Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Premium for Heightened Uncertainty: Explaining Pre-Announcement Market Returns

We show that the pattern of positive pre-announcement market drift is present not only for FOMC announcements, as documented by Lucca and Moench (2015), but also for other major macroeconomic announcements such as Nonfarm Payroll, ISM and GDP. This commonality in pre-announcement returns leads us to hypothesize that there are two kinds of risks associated with pre-scheduled macroeconomic announcements. The first risk arises from the uncertain content of the news itself and is directional in nature, while the second risk is associated with the "heightened uncertainty'' in anticipation of a pre-scheduled announcement, relating in particular to its potential market impact. Theoretically, we show that it is the resolution of this second risk prior to an announcement that leads to the positive pre-announcement drift. Moreover, our model shows that this second risk can be captured by VIX and the positive pre-announcement drift occurs in the absence of increases in conventional risk measures. We further provide direct evidence on the heightened uncertainty and its later resolution prior to the macroeconomic releases including FOMC. In addition to the pre-scheduled announcements, heightened uncertainty can also be triggered unexpectedly. Indeed, we find abnormally large returns on days following large spike-ups in VIX, with magnitudes comparable to the pre-announcement returns.
Comparing the Effects of Traditional and Combined Teaching Methods on Nursing Students’ Learning Skills of Wound Care

Learning practical skills especially in fields of medical science is significantly important. There are controversies over the effectiveness of teaching methods, though. It is believed that some of these teaching methods cause learning to speed up, facilitate, and cost less. Therefore, the present study is aimed at comparing the effects of traditional and combined teaching methods on freshman nursing students’ learning skills of wound care in academic year of 2009-2010. Materials and Methods: The present experimental study was consisted of 42 nursing students admitted to university in 2009-2010. They were randomized (every other student) into two groups, firstand secondhalf year students, by the education head office. Combined and traditional teaching methods were respectively utilized to teach the experimental and control groups skills of wound care. Data collection was conducted through a questionnaire and a bandage skill checklist. Cognitive domain and psychomotor effects were statistically analyzed through a multiple-choice test and OSCE, respectively. Findings: Statistical results proved a significant difference between the experimental group and the control one regarding their cognitive skill (Chi-square with p<0.05 and t=3.14) and psychomotor skill (p<0.05 and t=5.23). Conclusion: Compared to traditional method, combined teaching method has greater effect on practical bandage skill especially in psychomotor domain. Therefore, it is highly recommended that this method of teaching should be used for other skills, in other majors, and at other universities of the country. [Marlin Ardalan, Muhammad Saleh Vahedi, Ghader Salehnejad. Comparing the Effects of Traditional and Combined Teaching Methods on Nursing Students’ Learning Skills of Wound Care. Life Sci J 2013;10(9s):156-159] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 18
Ultra-high pressure balloon angioplasty for pulmonary artery stenosis in children with congenital heart defects: Short- to mid-term follow-up results from a retrospective cohort in a single tertiary center

Objective Balloon angioplasty (BA) has been the treatment of choice for pulmonary artery stenosis (PAS) in children. There remains, however, a significant proportion of resistant lesions. The ultra-high pressure (UHP) balloons might be effective in a subset of these lesions. In this study, we analyzed the safety and efficacy with short- to mid-term follow-up results of UHP BA for PAS in children with congenital heart defects (CHD) in our center. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study in a single tertiary heart center. Children diagnosed with PAS associated with CHD were referred for UHP BA. All data with these children were collected for analysis with updated follow-up. Results A total of 37 UHP BAs were performed consecutively in 28 children. The success rate was 78.4%. A significantly (P = 0.005) larger ratio of the balloon to the minimal luminal diameter at the stenotic waist (balloon/waist ratio) was present in the success group (median 3.00, 1.64–8.33) compared to that in the failure group (median 1.94, 1.41 ± 4.00). Stepwise logistic regression analysis further identified that the balloon/waist ratio and the presence of therapeutic tears were two independent predictors of procedural success. The receiver operating characteristic curve revealed a cut-off value of 2.57 for the balloon/waist ratio to best differentiate success from failure cases. Signs of therapeutic tears were present in eight cases, all of whom were in the success group. Perioperative acute adverse events were recorded in 16 patients, including 11 pulmonary artery injuries, three pulmonary hemorrhages, and two pulmonary artery aneurysms. During a median follow-up period of 10.4 (0.1–21.0) months, nine cases experienced restenosis at a median time of 40 (4–325) days after angioplasty. Conclusions The UHP BA is safe and effective for the primary treatment of PAS in infants and children with CHD. The success rate is high with a low incidence of severe complications. The predictors of success are a larger balloon/waist ratio and the presence of therapeutic tears. The occurrence of restenosis during follow-up, however, remains a problem. A larger number of cases and longer periods of follow-up are needed for further study.
Asymmetrical Herding In The Up And Down Market: An Empirical Analysis From Istanbul Stock Exchange

Since 1990 researchers studied the impact of herding behavior in developed and emerging countries financial markets. Herd behavior were assumed to destabilize financial markets and that is why many studies were conducted to investigate the existence of herding behavior during market stress periods. The main objective of this study is to investigate herding behavior when Istanbul stock exchange rises and falls. The study uses daily, weekly as well as monthly stock and sectoral data from the beginning of 2000 to the end of 2018. CSSD and CSAD models are used to test the existence of herding behavior in Istanbul stock exchange. The empirical finding shows that herding is more prevalent when the market falls than when it rises. This shows that herding behavior is not symmetrical in the up and down market. In addition, herding is more common in the daily data than weekly and monthly data.
Mental healthcare for young and adolescent LGBTQ+ individuals in the Indian subcontinent

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a significant change in the way healthcare is dispensed. During the pandemic, healthcare inequities were experienced by various sections of society, based on gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The LGBTQ individuals were also affected by this inequity. There is a lack of information on this topic especially in the developing countries. Hence this issue requires further exploration and understanding. Previous literature briefly explored the mental, physical, and emotional turmoil faced by the LGBTQ community on a regular basis. They feared rejection by family and friends, bullying, physical assault, and religious biases. These issues prevented them from publicly speaking about their sexual orientation thereby making it difficult to collect reliable data. Although they require medical and psychological treatment, they are afraid to ask for help and access healthcare and mental health services. Being mindful of these difficulties, this article explores the various underlying causes of the mental health problems faced by LGBTQ individuals, especially, in the Indian subcontinent. The article also examines the status of healthcare services available to Indian sexual minorities and provides recommendations about possible remedial measures to ensure the well-being of LGBTQ individuals.
Effectiveness of a Health Education Program to Improve Knowledge and Attitude Towards Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear: A Controlled Community Trial in Malaysia

Objective: We examined the effectiveness of a health education program to improve; knowledge and attitude towards cervical cancer and Pap smear, and uptake of Pap smear test among female entrepreneurs in Kedah, a northern state of Malaysia. Methods: This controlled community trial involved 210 women from the districts of Alor Setar and Sungai Petani. Simple random sampling was applied to select 105 women from each district. Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain information about the variables of interest. Health education intervention program included educational talk, demo video, experience sharing, pamphlet distribution, and text message reminders. Evaluation of outcomes was performed twice. The text message reminders acted as the cues to action that were sent between the two evaluation times at one-month interval. Women in the control group received educational talk alone. In the control group, evaluation of outcomes was done only once, which was one month after the educational talk. Results: Knowledge on cervical cancer and Pap smear, and attitude towards Pap smear among women in both intervention and control group improved significantly at Evaluation 1. However, no further improvements were observed in the intervention group at Evaluation. The uptake of Pap smear in the intervention group increased significantly from 48.0% at Baseline to 68.0% at Evaluation 1 (P<0.001), and from 68.0% to 79.0% at Evaluation (P<0.001). A significant increase in Pap smear uptake was also seen in the control group from 63.0% at Baseline to 76.0% at Evaluation stage 1 (P=0.003). Conclusions: Educational talk alone was effective in improving knowledge on cervical cancer and Pap smear, attitude towards the test, and the actual uptake of the test. However, text reminders were more effective than having an educational talk alone in increasing uptake of Pap smear test among participants.
Risk factors and predictors of early mortality after acute stroke: hospital based study

To determine the predictors of 30-days intra-hospital case fatality rate in patients with first-ever acute stroke in tertiary case Al Farwaniah hospital in Kuwait and Daping hospital in China. A cross-sectional observational study This is a cross-sectional study which included 134 patients with acute first-ever stroke 70 cases admitted to Al-Farwaniah hospital intensive care unit in Kuwait and 64 cases in Daping hospital intensive care in China. Uniform information was obtained using standard format documenting risk factors, neurological clinical presentation at the time of admission, admission Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and Barthel index, blood pressure, random blood glucose level and presence of complications. All patient were closely followed up to monitor progress of theses cases. The end point was mortality or survival at 30 days from stroke onset. The 30-days case fatality rate was 22.4% age, sex, hypertension had no impact on mortality. Haemorrhagic (p=0.04), low GCS (p=0.001), low Barthel index < 5/20 (p=0.001), diabetes mellitus (p=0.001) and middle cerebral artery infarct i.e MCA (p=0.001) on admission were important predictors of mortality. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are the most common risk factors of stroke among patients admitted to Farwaniah hospital – Kuwait and Daping hospital in China. Significant predictors of one-month mortality include admission GCS, its deterioration and haemorrhagic stroke.
Single Anastomosis Sleeve Ileal Bypass ( SASI ) for management of obese patients with type 2 Diabetes

Background: Amidst the current worldwide epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the global diabetes health burden is projected to reach 522 million in 2030, with much of this increase occurring in developing countries. Aim of the work: to evaluate the role of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy with loop bipartition (single anastomosis sleeve ileal bypass) as a bariatric and metabolic procedure in control of type 2 diabetes in obese patients over one year post-operative. Patients and methods: This prospective cohort study included 20 obese adult patients with type 2 DM recently diagnosed within last 5 years. Some of them have other associated comorbidities. They were recruited at department of surgery Ain Shams University. The follow up was obtained during the first year post-operative. Results: In this study, complete remission of diabetes was achieved in 75% of the patients by the 3 post-operative month and in 95% by the end of the study. This was beside marked weight reduction and improvement of lipid profile without causing micronutrients deficiencies during the study period. Conclusion: SASI bypass can be one of the most efficient metabolic procedures and could be associated with less risks. The procedure should be considered under investigations until enough long term data are available. Thus it is worth to be explored in research aiming for more data. [Mohamed M. Abouzeid, Medhat M. Helmy, Mohamed Magdi Abdulaziz and Mootaz ElHusseini. Single Anastomosis Sleeve Ileal Bypass (SASI) for management of obese patients with type 2 Diabetes. Life Sci J 2019;16(11):112-120]. ISSN: 1097-8135 (Print) / ISSN: 2372-613X (Online). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 12. doi:10.7537/marslsj161119.12.
EFFECT OF EXPERIMENTAL DYSGLYCEMIA ON UNDER-CARBOXYLATED OSTEOCALCIN PRODUCTION IN HUMAN PRIMARY OSTEOBLAST-LIKE CELL CULTURES.

Context The undercarboxylated form of osteocalcin (ucOC) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) are bone-derived molecules involved in the endocrine crosstalk governing the bone, the adipose tissue and the pancreas. In addition, glucocorticoids are major determinants of both insulin resistance and osteoporosis. Objective We aimed to investigate the response of ucOC and OPG to dysglycemia and/or dexamethasone (DXM) in primary human osteoblastic cell (HOC) cultures. Design and methods Third-passage sub-confluent primary HOC cultures were treated with glucose: 2.8 mmol/L, 5.6 mmol/L, 11.1 mmol/L and 28 mmol/L, respectively. Alternatively, HOC cultures were subjected to DXM 1 μmol/L. In more complex experiments, HOC cultures were pre-treated with glucose (5.6 mmol/L) with/without insulin (1 pmol/L) followed by DXM (1 μmol/L). 24-hours post-treatment, culture medium ucOC and OPG were measured by ELISA. Results ucOC production differed significantly (p<0.05) between cell groups, decreasing in a dose-dependent manner as glucose concentration in the medium increased. Insulin prevented this effect. OPG levels appeared not to be significantly influenced by the hyperglycemic culture medium and were not related to ucOC concentration (p>0.05). Addition of DXM resulted in significantly lower ucOC concentrations compared to vehicle-treated cells (p<0.05). However, the effect of insulin co-treatment on ucOC was not counteracted by DXM (p<0.05). Conclusions An obvious alteration of OC production/metabolism was observed as glucose levels changed in the bone microenvironment, to potentially be involved in diabetes-related osteopenia. DXM suppressed ucOC levels however not in insulin-rich environment.
FOLIAR APPLIED POTASSIUM ENHANCES FIBRE QUALITY, WATER RELATIONS AND YIELD OF COTTON

A study was conducted in the Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan to check the effect of different potassium (K) levels on water relations, fibre quality and yield traits of two cotton cultivars (FH-942 and FH-113). Four levels of foliar potassium (0, 1, 1.5 and 2%) were arranged in RCBD replicated thrice with a net plot size of 1.5 m x 5.0 m in farm area. The results revealed significant differences for fibre quality and yield parameters due to foliar applied K levels. However, foliar applied K @ 1.5% performed better than all other treatments. Maximum water (-1.08 and -1.11MPa), osmotic (-1.43 and -1.45 MPa) and turgor potential (0.64 and 0.56 MPa) were noted in K level of 1.5% both at 40 and 60 DAS. The same K level showed maximum fibre strength (28.12g /tex), fibre length (32.24 mm), fineness (6.22 micronaire), uniformity (54.60%) and fibre elongation (5.80%). The yield related parameters i.e. number of sympodial and monopodial branches, bolls number, ginning outturn and yield of seed plus cotton were significant and more at 1.5% foliar applied potassium level. These parameters were better in cultivar FH-942 than FH-113.
Applied Physics Bachelor Project Conductivity of PLD Grown Telluride Films

In this work, electrical conductivity of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) grown telluride films are investigated, namely Sb2Te3 and GeTe. The two films are known for their thermoelectric properties which can be quantified by looking at thermoelectric figure of merit which is linear to the electrical conductivity. It has been observed that the electrical conductivity Sb2Te3 single layer decreases with increasing temperature, showing a metallic-like conducting behaviour in which resistivity is proportional to temperature. Conversely, GeTe single layer shows more semiconducting behaviour, that their electrical conductivity increases with temperature. It also has been observed that conductivity of crystalline GeTe shows a sharp jump, which is similar to the feature of amorphous to crystalline. When these two layers, Sb2Te3 and GeTe, are stacked on top of each other, creating superlattice-like films, the conductivity is dominated by GeTe. The electrical conductivity of this superlattice-like film, with four times more GeTe single layers than the Sb2Te3 single layers, was found to be 600 S/cm at room temperature, giving a low resistivity upon intermixing between the constituent layers of superlattice-like film. By doing some optimization of the superlattice-like films constituent layers thickness under some conditions, a high figure of merit of this system can be achieved.
Tourist Behavior of Plastic Waste Reduction in the Coastal Area of Trang Province, Thailand

The objective of this study is to estimate the tourist behavior of plastic waste reduction in the coastal area of Trang Province, Thailand. 316 tourists (153 male, 163 female) traveling in the five districts along with the coastal area were included as the participants in this study. The results showed that 57 % of the tourists were found to be good behavior. Amongst 14 variables in statistic analysis, knowledge was found as significant predictor after adjusting in full model of multiple logistic regression. The knowledge compain of plastic waste reduction ought to be promoted to increase of awareness among tourists for reducing plastic waste problem in the coastal area at early age. A greater emphasis must be placed on formulation and implementation of policies aimed at addressing the emerging problems of plastic waste in the costal area of Thailand.
Environmental influences on bioturbation and nest architecture of montane ants

Social insects are among the most abundant arthropods encountered in terrestrial ecosystems and serve many functional roles that are beneficial to humans. One prominent ecosystem service that subterranean ants provide is the maintenance of healthy soil through aeration, decomposition, and nutrient cycling. The effect of ant colonies on soil properties has been studied for decades, yet little is known about ant nest properties like architecture due to the difficulty of observing these belowground patterns. Furthermore, many ant species span environmental gradients, and their behavior is largely dictated by the climatic and landscape features of their specific habitats. In this study, I explored how abiotic factors shape what can be considered as an ‘extended phenotype’ of ant colonies nest architecture. Using a controlled laboratory setting, I quantified the nest structure of montane Formica podzolica ant colonies spanning a significant elevation range (~3000 ft) in Boulder County Parks & Open Space (BCPOS). Colonies exposed to a high-temperature treatment built deeper nests than those exposed to a low-temperature treatment. Colonies responded in the same ways regardless of their elevational origin. These results indicate that ant nests may be a plastic extended phenotypic trait that can change depending on the climatic environment of the nest, which may help colonies survive in adverse conditions. Further, this study reveals that F. podzolica, a common alpine ant throughout BCPOS, will likely be able to adjust to drastic changes in air temperature through the depth of its nests and, therefore, continue to maintain soil ecosystems in the face of climate change.
Is Topical Phenytoin Effective in Healing Diabetic Foot Ulcers in Patients Over Age 18

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not topical phenytoin is effective in healing diabetic foot ulcers in patients over age 18. Study Design: Systematic review of three randomized controlled trials, published in 2011, 2013 and 2014. Data Sources: Three randomized controlled trials comparing the effectiveness of topical phenytoin to placebo in healing diabetic foot ulcers. Data sources found using PubMed and Google Scholar. Outcomes Measured: Greater than 50% reduction in ulcer area measured via graph paper tracings and area reduction calculations, discontinuation of slough and discharge from ulcers via blind observer decision, complete wound closure measured via wound measurement with elliptical method and statement of closure or non-closure. Results: In the study by Ahmed et al. (2014), 70% of patients treated with topical phenytoin experienced greater than 50% closure of their ulcers, compared to 43% of patients in the control group. Patil et al. (2013) found that 78% of ulcers treated with topical phenytoin stopped producing slough and discharge, compared to 16% of ulcers in the control group. Shaw et al. (2011) found that 62% of ulcers treated with a phenytoin dressing had complete wound closure, compared to 74% in the control-dressing group. Conclusions: There is conflicting evidence for whether topical phenytoin is effective in healing diabetic foot ulcers in patients over age 18. Two studies found significant evidence to support the efficacy of topical phenytoin in healing diabetic foot ulcers. One study did not find a significant difference in ulcer healing between patients treated with phenytoin and control dressings.
Current and voltage based bit errors and their combined mitigation for the Kirchhoff-law–Johnson-noise secure key exchange

We classify and analyze bit errors in the current measurement mode of the Kirchhoff-law– Johnson-noise (KLJN) key distribution. The error probability decays exponentially with increasing bit exchange period and fixed bandwidth, which is similar to the error probability decay in the voltage measurement mode. We also analyze the combination of voltage and current modes for error removal. In this combination method, the error probability is still an exponential function that decays with the duration of the bit exchange period, but it has superior fidelity to the former schemes.