Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Liquidity, Size and Firm Value: Evidence from Nigeria Economy

This study examines the effects of firm liquidity and size on firm value for 34 quoted firms in Nigeria from 2007 to 2016. While firm value is measured by market value per share, liquidity and size of firm are measured by the ratio of current assets to current liability and natural logarithm of total assets respectively. Contrary to the argument that liquidity decision is among the important corporate financial decisions in terms of its effect on firm market value, our results show that firm liquidity has no significant effect on market value per share. But our findings justify the view that firm size has a significant effect on firm market value, though the relationship is negative. Therefore, we recommend that corporate investors in Nigeria prefer smaller firms than larger firms.
Preferred walking speed on rough terrain: is it all about energetics?

ABSTRACT Humans have evolved the ability to walk very efficiently. Further, humans prefer to walk at speeds that approximately minimize their metabolic energy expenditure per unit distance (i.e. gross cost of transport, COT). This has been found in a variety of population groups and other species. However, these studies were mostly performed on smooth, level ground or on treadmills. We hypothesized that the objective function for walking is more complex than only minimizing the COT. To test this idea, we compared the preferred speeds and the relationships between COT and speed for people walking on both a smooth, level floor and a rough, natural terrain trail. Rough terrain presumably introduces other factors, such as stability, to the objective function. Ten healthy men walked on both a straight, flat, smooth floor and an outdoor trail strewn with rocks and boulders. In both locations, subjects performed five to seven trials at different speeds relative to their preferred speed. The COT–speed relationships were similarly U-shaped for both surfaces, but the COT values on rough terrain were approximately 115% greater. On the smooth surface, the preferred speed (1.24±0.17 m s−1) was not found to be statistically different (P=0.09) than the speed that minimized COT (1.34±0.03 m s−1). On rough terrain, the preferred speed (1.07±0.05 m s−1) was significantly slower than the COT minimum speed (1.13±0.07 m s−1; P=0.02). Because near the optimum speed the COT function is very shallow, these changes in speed result in a small change in COT (0.5%). It appears that the objective function for speed preference when walking on rough terrain includes COT and additional factors such as stability. Highlighted Article: On rough terrain, humans do not choose their walking speed based solely on metabolic energy minimization.
Human Capital Analysis Of Organizational Performance Mediated By Customer Capital: Case Of Accounting Study Program

Universities in Indonesia have now become industries, thus causing competition between universities to be unavoidable. The key to success for every university in Indonesia to win this competition is to gain competitive advantage. One important factor determining competitive advantage is intellectual capital. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of human capital in performance through customer capital as a mediating variable. The research sample is an accounting study program in Surabaya. Data were analyzed using PLS. Human capital is found to affect customer capital and customer capital affects performance, but human capital does not directly affect performance.
Hepatitis C virus core or NS3/4A protein expression preconditions hepatocytes against oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress

ABSTRACT Objectives: The occurrence of oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been demonstrated and play an important role in liver injury. During viral infection, hepatocytes must handle not only the replication of the virus, but also inflammatory signals generating oxidative stress and damage. Although several mechanisms exist to overcome cellular stress, little attention has been given to the adaptive response of hepatocytes during exposure to multiple noxious triggers. Methods: In the present study, Huh-7 cells and hepatocytes expressing HCV Core or NS3/4A proteins, both inducers of oxidative and ER stress, were additionally challenged with the superoxide anion generator menadione to mimic external oxidative stress. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as the response to oxidative stress and ER stress were investigated. Results: We demonstrate that hepatocytes diminish oxidative stress through a reduction in ROS production, ER-stress markers (HSPA5 [GRP78], sXBP1) and apoptosis (caspase-3 activity) despite external oxidative stress. Interestingly, the level of the autophagy substrate protein p62 was downregulated together with HCV Core degradation, suggesting that hepatocytes can overcome excess oxidative stress through autophagic degradation of one of the stressors, thereby increasing cell survival. Duscussion: In conclusion, hepatocytes exposed to direct and indirect oxidative stress inducers are able to cope with cellular stress associated with viral hepatitis and thus promote cell survival.
Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures of alcohol and drug treatment initiation and engagement among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and patients without an HIV diagnosis

Background Problematic use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) is highly prevalent among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH), and untreated AOD use disorders have particularly detrimental effects on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) outcomes. The Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures of treatment initiation and engagement are important benchmarks for access to AOD use disorder treatment. To inform improved patient care, we compared HEDIS measures of AOD use disorder treatment initiation and engagement and health care utilization among PLWH and patients without an HIV diagnosis. Methods Patients with a new AOD use disorder diagnosis documented between October 1, 2014, and August 15, 2015, were identified using electronic health records (EHR) and insurance claims data from 7 health care systems in the United States. Demographic characteristics, clinical diagnoses, and health care utilization data were also obtained. AOD use disorder treatment initiation and engagement rates were calculated using HEDIS measure criteria. Factors associated with treatment initiation and engagement were examined using multivariable logistic regression models. Results There were 469 PLWH (93% male) and 86,096 patients without an HIV diagnosis (60% male) in the study cohort. AOD use disorder treatment initiation was similar in PLWH and patients without an HIV diagnosis (10% vs. 11%, respectively). Among those who initiated treatment, few engaged in treatment in both groups (9% PLWH vs. 12% patients without an HIV diagnosis). In multivariable analysis, HIV status was not significantly associated with either AOD use disorder treatment initiation or engagement. Conclusions AOD use disorder treatment initiation and engagement rates were low in both PLWH and patients without an HIV diagnosis. Future studies need to focus on developing strategies to efficiently integrate AOD use disorder treatment with medical care for HIV.
DHFR Inhibitors: Reading the Past for Discovering Novel Anticancer Agents

Dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors are an important class of drugs, as evidenced by their use as antibacterial, antimalarial, antifungal, and anticancer agents. Progress in understanding the biochemical basis of mechanisms responsible for enzyme selectivity and antiproliferative effects has renewed the interest in antifolates for cancer chemotherapy and prompted the medicinal chemistry community to develop novel and selective human DHFR inhibitors, thus leading to a new generation of DHFR inhibitors. This work summarizes the mechanism of action, chemical, and anticancer profile of the DHFR inhibitors discovered in the last six years. New strategies in DHFR drug discovery are also provided, in order to thoroughly delineate the current landscape for medicinal chemists interested in furthering this study in the anticancer field.
Bin Ke

While a large literature has examined analysts’ earnings forecasts or stock recommendations in isolation, there is little research on the effectiveness with which analysts translate their earnings forecasts into recommendations (referred to as translational effectiveness). This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the determinants of analysts’ translational effectiveness, including the investment banking pressure considered in prior research and four new factors (i.e., insider trading, trading commissions, institutional ownership and investor sentiment). Consistent with prior research, the influence of investment banking on translational effectiveness is reduced in the period subsequent to the 2002/2003 regulatory changes. However, the effect of insider trading, institutional ownership and investor sentiment on translational effectiveness remains as significant or becomes even stronger. In addition, the combined influence of these four new factors on translational effectiveness is as equally important as the influence of the investment banking pressure.
Factors Affecting Rice Farming Practices among Farmers in Ogun and Niger States, Nigeria

The study examined factors affecting rice farming practices of rural farmers in Ogun and Niger States, Nigeria. Three hundred and twenty respondents were selected through multistage sampling procedure. Frequency distribution, percentages and mean, student’s t-test and regression analysis were used for data. All analysis was done at 5% level of significance. There was a significant difference in the farm practices of the rice farmers in Niger and Ogun States (t = 8.39, p ≤0.05). Factor affecting rice farming practices was determinants of rice production output (β = -0.13, p ≤0.05). There was difference in the farming practices of rice farmers in Ogun and Niger States. Agricultural extension services, particularly, in Ogun State should expedite action in organizing training that can facilitate adoption of better farming practices in order to increase rice production and income generation for the rice farmers, while government and input suppliers should make fertilizers available and affordable. Keywords: factors affecting farming practices; rice production; rural rice farmers;
Comparison of the Use of Blink Rate and Blink Rate Variability for Mental State Recognition

Recent research has unearthed that blink rate variability (BRV) can be employed as a psychophysiological measure. However, its efficiency for mental state recognition (MSR) has not been investigated yet. Because BRV can indicate dynamics inherent in eye blinks, we conjectured that BRV might exhibit stronger abilities for the MSR if compared with blink rate (BR), known as the leading indicator derived from eye blinks for MSR. Therefore, in this paper, we attempted to differentiate between high and low cognitive loads of an individual through the analyses of BR and BRV, respectively, which could be viewed as a preliminary study for comparing their MSR abilities. First, an $n$ -back experiment was performed to collect data. Then, in order to characterize the phenomenon of BRV, the features were extracted from its time and frequency domains, respectively. Finally, the area under the curve (AUC) values of BRV and BR for MSR were estimated by the ten commonly used classifiers, respectively. The results indicated that BRV achieves significantly higher AUC values than BR, which suggests its strong potentiality for MSR. In sum, the BRV may prove to be a promising method for the MSR, which should be considered in the future.
KLAM_21 DRAINAGE WIND MODELLING OF WINTERTIME AIR POLLUTION EVENTS IN CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

The cold air drainage model KLAM_21 is used to simulate the surface wind field during winter smog nights in Christchurch, New Zealand. Comparison of model results with detailed observations of the CAPS2000 field campaign indicates that the complex flow field of interacting local and regional winds is captured well by the model.
Sarcomatoid carcinoma in cytology: Report of a rare entity presenting in pleural and pericardial fluid preparations

Sarcomatoid carcinoma is rarely found in pleural or pericardial fluid, with very few cases published to date. Here, we describe a 59‐year‐old female who presented with cough persisting for 5 months. Chest CT scan revealed a 6.0 cm cavitary mass in the left lung base with bulky mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. An additional 1.2 cm right adrenal mass was seen and was suspicious for metastatic disease. The patient developed dyspnea, tachycardia, pleuritic chest pain and generalized weakness and was admitted to the hospital. She was found to have pleural and pericardial effusions, which were drained and sent to cytology. The fluid revealed enlarged highly pleomorphic malignant cells, some displaying multinucleation with irregular nuclear borders, coarse chromatin and prominent nucleoli. Tumor cells were positive for CK7 and Vimentin and negative for MOC‐31, Ber‐EP4, B72.3, Sox10, Melan‐A, TTF‐1, Napsin‐A and CK20. A concurrent surgical biopsy of the tumor mass displayed immunopositivity for AE1/AE3 and CAM5.2. The tumor was negative for p40, TTF‐1, calretinin, D2‐40 and STAT6. A diagnosis of sarcomatoid carcinoma with giant cells and spindle cells was rendered. Sarcomatoid carcinomas of the lung are very uncommon consisting of 1% of non‐small‐cell lung carcinomas and are even more unusual in cytology specimens. Despite its rarity, it is important to keep this entity in mind in the differential diagnosis of a fluid specimen with bizarre nuclear atypia and the above staining pattern.
Effective 3-D Process Modeling and Parameters Determination on Double Exposure in Deep X-ray Lithography

This paper describes a new analytical method to determine process parameters on Double Exposure in Deep X-Ray Lithography (DXRL). DXRL is a unique and promising technique for 3-dimentional (3-D) microfabrication among 3-D X-ray lithography techniques. By way of example, it was demonstrated that a micro-projection array with a very sharp tip is easily and successfully fabricated without any special apparatus. In order to advance the capabilities of DXRL to realize 3-D microstructures and MEMS devices, we have proposed the analytical method that is possible to calculate resist profiles of a 3-D microstructure fabricated by DXRL. The advantage of the newly proposed analytical method is that an effective relationship between resist profiles and process parameters on DXRL is derived directly from relational expressions. By the comparisons between resist profiles calculated by the analytical method and experimental results, it was successfully confirmed that this approach provides an easy way to realize the target micro-projection structures with an acceptable accuracy. Department of Micro Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Dual actions of group B Streptococcus capsular sialic acid provide resistance to platelet-mediated antimicrobial killing

Significance Platelets have an important role in blood clotting, but also function in immune responses, including the release of antimicrobial peptides that eliminate pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. Here we observe that group B Streptococcus (GBS), a leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in human newborns, is not killed by platelets. The key to GBS platelet resistance is a polysaccharide capsule that coats the bacterial surface and contains sialic acid (Sia), a common sugar present on all human cells. GBS Sia blocks platelet-derived antimicrobial factors, and also engages an inhibitory receptor (Siglec-9) on the platelet surface to block platelet activation. Platelet resistance is a novel consequence of GBS “molecular mimicry” of its host and contributes to its propensity to produce bloodstream infection. Circulating platelets have important functions in thrombosis and in modulating immune and inflammatory responses. However, the role of platelets in innate immunity to bacterial infection is largely unexplored. While human platelets rapidly kill Staphylococcus aureus, we found the neonatal pathogen group B Streptococcus (GBS) to be remarkably resistant to platelet killing. GBS possesses a capsule polysaccharide (CPS) with terminal α2,3-linked sialic acid (Sia) residues that mimic a common epitope present on the human cell surface glycocalyx. A GBS mutant deficient in CPS Sia was more efficiently killed by human platelets, thrombin-activated platelet releasate, and synthetic platelet-associated antimicrobial peptides. GBS Sia is known to bind inhibitory Sia-recognizing Ig superfamily lectins (Siglecs) to block neutrophil and macrophage activation. We show that human platelets also express high levels of inhibitory Siglec-9 on their surface, and that GBS can engage this receptor in a Sia-dependent manner to suppress platelet activation. In a mouse i.v. infection model, antibody-mediated platelet depletion increased susceptibility to platelet-sensitive S. aureus but did not alter susceptibility to platelet-resistant GBS. Elimination of murine inhibitory Siglec-E partially reversed platelet suppression in response to GBS infection. We conclude that GBS Sia has dual roles in counteracting platelet antimicrobial immunity: conferring intrinsic resistance to platelet-derived antimicrobial components and inhibiting platelet activation through engagement of inhibitory Siglecs. We report a bacterial virulence factor for evasion of platelet-mediated innate immunity.
Relative contribution of epiphyseal tubercle and peripheral cupping to capital femoral epiphysis stability during daily activities

Epiphyseal tubercle and peripheral cupping can influence the development of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) and Cam morphology. During normal skeletal growth, epiphyseal tubercle shrinks while the peripheral cupping grows. We hypothesized that epiphyseal tubercle act as the primary stabilizer of the head‐neck junction at early stages and this role is gradually transferred to epiphyseal cupping as the tubercle shrinks and cupping grows. From a cohort of 80 boys and girls (8–15 years old) with normal hips, CT scans of 5 subjects corresponding to minimum, 25th percentile, median, 75th percentile and maximum relative tubercle and cupping height were used to develop 3D finite element models. In vivo measured hip loads were used to study load sharing between the tubercle and peripheral cupping under combined and uniaxial loads exerted on femoral head during a range of daily activities. Lower epiphyseal tubercle height, larger epiphyseal cupping height and bigger differences in tubercle and cupping heights were strongly associated with increased epiphyseal cupping to epiphyseal tubercle stress ratios (R2 > 0.7). We found lower peripheral cupping stresses relative to the tubercle (cupping to tubercle stress ratio <1) in hips with larger tubercle and smaller cupping. The relative decreases in tubercle size along with increased in peripheral cupping in our models gradually shifted the load distribution to higher stresses in the periphery compared to the epiphyseal tubercle area (cupping to tubercle stress ratio >1). Both tubercle and cupping play a substantial role in sharing the generated stresses across the head‐neck junction under all tested loading conditions. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:1571–1579, 2019.
Interactive association between negative emotion regulation and savoring is linked to anxiety symptoms among college students

Abstract Objective: This study tested the interactive relationships between college students’ perceived capability of regulating negative emotions and savoring positive emotions on mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depressive symptoms. Participants: Participants were healthy undergraduates (n = 167) recruited from two universities in Hong Kong. Methods: Students completed four scales assessing their perceived capability of using strategies to regulate negative and positive emotions and their anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results: Findings revealed that both anxiety and depressive symptoms were negatively linked to perceived capabilities of regulating negative emotions and savoring positive emotions. Furthermore, regulating negative emotions interacted with savoring positive emotions to predict anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: The need to simultaneously perform negative and positive emotion regulation is highlighted. The results suggest the priority of regulating negative emotions over savoring positive emotions in alleviating anxiety symptoms. Nevertheless, enhancing positive emotion shows greater benefits for those who are less adept at regulating negative emotions.
ANALYSIS OF THE (N)AO INFLUENCE ON ALPINE TEMPERATURES USING A DENSE STATION DATASET AND A HIGH-RESOLUTION SIMULATION

Both the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) have a strong influence on European climate due to the associated change in the intensity and location of the westerlies, especially in winter (DJF). The influence of the (N)AO on the climate of the European Alps has been analysed in earlier studies either based on a few single stations or on gridded data not higher resolved than 1 deg. To analyse finer structures in the temperature response to the (N)AO caused by the complex topography, a very dense homogenised station dataset (extended version of HISTALP) has been used in this study for the winters 1958/59 to 1998/99 in the Greater Alpine Region. Additionally, the temperature response has been analysed using a high-resolution (1/6 deg.) model simulation performed with the regional climate model REMO to receive more information about the temperature response pattern and to validate the model.
Wireless High-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation (10 kHz) Compared with Multiwaveform Low-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation in the Management of Chronic Pain in Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Subjects: Preliminary Results of a Multicenter, Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the wireless Freedom Spinal Cord Stimulator (WSCS) System for the treatment of chronic back and/or leg pain associated with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) refractory to standard medical treatment utilizing 10-kHz stimulation (high-frequency [HF]) in comparison with 10-1,500-Hz stimulation (low-frequency [LF]) waveforms. METHODS Ninety-nine subjects were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either HF or LF stimulation waveforms utilizing the same Freedom WSCS System. All subjects were implanted with two 8-electrode arrays in the exact same anatomical positions within the dorsal epidural spinal column, with the top electrode positioned at the T8 and T9 vertebrae levels, respectively, and the wireless receiver placed under the skin in a subcutaneous pocket. RESULTS Seventy-two (HF: N = 38; LF: N = 34) subjects had completed the six-month follow-up after an initial 30-day trial period at the time of this report. For both the HF and LF arms, mean visual analog scale (VAS) scores for back and leg pain decreased significantly: 77% and 76%, respectively, for the HF arm and 64% and 64%, respectively, for the LF arm. In addition, most subjects experienced significant improvements in VAS, Oswestry Disability Index, European Quality of Life 5 Dimension questionnaire, Patient Global Impression of Change, and sleep duration. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary results demonstrate that WSCS devices can reduce FBSS chronic pain substantially with both LF and HF stimulation waveforms over a seven-month period (30-day trial period and six-month post-trial evaluation).