Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Compliance, Collaboration, and Codes of Labor Practice: The ADIDAS Connection

Comprising networked organizations that span advanced and developing countries, the athletic footwear sector is at the cutting edge of globalization. An important dimension of corporate responsibility is setting and maintaining labor standards for contractors9 employees in countries where workers have little or no legal protection against exploitation. This article examines how adidas, the industry9s number two firm, has utilized a code of labor practice to regulate the labor standards of its main manufacturing suppliers. A comparative analysis of a matched sample of two contractors in China shows that although the code requirements were met in both cases, relationships with adidas not only differed but also made a difference. Compared with compliance type relationships, collaborative global firm-contractor ties encourage higher workplace performance and better employment relations in contractor factories.
Influence of body weight on patients’ satisfaction with ambulatory care

Patients with obesity experience psychosocial consequences because of their weight and report physician bias. We examined whether obesity is associated with lower patient satisfaction with ambulatory care among 2,858 patients seen at 11 academically affiliated primary care practices in Boston. Compared with normal weight patients (body mass index [BMI], 19.0 to 24.9 kg/M2), overweight (BMI, 25.0 to 29.9 kg/M2) and obese patients (BMI ≥30 kg/M2) reported lower overall satisfaction scores at their most recent visit; the scores were 85.5, 85.0, and 82.6 out a possible 100, respectively (P=.05). After adjustment for potential confounders including illness burden, obese patients reported lower scores but the difference was not statistically significant (mean difference, 1.23 [95% confidence interval −0.67 to 3.12]). Patient satisfaction with their usual provider and their practice did not vary by BMI group. Obesity is associated with only modest decreases in satisfaction scores with the most recent visit, which were explained largely by higher illness burden among obese patients.
Information interaction in 140 characters or less: genres on twitter

In this paper, we describe a genre analysis of Twitter updates, commonly called tweets. The aim was to understand and characterize the communication supported by Twitter in a structured manner enabled by the genre concept. We analyzed six facets of Twitter genres: who, what, where, when, why, and how, and identified a set of five common Twitter genres.
CHANGES IN CSF S100B AND CYTOKINE CONCENTRATIONS IN EARLY-PHASE SEVERE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

S100B protein (S100B) has been described as a marker of brain injury. Various cytokines also increase in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Thus, we investigated early changes in the concentrations of CSF S100B and various cytokines after TBI and evaluated the relations of both S100B and cytokines to intracranial pressure (ICP) and prognosis. Twenty-three patients with severe TBI and a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or less on admission were included in this study. CSF and serum samples were obtained on admission and at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after injury. CSF concentrations of S100B and CSF and serum concentrations of five cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10) were measured and compared. The CSF S100B concentration was increased for 6 h after injury and decreased thereafter. The CSF concentrations of IL-6 and IL-8 peaked within 6 h after injury; other cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10) were elevated for 24 h after injury and gradually decreased thereafter. Peak CSF S100B concentrations correlated significantly with ICP determined at the time CSF samples were taken (r2 = 0.729, P < 0.0001). For the cytokines investigated, only the peak CSF IL-1β concentration correlated significantly and positively with the peak CSF S100B concentration (r2 = 0.397, P < 0.005). Peak CSF concentrations of S100B (1649 ± 415 μg/L, mean ± SEM) and IL-1β (16.5 ± 3.3 pg/mL) in the 6 patients with high ICP were significantly higher than those (233 ± 67 μg/L, 7.6 ± 1.7 pg/mL, respectively) in the 17 patients with low ICP (P < 0.05). The CSF S100B concentration (1231 ± 378 μg/L) in eight patients with an unfavorable outcome was significantly higher than that (267 ± 108 μg/L) in 15 patients with a favorable outcome (P < 0.05). The CSF IL-1β concentration (14.8 ± 3.4 pg/mL) in eight patients with an unfavorable outcome tended to be higher than that (7.3 ± 1.5 pg/mL) in 15 patients with a favorable outcome (P = 0.057). CSF concentrations of S100B and cytokines peak within 24 h after severe TBI and decrease gradually thereafter. CSF S100B and IL-1β may be useful as predictors of outcome in cases of severe TBI.
The Economic Consequences of Increased Disclosure

Economic theory suggests that a commitment by a firm to increased levels of disclosure should lower the information asymmetry component of the firm's cost of capital. But while the theory is compelling, so far empirical results relating increased levels of disclosure to measurable economic benefits have been mixed. One explanation for the mixed results among studies using data from firms publicly registered in the US is that, under current US reporting standards, the disclosure environment is already rich. In this paper, we study German firms that have switched from the German to an international reporting regime (IAS or US GAAP), thereby committing themselves to increased levels of disclosure. We show that proxies for the information asymmetry component of the cost of capital for the switching firms, namely the bid-ask spread and trading volume, behave in the predicted direction compared to firms employing the German reporting regime.
Changes in Public Opinion and the American Welfare State

The debate over the welfare state in the United States has un folded in the throes of a very long-running tension between on one hand, a deep-seated belief that charity corrupts its recipients and on the other, a con viction of our collective responsibility to care for the vulnerable among us. What makes this interesting, of course, is that many if not most Americans put stock in both sides of the debate. This tension plays out in legislative wran gling over the design of anti-poverty programs, it permeates mass media cov erage of the poor, and it has characterized measures of public opinion toward poverty relief as long as there have been such measures.1 As the American welfare state has grown in fits and starts since the advent of Civil War pen sions, voters and policymakers have continued to wrestle with an ambivalence about how to help and how much help to extend to the economically vulner able, under what circumstances, and from what sources. As the United States confronts steeply rising health care costs, the retirement of the baby boomers, and growing economic inequality, this ambivalence offers both a foundation for the expansion of redistributive policies and a potential obstacle to needed reforms. In tracing some recent contours of public opinion toward redistribu tion, this essay attempts to elaborate both the political opportunities and chal lenges to bringing America's welfare state more into line with the needs of a dynamic population. The long-standing sense of obligation to help the poor among us? whether driven by guilt, the practical need to raise up the next generation of citizens,
Opposite Regulation of IL-1β and Secreted IL-1 Receptor Antagonist Production by Phosphatidylinositide-3 Kinases in Human Monocytes Activated by Lipopolysaccharides or Contact with T Cells1

The unbalanced production of IL-1β and its natural, specific inhibitor, the secreted IL-1R antagonist (sIL-1Ra), plays an important role in chronic/sterile inflammation. Relevant to this condition is direct cellular contact with stimulated T cells which is a potent inducer of cytokine production in human monocytes/macrophages. We previously demonstrated that activation of PI3Ks is a prerequisite of the transcription of the sIL-1Ra gene in human monocytes activated by IFN-β. In this study, we addressed the question of PI3K involvement in the production of IL-1β and sIL-1Ra in monocytes activated by cellular contact with stimulated T cells (mimicked by CHAPS-solubilized membranes of stimulated T cells (CEsHUT)), and a crude preparation of LPS, to compare stimuli relevant to chronic/sterile and acute/infectious inflammation, respectively. In monocytes activated by either CEsHUT or LPS, the inhibition of PI3Ks abrogated sIL-1Ra transcript expression and sIL-1Ra production, demonstrating that PI3Ks control the induction of sIL-1Ra gene transcription. In contrast, PI3K inhibition increased the production of IL-1β protein in both CEsHUT- and LPS-activated monocytes, the enhancement being drastically higher in the former. This was not due to changes in IL-1β mRNA steady-state levels or transcript stability, but to the involvement of PI3Ks in the repression of IL-1β secretion. The downstream PI3K effector, Akt, was implicated in this process. The present results demonstrate that PI3Ks are involved in the inhibition of IL-1β secretion and in the induction of sIL-1Ra production in human blood monocytes by controlling different mechanisms in conditions mimicking chronic/sterile (CEsHUT) and acute/infectious (LPS) inflammation.
Corporate Governance: Factors Influencing Voluntary Disclosure by Publicly Traded Canadian Firms*

We report on the comprehensiveness of voluntary corporate governance disclosures in the annual reports and management information circulars of Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) firms. We focus on disclosure of the corporate governance practices implemented by our sample of TSE 300 firms vis-a-vis the 14 guidelines set out in the TSE's report on corporate governance "Where Were the Directors? " Our analysis indicates that only a very few firms disclose that they have fully implemented the TSE guidelines, and that the extent of disclosure of corporate governance practices implemented varies widely among the firms. We then test factors associated with the comprehensiveness of such disclosures and the choice of disclosure medium using simultaneous equations multivariate analysis. We also assess the influence of publicized corporate governance failures on disclosure. Overall, our results suggest that the choices of disclosure medium and the extent of disclosure are made concurrently, and are influenced by the strategic considerations of management.
Reflections on Mirror Therapy

Background. Mirror visual feedback (MVF), a phenomenon where movement of one limb is perceived as movement of the other limb, has the capacity to alleviate phantom limb pain or promote motor recovery of the upper limbs after stroke. The tool has received great interest from health professionals; however, a clear understanding of the mechanisms underlying the neural recovery owing to MVF is lacking. Objective. We performed a systematic review to assess the effect of MVF on brain activation during a motor task. Methods. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases for neuroimaging studies investigating the effect of MVF on the brain. Key details for each study regarding participants, imaging methods, and results were extracted. Results. The database search yielded 347 article, of which we identified 33 suitable for inclusion. Compared with a control condition, MVF increases neural activity in areas involved with allocation of attention and cognitive control (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, S1 and S2, precuneus). Apart from activation in the superior temporal gyrus and premotor cortex, there is little evidence that MVF activates the mirror neuron system. MVF increases the excitability of the ipsilateral primary motor cortex (M1) that projects to the “untrained” hand/arm. There is also evidence for ipsilateral projections from the contralateral M1 to the untrained/affected hand as a consequence of training with MVF. Conclusion. MVF can exert a strong influence on the motor network, mainly through increased cognitive penetration in action control, though the variance in methodology and the lack of studies that shed light on the functional connectivity between areas still limit insight into the actual underlying mechanisms.
Application of Different Methods for the Diagnosis of Experimental Paratuberculosis in Goats

The diagnosis of subclinical paratuberculosis is still considered a major problem worldwide. As part of investigating diagnostic strategies for the paratuberculosis infection, sequential results of various diagnostic methods in a progressive experimental infection in goats were evaluated. Twenty‐three goat kids were divided into three groups: the infected, contact and control, comprising 10, five and eight goats respectively. Animals of the infected group were orally inoculated on seven occasions with 5 ml of inoculum containing 2 × 109Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis per ml. Lymphoycte proliferation test using johnin PPD detected paratuberculosis infection from 60 days post‐infection (DPI) onwards. The johnin PPD was found to be a better antigen for the proliferative assays as compared with the sonicated antigen. The faecal smear examination with acid‐fast staining detected more goats as positive than bacterial culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Lipoarabinomannan enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) started detecting infected goats from 150 DPI onwards followed by indirect ELISA and agar gel immunodiffusion from 180 DPI onwards. Histological examination was confirmatory and detected five infected goats as positive.
Does Paid Employment Help or Hinder Performance in Secondary School? Insights from US High School Students

The purpose of this paper is to describe how some students reconcile school with paid employment. Previous studies have found that students who work a moderate number of hours while in school actually maintain better academic performance than students who do not work at all. (They also perform better than students who work long hours.) Brief essays written by a sample of US high school students as part of a longitudinal study reflect a continuum of opinions regarding the relative value of school and work. One common opinion is that both school and work have value because they both prepare young people for the future in similar ways. The prevalence of this view suggests one reason why working appears not to detract from school performance for some students. Creating more explicit connections between school and paid employment might further enhance their mutual complementarity.
Determining ecotourism strategies using A’WOT hybrid method: case study of Troia Historical National Park, Çanakkale, Turkey

Ecotourism is a dynamic sector growing rapidly worldwide and is considered a means of achieving economic growth without ruining the natural and cultural resources of a given area. Ecotourism provides significant advantages in minimizing problems in touristic regions due to intensive growth and misuse of resources, thereby necessitating the importance of determining primary strategies for areas with ecotourism potential. The present study aimed to develop ecotourism strategies for the Troia Historical National Park (THNP) located within Çanakkale province in the northwest of Turkey. For this purpose, the A’WOT technique, developed through integration of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods, was used. After determination of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats existing at the THNP, the weights of SWOT groups and their factors were calculated together with AHP and eight strategies intended for development of ecotourism were proposed. These strategies can be summarized as follows: (i) clarifying administrative responsibility for the THNP, (ii) diversification of tourism types, (iii) establishment of tourism development corridors, (iv) establishment of appropriate image for Çanakkale and THNP, (v) increasing number of travel agencies, (vi) organizing training programs to develop ecotourism perception, (vii) utilization of advantages provided by strategic location, (viii) utilization of touristic assets within framework of protection-usage principle. It is believed that consideration of the strategies obtained from the findings of this study concerning the THNP and its environment will make an important contribution to the preservation of the landscape structure of the park. Findings also demonstrated that the A’WOT hybrid method is useful and effective in determining ecotourism strategies.
The value relevance of accounting and financial information: panel data evidence

The value-relevance of the major corporate financial variables for Tunisian listed companies is investigated using a levels-based approach. The theoretical background of the paper is based on Ohlson's work (Contemporary Accounting Research, 11(2), 661–87, 1995) and Rees’ empirical paper (Journal of Business, Finance and Economics, 24, 1111–40, 1997). This paper reports that earnings and book value are value-relevant. It is found that dividend policy is a signalling device for Tunisian companies but debt and investment policies are not value-relevant. The results of segmentation by capitalization show that dividend policy is value-relevant only for smaller firms. The dividend coefficient is considerably larger for the medium ROE group and the book value variable is most influential when return on equity is abnormally high.
Cash‐based related party transactions in new economy firms

Purpose - This paper aims to investigate associations between related party transactions (RPTs) and governance and performance factors of new economy firms. Design/methodology/approach - Previous research has examined the RPTs of large US firms. In contrast, the authors focus on smaller, newly listed Australian firms. Referred to as “commitments test entities” (CTE), these firms are distinguished by the unique Australian Securities Exchange listing requirements applying to them, and associated additional (quarterly cash flow) reporting requirements. Findings - While strong corporate governance characteristics may be expected to constrain the amounts of payments and loans to related parties, we find only weak evidence to support that proposition. The results show that financial condition dominates the decision to engage in RPTs and suggest that external monitoring (associated both with larger firm size and the quarterly reporting phase) are a more effective restraint on the magnitude of RPTs for these high-risk CTE firms. Research limitations/implications - The findings are generally consistent with the “conflict of interest view” proposed by Gordon Practical implications - The findings suggest that external monitoring may be a more effective control over RPTs than internal corporate governance mechanisms in this institutional context of small “cashbox” firms. Since RPTs may not be in the best interests of shareholders, extending mandatory RPT disclosures to all periodic cash flow reports warrants further consideration by regulators. Originality/value - This study contributes to the limited research on the effects and implications of RPTs.
A bi‐directional assessment of the human brain‐anorectal axis

Background Brain‐gut dysfunction has been implicated in gastrointestinal disorders but a comprehensive test of brain‐gut axis is lacking. We developed and tested a novel method for assessing both afferent anorectal‐brain function using cortical evoked potentials (CEP), and efferent brain‐anorectal function using motor evoked potentials (MEP).
Does Finance Matter for Growth? What the Data Show

This paper analyses the relationship between financial development (as measured by expansion of domestic credit to private sector relative to GDP) and growth for a sample of 65 less developed countries over a long period, 1980-2006. Using causality tests at various lag-orders we find a strong evidence of mutual causation. We have used alternative dynamic panel data models to estimate the relationships between the two. While the mean group model suggests no relationship in either direction, the pooled mean group model and dynamic fixed effect model show two opposite long-term relationships: finance-to-growth relationship is negative whereas growth-to-finance link is positive.
Interpersonal Movement Synchrony Responds to High- and Low-Level Conversational Constraints

Much work on communication and joint action conceptualizes interaction as a dynamical system. Under this view, dynamic properties of interaction should be shaped by the context in which the interaction is taking place. Here we explore interpersonal movement coordination or synchrony—the degree to which individuals move in similar ways over time—as one such context-sensitive property. Studies of coordination have typically investigated how these dynamics are influenced by either high-level constraints (i.e., slow-changing factors) or low-level constraints (i.e., fast-changing factors like movement). Focusing on nonverbal communication behaviors during naturalistic conversation, we analyzed how interacting participants' head movement dynamics were shaped simultaneously by high-level constraints (i.e., conversation type; friendly conversations vs. arguments) and low-level constraints (i.e., perceptual stimuli; non-informative visual stimuli vs. informative visual stimuli). We found that high- and low-level constraints interacted non-additively to affect interpersonal movement dynamics, highlighting the context sensitivity of interaction and supporting the view of joint action as a complex adaptive system.
Estimates of the Return to Schooling in a Developing Country: Evidence from a Major Policy Reform in Turkey

This paper uses a major change in the compulsory schooling policy in Turkey – which increased the mandatory duration from five to eight years -- to estimate the causal effect of education on earnings. The policy reform brought about a substantial rise in schooling attainment due to the high dropout rates at the end of compulsory schooling, the duration of extension, as well as the spillover effects of the policy on non-compulsory schooling years. Our results show that the 2SLS estimates of the returns to education are much larger estimates than the OLS estimates. These results also constitute the first causal estimates of the returns to education in the Turkish context and one of the few in developing country contexts.
Firm Internationalization and the Cost of Debt Financing: Evidence from Non-Provisional Publicly Traded Debt

Recent research suggests that firm internationalization is associated with greater exchange rate risk and a higher cost of equity capital. However, there is no research on the relation between the level of firm international activity and the cost of debt financing. This study offers the first such empirical evidence using non-provisional public debt. Based on a sample of 2,194 U.S. firm year observations, we find that firms with greater levels of international activity have better credit ratings. We also find that the cost of debt financing is inversely related to the degree of firm internationalization beyond that incorporated in credit ratings. These results suggest that rating agencies do not fully incorporate firm international activity in their analysis resulting in a downward bias in credit ratings for international firms. In aggregate, the results imply that failing to incorporate firm international activity in debt pricing leads to potential omitted variable problems.