Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of high-intensity interval walking training on physical fitness and blood pressure in middle-aged and older people.

OBJECTIVE To examine whether high-intensity interval walking training increased thigh muscle strength and peak aerobic capacity and reduced blood pressure more than moderate-intensity continuous walking training. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS From May 18, 2004, to October 15, 2004 (5-month study period), 60 men and 186 women with a mean +/- SD age of 63 +/- 6 years were randomly divided into 3 groups: no walking training, moderate-intensity continuous walking training, and high-intensity interval walking training. Participants in the moderate-intensity continuous walking training group were instructed to walk at approximately 50% of their peak aerobic capacity for walking, using a pedometer to verify that they took 8000 steps or more per day for 4 or more days per week. Those in the high-intensity interval walking training group, who were monitored by accelerometry, were instructed to repeat 5 or more sets of 3-minute low-intensity walking at 40% of peak aerobic capacity for walking followed by a 3-minute high-intensity walking above 70% of peak aerobic capacity for walking per day for 4 or more days per week. Isometric knee extension and flexion forces, peak aerobic capacity for cycling, and peak aerobic capacity for walking were all measured both before and after training. RESULTS The targets were met by 9 of 25 men and 37 of 59 women in the no walking training group, by 8 of 16 men and 43 of 59 women in the moderate-intensity continuous walking training group, and by 11 of 19 men and 31 of 68 women in the high-intensity interval walking training group. In the high-intensity interval walking training group, isometric knee extension increased by 13%, isometric knee flexion by 17%, peak aerobic capacity for cycling by 8%, and peak aerobic capacity for walking by 9% (all, P<.001), all of which were significantly greater than the increases observed in the moderate-intensity continuous walking training group (all, P<.01). Moreover, the reduction in resting systolic blood pressure was higher for the high-intensity interval walking training group (P=.01). CONCLUSION High-intensity interval walking may protect against age-associated increases in blood pressure and decreases in thigh muscle strength and peak aerobic capacity.
Trading Costs, Liquidity, and Asset Holdings

In this article I develop a model that accounts for interdependence between trading costs in various asset markets arising from the optimizing behavior of liquidity traders. The model suggests that noise trading is an important determinant of the liquidity of asset markets and provides a positive theory for diversified asset holding by risk-neutral liquidity traders. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
The contribution of integrity agencies to good governance

This article considers how the goals and functions of specialised integrity agencies fit into the broader spectrum of pro-integrity and anti-corruption activities within the public sector. While there has been some debate concerning the appropriate scope and powers of specialised integrity agencies (or ‘watchdog’ agencies), they have been widely regarded in recent decades as fundamental to good governance in western democracies. In countries where these bodies have been instituted, they have often been effective not only in tackling corrupt or fraudulent activities, but also in helping senior office-holders to avoid conflicts of interest and in contributing to a culture of accountability and transparency. However, regardless of their formal powers, integrity agencies cannot be expected to function effectively if inserted as transformative agents into an unsupportive political and business culture. Related institutional arrangements are needed to provide reinforcement for their independent work. In this respect, integrity agencies work best in those democratic countries where accountability and transparency are well incorporated in public sector systems and where political leadership is concerned to support these values. Recent developments in Australia are discussed to illustrate the ongoing challenges of building and revitalising integrity in public institutions.
Bond Systematic Risk and the Option Pricing Model

In this paper we examine the behavior of the systematic risk of corporate bonds. A model that assumes d is constant is compared with a model that allows systematic risk to vary in a manner consistent with the Black-Scholes-Merton Options Pricing Model. This procedure captures some fundamental properties of the movement of bond ,B and provides a starting point for improved models of the process generating bond returns. A NUMBER OF RECENT PAPERS have shown that the systematic risk of corporate bonds is related to bond rating. ' In this paper, a model of the relation between the systematic risk of a bond, customarily denoted ,B, and the characteristics of the bond, the issuer, and the state of the capital markets is formulated and subjected to the empirical test. The empirical analysis differs from the studies cited earlier in that the estimation technique explicitly allows for nonstationarity of ,B. The paper is organized in the following manner. A general market model regression with nonstationary coefficients is introduced in Section I. Section I also shows how the Black-Scholes-Merton Option Pricing Model can be used to make predictions about the regression coefficient, or ,B, of corporate bonds. Section II describes the methods and data used in the tests. Section III presents the results and Section IV contains a summary and suggestions for future research.
Illegal Insider Trading and Corporate Governance: Evidence from Taiwan

This study examines the relationship between illegal insider trading and corporate governance. We analyze a sample of 156 cases: seventy-eight firms having illegal insider trading episodes and seventy-eight matched firms. We use three main factors—board composition, ownership structure, and financial reporting credibility—as well as other variables to measure corporate governance. The results reveal that CEO duality and domestic investors are significantly and negatively correlated with illegal insider trading. In addition, firms with less financial reporting credibility have a higher probability of illegal insider trading. Our evidence also supports the view that firms with financial troubles are more likely to engage in illegal insider trading.
Security and experimental performance analysis of a matrix ORAM

Oblivious RAM can hide a client's access pattern from an untrusted storage server. However current ORAM schemes incur a large communication overhead and/or client storage overhead, especially as the server storage size grows. We have proposed a matrix-based ORAM, M-ORAM, that makes the communication overhead independent of the server size. This requires selecting a height of the matrix; we present how to select the height to match the functionality of the well-known Path ORAM. We then given both theoretical models and experimental results that show M-ORAM can achieve a lower communication overhead than Path ORAM, without a significant increase in maximum client storage overhead.
Update on cervical cancer screening

PREVIEW Growing evidence about the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the development of cervical cancer holds promise for prevention as well as early detection. At the same time, important advances in diagnostic techniques and management guidelines based on study evidence offer more effective tools for classification of disease severity and appropriate treatment options. In this article, the authors review the 2001 revision of the Bethesda System and the new evidence-based protocols for managing patients with abnormal Pap smears.
The effects of slow skeletal troponin I expression in the murine myocardium are influenced by development‐related shifts in myosin heavy chain isoform

• Slow skeletal troponin I (ssTnI) transgenic (TG) mice were treated with propylthiouracil (PTU) to induce a shift in myosin heavy chain (MHC) from the α‐ to β‐MHC isoform, to understand how concomitant expression of these proteins affects cardiac muscle function. • Following PTU treatment, β‐MHC expression increased to ∼80%, relative to α‐MHC while TG ssTnI expression persisted at a level of ∼34% of total TnI. • ssTnI sped XB recruitment dynamics, and this increase was enhanced ∼3.8‐fold in the presence of β‐MHC when compared to ssTnI effects against α‐MHC. • The ssTnI effect to increase myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity was blunted in the presence of β‐MHC. • Our results provide new evidence for significant TnI–MHC interactions in their effects on cardiac function, which has major implications for coupling between concerted expression of contractile regulatory isoforms and the thick and thin filament‐mediated tuning of cardiac contractile function.
SLEEP PATTERNS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY

We performed a longitudinal study to investigate whether changes in social zeitgebers and age alter sleep patterns in students during the transition from high school to university. Actimetry was performed on 24 high-school students (mean age ± SD: 18.4 ± 0.9 yrs; 12 females) for two weeks. Recordings were repeated in the same subjects 5 yrs later when they were university students. The sleep period duration and its center, the mid-sleep time, and total sleep time were estimated by actimetry. Actigraphic total sleep time was similar when in high school and at the university on school days (6.31 ± 0.47 vs. 6.45 ± 0.80 h, p = ns) and longer on leisure days by 1.10 ± 1.10 h (p < 0.0001 vs. school days) when in high school, but not at the university. Compared to the high school situation, the mid-sleep time was delayed when at the university on school days (03∶11 ± 0.6 vs. 03∶55 ± 0.7 h, p < 0.0001), but not on leisure days. Individual mid-sleep times on school and leisure days when in high school were significantly correlated with the corresponding values 5 yrs later when at the university (r = 0.58 and r = 0.55, p < 0.05, respectively). The large differences in total sleep time between school and leisure days when students attended high school and the delayed mid-sleep time on school days when students attended university are consistent with a circadian phase shift due to changes in class schedules, other zeitgebers, and lifestyle preferences. Age-related changes may also have occurred, although some individuality of the sleep pattern was maintained during the 5 yr study span. These findings have important implications for optimizing school and work schedules in students of different age and level of education. (Author correspondence: pneubloc@usz.uzh.ch)
Ownership Dynamics with Multiple Insiders: The Case of Reits

We study ownership dynamics of multiple strategic risk-averse insiders facing a moral hazard problem. We show that, when insiders cannot commit, ex ante, to an ownership policy, the aggregate insider stake gradually declines toward the competitive market allocation. Both the speed of adjustment and the long-term equilibrium aggregate insider ownership level are greater for companies with a larger number of insiders, ceteris paribus. Using data from U.S. real estate investment trusts, we then test the model and find that the predictions of the model are verified empirically.
Evolving success factors for enhancing advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs) utilisation

In today's highly competitive world, manufacturing scenario has undergone a rapid change in the last two decades, more so in the last few years. For that reason, the companies have improved their technological status by implementing advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs) either through joint ventures or licensing agreements. This has put a lot of difficulties at all levels to improve the utilisation level of advanced manufacturing technologies of the organisations. In this paper, various success factors that affect the utilisation level have been evolved. The study highlights the difficulties faced by Indian manufacturing organisations in order to improve organisational efficiency. To evolve the mutual relationships among success factors, the factor loading approach is used.
von Willebrand factor arginine 1205 substitution results in accelerated macrophage‐dependent clearance in vivo

Enhanced von Willebrand factor (VWF) clearance is important in the etiology of type 1 and type 2 von Willebrand disease (VWD). More than 20 different VWF point mutations have already been reported in patients with enhanced clearance. These include the VWD‐Vicenza variant, which is characterized by an Arg1205His substitution in the VWF D3 domain. Critically, however, the molecular mechanisms through which single amino acid substitutions in VWF result in enhanced clearance of this complex multimeric glycoprotein have not been defined.
Parking maneuvers of industrial-like electrical vehicles with and without trailer

Maneuvering autonomous vehicles in constrained environments is not a trivial task. This paper concentrates in the practical maneuvering of electrical vehicles. The autonomous vehicles considered in the paper, ROMEO-3R and ROMEO-4R, have been developed at the University of Seville, Seville, Spain, as the result of the adaptation of a tricycle and a car-like conventional electrical vehicles for transportation of people, respectively. Moreover, maneuvering of ROMEO-4R backing up a trailer has also been considered. A particular maneuver, namely, autonomous parallel parking, has been used to illustrate the application of the presented methods to different electrical vehicles.
Greening to Promote Urban Health: Strategies for Environmental Health Promotion Interventions

Environmental health and chronic disease are among the greatest public health challenges facing America today. A body of literature exists to support the causal relationships of various chemical, biological, physical, and social factors on health outcomes. Effects of these environmental influences on health have been found to include social, economic, psychological, biological, and physical dimensions, all of which are major contributors to the prevalence of chronic disease. In recent years, health promotion efforts have been broadened to encompass more environmentally-focused strategies, such as improving air and water quality, reducing exposures to hazardous materials, and planning land use for the design of healthier communities. While such advocacy efforts are critical for policy changes related to environmental health, these interventions, alone, are not sufficient to combat the deteriorating conditions that threaten human health and quality of life. First, given the public health significance of this problem, a need exists for greater collaboration among professionals in the fields of environmental health, community planning and development, health promotion, as well as other disciplines. Second, effective environmental health promotion requires a socio-ecological approach, which necessitates that the individual, organizational, and community-level influences on the environment be addressed. Finally, interventions that promote environmental health at these levels should be based upon sound social and behavioral theory, rather than relying solely upon the technological approaches to risk management that have predominated in the past. Examination of urban greening interventions illustrates both the benefits and practical challenges of utilizing these methods to promote environmental health. Based upon a review of literature in the field, I explore the strengths and limitations of a community-based intervention in the East End of Pittsburgh. Specifically, I evaluate the theory and processes of this program, entitled MERGE II (Methods to Engage Residents and Grassroots in the Environment II), and conclude by translating evaluation findings into recommendations for future environmental health promotion interventions. These recommendations are intended to engage and inform diverse stakeholders in efforts to promote environmental health, and ultimately, to provide effective strategies for reducing morbidity and mortality related to environmental causes.
Comparing Complex Fitness Surfaces: Among‐Population Variation in Mutual Sexual Selection in Drosophila serrata

Despite a dramatic increase in empirical estimates of phenotypic selection over the past two decades, we remain remarkably ignorant about variation in the multivariate fitness surfaces that shape the adaptive landscape. We develop a novel approach for quantifying patterns of spatial and/or temporal variation in multivariate selection that directly compares vectors of linear selection gradients (β) and matrices of nonlinear selection gradients (γ) that describe the multivariate fitness surface in each population. We apply this approach to estimates of sexual selection on a suite of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in males and females from nine geographic populations of Drosophila serrata. In males, variation in linear sexual selection was associated with the presence of the related species Drosophila birchii, suggesting that female mate preferences for male CHCs differ between sympatry and allopatry. This is consistent with previous experimental results suggesting that reproductive character displacement of male CHCs has resulted from selection caused by the presence of D. birchii. No significant associations were found for nonlinear sexual selection in males. In females, large‐scale variation in both linear and nonlinear sexual selection was negatively associated with assumed‐neutral population genetic structure, suggesting a key role for chance events in male mate preference divergence.
Patterns of Employee Relations Governance in a Large British Multinational Food Retailer: An Unusual Case of a Longstanding Partnership?

This article investigates an example of variance from the Varieties of Capitalism literature in the case of a longstanding partnership between a major British food retail multinational company and the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW). We argue that it can be seen as a corporate attempt to institutionalize conflict and engage the energies of the employees in achieving corporate goals in a situation of high union membership density and recognition in the UK retail industry. The findings underline the importance of sectoral diversity within national capitalist economies in the context of increased internationalization and the significant role still played by labour even in a liberal market economy such as the UK.
Dronedarone, an Amiodarone Analog with Improved Anti-Leishmania mexicana Efficacy

ABSTRACT Dronedarone and amiodarone are cationic lipophilic benzofurans used to treat cardiac arrhythmias. They also have activity against the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease. They function by disrupting intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis of the parasite and by inhibiting membrane sterol (ergosterol) biosynthesis. Amiodarone also has activity against Leishmania mexicana, suggesting that dronedarone might likewise be active against this organism. This might be of therapeutic interest, since dronedarone is thought to have fewer side effects in humans than does amiodarone. We show here that dronedarone effectively inhibits the growth of L. mexicana promastigotes in culture and, more importantly, has excellent activity against amastigotes inside infected macrophages (the clinically relevant form) without affecting the host cell, with the 50% inhibitory concentrations against amastigotes being 3 orders of magnitude lower than those obtained previously with T. cruzi amastigotes (0.65 nM versus 0.75 μM). As with amiodarone, dronedarone affects intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis in the parasite, inducing an elevation of intracellular Ca2+ levels. This is achieved by rapidly collapsing the mitochondrial membrane potential and inducing an alkalinization of acidocalcisomes at a rate that is faster than that observed with amiodarone. We also show that dronedarone inhibits parasite oxidosqualene cyclase, a key enzyme in ergosterol biosynthesis known to be vital for survival. Overall, our results suggest the possibility of repurposing dronedarone as a treatment for cutaneous, and perhaps other, leishmaniases.
The T-Policy for the M/G/1 Queue

We consider situations where the server cannot continuously monitor its queue to sense customer arrivals. For this situation we introduce the T-policy which activates the server T time units after the end of the last busy period. We consider in detail an M/G/1 queue with linear customer holding costs and a fixed charge for activating the server. For the minimum cost-rate criterion we obtain the optimal value of T and the optimal cost rate. We show that the optimal cost rate is larger than the one achieved by the comparable optimal N-policy which activates the server when N customers are in the queue. We also show that under the optimal T-policy, the expected number of customers present when the server is activated is the optimal value of N.
Cognitive Impairment Questionnaire (CIMP‐QUEST): reported topographic symptoms in MCI and dementia

Åstrand R, Rolstad S, Wallin A. Cognitive Impairment Questionnaire (CIMP‐QUEST): reported topographic symptoms in MCI and dementia. Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 121: 384–391. © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard.
Solving an economic and environmental dispatch problem using evolutionary algorithm

For successful operation of any power system, an effective scheduling of power generation is crucial. In this paper, we consider a power system with two types of generators, thermal and hydro. The characteristics of these generators vary with respect to the cost, emission to the environment, input source, capacity limit, and technological constraints. The mathematical model considering two objectives, such as minimization of the operating cost and minimization of total emissions, for a hydrothermal system is discussed. A solution approach has been proposed, based on evolutionary computation concept, for solving a benchmark problem for both single and bi-objective version of the problem. In the approach, an initial population of solutions is generated based on a heuristic and the population is then evolved using two well-known evolutionary search algorithms. The solutions of our approaches are compared with another approach from the literature. The analysis of the results reveals that the heuristic enhanced the performance of the evolutionary algorithms considered in this paper.