Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Insulin-Like Growth Factor Pathway Polymorphisms Associated with Body Size in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Women

Polymorphisms affecting insulin-like growth factors (IGF), their binding proteins (IGFBP), insulin receptor substrates (IRS), and other IGF regulatory molecules may affect growth, obesity, and obesity-related diseases, including cancer. The objective of this study was to better describe the associations between several IGF pathway variants and body size. Hispanic (n = 462) and non-Hispanic White (n = 1,702) women were recruited as controls in collaborative population-based case-control studies in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and California. Body size measurements were taken by trained interviewers; genotypes were determined for the IGF1 CA repeat, the IGFBP3 −202 C > A substitution, the IRS1 G972R and IRS2 G1057D substitutions, and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) BsmI and FokI polymorphisms. Two associations were observed that were consistent in both Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites: IGF1 CA repeat alleles of length other than 19 were associated with higher mean waist-to-hip ratios (WHR), P = 0.01, and women who carried an IGFBP3 A allele, compared with women with the CC genotype, more often reported high birthweight (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.2). We observed trends for associations between IGFBP3 A allele and taller height, IRS1R allele, and smaller WHR, and VDR FokI ff genotype and larger WHR; each of these trends was present in only one ethnic group, and heterogeneity of effect by ethnicity was detected. These results provide evidence that IGF pathway polymorphisms have functional effects on growth and central obesity and indicate that genotype-phenotype relationships are ethnic specific.
Regulation of toxA and regA by the Escherichia coli fur gene and identification of a Fur homologue in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA103 and PA01

A multicopy plasmid containing the Escherichia coli fur gene was introduced into Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA103C. This strain contains a toxA‐lacZ fusion integrated into its chromosome at the toxA locus. Beta‐galactosidase synthesis in this strain is regulated by iron, as is seen for exotoxin A production. Beta‐galactosidase synthesis and exotoxin A production in PA103C containing multiple copies of E. coli fur was still repressed in low iron conditions. The transcription of regA, a positive regulator of toxA, was also found to be inhibited by multiple copies of the E. coli fur gene. In addition, the ability of PA103C containing multiple copies of E. coli fur to produce protease was greatly reduced relative to PA103C containing a vector control.
The New American Voter

In this study, Warren E. Miller and J. Merrill Shanks present a comprehensive, authoritative analysis of American voting patterns from 1952 through the early 1990s, with special emphasis on the 1992 election, based on data collected by the National Election Studies. For example, Miller and Shanks reveal that: the loudly trumpeted "dealignment" of the 1970s and 1980s, along with the decline in voter turnout, was in fact an acute "nonalignment" and noninvolvement of new cohorts entering the electorate; the social correlates of the Republican/Democratic divisions on party identification among Southern voters have changed dramatically over a 40-year period; enduring cultural and ideological predispositions play a major role in shaping voters' reactions to election campaigns and their choice for President; personalities of presidential candidates and their poisitions on campaign issues tend to matter far less than is often claimed; and Perot's appeal in 1992 can be attributed to the same factors that distinguished between supporters of Clinton and Bush. In an analysis of individual elections and long-term trends, and of changes within regions, ethnic groups and gender and age categories, "The New American Voter" presents a social and economic picture of partisanship and participation in the American electoral process.
Bank branch‐level DEA to assess overall efficiency

Purpose – The purpose of the research presented in this paper is to provide a new approach related to the definition of variables in disaggregating branch expenses and income for evaluating the overall technical efficiency of bank branches by means of data envelopment analysis (DEA). Design/methodology/approach – By applying an input minimization DEA model to a sample of bank branches of a large commercial bank in Greece, this study identifies pure technical and scale inefficiencies, efficiency and size relationship and returns to scale patterns. Moreover, it explores target setting strategies for inefficient branches.Findings – Results indicate that branch size has an important influence on efficiency and that superior insights can be obtained by pure technical efficiency (PTE) and scale efficiency (SE), as constituent components of global technical efficiency (TE) than the information obtained from the analysis based on selected key performance indicators (KPIs) used by the bank under study.Research limi.
Good Inflation, Bad Inflation: The Housing Boom, Economic Growth and the Disaggregation of Inflationary Preferences in the UK and Ireland

This article presents a comparative analysis of the determinants, sustenance and broader macroeconomic consequences of the ultimately unsustainable housing boom in Ireland and the UK in recent years. It examines, in particular, the role played by ostensibly depoliticised monetary policy in both contexts in the development of a house price bubble that has served to fuel consumer-led growth. It assesses the viability, sustainability and reproducibility of the private debt-financed consumer boom that house price inflation has generated. In the process it draws attention to the increasingly differentiated character of both government inflationary preferences and counter-inflationary performance—with the shift to official measures of inflation that exclude mortgage interest repayments and, in the UK at least, to the covert re-politicisation of monetary policy. It concludes by suggesting that governments may well not have time-inconsistent inflationary preferences so much as sectorally specific inflationary preferences. This might be summarised in terms of the aphorism: ‘retail price inflation bad, house price inflation good’.
The ‘Empowerment Debate’: Consumerist, Professional and Liberational Perspectives in Health and Social Care

This article aims to clarify the meaning of the much-used term ‘empowerment’ in order to contribute to a more theoretically coherent development of policy and practice aimed at facilitating the empowerment of health and social care service users. The liberational and consumerist models of empowerment are highlighted, with the former having a broader emphasis on people's roles within society than the latter. The concept of ‘empowerment as professional practice’ is also critically explored, with the conclusion that professionals can work with people in empowering ways if they recognise and work to address the structural causes of oppression.
Consumers' surplus and the demand for cigarettes

This paper examines the demand for cigarettes in South Africa over a 20-year period from 1970 to 1989. Consumption per capita was found to be significantly determined by price and disposable income per capita; but not by advertising. Price and income elasticities and consumers' surplus were computed from the demand model. The question was raised as to whether or not consumers' surplus should be regarded as having been inferred from a health-hazard-discounted demand schedule. The answer depends on the degree to which smoking decisions are taken with full information or, conversely, are influenced by habit. Given the latter assumption, the consumers' surplus measured for cigarette consumption is nevertheless substantially higher than the estimated health costs of smoking as computed by the Medical Research Council.
Low- and high-skill migration flows: free mobility versus other determinants

We investigate what economic factors drive international migration of workers to France and how their influence varies across different skill levels under restrictive policies and through time as free mobility is implemented. We find that neither incentives nor policy parameters are similar across skill levels. Migration drivers such as a network of compatriots and relative incomes influence the movement of low-skill workers. High-skill individuals however move only according to financial opportunities be they standard of living or returns to skill within a class. We conclude that competition for high-skill workers among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries requires more than free mobility to successfully attract high-skill migrants even for a developed country such as France.
Propofol and Methohexital as Anesthetic Agents for Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Randomized, Double-Blind Comparison of Electroconvulsive Therapy Seizure Quality, Therapeutic Efficacy, and Cognitive Performance

Background: Propofol is often used as an anesthetic agent for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Whether the relatively short seizure duration, resulting from the medication, deteriorates the seizure quality and therapeutic outcomes, or whether propofol might be associated with small but significant post-ECT cognitive impairments, is still a subject of controversy. The purpose of our study was to test these hypotheses in comparison with methohexital. Materials and Methods: In a double-blind, controlled study, 50 patients with severe major depression who were to be treated with ECT were randomly assigned to anesthesia with propofol (120.9 ± 50.0 mg) or methohexital (83 ± 26.3 mg) and were observed for 2 months. The 2 drugs were compared on the basis of electroencephalography-registered seizure duration, mean blood pressure, as well as pulse frequency, seizure efficacy index, and postictal suppression. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and seizure duration and quality were recorded consecutively during ECT treatments. Changes in depressive symptoms and cognitive functions were measured at 5 time points, pre-ECT, after the third to fifth ECT, post-ECT treatment, and at a follow-up examination 2 and 8 weeks after the last ECT treatment. Results: Patients on propofol showed a significantly lower increase in blood pressure post-ECT (P < 0.001), their seizure duration was comparable to patients on methohexital (P = 0.072), and seizure quality was significantly superior, as was measured by the Postictal Suppression Index (P = 0.020), and comparable to the methohexital group as measured by the Seizure Efficacy Index (P = 0.160). The improvement of depressive symptoms and the improvement in cognitive functions were similar in both groups (with the exception of the results from 2 cognition tests). Conclusions: Propofol, as compared with methohexital, results in a more moderate increase in blood pressure and shorter seizure duration. The seizure quality did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. We detected a tendency toward improved cognitive performance after anesthesia with propofol as compared with methohexital, but with statistical significance in only 2 cognition trials. Therefore, propofol is a safe and efficacious anesthetic for ECT treatment.
Mobile personal health records for cardiovascular patients

Monitoring the heart rate and keeping track of the pulse are important actions in the prevention and the treatment of many diseases, particularly heart diseases. A mobile personal health record (mPHR) offers users with cardiovascular problems the possibility to improve the management of their heart rate along with other health data. A large number of apps have been developed to provide users with the opportunity to choose mPHRs within a mobile platform proposing different functionalities. This paper identifies the current list of free mPHRs available in Android platform for smartphone users with cardiovascular problems. This paper also assesses the specifications of the mPHRs selected. The result of this study may assist mPHR seekers to monitor heart rate in their tasks.
Incorporating Student‐Centred Learning in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education

Innovation and entrepreneurship are vital for economic growth, as was already asserted by Schumpeter in 1934. In a recent survey carried out by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, 2006) a picture emerges of The Netherlands as lagging behind when it comes to starting a company, whereby start-ups of students coming directly from an educational institution score even worse (Sijde et al., 2006). The average age of start-ups in The Netherlands is around 38 years (Thijssen, 2004). Against this background, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Economic Affairs defined the stimulation of entrepreneurship and innovation as a policy item in 2005. Entrepreneurship and innovation are closely linked, according to Schumpeter, who regarded the entrepreneur as the driver for innovation. Through innovation, a process of creative destruction is set in, which alters the institutional context and context of companies in several ways. In The Netherlands, ambitions to improve entrepreneurial behaviour amongst students and the starting up of new companies are high. During the Lisbon meeting held in 2003, The Netherlands voiced the ambition to be among the top 10 knowledge economies in 2010. Students of universities of applied sciences and to a lesser extent of scientific universities are the agents of change when it comes to making the choice to become an entrepreneur or innovation manager in a company. With the growing importance of knowledge as an economic asset (Prusak, 1997) students are becoming knowledge workers, as well as learning a certain profession. And educational organisations are becoming knowledge institutions involved in knowledge creation, sharing and transfer. This has important consequences for the pedagogical climate at universities and the methods used to teach students entrepreneurship and innovation. Whilst teaching methods based on an instruction-based approach of learning prevail, at The Hague University of Professional Education, we have introduced a learner-centred approach, in which the student is the driver of his learning process. In this article we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach and the pitfalls and potentials when it comes to stimulating innovative entrepreneurial behaviour amongst students. Between 2005 and today, nearly 150 students participated in this programme.
Back to the Futures: An Assessment of Market Performance on the Early Winnipeg Grain Exchange

In this paper, I offer a quantitatively rich, historical perspective with which to consider Western Canada's recent return to private grain marketing. I assess how futures markets on the Winnipeg Grain Exchange (WGE) performed before the Canadian Wheat Board, and I consider the extent to which this performance contributed to the Canadian government's decision to create the Board. I conclude, despite significant agrarian dissatisfaction with private grain marketing on the WGE, the Canadian government ultimately proscribed futures trading because it was incompatible with the CWB model, which the Canadian government needed in order to stabilize farm incomes, particularly in the aftermath of the Great Depression.
Metamaterial-based dual-band six-port front-end for direct digital QPSK transceiver

A composite right/left-handed (CRLH) transmission line (TL) dual-band (DB) six-port front-end is presented. The two key components in the six-port front-end, i.e. a 90deg hybrid coupler and a power splitter, are designed using CRLH TL sections and therefore are capable of operating at two arbitrary frequencies. The novel DB six-port front-end is well suited to a direct digital transceiver
Event-Based Visual Inertial Odometry

Event-based cameras provide a new visual sensing model by detecting changes in image intensity asynchronously across all pixels on the camera. By providing these events at extremely high rates (up to 1MHz), they allow for sensing in both high speed and high dynamic range situations where traditional cameras may fail. In this paper, we present the first algorithm to fuse a purely event-based tracking algorithm with an inertial measurement unit, to provide accurate metric tracking of a cameras full 6dof pose. Our algorithm is asynchronous, and provides measurement updates at a rate proportional to the camera velocity. The algorithm selects features in the image plane, and tracks spatiotemporal windows around these features within the event stream. An Extended Kalman Filter with a structureless measurement model then fuses the feature tracks with the output of the IMU. The camera poses from the filter are then used to initialize the next step of the tracker and reject failed tracks. We show that our method successfully tracks camera motion on the Event-Camera Dataset in a number of challenging situations.
Insights on compassion and patient‐centred nursing in intensive care: A constructivist grounded theory

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To explore patient-centred nursing, compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue from intensive care nurses' perspectives. BACKGROUND Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue can influence critical care nurses' decisions to either continue or leave the profession, and could impact the compassionate patient-centred nursing care patients receive during their ICU admission. DESIGN This qualitative research design was informed by Charmaz's Grounded Theory Constructivist methodology. METHODS In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 critical care nurses of two ICUs in Australia during 2016. Interview data were analysed using grounded theory processes. RESULTS Findings reflected positive and negative impacts on critical care nurses' ability to deal compassionately with their patients. Effects on patient-centred nursing and critical care nurses' own well-being were revealed. A core category of "Expectations" emerged, explaining the tension between critical care nurses' biomedical, clinical skills and knowledge versus compassionate, patient-centred nursing care. This tension was clarified and expanded in subcategories of "Life in the Balance," "Passion and Pressure," "Understanding and Advocacy" and "Tenacity and Fragility". CONCLUSION Providing patient-centred nursing may enhance critical care nurses' experience of compassion satisfaction, in turn impacting delivery of compassionate patient-centred nursing to generate a virtuous circle. Critical care nurses who feel respected and supported by their management team and colleagues experience feelings of compassion satisfaction, leading to greater engagement and care towards their patient. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Systematically addressing critical care nurses' needs to successfully balance biomedical with compassionate nursing care may lead to greater well-being in the critical care nursing workforce and improve patient experience of intensive care.
Stock Performance or Entrenchment? The Effects of Mergers and Acquisitions on CEO Compensation

Using a large sample of U.S. acquiring and non-acquiring firms and covering a broad sample of transactions, we examine the effects of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on CEO compensation during 1993-2006, a period of intense M&A activity. We alleviate endogeneity concerns through dynamic panel data estimation, propensity score matching, and using a natural experiment of exogenous accounting regulatory changes in 2001 that significantly affected the benefits of stock-financed acquisitions. The level of M&A activity ceteris paribus has a significant and positive effect on CEOs' equity-based compensation. But the positive impact of M&A on compensation occurs through primarily stock-financed deals, and there is a positive interaction in the influence of recent stock returns and M&A activity on CEO compensation. However, the usual measures of CEO entrenchment and power do not significantly enhance the effects of M&A. Our analysis supports the view that rent-seeking CEOs use strong recent performance of their firm's stock to pursue stock-financed acquisitions that also positively impact their equity-based compensation.
Influence of user ratings, expert ratings and purposes of information use on the credibility judgments of college students

Introduction. This study examined whether user ratings, expert ratings and the purpose of the use of a book on a user­generated site influenced the credibility of the book. It also examined whether the effects of user ratings and expert ratings on credibility judgments of the book varied according to the purpose of information use. In addition, this study examined whether the co­existence of user ratings and expert ratings influenced people's credibility judgments of user ratings, and vice versa, on a user­generated content site. Method. Data were collected using both an experiment and a survey. The experiment took the form of a 2x2x2 factorial design, involving user ratings of a book (high or low ratings), expert ratings (high or low ratings) and purposes (academic or casual reading). A total of 233 college students participated in the study. Analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the research hypotheses and answer the research questions of the study. Correlation analyses were performed for the exploratory findings. Results. Expert ratings influenced the credibility of the book while user ratings did not. The effects of user ratings and expert ratings did not vary according to the purpose of information use regarding the credibility of the book. However, when expert ratings were high, the respondents perceived higher user ratings as more credible than lower ones. On the other hand, when expert ratings were low, the respondents perceived lower user ratings as more credible than higher ones. Conclusions. Expert opinions are important in the credibility judgments of the book and the credibility of user ratings on a user­generated site. The results provide practical implications for user­generated content designers and librarians.
Economic Activity and the Spread of Viral Diseases: Evidence from High Frequency Data

Viruses are a major threat to human health, and - given that they spread through social interactions - represent a costly externality. This paper addresses three main issues: i) what are the unintended consequences of economic activity on the spread of infections? ii) how efficient are measures that limit interpersonal contacts? iii) how do we allocate our scarce resources to limit their spread? To answer these questions, we use novel high frequency data from France on the incidence of a number of viral diseases across space, for different age groups, over a period of a quarter of a century. We use quasi-experimental variation to evaluate the importance of policies reducing inter-personal contacts such as school closures or the closure of public transportation networks. While these policies significantly reduce disease prevalence, we find that they are not cost-effective. We find that expansions of transportation networks have significant health costs in increasing the spread of viruses and that propagation rates are pro-cyclically sensitive to economic conditions and increase with inter-regional trade.