Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphological abnormalities of the thalamus in youths with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE The role of the thalamus in the genesis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains poorly understood. The authors used anatomical MRI to examine the morphology of the thalamus in youths with ADHD and healthy comparison youths. METHOD The authors examined 46 youths with ADHD and 59 comparison youths 8-18 years of age in a cross-sectional case-control study. Conventional volumes and measures of surface morphology of the thalamus served as the main outcome measures. RESULTS A mixed-effects model comparing whole thalamic volumes revealed no significant differences between groups. Maps of the thalamic surface revealed significantly smaller regional volumes bilaterally in the pulvinar in youths with ADHD relative to comparison subjects. Post hoc analyses showed that ADHD patients who received stimulants (N=31) had larger conventional thalamic volumes than untreated youths with ADHD, and maps of the thalamic surface showed enlargement over the pulvinar in those receiving stimulants. Smaller regional volumes in the right lateral and left posterior thalamic surfaces were associated with more severe hyperactivity symptoms, whereas larger regional volumes in the right medial thalamic surfaces were associated with more severe symptoms of inattention. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate reduced pulvinar volumes in youths with ADHD and indicate that this same area is relatively enlarged in patients treated with stimulants compared to those untreated. Associations of hyperactivity scores with smaller regional volumes on the lateral thalamic surface and inattention scores with larger regional volumes on the medial thalamic surface suggest the differential involvement of thalamic subcircuits in the pathogenesis of differing ADHD symptoms.
The role of internal audit function in the public sector context in Saudi Arabia

This paper contributes to the debate on the role of internal auditing in the public sector by focusing on the nature and practice of internal auditing in organisations that are subject to audit by the General Audit Bureau. Archival and documentary analysis, supported by 29 semi-structured interviews revealed that the underpinnings of the Saudi Internal Audit Regulation did not tie in directly with perceived international best practice - the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing. Institutional factors are also likely to play a part in terms of the existence of the state-required ‘Follow-up department’ in all organizations, tasked with performing investigation and inspection, the ‘auditing department’ (which monitors the propriety of transactions and accounting), and the work of the mandatory ‘Financial Representative (Controller)’.
Why Do European Firms Issue Convertible Debt?

"We survey European managers to gain some insights into motivations of convertible issuance. Our analysis shows that a majority of firms issue convertibles as 'delayed equity' and as 'debt sweetener'. Managers also use convertibles to avoid short-term equity dilution and to signal firm's future growth opportunities. We document a large cross-sectional variation across firms in rationales for issuing convertibles and find mixed support for most theoretical models. Our evidence suggests that the popularity of convertibles is driven primarily by their versatility in adjusting their design to fit the financing needs of individual firms, and by their increased demand among institutional investors. " Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2004.
State Livelihood Planning and Legibility in Vietnam’s Northern Borderlands: The “Rightful Criticisms” of Local Officials

Abstract Macro-level policies frequently transform and reconfigure local livelihood options. While there is a small but growing body of ethnographic work regarding ethnic minority livelihoods in Vietnam’s mountainous borderlands, there is far less research examining the state decrees and policies implemented there and the opinions of state workers who have to apply them. This article starts to address this gap. First, we examine contemporary Vietnamese state legislation regarding upland livelihoods. We focus on the directions found in 82 livelihood-related state decrees, examining their scope and edicts while critiquing what they overlook regarding upland livelihood needs and approaches. Then, from in-depth interviews with state officials in Hà Giang Province, a mountainous upland region with a proportionately large ethnic minority population, we explore the opinions of those charged with the implementation of these decrees. Building on O’Brien’s earlier work on rightful resistance in China, we suggest that a form of “rightful criticism” has emerged among upland state officials, allowing us to reveal the contours of political power in Vietnam’s borderlands. Moreover, we draw attention to the lack of acknowledgement of ethnic diversity in these uplands within policy and official practice.
3D Isotropic Dispersion (ID)-FDTD Algorithm: Update Equation and Characteristics Analysis

Three 3D isotropic dispersion-finite-difference time-domain (ID-FDTD) algorithms are formulated based on two new spatial difference equations. The difference equations approximate the spatial derivatives in Maxwell's equation using more spatial sampling points distributed in an isotropic manner. The final spatial difference equation is a weighted summation of the two new difference and the conventional central difference equations. Therefore, based on the proposed spatial difference equation and choices of the weighting factors, seven different FDTD schemes can be formulated, which include the Yee scheme. Among the seven schemes, three methods can show isotropy of the dispersion superior to that of the Yee scheme. The weighting factors for the three schemes are numerically determined to minimize the anisotropy of the dispersion by using an optimization technique. In this paper, the dispersion & stability characteristics and the numerical complexity of the three ID-FDTD schemes are addressed. Also, the upper bound of the Courant number of the three ID-FDTD schemes is heuristically proposed and numerically verified. One scattering problem is considered to show the improved accuracy of the proposed ID-FDTD scheme.
Flooding Patterns of the Okavango Wetland in Botswana between 1972 and 2000

Abstract The inundated area of the Okavango Delta changes annually and interannually. The variability relates to regional precipitation over the catchment area in the Angolan highlands, and to local rainfall. The patterns of the wetland were captured using more than 3000 satellite images for the period 1972 to 2000, near daily NOAA AVHRR data for 1985–2000, and less frequent images of the Landsat sensors from 1972 onwards. One AVHRR image for every 10-day period was classified into land and water using an unsupervised classification method. Evaluation against Landsat TM and ERS2-ATSR data indicate an agreement of 89% for the size of estimated inundation area. Results show that the wetland area has varied between approximately 2450 km2 and 11 400 km2 during the last 30 years.
Social and Behavioral Confronting and Coping with Weight Stigma : An Investigation of Overweight and Obese Adults

PUHL, REBECCA M. AND KELLY D. BROWNELL. Confronting and coping with weight stigma: an investigation of overweight and obese adults. Obesity. 2006; 14:1802–1815. Objective: This study examined experiences of weight stigmatization, sources of stigma, coping strategies, psychological functioning, and eating behaviors in a sample of 2671 overweight and obese adults. Research Methods and Procedures: The total sample was partitioned into two subsamples for investigation. Sample I was comprised of 2449 adult women, and Sample II was a matched sample of adult men and women (N 222) that was disaggregated to investigate gender differences. Both samples completed an online battery of self-report questionnaires measuring frequency of weight stigmatization and coping responses to deal with bias, the most common sources of the bias, symptoms of depression, self-esteem, attitudes about weight and obesity, and binge eating behaviors. Results: Experiences of weight stigmatization, in many forms and across multiple occasions, was common in both samples. A variety of coping strategies were used in response. More frequent exposure to stigma was related to more attempts to cope and higher BMI. Physicians and family members were the most frequent sources of weight bias reported. No gender differences were observed in types or frequency of stigmatization. Frequency of stigmatization was not related to current psychological functioning, although coping responses were associated with emotional well-being. Discussion: These findings raise questions about the relationship between stigma and psychological functioning and have important implications for obesity treatment and stigma reduction intervention efforts, both of which are discussed.
IMMUNOGENICITY OF BACILLUS CALMETTE-GUÉRIN (BCG) IN BOVINE NEONATES UNDER TRADITIONAL FARMING IN CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

Vaccination is an alternative method of controlling bovine tuberculosis (BTB) particularly in developing countries where the test and slaughter control method is not acceptable socially and economically. The objective of this study was to evaluate the immunogenicity of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination in bovine neonates. Twelve BTB free bovine neonates (six vaccinated with 0.5 mL of 2.4 × 106 CFU of BCG and six control) with age less than one month were used for this study. Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and antibody responses to mycobacterial antigens were determined at 0, 1, 3, 7, and 13 weeks of post-vaccination. The mean IFN-γ response to bovine purified protein derivative, PPD in vaccinated group (Mean ± SEM, 0.541 ± 0.216) was greater than the mean IFN-γ response to bovine PPD in non-vaccinated group (Mean ± SEM, 0.253 ± 0.101). Within the vaccinated group, the mean IFN-γ response was greater in cross breed (Mean ± SEM, 0.779 ± 0.458) than in zebu breeds (0.303 ± 0.178). No detectable antibody was observed in both vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups for 13 weeks post vaccination. A sharp rise in IFN-γ response to bovine PPD was observed between at week 3, and then from week 3 to 7 post-vaccination, there was rapid falling of IFN-γ response after which the response remained more or less constant in the consecutive weeks. This preliminary study showed the immunogenicity of BCG in bovine neonates under traditional cattle farming in Ethiopia.
Tumbling Tower of Babel: Subprime Securitization and the Credit Crisis

The credit crisis reflects the collapse of a tower of structured finance products based on subprime mortgage loans. These instruments—RMBSs, CDOs, SIVs, and CDSs—shifted the risk of mortgage lending, especially the default risk, from one party to another, until many lost sight of the real risks of the underlying loans. But when housing-price appreciation reversed, many subprime borrowers, having made only negligible down payments, owed more on their mortgages than their houses were worth. These borrowers exercised the put options in their mortgages, and defaults rose beyond the expectations priced into mortgage rates, RMBS yields, and CDS premiums. The downside risk of housing-market prices was shifted to lenders, and losses, magnified by vast leverage, spread up the tower of structured instruments to CDO investors and CDS sellers. The real risk of subprime mortgage investing became apparent, blowing up financial firms and, in turn, the economy. The current credit crisis reflects the collapse of a tower of structured finance products based on subprime mortgage loans. Structured finance products such as residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBSs), collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), structured investment vehicles (SIVs), and credit default swaps (CDSs) enabled the expansion of lending to subprime mortgage borrowers while disguising the real risk of such lending. Structured securitization transformed subprime loans into products offering relatively high returns while carrying AAA ratings from the credit-rating agencies. These products seemed to reduce risk by shifting it from the lenders that made the mortgage loans to the banks that bought the loans to pool and package them into RMBSs and CDOs and to the investors that held CDOs, SIV commercial paper, and CDSs. Demand for structured finance products helped fuel mortgage lending, which facilitated more purchases of homes and, in turn, put upward pressure on prices. As lenders exhausted the pool of possible homebuyers, however, housing prices began to decline. Many subprime borrowers who had made little or no down payments found themselves owing more on their mortgages than their houses were worth. These borrowers exercised the put options in their mortgages, and defaults rose beyond the expectations priced into mortgage rates, RMBS yields, and CDS premiums. The downside risk of housing-market prices was shifted to lenders and, magnified by vast amounts of leverage, spread up the tower of structured instruments to investors in CDOs and sellers of CDSs. The solvency of some participating institutions became questionable, lenders were reluctant to extend credit, and liquidity began to dry up, all of which caused further declines in housing prices, more defaults, and more losses. The real risk of subprime mortgage investing became apparent, blowing up financial firms and, in turn, the economy.
The business model: A theoretically anchored robust construct for strategic analysis

Anchored in our research on business models, we delineate in this article a future research agenda. We establish that the theoretical and empirical advancements in business model research provide solid conceptual and empirical foundations on which scholars can build in order to explore a range of important, yet unanswered research questions. We draw inspiration on the direction of the business model research agenda by briefly reviewing several distinct bodies of literature adjacent to the business model literature including new organizational forms, ecosystems, activity systems, and value chain. In doing so, we also distinguish the business model concept from seemingly similar concepts that have been proposed by researchers.
Geographical Diversification, Risk and Firm Performance of US Casinos

Abstract Although geographical diversification is an emerging issue and has been considered a key competitive strategy in the casino industry, an examination of the effects of geographical diversification on casino firms’ risks and firm performances has been sparse. Thus, this study investigates the impact of the degree of geographical diversification on risk measured by the standard deviation of daily stock returns and firm performance measured by Tobin's q of publicly traded US casino firms. The results of this study show the trade-off between risk and firm performance associated with the degree of geographical diversification of sampled casino firms. While geographical diversification can reduce risk, at the same time it can diminish firm performance. The findings suggest that when implementing a geographical diversification strategy, managers of casino firms need more elaborate decision making, while they need to develop devices and management capabilities to mitigate problems that deter firm performance.
Tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy: safe even in supracostal access.

PURPOSE This study was designed to determine the outcome and safety of tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in the treatment of renal calculi. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between November 2005 and March 2006, 48 patients were randomized to either an 18F Re-entry nephrostomy tube (group 1) or a 6F Double-J stent (group 2). The two groups were well matched for age, sex, stone size, stone laterality, and number of previous renal procedures. All PCNL procedures were performed by the same surgeon. Postoperative visual analog pain scale (VAS) scores at 8 and 24 hours and 14 days after surgery, in-hospital analgesic use, length of hospital stay, success rate, blood transfusion rate, and postoperative complications were compared for the two groups. RESULTS The mean hospital stays in groups 1 and 2 were 3.1 and 1.6 days, respectively (P = 0.003). The mean VAS scores 8 and 24 hours after surgery were significantly lower in group 2 than in group 1 (P = 0.001). The postoperative analgesic requirement (diclofenac sodium) was significantly higher in group 1 (263 mg) than in group 2 (120 mg; P = 0.02). The rate of blood transfusion in the two groups was similar (P = NS). There was no difference between the groups in VAS scores on postoperative day 14. The number of supracostal accesses was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (P = 0.02). The stone-free rates and the numbers of patients with insignificant residual fragments were similar in the two groups. There was no urine leakage or formation of urinoma in patients with Double-J stents. CONCLUSION Tubeless PCNL is safe and effective even after supracostal access and is associated with less postoperative pain and a shorter hospital stay.
Western Europe's Growth Prospects: An Historical Perspective

This paper surveys the recent economic history of Western European growth. It concludes that this experience has been disappointing and that further reforms are desirable in many countries. The requirement for reform comes both from achieving 'close-to-frontier' status and from the opportunities provided by the new technological era. The paper goes on to consider the effects that the current crisis may have on medium-term growth rates. The lesson from the 1930s is that, if the current crisis leads to a similarly bad downturn, the policy reaction in terms of greater state intervention will not be conducive to improved growth prospects.
Press Coverage and Political Accountability

We estimate the impact of press coverage on citizen knowledge, politicians’ actions, and policy. We find that voters living in areas where, for exogenous reasons, the press covers their U.S. House representative less are less likely to recall their representative’s name and less able to describe and rate him or her. Congressmen who are less covered by the local press work less for their constituencies: they are less likely to stand witness before congressional hearings, to serve on constituency‐oriented committees (perhaps), and to vote against the party line. Finally, federal spending is lower in areas with exogenously lower press coverage of congressmen.
Highgrading in Quota‐Regulated Fisheries: Evidence from the Icelandic Cod Fishery

A model with nonlinear discarding costs is developed for a fishery with an individual transferable quota (ITQ) program. The model shows that limited hold capacity and ITQs provide incentives to discard fish. The model is applied to the Icelandic ITQ-regulated cod fishery to test for highgrading and to predict the discarded quantities of different grades of fish. The results indicate that vessels are involved in highgrading, but there is no evidence of quota price-induced highgrading. The predicted total discarded quantities are 4.7% and 2.7% of total landings for gillnet and longline vessels, respectively. These correspond well with official biometric estimates. Copyright 2007, Oxford University Press.
Supramalleolar Osteotomy for the Treatment of Distal Tibial Angular Deformities and Arthritis of the Ankle Joint

In a 5-year period (1996–2001), the authors performed supramalleolar osteotomies for the correction of distal tibial mechanical malalignment of at least 10° with concomitant pain and with or without radiographic evidence of arthritic changes. The method was also applied as an alternative to other common procedures for the treatment of a small group of patients with degenerative changes of the ankle joint without previous traumatic event and with minimal or moderately altered alignment. There were 12 patients (13 feet) with an average follow-up of 33.6 months. All osteotomies healed at an average time of 14 weeks. The average AOFAS score improved from 53.8 to 87 points, the average ankle score in the scale described by Takakura et al. improved from 56.7 to 82, and the average pain score improved from 14.6 to 32.3. In the presence of deformity, the average tibial-ankle surface angles in both the coronal and the sagittal planes were significantly improved. The radiographic degenerative changes in the ankle joint showed no evidence of progression. The choice of technique did not influence the clinical or radiographic outcome or the healing time of the osteotomy.
Corporate Social Responsibility Engagement in Kenya: Bottom Line or Rhetoric?

Abstract Over the last three decades, the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has sparked considerable debate in the literature on management research. While previous research on the relationship between CSR and firm performance has largely been based on data gathered in developed countries, this paper examines the relationship between CSR and firm performance in Kenya, using a sample of 352 firm-years during the period 2005–2012. CSR was measured using four dimensions relevant to Kenya: employee CSR, product/service CSR, community CSR and environmental CSR, and aggregated using my own CSR index. Firm performance was measured using both ROA and ROE. Content analysis was used to collect data from the financial reports of companies. The results indicate a positive and significant relationship between employee CSR, product/service CSR and community CSR and firm performance; environmental CSR, on the other hand, was not significant. The overall CSR index was found to be positive and significant to both measures of firm performance.
Immunological reactions to tumor-associated antigens in Burkitts lymphoma and other lymphomas.

Summary Evidence for immune response to Burkitt9s tumor and other lymphomas is reviewed. The common tumorassociated antigens detected in some assays and the natural reactivity to some of these antigens are analogous to the findings in virus-induced tumors in experimental animals. Delayed hypersensitivity reactions to autologous tumor extracts were observed in Burkitt9s lymphoma, in Hodgkin9s disease, and in other lymphomas. Patients with leukemia and lymphoma, but not carcinomas, also reacted with extracts of tumor-derived lymphoid cell lines. Studies of in vitro cell-mediated cytotoxicity against autologous tumor cells, using the 51Cr release assay, also gave evidence for reactivity against tumor-associated antigens. In humoral and cell-mediated cytotoxicity assays against lymphoid tissue culture cells, widespread natural reactivity was found. The nature of the antigens detected in these assays is discussed, particularly the possible relationship to Epstein-Barr virus. Delayed skin reactivity to the extracts of lymphoid cell lines was found to correlate with elevated Epstein-Barr virus antibody titers.