first measure the potential welfare gains from perfect risk sharing among Australian states and New Zealand regions under possible unification. We show that New Zealand regions reap moderate gains from perfect risk sharing when they form a union with Australia, whereas for Australian states, the gains are somewhat similar to what they have attained at the intranational level. Second, we measure the extent of interstate risk sharing and intertemporal smoothing between the two countries. We are able to observe a substantial degree of intertemporal smoothing among Australian states and New Zealand regions, either alone or jointly, thus confirming the permanent income hypothesis. Further, unique to the risk-sharing literature, we decompose the aggregate (nondiversifiable) output shocks into positive and negative components, in order to assess the strength of risk-sharing mechanisms across business cycles. The study finds a virtual absence of risk sharing when Australia and New Zealand face negative aggregate fluctuations, raising doubts about the feasibility of the union, particularly during economic downturns. (JEL F41, F36)
A real life study of Helicobacter pylori eradication with bismuth quadruple therapy in naïve and previously treated patients

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a quadruple regimen (BMTO) of the “3-in-1 capsule” (containing bismuth subcitrate potassium, metronidazole and tetracycline) plus omeprazole in naïve and previously treated patients diagnosed with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in the clinical setting in Seville (Spain). Methods: This is a prospective study carried out on consecutive patients with a confirmed H. pylori infection and upper gastrointestinal symptoms. After providing their informed consent, the patients were treated for ten days with a 3-in-1 capsule containing bismuth subcitrate potassium (140 mg), metronidazole (125 mg) and tetracycline (125 mg: Pylera®), three capsules four times daily, plus omeprazole (20 or 40 mg) twice daily. Eradication of infection was determined by a negative urea breath test at least 28 days after the end of treatment. Results: A total of 58 consecutive patients were enrolled into this study, two of whom withdrew early due to vomiting on days three and five, respectively. In this cohort, 17 patients (29.3%) had a prior history of medication to treat H. pylori. In the intent-totreat population, eradication was achieved in 97.6% (40/41) and 82.4% (14/17) of cases in patients treated with BMTO as a first-line or rescue therapy, respectively. At least one adverse event was reported by 28 (48%) patients, mostly mild effects (86%). Conclusion: A ten day treatment with BMTO is an effective and safe strategy to combat confirmed H. pylori infection in patients.
Total and Interatrial Epicardial Adipose Tissues Are Independently Associated With Left Atrial Remodeling in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Atrial Fibrillation. Introduction: As epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a metabolically active visceral fat, potential interaction between EAT and myocardium is strongly suggested. The aims of this study were to determine whether the amount and regional distribution of EAT are related to the chronicity of atrial fibrillation (AF) and left atrial (LA) remodeling.
Myxofibrosarcoma - Case report*

Myxofibrosarcoma is recognized as a malignant neoplasm of fibroblastic origin with increased prevalence in the elderly, presenting as nodules or tumors that may extend to the dermis and skeletal muscle, preferably in the lower limbs. Histologically it is characterized by a proliferation of spindle cells in a myxoid stroma. Myxofibrosarcoma has a high potential for local recurrence and metastasis, mainly when it presents a high or intermediate histological grade. We report the case of an eighty-four year old patient with a difficult diagnosis of a highly aggressive tumor.
The Effect of Employment Protection on Worker Effort: Absenteeism During and After Probation

Employment protection systems are widely believed to generate distortions in firms' hiring and firing decisions. However, much less is known about the impact of these regulations on workers' behavior. In this paper we provide evidence on the latter question using data from a large Italian bank. Our analysis is based on weekly observations for 545 men and 313 females hired as white-collar workers between January 1993 and February 1995. These workers begin to be protected against firing only after the 12th week of tenure, and we observe them for one year. We show that-particularly for men-the number of days of absence per week increases significantly once employment protection is granted at the end of probation. This suggests that the provision of employment protection causes the increase in absenteeism. Alternative explanations based on career concerns or on learning about social norms would predict a smooth relationship between absenteeism and tenure instead of the observed discrete jump. This consequence of employment protection seems to have been neglected in European policy debates so far. (JEL: J2, D2, D8, M5) Copyright (c) 2005 by the European Economic Association.
The Cell Surface Glycoprotein CUB Domain-containing Protein 1 (CDCP1) Contributes to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-mediated Cell Migration*

Background: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) activates EGF receptor (EGFR) to promote cell migration and cancer. Results: EGF/EGFR up-regulates the cell surface glycoprotein CDCP1, and blockade of CDCP1 reduces EGF/EGFR-induced migration of ovarian cancer cells lines. CDCP1 is expressed by ovarian tumors. Conclusion: CDCP1 contributes to EGF/EGFR-induced cell migration. Significance: Targeting of CDCP1 may be a rational approach to inhibit cancers mediated by EGFR. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) activation of the EGF receptor (EGFR) is an important mediator of cell migration, and aberrant signaling via this system promotes a number of malignancies including ovarian cancer. We have identified the cell surface glycoprotein CDCP1 as a key regulator of EGF/EGFR-induced cell migration. We show that signaling via EGF/EGFR induces migration of ovarian cancer Caov3 and OVCA420 cells with concomitant up-regulation of CDCP1 mRNA and protein. Consistent with a role in cell migration CDCP1 relocates from cell-cell junctions to punctate structures on filopodia after activation of EGFR. Significantly, disruption of CDCP1 either by silencing or the use of a function blocking antibody efficiently reduces EGF/EGFR-induced cell migration of Caov3 and OVCA420 cells. We also show that up-regulation of CDCP1 is inhibited by pharmacological agents blocking ERK but not Src signaling, indicating that the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway is required downstream of EGF/EGFR to induce increased expression of CDCP1. Our immunohistochemical analysis of benign, primary, and metastatic serous epithelial ovarian tumors demonstrates that CDCP1 is expressed during progression of this cancer. These data highlight a novel role for CDCP1 in EGF/EGFR-induced cell migration and indicate that targeting of CDCP1 may be a rational approach to inhibit progression of cancers driven by EGFR signaling including those resistant to anti-EGFR drugs because of activating mutations in the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway.
Improving moving average trading rules with boosting and statistical learning methods

We present a system for combining the different types of predictions given by a wide category of mechanical trading rules through statistical learning methods (boosting, and several model averaging methods like Bayesian or simple averaging methods). Statistical learning methods supply better out-of-sample results than most of the single moving average rules in the NYSE Composite Index from January 1993 to December 2002. Moreover, using a filter to reduce trading frequency, the filtered boosting model produces a technical strategy which, although it is not able to overcome the returns of the buy-and-hold (B&H) strategy during rising periods, it does overcome the B&H during falling periods and is able to absorb a considerable part of falls in the market. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Social Work Competencies in Palliative and End-of-Life Care

Abstract Social workers from clinical, academic, and research settings met in 2002 for a national Social Work Leadership Summit on Palliative and End-of-Life Care. Participants placed the highest priority on the development and broad dissemination of a summary document of the state-of-the-art practice of social work in palliative and end-of-life care. Nine Summit participants reviewed the literature and constructed this detailed description of the knowledge, skills, and values that are requisite for the unique, essential, and appropriate role of social work. This comprehensive statement delineates individual, family, group, team, community, and organizational interventions that extend across settings, cultures, and populations and encompasses advocacy, education, training, clinical practice, community organization, administration, supervision, policy, and research. This document is intended to guide preparation and credentialing of professional social workers, to assist interdisciplinary colleagues in their collaboration with social workers, and to provide the background for the testing of quality indicators and “best practice” social work interventions.
Vulnerability of stream community composition and function to projected thermal warming and hydrologic change across ecoregions in the western United States

Shifts in biodiversity and ecological processes in stream ecosystems in response to rapid climate change will depend on how numerically and functionally dominant aquatic insect species respond to changes in stream temperature and hydrology. Across 253 minimally perturbed streams in eight ecoregions in the western USA, we modeled the distribution of 88 individual insect taxa in relation to existing combinations of maximum summer temperature, mean annual streamflow, and their interaction. We used a heat map approach along with downscaled general circulation model (GCM) projections of warming and streamflow change to estimate site‐specific extirpation likelihood for each taxon, allowing estimation of whole‐community change in streams across these ecoregions. Conservative climate change projections indicate a 30–40% loss of taxa in warmer, drier ecoregions and 10–20% loss in cooler, wetter ecoregions where taxa are relatively buffered from projected warming and hydrologic change. Differential vulnerability of taxa with key functional foraging roles in processing basal resources suggests that climate change has the potential to modify stream trophic structure and function (e.g., alter rates of detrital decomposition and algal consumption), particularly in warmer and drier ecoregions. We show that streamflow change is equally as important as warming in projected risk to stream community composition and that the relative threat posed by these two fundamental drivers varies across ecoregions according to projected gradients of temperature and hydrologic change. Results also suggest that direct human modification of streams through actions such as water abstraction is likely to further exacerbate loss of taxa and ecosystem alteration, especially in drying climates. Management actions to mitigate climate change impacts on stream ecosystems or to proactively adapt to them will require regional calibration, due to geographic variation in insect sensitivity and in exposure to projected thermal warming and hydrologic change.