Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-dependent clinical and genetic characteristics in Japanese patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia.

BACKGROUND Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) is a heart muscle disease caused by desmosomal gene mutations, and presents as ventricular tachycardia and sudden cardiac death. Although the mean age at onset or diagnosis of ARVC/D are reported to be around the 30-40s, the age-dependent clinical and genetic differences remain unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 35 consecutive Japanese probands (23 male) who were clinically diagnosed with ARVC/D were enrolled in the present study, and genetic analysis of PKP2, DSP, DSG2, and DSC2 was done. The mean age at the first symptom and at diagnosis was 38.6±14.8 years and 40.5±17.7 years, respectively. Probands in whom the onset was cardiopulmonary arrest were significantly younger (22.3±15.3 years) than those with arrhythmia (41.1±13.2 years) or congestive heart failure (45.7±8.5 years). On genetic screening, 19 mutation carriers were identified. Although there was no age dependence for each gene mutation carrier, carriers with PKP2 premature stop codon developed the disease at a significantly younger age than other mutation carriers. CONCLUSIONS The initial clinical manifestations in some young probands were very severe, and PKP2 mutations with a premature stop codon would be associated with disease onset at a younger age.
The Reduction of Firms' Ownership Induced Agency Costs Following Financial Reporting Reform in the European Union

We predict and find that regulations expected to harmonize and strengthen firms' financial reporting in the European Union (EU) in the early 2000s increase Tobin's Q ratios of firms with high agency costs due to (a) concentration of control (entrenchment) and (b) an excess of the largest shareholder's voting rights over cash flow rights. These results are consistent with stronger reporting standards enhancing firm value by mitigating incentives for controlling shareholders to expropriate minority shareholders. Increases in Tobin's Q associated with financial reporting reform are concentrated in EU firms that (a) are not cross-listed in the US; (b) have families as their largest shareholders; (c) are earnings-management-intensive prior to reform; and (d) attract low analyst following. These results suggest that minority shareholders of firms with the most severe perceived information asymmetries are among the major beneficiaries of EU financial reporting reform.
Clinical prediction of assaultive behavior among male psychiatric patients at a maximum-security forensic facility.

OBJECTIVE Patient characteristics associated with the clinical prediction of assaultive behavior in a forensic psychiatric hospital were compared with characteristics associated with actual assaultive behavior. METHODS Treating psychiatrists at a New York forensic psychiatric hospital were asked to predict which of a sample of 183 recently admitted male patients were likely to show assaultive behavior during a three-month period. The predictions were compared with incident reports of actual assaultive behavior. Several patient characteristics, including race, legal status, age, education, criminal history, psychiatric symptoms rated independently by raters other than the treating psychiatrists, and ward behavior, were examined for their association with predicted and actual assaultive behavior. RESULTS Clinicians' rate of correct prediction of assaultive behavior was 71 percent, with a diagnostic sensitivity of 54 percent and a diagnostic specificity of 79 percent. Characteristics associated with the prediction of assaultive behavior were race, transfer from a civil facility because of violence or dangerousness, age, education, arrests for violent offenses, childhood physical abuse, hostility, temper (or nurses' assessment of the patient's irritability), and inability to follow ward routine. Characteristics associated with actual assaultive behavior were transfer from a civil hospital, dual diagnosis of schizophrenia and substance abuse or dependence, childhood physical abuse, age, thought disorder, and temper. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians were significantly more accurate than chance in prospectively predicting which male forensic patients would show assaultive behavior. However, some of the factors associated with clinical prediction, such as race, ability to follow ward routine, and arrest history, were not associated with actual assaultive behavior. In addition, clinicians failed to use dual diagnosis of schizophrenia and substance use disorder as a predictor.
β2 Integrin (CD11/CD18)‐mediated signaling involves tyrosine phosphorylation of c‐Cbl in human neutrophils

Leukocyte adhesion molecules of the β2 integrin (CD11/CD18) family mediate cell‐cell and cell‐substrate interactions of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) during their recruitment to sites of inflammation. To elucidate the molecular events that follow extracellular ligand interactions of β2 integrins, protein tyrosine signaling was studied subsequent to integrin engagement by Western blotting technique. Upon adhesion to immobilized fibrinogen, a native ligand of the β2 integrins Mac‐1 (CD11b/CD18) and gp150/95 (CD11c/CD18), tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins including a 120‐kDa protein was observed in human PMN. This effect was specific for β2 integrins because it was absent in PMN derived from CD18‐deficient mice, which lack any β2 integrin expression. Moreover, no signaling was detectable upon engagement of CD29 and CD61, the β‐subunits of the β1 and β3 integrins, respectively, revealing the unique function of the β2 integrins in PMN. By means of immunoprecipitation, the most prominent protein that became tyrosine phosphorylated upon β2 integrin engagement was identified as the 120‐kDa protein c‐Cbl. The observed signaling was independent of both pertussis toxin‐sensitive heterotrimeric G‐proteins as well as the small G‐protein ras. Inhibition of β2 integrin‐mediated signaling by herbimycin A prevented adhesion, shape change, and spreading of PMN to immobilized fibrinogen, demonstrating the biological significance of the observed effect. Together, the present data suggest that the β2 integrins fulfill a unique function among the leukocyte integrins in human PMN by activating an intracellular signal transduction cascade that leads to tyrosine phosphorylation of c‐Cbl and allows subsequent adhesion, shape change, and spreading.
Syndication and Second Loan Sales

Syndication gives originating banks the opportunity to diversify part of their credit risk by selling loans to other members of the syndicate. However, as originating banks are less exposed to risk, their incentives to monitor borrowers diminish. We explore this trade-off with a theoretical model and show that in equilibrium loans trade at a discount because monitoring effort is sub-optimally low. We illustrate how this inefficiency is related to lack of transparency in the secondary loan market, and provide policy implications to address this problem.
Single image dehazing based on maximizing local contrast

In order to restore visibility from a single degraded image, we propose a fast and efficient method based on local contrast maximization and atmospheric scattering model. According to the characteristics of outdoor imaging and the theory of graph cuts, the original method based on local contrast maximization was improved and optimized. We processed a number of degraded outdoor images to verify the effectiveness of our algorithm. The experimental results show that this method compared with the original has an advantage of processing speed, and it can be able to get a better dehazing output. Our method remarkably improves the stability and reliability of outdoor imaging devices.
An empirical examination of the pricing policies and their antecedents in the services sector

Purpose – The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the pricing policies that service companies adopt in order to set their prices along with the service, organizational and environmental characteristics that influence these policies. Moreover, the extent to which these policies and characteristics are varied across different service industries is also examined.Design/methodology/approach – In order to achieve the research objectives, data were collected from 170 companies operating in six different service sectors in Greece through personal interviews. Moreover, a qualitative research through 38 in‐depth interviews was also conducted.Findings – The study found that the pricing policies tend to be influenced by a number of different service, organizational and environmental characteristics, while different patterns of pricing behavior were clearly identified across different service industries.Research limitations/implications – The practical implications of the findings refer to the fact that .
Mental Health in the Workplace: Towards Evidence-Based Practice

The growing interest in workplace mental health programming has created an unprecedented opportunity for psychology. I describe a comprehensive approach toward workplace mental health incorporating a focus on prevention, intervention, and accommodation. I argue that practice in this area must move beyond advocacy to focus on evidence-based interventions designed to enhance mental health in the workplace. L′intérêt grandissant en programmation de la santé mentale en milieu de travail a créé une opportunité inouïe pour la psychologie. Je décris une approche globale en matière de santé mentale en milieu de travail axée principalement sur la prévention, l’intervention et l’accommodation. J’y souligne que la pratique dans ce domaine doit aller au-delà de la préconisation et se concentrer sur des interventions basées sur des données probantes conçues pour améliorer la santé mentale en milieu de travail.
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in South Africa

In this article, the authors compare the corporate social responsibility reporting (CSRR) of companies— environment, human relations, community, human rights, and diversity dimensions—in the emerging market economy of South Africa with that of companies in the leading economies represented by the Fortune Global 100. The descriptive analysis extends earlier empirical work on the CSRR of emerging market economies, and the impact of culture on CSRR, by examining annual report data from the top 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Index and the Fortune Global 100. Generally, the frequency and level of CSRR in South African companies was significantly higher than that of the Fortune Global 100, which indicates a greater willingness to convey social responsibility in their disclosure practices. This lends credence to the notion that emerging market economies may be more receptive to stakeholder concerns and social responsibility than peer institutions in leading economies.
Electronic Commerce Adoption in SME: The Trend of Prior Studies

Emergence of Internet, particularly Electronic Commerce (EC) application brings new landscape in conducting business. Apart of better efficiency, EC enables firm to diversify business strategy, to introduce newly accepted business model and to embrace globalization. Despite profound usage among large firms, EC is now getting attention of small medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is obviously raises concern as small firms have long been recognized for limited resources and capabilities than larger firms. Consequently, the issue of EC in SMEs attracts considerable research works in this area. This conceptual paper reports on the extensive review of prior studies pertaining to the EC usage among small firms. This paper, however, limits the review to several major aspects i.e. research themes, underpinning theories, research approaches, and the context/country of the study. The last section then outlines important findings of the previous studies and future research direction
A Review on Automatic Text Summarization Approaches

It has been more than 50 years since the initial investigation on automatic text summarization was started. Various techniques have been successfully used to extract the important contents from text document to represent document summary. In this study, we review some of the studies that have been conducted in this still-developing research area. It covers the basics of text summarization, the types of summarization, the methods that have been used and some areas in which text summarization has been applied. Furthermore, this paper also reviews the significant efforts which have been put in studies concerning sentence extraction, domain specific summarization and multi document summarization and provides the theoretical explanation and the fundamental concepts related to it. In addition, the advantages and limitations concerning the approaches commonly used for text summarization are also highlighted in this study.
Testing macro–evolutionary models using incomplete molecular phylogenies

Phylogenies reconstructed from gene sequences can be used to investigate the tempo and mode of species diversification. Here we develop and use new statistical methods to infer past patterns of speciation and extinction from molecular phylogenies. Specifically, we test the null hypothesis that per–lineage speciation and extinction rates have remained constant through time. Rejection of this hypothesis may provide evidence for evolutionary events such as adaptive radiations or key adaptations. In contrast to previous approaches, our methods are robust to incomplete taxon sampling and are conservative with respect to extinction. Using simulation we investigate, first, the adverse effects of failing to take incomplete sampling into account and, second, the power and reliability of our tests. When applied to published phylogenies our tests suggest that, in some cases, speciation rates have decreased through time.
The Effects of Technological Change on Employment

This paper empirically analyzes the effects of technological change, particularly the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) utilization, on employment structure. A relative labor compensation model and an employment model are estimated to find out the characteristics of change in technology and complementarity between capital and labor, which are the critical variables determining the relationship between technological change and employment. In the relative labor compensation model by technological level, empirical results show a significant capital-augmenting effect of technological change and a consequent substitutability between capital and labor at the mid-low level of skill group in the manufacturing industry, which is the only critical evidence of a decrease in employment due to technological advancement. Through the rest of the models, the effects of technological progress on employment can be represented in both positive and negative directions. Therefore, it is not true that technology is always the cause of jobless growth.
Dual-source, dual-energy multidetector CT for the evaluation of pancreatic tumours.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the potential diagnostic value of dual-energy CT (DECT) with virtual non-enhanced (VNE) and iodine-only images, and to determine the optimal mixed ratio of blended images for evaluation of pancreatic diseases. METHODS Multiphasic DECT was performed in 44 patients with focal pancreatic disease. DECT was used during the pancreatic and hepatic venous phases, and a peak kilovoltage of 120 kVp was used for both non-contrast phases. For qualitative analysis of the CT images, two radiologists assessed three image sets (VNE, iodine-only and blended images) in order to determine the acceptability of VNE in replacing true non-enhanced (TNE) images, the added value of iodine-only images and the preferred blending ratio. For quantitative analyses, the CT numbers and image noise of the pancreatic parenchyma, lesions, aorta and psoas muscle were measured. The contrast-to-noise ratio of the lesion was calculated on the pancreatic phase images. The effective radiation dose for DECT and TNE images was calculated. Statistical comparisons were made using the Friedman test, the Wilcoxon test, the paired t-test and repeated measures of analysis of variation with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. RESULTS The level of acceptance of the VNE images in replacing TNE images was 90.9%. Regarding the iodine-only images, 50% of the cases were found to have an added value. The linear-blended images with a weighting factor of 0.5 were preferred. CONCLUSIONS DECT was able to provide high-quality VNE images that could replace TNE images and iodine-only images showing an added value. Blended images with a weighting factor of 0.5 were preferred by the reviewers.
Utility of nuclear morphometry in the cytologic evaluation of canine cutaneous soft tissue sarcomas

Cytopathologists lack reliable criteria to distinguish neoplastic from reactive spindle cells; however, with computer-based nuclear morphometry, it is now possible to more objectively and precisely quantify differences between selected populations of cells. Forty-four cutaneous soft tissue sarcomas and 5 cases of reactive spindle cell proliferations in the dog were morphometrically analyzed with regard to median and standard deviation (SD) of nuclear area, diameter (max, min, mean), radius (max, min), perimeter, and roundness. Overall, nuclei from reactive spindle cells were larger, with greater variation in nuclear size and shape. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found for several nuclear parameters, including the median and SD of maximum diameter and radius, as well as the SD of roundness. No significant differences were found in nuclear parameters between soft tissue sarcomas divided by histologic grade, mitotic index, or tumor necrosis score. Analysis of the sources of variation indicated near-perfect intraobserver and substantial interobserver agreement. The largest source of variation was due to selection of different measurement fields, reflecting the inherent biological variation in nuclear size within the tumor cell population. The results indicate that nuclear morphometry on cytologic preparations is a reproducible method that may be able to differentiate cutaneous soft tissue sarcomas from reactive mesenchymal lesions in the dog. Further studies, including a larger number of cases, are warranted to assess repeatability of results.
THE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE OF DIVERSITY OFFICERS IN FORTUNE 1000 COMPANIES HEADQUARTERED IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

Using semistructured, in-depth interviews, this study examined the professional experiences of diversity officers of Fortune 1000 companies headquartered in the southeastern United States. The study identified the in-depth roles, responsibilities, and organizational support of the diversity officer; the consistency of the roles across industries; the consistency of defined versus actual roles; success factors and challenges that result from the implementation of the diversity initiative, and the ways in which diversity officers overcome challenges encountered in the performance of their duties. The findings of the study suggest that roles and responsibilities of the diversity officers are consistent across various industries. The diversity officers, charged with leading the implementation of diversity and inclusion efforts, in turn collaborate with employees at all levels of the organization in the actual implementation and sustainment of the initiative. The diversity officers place strong emphasis on the support of the executive management team as necessary to the success of their diversity and inclusion initiative. This study contributes to the diversity literature by providing a detailed focus on the roles and functions of the position of diversity officer and the collaborative approach to organizational diversity and inclusion.
A Practical Point Cloud Based Road Curb Detection Method for Autonomous Vehicle

Robust and quick road curb detection under various situations is critical in developing intelligent vehicles. However, the road curb detection is easily affected by the obstacles in the road area when Lidar based method is applied. A practical road curb detection method using point cloud from a three-dimensional Lidar for autonomous vehicle is reported in this paper. First, a multi-feature, loose-threshold, varied-scope ground segmentation method is presented to increase the robustness of ground segmentation with which obstacles above the ground can be detected. Second, the road curb is detected by applying the global road trend and an extraction-update mechanism. Experiments show the robustness and efficiency of the road curb detection under various environments. The road curb detection method is 10 times the speed of traditional method and the accuracy is much higher than existing methods.
Public attitudes toward biofuels

Abstract Despite large-scale investments and government mandates to expand biofuels development and infrastructure in the United States, little is known about how the public conceives of this alternative fuel technology. This study examines public opinion of biofuels by focusing on citizen knowledge and the motivated processing of media information. Specifically, we explore the direct effects of biofuels knowledge and the moderating effect of partisanship on the relationship between media use and benefit vs. risk perceptions in the following four domains: environmental impacts, economic consequences, ethical/social implications, and political ramifications. Our results suggest that more knowledgeable respondents see fewer benefits of biofuels relative to risks, and that Democrats and Republicans are affected differently by media use when forming opinions about biofuels. Among Democrats, greater attention to political media content leads to a more favorable outlook toward the technology across several domains of interest, while among Republicans, an increase in attention to political content has the opposite effect. Possible reasons for these results, as well as implications of the findings at the intersection of politics and the life sciences, are discussed.
The influence of price fairness on customer satisfaction: an empirical test in the context of automobile purchases

Purpose – This paper aims to link conceptually the concepts of price fairness and customer satisfaction and empirically demonstrate the influence of perceived price fairness on satisfaction judgments. Further, it seeks to examine specific factors that influence fairness perceptions including price perception and consumer vulnerability.Design/methodology/approach – The study is conducted in the context of automobile purchases in major German car dealerships. Based on a theoretical conceptualization of the constructs and an empirical pretest, 246 car buyers were surveyed and their fairness perceptions and satisfaction judgments with the car buying process measured.Findings – The research shows that price perceptions directly influence satisfaction judgments as well as indirectly through perceptions of price fairness. Results also indicated that consumers' vulnerability, which is induced by a perceived demand‐supply relationship and the urgency of need from the consumers' side, had a negative effect on perce.