Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flight to Quality in International Markets: Investors’ Demand for Financial Reporting Quality during Political Uncertainty Events

We examine whether international equity mutual-fund managers shift their portfolios toward stocks with higher financial reporting quality during periods of high political uncertainty. Our study is motivated by two primary factors. First, prior research shows evidence of fund managers’ “flight to quality” (e.g., to less risky securities) during periods of uncertainty. Second, recent theoretical research concludes that stocks with higher financial reporting quality are assessed as less sensitive to systematic risk (such as political uncertainty). We employ national elections as exogenous increases in systematic risk in the local markets and accordingly use an international sample of mutual funds that focus on local markets. We find that mutual-fund managers shift their equity holdings to stocks with higher financial reporting quality during election periods when political uncertainty is higher. Such a flight-to-quality effect is less pronounced for elections with larger expected electoral margins in the pre-election period (i.e., when the incumbent is more likely to win the election) and for countries with higher transactions costs. In contrast, the effect is more pronounced when governments have greater involvement in the local economy. Our inferences are robust to alternative proxies for political uncertainty and financial reporting quality and to numerous other sensitivity analyses.
Behavioral and Emotional Strengths Among Youth in Systems of Care and the Effect of Race/Ethnicity

Behavioral and emotional strengths are important to consider when understanding youth mental health and treatment. This study examined the association between youth strengths and functional impairment and whether this association is modified by race/ethnicity. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the effects of strengths on impairment and examine whether race and ethnicity modified this relationship in 8,129 Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaskan Native youth between 5 and 18 years of age. Results suggest that youth with average and above-average strengths were less likely to have impairment compared with youth with below-average strengths. Race and ethnicity modified this relationship in both expected and unexpected ways. Among youth with average and above-average strengths, racial and ethnic minority youth appear to have more impairment than Caucasian youth. However, among youth with below-average strengths, racial and ethnic minority youth have less impairment than Caucasian youth. Findings highlight the importance of incorporating strengths-based approaches in youth mental health treatment and the need for further research to understand the specific nature of strengths as it effects impairment across racial/ethnic groups. Implications and recommendations are discussed.
Electronic Commerce Law in Asia: Legal, Regulatory and Policy Issues

Abstract ‘[T]he law expands its reach to govern the development of advanced technologies, but at the same time its touch grows more hesitant and uncertain. It is like an omnipotent Imperium in nominal control of vast territories–every movement of its inhabitants may be the subject of Imperial decree, but none knows which actions, precisely, will invoke the Imperial attention. ’1
Motives and Determinants of Volunteering in Older Adults: An Integrated Model

The present study focused on changes in volunteering over time among Italian adults and examined a model in which motives from self-determination theory (SDT) were hypothesized to influence a series of social-cognitive processes including self-efficacy judgments and constructs from the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The study was conducted with 312 male (mean age = 66.10; SD = 5.28) and 253 female adults (mean age = 66.67; SD = 5.79) who worked as volunteers in several associations and organizations in Italy. In two occasions over the course of several months, participants respectively completed paper-and-pencil questionnaires and responded to telephone interviews which assessed the study's constructs of interest. Structural equation model analyses provided support for the guiding hypothesis and findings suggested that the more general approach of SDT can be successfully integrated with a social-cognitive framework such as the TPB to provide a better insight onto the origins of the cognitive predictors of intentions in older volunteers.
Cloning of the cDNA and mRNA expression of CLRP, a complex leucine repeat protein of the Golgi apparatus expressed by specific neurons of the rat brain.

We report the molecular cloning of one novel cDNA isolated from the rat brain. We have named the putative protein CLRP, for complex leucine-repeat protein. The predicted CLRP amino acid sequence shares homology in the amino acid composition with the Galactose, N-Acetylglucosamine, and Sialic acid transporters, and shows 91% identity with the sequence of one human chromosome 5 BAC clone. Expression of the CLRP cDNA tagged with GFP in COS-7 cells was found in cell organelles that resemble the Golgi apparatus of the cytoplasm. In Northern blot, the CLRP probe labels a single band of 2.4 kb in the brain, kidney, lung, testis, and prostate. In the brain, CLRP mRNA is expressed by limited sets of neurons, such as the pyramidal cells of the cortex, the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, and the motoneurons of the brainstem. In the brain, the CLRP mRNA is expressed at embryonic day 15; levels of expression are maintained until postnatal day 10 and decrease in adults. The results suggest that CLRP codes a novel member of the nucleotide-sugar family of proteins of the Golgi apparatus.
Parallelizing ray-tracing method for matched conical projector and backprojector in Compton imaging

We propose a new GPU (graphics processing unit)-accelerated method for iterative image reconstruction for Compton imaging, where an exactly matched pair of ray-tracing conical projector and backprojector is parallelized. Unlike the conventional methods including our own previous methods, which use an unmatched pair of ray-tracing forward projector and voxel-based backprojector with approximations, our new method does not involve any approximation in both the forward projection and backprojection operations. To calculate conical forward projection, we accumulate the intersecting chord lengths of the conical rays passing through the voxels using the fast ray-tracing method (RTM). For conical backprojection, to obtain the true adjoint of the conical forward projector, while retaining the computational efficiency of the GPU, we use a voxel-based RTM which is essentially the same as the standard RTM used for the conical forward projector. Our simulation results show that, while the previous methods using unmatched projector-backprojector pairs propagate errors through iterations, our new method is guaranteed to retain the reconstruction accuracy by providing a perfectly matched projector-backprojector pair.
First Description of KPC-2-Producing Pseudomonas putida in Brazil

ABSTRACT This work reports the identification of the first case of a KΡC-2-producing Pseudomonas putida isolate (PP36) in Brazil. The PP36 isolate was resistant to all the antimicrobials tested except polymyxin B. In addition to the discovered blaKPC-2 gene, genetic analysis showed the presence of a class 1 integron containing the dhfrXVb gene and the new allele arr-6, which codes for resistance to rifampin. These elements were found in an IncFI 65-kb plasmid.
Dissipation of the proton electrochemical potential in intact and lysed chloroplasts : I. The electrical potential.

Effective ionophore:chlorophyll ratios were determined for various ionophores that decrease the electrical potential across thylakoid membranes in intact and hypo-osmotically lysed chloroplasts isolated from spinach (Spinacia oleracea). The efficacy of gramicidin D, valinomycin, carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, and dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 in collapsing the electrical potential was determined spectrophotometrically by the decay half-time of the absorbance change at 518 nanometers induced by a saturating, single turnover flash. The results show that the effectiveness of the ionophores in collapsing the electrical potential in intact and lysed chloroplasts depends on the amount of ionophore-accessible membrane in the assay medium. Only gramicidin exhibited a significant difference in efficacy between intact and lysed chloroplasts. The ratio of gramicidin to chlorophyll required to collapse the electrical potential was more than 50 times higher in intact chloroplasts than in lysed chloroplasts. The efficacy of carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone was significantly reduced in the presence of bovine serum albumin. The other ionophores tested maintained their potency in the presence of bovine serum albumin. Valinomycin was the most effective ionophore tested for collapsing the electrical potential in intact chloroplasts, whereas gramicidin was the most potent ionophore in lysed chloroplasts. The significance of the ionophore:chlorophyll ratios required to collapse the electrical potential is discussed with regard to bioenergetic studies, especially those that examine the contribution of the transmembrane electrochemical potential to protein transport into chloroplasts.
Cooperative model for the binding of Xenopus transcription factor A to the 5S RNA gene.

7S particles containing 5S RNA and the transcription regulatory protein factor A have been purified to near homogeneity from Xenopus laevis oocytes. The binding of the transcription factor to the Xenopus borealis somatic 5S RNA gene has been monitored by quantitating the DNase I protection patterns of the protein-DNA interaction. Under stoichiometric binding conditions--i.e., when all added DNA binds to the factor--two protein molecules are required to saturate the 5S RNA gene. Under equilibrium binding conditions, titration of the 5S RNA gene with factor A results in a sigmoidal binding isotherm suggesting a cooperative interaction; half-saturation of binding is observed at a free factor A concentration of 1 nM. Cooperative binding between factor A and the 5S RNA gene may contribute to the stability of the transcription apparatus and its maintenance during cell division.
Continuous Intravenous Sodium Ferric Gluconate Improves Efficacy in the Maintenance Phase of EPOrHu Administration in Hemodialysis Patients

Although intravenous iron has proved to optimize the efficacy of EPOrHu in hemodialysis patients, hitherto no consensus exists with respect to the best regimen of intravenous iron administration. We started a prospective randomized study in 26 patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis who had adequate iron metabolism indices (serum ferritin >100 µg/l; %TSAT >20%; %HypoE <10% and CHr >26 pg) and were in the maintenance phase of EPOrHu administration (target hemoglobin obtained >10 g/dl). All patients were receiving sodium ferric gluconate (Ferrlecit®) intermittently prior to the study and after a 1-month wash-out period where iron was not administered patients were randomized to receive the same previous dose of intravenous iron either in a continuous (6.25–21.3 mg in every hemodialysis session) or an intermittent regimen (62.5 mg every 1–4 weeks, not modifying the previous schedule of administration). At 16 weeks, the continuous group showed a significant increment in serum Hb (11.83 ± 1.12 g/dl) with respect to baseline (10.96 ± 1.31 g/dl) (p < 0.05), whereas no differences were obtained in intermittent group (baseline: 11.16 ± 1.03 g/dl; 16 weeks: 11.14 ± 0.90 g/dl, NS). In contrast with the intermittent group, serum ferritin increased significantly in the continuous group (16 weeks: 508 ± 157 µg/l; baseline: 368 ± 56 µg/l; p < 0.05), whereas %TSAT and CHr did not modified during the study in both groups. %HypoE increased significantly with respect to baseline values in the continuous group (p < 0.05) and close to significantly different in the intermittent group (p = 0.06). Our study suggests that hemodialysis patients in the maintenance phase of EPOrHu administration would obtain further benefit in terms of serum hemoglobin level with a continuous intravenous serum ferric gluconate regimen, at least in the short term.
Elucidation of Strongyloides stercoralis by bacterial-colony displacement

Two cases of unsuspected Strongyloides stercoralis infection were elucidated by the displacement of bacterial colonies on primary plating media. Observation of primary plates inoculated for the diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia or gastroenteritis revealed that normal flora colonies had been moved and were aligned in a pathway, or track. This unusual colony alignment prompted us to request a stool for the examination of parasites, and S. stercoralis was found. It was concluded that the parasite is capable of motility on agar surfaces, resulting in the displacement of bacterial colonies that make up the normal flora.
Combined Effect of Cigarette Smoking and Occupational Exposures on Lung Function

Workers in the rubber industry are exposed to pulmonary health hazards. The main purpose of this study was to assess the combined effect of cigarette smoking and occupational exposures on lung function. The exposed group consisted of tire manufacturing workers in production units and the non-exposed group included executives from the same factory. The researchers calculated the synergy index (SI) to determine the combined effect of exposures to cigarette smoke and pulmonary health hazards on lung function. A significant correlation was found between occupational exposures in the rubber industry and abnormal spirometric findings (p < .05). The synergistic effect of cigarette smoking and occupational exposures on lung function was significant (SI = 2.25; p < .05). This study demonstrated that occupational exposures and smoking may have a synergistic effect on the respiratory systems of tire manufacturing workers. The results suggest that tire manufacturing companies should consider establishing spirometric surveillance systems in their factories. Also, smoking cessation should be promoted, engineering controls applied, and respiratory protection provided to workers.
Measuring Modularity-Based Manufacturing Practices and Their Impact on Mass Customization Capability: A Customer-Driven Perspective

As uncertainty in markets and technology intensifies, more companies are adopting modular product and process architectures to cope with increasing demands for individually customized products. Modularity-based manufacturing is the application of unit standardization or substitution principles to create modular components and processes that can be configured into a wide range of end products to meet specific customer needs. This study defines modularity-based manufacturing practices (MBMP), develops a valid and reliable instrument to measure MBMP, builds a framework that relates customer closeness, MBMP, and mass customization capability, and tests structural relationships within this framework using LISREL. Based on 303 responses from members of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, statistically significant and positive relationships were found among customer closeness, modularity-based manufacturing practices, and mass customization capability. Managerial implications of the empirical findings of this study and future research directions are also discussed.
Cytotoxic Chemotherapy Successfully Induces Durable Complete Remission in 2 Patients with Mosquito Allergy Resulting from Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated T-/Natural Killer Cell Lymphoproliferative Disease

Recent findings indicate that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected T-/natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of mosquito allergy, and most patients with mosquito allergy die early in life if not properly treated. Over the last 7 years, we have been using combination chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation for the treatment of EBV-associated T-/NK cell lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) in which chronic active EBV infection and mosquito allergy were included. As of this writing, we have successfully treated 2 patients with mosquito allergy with chemotherapy in which EBV-infected T-/NK cells were eradicated. The findings suggest the possible role of chemotherapy in the treatment of EBV-associated T-/NK cell LPD.
On the Efficient Estimation of Blood Velocities

Pulsed wave (PW) Doppler ultrasound systems are commonly used to examine blood flow dynamics and the technique plays a very important role in numerous diagnostic applications. Commonly, narrow-band PW systems estimate the blood velocity using an autocorrelation-based estimator. Herein, we examine a recently proposed hybrid frequency estimator, and via extensive numerical simulations using simulated blood scatterers show the achievable performance gain of this method as compared to the traditional approach
Faux masculinities among college men who experience depression

Depression is a significant problem among college men that can be complicated by masculine ideals of stoicism, reluctance to seek help, and risky self-management strategies. Underpinning these issues are complexities in recognizing what behaviors might be indicative of college men’s depressive symptoms. Findings drawn from a qualitative study of 25 Canadian-based college men who self-identified or were diagnosed with depression revealed three predominant masculine identities: the angry man; the solitary man; and the risk-reliant man. Within each of these themes men embodied aspects of idealized masculinity that were difficult to distinguish as symptoms of depression or as representative of the activities with which many college men partake. The angry man identity described men who expressed anger, at least in part, to dissipate depression invoked pain and emotional distress. The solitary man category included men who self-isolated, fearing that others would recognize and judge them as harboring depression. Risk-reliant men employed strategies including alcohol and other drug overuse rather than relinquish control by engaging with professional health care providers and services. Guided by the overall findings we argue this phenomenon as ‘faux masculinities’ – characterized by men’s engagement in practices consistent with idealized masculine identities but that emerge from and/or in response to the experience of depression. Faux masculinities are discussed within the context of the challenges posed for college men and their health care providers in pointing toward targeted depression interventions.
Inequalities in Parental Spending on Young Children

This article investigates inequality in parental spending on young children over the period from 1972 to 2010. I find increased spending among parents at the top of the income distribution but little change among parents at the bottom of the income distribution. The gap in spending is equally attributable to increased spending on center-based care for preschool-age children and spending on enrichment goods and activities. The article examines potential causes of increased spending, including income, parental education, and wife’s work status, using decomposition analysis. Results indicate that higher incomes are the largest cause of the increased gap in spending but that increases in wife’s earnings, college completion, and wife’s work hours are also important for growth in spending.
The effect of a transforming care initiative on patient outcomes in acute surgical units: a time series study.

AIM To examine the relationship between the implementation of a transforming care initiative and two patient outcomes, inpatient falls and hospital acquired pressure ulcers. BACKGROUND Patients continue to experience harm in hospitals from adverse events such as inpatient falls and hospital acquired pressure ulcers. These and other patient safety concerns led to transforming care initiatives. DESIGN This cohort study used historical controls and a time series design. The setting was two surgical units of an acute care hospital; 7125 patients discharged from these units between July 2008-December 2010 were included. Those patients discharged during the initial 3 months of implementation were excluded. Several interventions were adopted as part of the transforming care initiative such as bedside handover and bedside whiteboards. Coded administrative data were accessed to identify patients who had experienced a fall or acquired a pressure ulcer during their hospital stay. Statistical process control was used to identify changes in outcomes over time. RESULTS The findings demonstrated variation in the proportion of patients experiencing a fall in both units and for the proportion of patients acquiring a pressure ulcer in one unit, following implementation. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that implementing a transforming care initiative may have some influence on the quality and safety of patient care as measured by patient falls and pressure ulcers but findings varied. Further research is required to gain an understanding of the inconsistency of the impact of these initiatives across all clinical contexts.
School Nursing: Becoming Credible and Visible

A group of school nurses attending the innovation relay event at the NASN 2017 Annual Conference were asked to tackle the problem expressed by many school nurses: How can we increase the visibility and credibility of school nurses? The innovation relay allowed school nurses to look at the problem differently so that they could identify innovative solutions. This article shares more detail on each of the team’s solutions and illustrates how school nurses can look at problems in a new light.
Evidence that rodent control strategies ought to be improved to enhance food security and reduce the risk of rodent-borne illnesses within subsistence farming villages in the plague-endemic West Nile region, Uganda

Rodents pose serious threats to human health and economics, particularly in developing countries where the animals play a dual role as pests: they are reservoirs of human pathogens, and they inflict damage levels to stored products sufficient to cause food shortages. To assess the magnitude of the damage caused by rodents to crops, their level of contact with humans, and to better understand current food storage and rodent control practices, we conducted a survey of 37 households from 17 subsistence farming villages within the West Nile region of Uganda. Our survey revealed that rodents cause both pre- and post-harvest damage to crops. Evidence of rodent access to stored foods was reported in conjunction with each of the reported storage practices. Approximately half of the respondents reported that at least one family member had been bitten by a rat within the previous three months. Approximately two-thirds of respondents practiced some form of rodent control in their homes. The abundance of rodents was similar within homes that practiced or did not practice rodent control. Together, our results show that current efforts are inadequate for effectively reducing rodent abundance in homes.
Molecular diagnosis of infectious diarrhea: focus on enteric protozoa

Robust detection of enteric protozoa is a critical step toward determining the etiology of diarrhea. Widespread use of conventional microscopy, culturing and antigen detection in both industrial and developing countries is limited by relatively low sensitivity and specificity. Refinements of these conventional approaches that reduce turnaround time and instrumentation have yielded strong alternatives for clinical and research use. However, advances in molecular diagnostics for protozoal, bacterial, viral and helminth infections offer significant advantages in studies seeking to understand pathogenesis, transmission and long-term consequences of infectious diarrhea. Quantitation of enteropathogen burden and highly multiplexed platforms for molecular detection dramatically improve predictive power in emerging models of diarrheal etiology, while eliminating the expense of multiple tests.