Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ASSESSMENT OF WIC COST-CONTAINMENT PRACTICES; EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides both nutrition education and supplemental foods containing nutrients determined by nutritional research to be lacking in the diets of pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children. State WIC agencies have implemented practices designed to reduce the cost of food packages containing these prescribed foods. For instance, one of the WIC program's primary cost-saving practices is negotiating rebate contracts with manufacturers of infant formula. Additional practices include limiting authorized vendors to stores with lower food prices; limiting approved brands, package sizes, forms, or prices; and negotiating rebates with food manufacturers or suppliers. There is concern that these practices may inadvertently counter the program's goal of providing supplemental foods and nutrition education. Based on a review of cost-containment practices in six States, including interviews with the various stakeholders and analysis of WIC administrative files, the study draws three major conclusions: (1) costcontainment practices reduced average food package costs by 0.2 to 21.4 percent, depending on practices implemented and local conditions; (2) the cost-containment practices had few adverse outcomes for WIC participants; and (3) administrative costs of the practices were low, averaging about 1.5 percent of food package savings. The full report, Assessment of WIC Cost-Containment Practices: Final Report, is available online at http://www.ers. usda.gov/publications/efan03005.
Insulin resistance status and four-year changes in other cardiometabolic risk factors in West-African adults: the Benin study

Background: The association of insulin resistance (IR) with other cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors in sub-Saharan Africans is poorly documented. This study examined the links between IR and the evolution of blood pressure (BP), glycaemia, serum lipids and abdominal obesity in the population of Benin. Design: Population-based longitudinal study. Methods: This study initially included 541 apparently healthy Beninese adults (50% women) aged 25–60 years who were randomly selected in a large city, a small town and a rural area. After a baseline survey, our subjects were followed up after 2 years, and again at 4 years. IR based on homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), blood glucose, BP, waist circumference (WC), triglycerides, total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were measured. Complete data at the end of the follow-up periods was available for 416 subjects. Results: IR was more prevalent in women than in men (33.2% versus 17.8%) and it was generally associated with more adverse values of CMR factors, excepting BP. In controlling for baseline age, sex, WC, diet, lifestyle variables and WC changes; the relative risk (RR) of hyperglycemia over 4 years was as least 3-fold in IR subjects, compared to normal subjects. The RR of abdominal obesity was 5.3 (1.04–26.93) in IR women, compared to non-IR. The association of IR with the evolution of dyslipidemia was inconsistent, but IR tended to exacerbate low HDL-cholesterol. Conclusion: Over 4 years, IR exacerbated hyperglycemia in both men and women, and abdominal obesity in women, but IR did not affect blood pressure. Further research on the link found between IR and dyslipidemia, particularly low HDL-C, is needed in sub-Saharan Africa.
Stock Option Awards: Effects on Firm Performance and Risk-Taking after Japan’s Corporate Governance Reforms

We empirically investigate the adoption of stock option plans in Japan after the corporate governance reforms of the early 2000s. We examine the determinants of stock option grants, especially focusing on the effects of herding behavior among Japanese firms and the change of accounting treatment of stock option grants. We also investigate the effects of stock option awards on firm performance, using propensity score matching. Then, following Hayes et al. (2012) identification strategy, we provide new evidence on causal relation between managerial incentives and risk-taking. We find that the adoption of stock option plans is more likely in firms that compete with the other firms that have extensively adopted stock option plans in the same industry, indicating that there is a kind of ‘spillover’ effect among those firms. We find that firms that introduce stock option plans generally face liquidity constraint and their option usage declines significantly after the adoption of accounting standards. We also find some evidences that do not support the view that providing incentives for risk-taking is a primary purpose for the use of stock options. This paper provides some new evidence of the adverse implications of stock option plans in the scheme of equity-based compensation.
Parametric stability analyses of multi-environment yield trials in Triticale (xTriticosecale wittmack)

One of the main goals of Triticale (xTriticosecale Wittmack) Breeding Program of Turkey is to improve high yielding and stable genotypes across environments. In this study, 16 parametric stability methods were used to evaluate the genotype x environment interaction (GEI) in 9 (4 officially registered varieties and 5 advanced lines) triticale (xTriticosecale Wittmack) genotypes. The genotypes were evaluated for grain yield at 4 different locations for 3 years in rain-fed areas of Turkey. The testing locations have different climatic and edaphic conditions providing the conditions necessary for the assessment of stability. A combined analysis of variance, parametric stability statistics and rank correlations among them were determined. Significant differences were detected between genotypes and their GEIs. Different parametric stability statistics were used to determine stability of the studied genotypes. The level of association among the statistics was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation. Rank-correlation coefficients between yield and some parametric stability statistics were highly significant. Genotypes mean yield was significantly correlated to the parametric stability statistics Pi (r = 0.95**), PCA1 (r = 0.87**) and Di (r = 0.98**). A principal component analysis based on rank correlation matrix was performed for grouping the different parametric stability statistics studied. In conclusion, based on most parametric stability statistics, the genotype G8 was found to be the most stable and high yielding. This genotype is, therefore, recommended for release as a cultivar for rain-fed areas of Turkey.
Increased Cellular Free Cholesterol in Macrophage-specific Abca1 Knock-out Mice Enhances Pro-inflammatory Response of Macrophages*

Macrophage-specific Abca1 knock-out (Abca1–M/–M) mice were generated to determine the role of macrophage ABCA1 expression in plasma lipoprotein concentrations and the innate immune response of macrophages. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in chow-fed Abca1–M/–M and wild-type (WT) mice were indistinguishable. Compared with WT macrophages, Abca1–M/–M macrophages had a >95% reduction in ABCA1 protein, failed to efflux lipid to apoA-I, and had a significant increase in free cholesterol (FC) and membrane lipid rafts without induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated Abca1–M/–M macrophages exhibited enhanced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased activation of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways, which could be diminished by silencing MyD88 or by chemical inhibition of NF-κB or MAPK. In vivo LPS injection also resulted in a higher pro-inflammatory response in Abca1–M/–M mice compared with WT mice. Furthermore, cholesterol depletion of macrophages with methyl-β-cyclodextrin normalized FC content between the two genotypes and their response to LPS; cholesterol repletion of macrophages resulted in increased cellular FC accumulation and enhanced cellular response to LPS. Our results suggest that macrophage ABCA1 expression may protect against atherosclerosis by facilitating the net removal of excess lipid from macrophages and dampening pro-inflammatory MyD88-dependent signaling pathways by reduction of cell membrane FC and lipid raft content.
Management trajectories in the type 2 diabetes Integrated Delivery System project in Taiwan: accounting for behavioral therapy, nutrition education and therapeutics.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) assessment is basic to diabetes management. Little is done to describe the whole spectrum of the trajectory, its related temporal patterns of metabolic indices, and comorbidities. METHODS AND RESULTS This was a longitudinal study. In the Diabetes Management through Integrated Delivery System project in Taiwan, enrollees had diabetes, but no major comorbidities. They were randomized into intensive or conventional education (health, diet and exercise) groups. HbA1c was classified by a groupbased trajectory model on the basis of repeated six-monthly measurements. We analyzed data from 1091 subjects who had at least two measurements on HbA1c. HbA1c exhibited three distinct ranges of low (42-53 mmol/mol), intermediate (64-75 mmol/mol) and high (97 mmol/mol), all of which persisted for 4.5 years regardless of receiving intensive education or not. Temporal changes and a time-group interaction were found for triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C. The high trajectory was associated with the major co-morbidities of retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, stroke, hypoglycemia, and ketoacidosis. Patients in the intensive education group (62.4%), which were equally distributed in the three trajectories, had significantly lower HbA1cs (-0.14%= -1.5 mmol/mol, p=0.026). The intermediate trajectory patients with intensive education had HbA1cs higher than the low trajectory patients with conventional education (β=0.189, p=0.033). Though not significant, a similar pattern was found for DM education in the high group (β=0.223, p=0.154). CONCLUSIONS Novel strategies beyond current education and pharmacotherapeutic regimens are needed to lower HbA1c at least 11 mmol/mol for the high HbA1c group to minimize comorbidities.
Factors Influencing Evaluations of Web Site Information

This study investigated the effect of first-person and third-person perceptions of web site information. Responses from a telephone survey of 226 participants in a stratified random sample indicated that (1) most participants had higher evaluations for television news than for news received on the Internet; (2) a third-person effect was present in that most respondents generally thought that other people found the Internet easier to use than they did, and that other people were more likely to believe Internet information and trust the sources of Internet information than they would. Also, (3), evaluations of information on a particular web site could be increased by providing links to other web sites on the same topic. Perhaps links to other web sites may serve as either a “referencing” function or a social confirmation function to increase evaluations of web site information.
The Increased Risk of Colon Cancer Due to Cigarette Smoking May Be Greater in Women than Men

Background: Smoking is a recently established risk factor for colon cancer. We wanted to explore the hypothesis that women may be more susceptible to smoking-attributed colon cancer than men as one of the possible explanations for the high colon cancer risk of Norwegian women. Methods: We followed 602,242 participants aged 19 to 67 years at enrollment in 1972–2003, by linkage to national registries through December 2007. We used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: During a mean follow-up of 14 years, altogether 3,998 (46% women) subjects developed colon cancer. Female ever-smokers had a 19% (HR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.09–1.32) and male ever-smokers an 8% (HR = 1.08, CI = 0.97–1.19) increased risk of colon cancer compared with never smokers. For all the four dose–response variables examined, female ever-smokers in the most exposed category of smoking initiation, (HR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.21–1.81), of daily cigarette consumption (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.06–1.55), of smoking duration (HR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.11–1.95), and of pack-years of smoking (HR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.11–1.57) had a significantly increased risk of more than 20% for colon cancer overall and of more than 40% for proximal colon cancer, compared with never smokers. A test for heterogeneity by gender was statistically significant only for ever smoking and risk of proximal colon cancer (Wald χ2, P = 0.02). Conclusions: Female smokers may be more susceptible to colon cancer and especially to proximal colon cancer than male smokers. Impact: Women who smoke are more vulnerable to colon cancer than men. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(5); 862–71. ©2013 AACR.
Short-Term Effectiveness of Ultrasound Therapy in Knee Osteoarthritis

This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was designed to investigate the short-term efficacy of ultrasound therapy in 90 patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Patients were randomly assigned to three groups: group 1 received continuous ultrasound, group 2 received pulsed ultrasound, and group 3 received a ‘sham’ (placebo) ultrasound for 5 min each session. All treatments were applied once a day for 5 days a week for 2 weeks, i.e. a total treatment duration of 10 days. Compared with baseline, significant improvements were observed in the visual analogue scale pain scores and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) scores in all three groups. The reductions in pain and WOMAC scores were significantly higher in patients treated with pulsed ultrasound than in the placebo group. In conclusion, pulsed ultrasound therapy is a safe and effective treatment modality in patients with knee OA. Further research is required to investigate the long-term efficacy of pulsed ultrasound therapy in knee OA.
Effect of Inorganic and Organic Ligands on the Bioavailability of Methylmercury as Determined by Using a mer-lux Bioreporter

ABSTRACT A mer-lux bioreporter was constructed to assess the bioavailability of methylmercury [CH3Hg(II)] in Escherichia coli. The bioreporter was shown to be sensitive, with a detection limit of 2.5 nM CH3Hg(II), and was used to investigate the effects of chlorides, humic acids, and thiols on the bioavailability of CH3Hg(II) in E. coli. It was found that increasing the concentration of chlorides resulted in an increase in CH3Hg(II) bioavailability, suggesting that there was passive diffusion of the neutral complex (CH3HgCl0). Humic acids were found to reduce the bioavailability of CH3Hg(II) in varying degrees. Complexation with cysteine resulted in increased bioavailability of CH3Hg(II), while assays with equivalent concentrations of methionine and leucine had little or no effect on bioavailability. The mechanism of uptake of the mercurial-cysteine complexes is likely not passive diffusion but could result from the activities of a cysteine transport system. The bioavailability of CH3Hg(II) decreased with increasing glutathione concentrations.
Safety of benzodiazepines in the geriatric population

Benzodiazepines are the most frequently prescribed antianxiety drugs in the elderly. Despite their usefulness and safety in the younger population, there is concern about the rationale for their use in the elderly. Studies of the therapeutic use of benzodiazepines in the elderly are rare. Elderly females with co-morbid medical and psychiatric conditions and who are taking multiple medications form the group most frequently prescribed benzodiazepines among the elderly, and the group most likely to experience side effects. Age-related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes increase the potential for certain side effects in the elderly. Significant adverse effects that may be associated with benzodiazepine use in the elderly include falls, cognitive impairment, sedation, and impairment of driving skills, all of which are particularly related to the long half-life of benzodiazepines. Long-term use of benzodiazepines should be discouraged because of the risk of dependence, which is a serious problem in the elderly. Unrecognised and untreated benzodiazepine dependence can lead to serious medical complications.
Conditional Stability of the HemA Protein (Glutamyl-tRNA Reductase) Regulates Heme Biosynthesis inSalmonella typhimurium

ABSTRACT In many bacteria, including the enteric species Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli, heme is synthesized starting from glutamate by a pathway in which the first committed step is catalyzed by the hemA gene product, glutamyl-tRNA reductase (HemA). We have demonstrated previously that when heme limitation is imposed on cultures of S. typhimurium, HemA enzyme activity is increased 10- to 25-fold. Western (immunoblot) analysis with monoclonal antibodies reactive with HemA revealed that heme limitation results in a corresponding increase in the abundance of the enzyme. Similar regulation was also observed for E. coli. The near absence of regulation of hemA-lacoperon fusions suggested a posttranscriptional control. We report here the results of pulse-labeling and immunoprecipitation studies of this regulation. The principal mechanism that contributes to elevated HemA abundance is protein stabilization. The half-life of HemA protein is ≃20 min in unrestricted cells but increases to >300 min in heme-limited cells. Similar regulation was observed for a HemA-LacZ hybrid protein containing almost all of the HemA protein (416 residues). Sodium azide prevents HemA turnover in vivo, suggesting a role for energy-dependent proteolysis. This was confirmed by the finding that HemA turnover is completely blocked in a lon clpP double mutant of E. coli. Each single mutant shows only a small effect. The ClpA chaperone, but not ClpX, is required for ClpP-dependent HemA turnover. A hybrid HemA-LacZ protein containing just 18 amino acids from HemA is also stabilized in thelon clpP double mutant, but this shorter fusion protein is not correctly regulated by heme limitation. We suggest that the 18 N-terminal amino acids of HemA may constitute a degradation tag, whose function is conditional and modified by the remainder of the protein in a heme-dependent way. Several models are discussed to explain why the turnover of HemA is promoted by Lon-ClpAP proteolysis only when sufficient heme is available.
Emergence of Binaural Summation After Surgical Correction of Unilateral Congenital Aural Atresia

Objective: To investigate the emergence of binaural summation in patients with unilateral congenital aural atresia undergoing surgical correction. Study Design: Preoperative and postoperative audiometric testing in a prospective cohort of 10 patients with unilateral congenital aural atresia. Setting: University-based tertiary care center. Patients: Ten patients (ages 6–53) with an average 69 dB (±9 dB sd) unilateral conductive hearing loss, normal hearing in the nonatretic ear, and normal bone conduction in the atretic ear. Interventions: Pre- and postoperative hearing in noise test in quiet and in noise. Main Outcome Measures: Levels of sentences presented from a single central speaker were adaptively varied to determine a speech reception threshold (SRT), first in quiet and then with simultaneous multitalker babble at 65 dB SPL from the same speaker. Results: Preoperative SRT was worse than normal controls in both quiet (p = 0.001) and in noise (p = 0.05), as expected. Postoperative SRT in quiet improved 3.5 dB (marginally significant with one-tailed p value of 0.05); thresholds in noise improved an insignificant 0.8 dB (one-tailed p = 0.2). Converting results to dB-worse-than normal, atresia patients did better in noise (relative to normal) than in quiet (p = 0.008). Conclusion: The expected summation effect (3 dB) occurs after atresia surgery in quiet but not in noise. Relative to normal, these patients performed better in noise than quiet, perhaps because these patients develop skills attending to threshold-level speech in noise during their years without binaural benefit.
Are Designated Market Makers Necessary in Centralized Limit Order Markets?

This paper models price formation and order placement strategies in a dynamic centralized limit order market with designated non monopolist market makers. This market design differs from the NYSE and has been adopted by several stock exchanges in Europe and North America mainly for the trading of mid caps. The model is constructed as an extension of Foucault (1999) in order to include market makers who are required to provide two-sided quotes in the book. Traders can place either a market order or a limit order and, in the latter case, they can choose the order's limit price. Comparison between a limit order market with market makers and a pure limit order market yields several testable implications. First, the clearing frequency is higher in a limit order market with designated market makers. Second, the best quotes in the limit order book with market makers are either more or less attractive than in a pure order book depending on whether the best quote has been placed by a trader or a market maker. On an ex ante basis, we find that expected best quotes in the order book can be more or less favourable in the presence of market makers depending on the asset volatility and the differences in valuation among traders. The model thus yields empirical predictions relative to the added value of non monopolist market makers across assets and/or periods. Other things equal, expected best prices in a limit order book with market makers become more attractive than in a pure limit order book when the asset volatility increases. Since asset volatility decreases with equity capitalisation, our results provide a rationale for the trading of mid caps being organized as limit order books with designated dealers. By contrast, the presence of market makers on large capitalisation stock markets could deteriorate market liquidity.