Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modafinil in the treatment of idiopathic hypersomnia without long sleep time—a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study

In 2010 the European Medicines Agency withdrew the indication of modafinil for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, shift work sleep disorder and for idiopathic hypersomnia (IH). In uncontrolled studies, modafinil has been reported to be efficacious in the treatment of sleep disorders. We therefore performed a randomized, placebo‐controlled study with the aim of proving the efficacy of modafinil treatment in these patients. Drug‐free IH patients without long sleep according to ICSD2 criteria, age >18 years and disease duration >2 years were included. After a washout phase, patients at baseline received placebo or 100 mg modafinil in the morning and at noon over 3 weeks, followed by 1 week without medication. At each visit the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) rating scale were performed. At baseline and on days 8 and 21 four Maintenance of Wakefulness Tests (MWTs)/day or per day were performed. Patients kept a sleep–wake diary throughout the study. Between 2009 and 2011 three sleep centres recruited 33 participants. Compared to placebo, modafinil decreased sleepiness significantly and improved mean sleep latency in the MWT non‐significantly. The CGI improved significantly from baseline to the last visit on treatment. The most frequent adverse events were headaches and gastrointestinal disorders; skin and psychiatric reactions were not reported. The number of reported naps and duration of daytime sleepiness decreased significantly. Total sleep time of nocturnal sleep was slightly reduced. The sleep diaries showed increases in feeling refreshed in the morning; the diurnal diaries showed significant improvement of performance and of exhaustion. Modafinil is an effective and safe medication in the treatment of IH. Adverse events are mild to moderate.
Determinants Influencing the IFRS Accounting Policy Choices of European Listed Companies

In this paper we investigated whether or not European listed companies make use of the options offered by the IFRS and if so, which determinants influence these choices and how this affects the de facto comparability of European IFRS financial statements. We analysed the choices of 197 companies from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK operating in the industries industrial goods and services, financials or technology. We investigated the effect of country, industry, company size, capital structure and the type of auditor on 31 options offered within the IFRS. We found that nine options are rarely used differently. Most options (22 out of 31), however, are used differently. The accounting choices are predominantly influenced by the country of origin, followed by industry and type of auditor. Company size and capital structure do not seem to play an important role. Overall, we found that the European IFRS financial statements are not de facto comparable yet. The contribution of the study is threefold: we identify the options that are not or rarely used and thus could be removed in order to simplify the IFRS, we offer insight into the determinants affecting accounting policy choices made by companies, and we mitigate the idea of de facto comparability of European IFRS financial statements.
Successful rescue therapy with mycophenolate mofetil in kidney transplantation improves the long-term graft survival.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare the graft survival after kidney transplantation in patients treated with azathioprine (AZA) or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and analyze the significance of different risk factors for graft survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 137 patients, transplanted between January 1996 and June 2001, were retrospectively divided into two groups: patients who received AZA together with cyclosporine A and methylprednisolone (AZA group, n=72) and patients who received MMF either immediately or were switched from AZA to MMF during 3 months (MMF group, n=65). RESULTS According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, a 1-year graft survival was 79% in the AZA group and 85% in the MMF group; a 6-year graft survival was 51% and 67%, respectively (P=0.046). Multivariate Cox survival model demonstrated that MMF therapy reduced the risk of graft loss by 34% (P=0.028), while delayed graft function increased the risk of graft loss (risk ratio 2.26, P=0.009). A statistically significant difference in total cholesterol level (6.7 vs. 5.7 mmol/L, respectively; P=0.002), mean systolic blood pressure (145 vs. 134 mmHg, P=0.009), and cyclosporine A daily dose (238 vs. 203 mg, P=0.015) between the AZA and MMF groups at 1 year was revealed. CONCLUSION MMF rescue therapy improves the long-term graft survival compared to AZA despite high early rejection rate and avoids the negative impact of acute rejections on graft survival.
Top Management Team Characteristics and Corporate Illegal Activity

From a review of previous theoretical and empirical research in corporate illegal activity and top management team (TMT) characteristics, we develop several propositions that suggest a relationship between the two. TMT characteristics such as length of service, functional background, formal business education, age, and military service, as well as homogeneity in each of these characteristics, are hypothesized to neutralize or enhance relationships between context and corporate illegal activity. Implications of the proposed relationships and their limitations are also discussed.
Factors influencing project funds utilization in water service boards in Kenya: the case of Tana water services board

Kenya faces serious challenges with regards to provision of water services despite the efforts of investments provided in the past years by the Government and development partners since existing facilities have continued to deteriorate and fail to meet the demand of the increasing the population, particularly in many rural areas and the very rapidly growing settlements of the urban poor. This challenge is more so due to over reliance of external funding to build sustainable water systems. Poor project funds utilization makes many water projects not to see the day light. Therefore, this study set out to investigate factors affecting projects funds utilization in Water Service Boards in Kenya. It therefore focused on the influence of funding requirements, institutional capacity, management information systems and policy framework or project funds utilization. The study was conducted through a descriptive research design. The study targeted workers in Tana Water Service Board in Nyeri. The study was conducted through a census. Both primary and secondary data were used to collect information for the study. Descriptive statistics as well as inferential statistics was used for the analysis. This infers that institutional capacity contributes most to the project funds utilization followed by management information system, policy frame work and institutional capacity. This study also established that funds allocated to projects by the government and other organizations should be disbursed in time. The study also found that most of the projects were not staffed appropriately. This study therefore recommends that more staff should be employed to work in projects so as to staff projects appropriately.
Detection of human papilloma virus in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus planned for definitive chemo-radiotherapy, and a study of their clinical characteristics.

CONTEXT To identify the incidence of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection in squamous esophageal cancer. AIMS To identify high-risk (HR) HPV positivity rates in patients with squamous carcinoma esophagus and to compare their characteristics with HPV negative counterparts. SETTINGS AND DESIGN A prospective study, in which tumor biopsies of 18 consecutive patients with squamous carcinoma of the esophagus treated with definitive chemo-radiotherapy (CT-RT) were evaluated for the presence of HPV. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Tumor biopsies of 18 consecutive patients with squamous carcinoma esophagus treated with definitive CT-RT were assessed for presence of HR HPV DNA by hybrid DNA capture technique (Digene-HC2). The clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of the two groups were then compared. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED Pearson's Chi-squared test, Kaplan-Mier survival curve/log rank test. RESULTS Nine patients (50%) tested positive for HR HPV. The clinical features including age, gender, grade, location, and tumor extent were similar between the two groups. All the three patients with residual disease at the end of treatment tested positive for HPV (P = 0.058). At a mean follow-up of 52 weeks, the estimated median recurrence free survival was 37 weeks (95% confidence interval (CI): 13.6-60.4) among HPV positive patients compared to 53 weeks (95% CI: 29.6-76.4 weeks) for the HPV negative (P = 0.93). CONCLUSIONS There appears to be a high incidence of HPV among patients with squamous oesophageal cancer in coastal Karnataka. Further studies are required to evaluate its causative role and prognostic implications.
Role of Noncanonical Wnt Signaling Pathway in Human Aortic Valve Calcification

Objective— The mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of aortic valve calcification remain unclear. With accumulating evidence demonstrating that valve calcification recapitulates bone development, the crucial roles of noncanonical Wnt ligands WNT5a, WNT5b, and WNT11 in osteogenesis make them critical targets in the study of aortic valve calcification. Approach and Results— Using immunohistochemistry, real-time qPCR, Western blotting, and tissue culture, we examined the tissue distribution of WNT5a, WNT5b, and WNT11 in noncalcified and calcified aortic valves and their effects on human aortic valve interstitial cells (HAVICs). Only focal strong immunostaining for WNT5a was seen in and around areas of calcification. Abundant immunostaining for WNT5b and WNT11 was seen in inflammatory cells, fibrosis, and activated myofibroblasts in areas of calcified foci. There was significant correlation between WNT5b and WNT11 overall staining and presence of calcification, lipid score, fibrosis, and microvessels (P<0.05). Real-time qPCR and Western blotting revealed abundant expression of both Wnts in stenotic aortic valves, particularly in bicuspid valves. Incubation of HAVICs from noncalcified valves with the 3 noncanonical Wnts significantly increased cell apoptosis and calcification (P<0.05). Treatment of HAVICs with the mitogen-activated protein kinase-38&bgr; and GSK3&bgr; inhibitors significantly reduced their mineralization (P<0.01). Raman spectroscopy identified the inorganic phosphate deposits as hydroxyapatite and showed a significant increase in hydroxyapatite deposition in HAVICs in response to WNT5a and WNT11 (P<0.05). Similar crystallinity was seen in the deposits found in HAVICs treated with Wnts and in calcified human aortic valves. Conclusions— These findings suggest a potential role for noncanonical Wnt signaling in the pathogenesis of aortic valve calcification.
Why are Some Salespeople Better at Adapting to Organizational Change

Abstract This study empirically examines the longitudinal influences of salesperson goal orientations on performance trajectories during a planned change intervention that requires learning to answer two questions. First, what is the functional form of salespeople's performance trajectories during a period of change implementation? Second, why are some salespeople better at adapting to change than others? Polynomial growth models show that the average salesperson performance trajectory displays an initial decline, gradual recovery, and eventual restabilization. Salesperson learning orientation is related positively to larger initial declines, steeper recovery slopes, and higher restabilization levels. In contrast, performance orientation is related positively to smaller initial declines, but shallower recovery slopes and lower restabilization levels. The results suggest that successful implementation of planned change interventions largely depends on identifying and appreciating the heterogeneity of indiv.
Stereotyped pattern of lower limb movement during level and grade walking on treadmill.

The effects of speed and gradient on stereotyped pattern of temporal-distance parameters of the lower limb in human gait were observed on five male subjects walking on a treadmill.Step length and step duration were consecutively determined by means of a computerized system.Step lengrt hincreased approximately in proportion to the square root of the speed, and step duration decreased in proportion to the reciprocal of the square root of the speed.In grade waiking, when compared with level walking, the subject had a tendency to take shorter steps at high speeds and longer steps at low speeds.Standard deviations of step length and step duration showed the minima at the speeds which were estimated to be about 90 and 95m/min for step length and step duration, respectively, although there were some variations of the speed with gradient.Coefficients of variation of these factors also showed the minima at particular speeds.These results suggest that when the subject is allowed to choose his own step length, there exists the speed at which the fluctuation of stereotyped movement of lower limb shows the minimum.
Prosodic processing in developmental dyslexia: A case study in Standard Chinese

The present case study investigated the speech production and perception of developmental dyslexia through prosodic cues in Standard Chinese. As a non-alphabetic tonal language, there is a complex neurobiological mechanism between visual picture processing and semantic priming, perception and production of prosodic patterns. The experimental materials employed in the study were the syntactic structure of Double Object construction with various information structures. The results show that the dyslexic participant, a native Chinese adult, i.e. M6, had an impaired perceptual ability to discriminate boundaries and sentence accents in different information structures. While on the aspect of production, both sentence accents and boundaries produced by M6 could be perceived by other normal participants, however, every syntactic structure has a consistent pattern in all the focus conditions. The results implied that in normal participants, prosody processing (i.e., sentence accent and boundary perception) was interacted with higher-level information of language, such as syntactic and information structures, however, the dyslexic shows no such interactions.
How Useful Are 90-Day Purchase Probabilities?

Forecasts of consumer buying trends are more frequently being based on surveys of consumers’ “subjective purchase probabilities,” rather than on their verbal “buying intentions. ” However, a planning horizon of 6 months or longer is usually employed. What happens to the speed, accuracy, and usefulness of these forecasts when the horizon is shortened to 90-day probabilities?
Dividend policy and private shareholders : a New Zealand survey

The main focus of this thesis was to learn about the individual investor and their view of dividends. It set out to investigate whether private investors regard dividends as important (to themselves personally or as a signal of the company's performance) and also how dividends impact upon a company's value. The subject group is one which has been neglected by previous finance research as very little is known about their demographics and investing practices. Five major areas of dividend research were examined. These were: do investors believe that dividends affect the value of the share, how they prefer to obtain their income from shares, the reasons for dividend increases and decreases, whether dividend changes (increases and decreases) occur for different reasons and whether an age clientele effect exists. Most of these problems have been investigated previously by other researchers, but few have used individual investors to analyse these areas. A survey of 280 private investors tested these questions and concluded that private investors believe that dividends do affect the value of a share, dividends were perceived to be a safer form of income (but capital gains is preferred), that dividend increases and decreases occur because of different reasons (mostly related to profitability or liquidity) and that an age clientele does exist. Most significantly, this analysis revealed that investors behave in a way best described by Lintner's view of dividend policy, as they: prefer higher dividends to lower dividends, believe dividends are a safer form of income and believe that dividends affect the value of a share.
The design school: Reconsidering the basic premises of strategic management

Among the schools of thought on strategy formation, one in particular underlies almost all prescription in the field. Referred to as the ‘design school’, it proposes a simple model that views the process as one of design to achieve an essential fit between external threat and opportunity and internal distinctive competence. A number of premises underlie this model: that the process should be one of consciously controlled thought, specifically by the chief executive; that the model must be kept simple and informal; that the strategies produced should be unique, explicit, and simple; and that these strategies should appear fully formulated before they are implemented. This paper discusses and then critiques this model, focusing in particular on the problems of the conscious assessment of strengths and weaknesses, of the need to make strategies explicit, and of the separation between formulation and implementation. In so doing, it calls into question some of the most deep-seated beliefs in the field of strategic management, including its favorite method of pedagogy.
The Effect of Phonological Repetition on Cortical Magnetic Responses Evoked by Visually Presented Words

Neuroimaging studies have reported that the left superior temporal cortical area is activated by visually presented words. In the present study, we recorded cortical magnetic responses evoked by visual words and examined the effect of phonological repetition (e.g., hairhare) on left superior temporal cortical activity, using pairs of homophonic Japanese words as stimuli. Unlike English, Japanese has a large number of homophone pairs with a totally different orthography. By taking advantage of this feature of the Japanese writing system, the effect of phonological repetition can be solely examined without being confounded by the effect of orthographic similarity. Magnetic responses were recorded over the bilateral temporal sites of the brain while subjects silently read words. The words were presented one by one; a quarter of them was immediately followed by a homophonic word. Clear magnetic responses in the latency range of 300600 msec were observed in the left hemisphere, and the responses to the homophones were smaller than those to the first presented words. In the right hemisphere, clear responses were not consistently recorded in the same latency range, and no effect of phonological repetition was observed. The sources of the responses recorded over the left hemisphere were estimated to be in the left superior temporal cortical area adjacent to the auditory cortex and the source strength as well as the magnetic responses showed a reduction by phonological repetition. This result suggests that the activity in the left superior temporal cortical area is associated with access to the phonological representation of words.
Fraudulent Financial Reporting: An Empirical Analysis in Malaysia

The objective of this research is to investigate the fraud firms’ characteristics in two ways; 3 years prior and after, the fraud occurrences. The characteristics comprise of the firms’ audit committee size, audit committee independence, board’s size, independent directors, block holders, cash flows operating and long term debts. The sample includes the fraudulent firms identified based on certain restrictions consistent with prior literature. Data collection is hand collected via corporate annuals reports. The significance of the research project is to identify the fraud firms’ characteristics and provide some insights before and after the fraud took place. Findings show that block holders and independent directors are important features in an organisation.
Predictors and clinical significance of angiographically detected distal embolization after primary percutaneous coronary interventions

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate clinical, angiographic and procedural predictors of distal embolization (DE) on angiography after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The impact of DE on outcome in the first 30 days was also assessed. MethodsBetween January 2004 and April 2006, primary PCI was performed in 212 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) of ≤12-h duration. ResultsDistal embolization was present in 27 patients (12.7%) and more often observed in female sex (27.5 vs. 10.4%, P=0.01), in patients with right coronary artery involvement (52 vs. 28%, P=0.02), prerevascularization thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow ≤1 (89 vs. 69%, P=0.03), in the presence of high thrombus burden (92.6 vs. 39.5%, P=0.0009), and a long target lesion in the infarct-related artery (>14.5 mm, 74 vs. 29%, P<0.0001). By multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis, only the presence of high thrombus burden before the PCI procedure [odds ratio (OR)=5.2, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.09–24.97, P=0.03)] and target lesion length (>14.5 mm, OR=3.9, 95% CI=1.45–10.60, P=0.007) were found independent predictors of DE. Patients with DE had an increased risk of target vessel revascularization (26 vs. 5%, P=0.001) and short-term mortality (29.6 vs. 7.5%, P=0.002) when compared with patients without angiographic signs of embolization. ConclusionsIn patients who undergo primary PCI, high thrombus burden on angiography before PCI and/or a long target lesion in the infarct-related artery increase the risk of DE and subsequent short-term mortality.
A typology of consumers' variety-seeking disposition based on inherent needs

Abstract Consumers' variety seeking has preoccupied many researchers over the last three decades, and many explanations and models have been produced. The concept is relevant to market segmentation, but it has not been fully explored. This study explores variety seeking in order to derive a consumer typology based on the strength of the disposition to seek for variety, and the intrinsic needs that trigger this disposition. A quantitative methodology is adopted using a sample comprising customers of a large UK-based clothing retailer. Factor and cluster analyses are used to derive a variety-seeking disposition (VSD) typology. Findings indicate four distinct clusters, which differentiate in terms of the strength of VSD and the built-in needs that drive VSD. Clusters also discriminate in terms of behavioural, attitudinal, and demographic variables, including attitude to clothes, brand commitment, interest in fashion, age, gender, education, and occupation. A number of implications derive from this study in relation to targeting and marketing strategy.
Fair Value Accounting for Goodwill Under IFRS: An Exploratory Study of the Comparability in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom

Using a random sample of companies from France, Germany, and the UK (100 from each country) I examine the comparability/diversity of fair value accounting of goodwill under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). I predict and find that large companies operating in an environment with a high level of investor protection are more likely to provide more disclosure on how the conduct the fair value estimation of acquired goodwill. I also predict find that investors find the accounting information from companies with high levels of disclosure more informative. In addition, I also find that companies in the financial sector are providing significantly less disclosure compared to other companies.