Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Occupational characteristics and the progression of carotid artery intima-media thickness and plaque over 9 years: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Objectives The role of occupation in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a topic of research because few studies have examined longitudinal associations, and because occupation can be an indicator of socioeconomic position (SEP) and a proxy for hazard exposure. This study examines associations of occupational category as an SEP marker and selected occupational exposures with progression of the subclinical carotid artery disease. Methods A community-based, multiethnic sample (n=3109, mean age=60.2) provided subclinical CVD measures at least twice at three data collection points (mean follow-up=9.4 years). After accounting for demographic characteristics, SEP, and traditional CVD risk factors, we modelled common carotid intima-media thickness, carotid plaque scores, and carotid plaque shadowing as a function of occupational category, physical hazard exposure, physical activity on the job, interpersonal stress, job control and job demands. These job characteristics were derived from the Occupational Resource Network (O*NET). Random coefficient models were used to account for repeated measures and time-varying covariates. Results There were a few statistically significant associations at baseline. After all covariates were included in the model, men in management, office/sales, service and blue-collar jobs had 28–44% higher plaque scores than professionals at baseline (p=0.001). Physically hazardous jobs were positively associated with plaque scores among women (p=0.014). However, there were no significant longitudinal associations between any of the occupational characteristics and any of the subclinical CVD measures. Conclusions There was little evidence that the occupational characteristics examined in this study accelerated the progression of subclinical CVD.
Role of T-lymphocytes in production of antibody to antigens of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi and other Rickettsia species

The requirement of thymus-dependent lymphocytes for antibody production to Rickettsia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia akari, Rickettsia conorii, and Rickettsia typhi was investigated by comparing antibody production in athymic (nu/nu) or thymus-bearing BALB/c mice. Athymic BALB/c mice produced antibody after infection with R. akari, R. conorii, and R. typhi as measured by indirect fluorescent antibody titration or radioimmunoassay. Antibody production in these mice was a great or greater than in the thymus-bearing mice and demonstrated similar kinetics. In contrast, athymic BALB/c mice infected either intraperitoneally or subcutaneously with the Gilliam strain of R. tsutsugamushi failed to produce demonstrable antibody. The requirement of thymus-dependent lymphocytes for antibody production to R. tsutsugamushi was further suggested by the demonstration of antibody production after transfer of immune thymus-dependent lymphocytes to athymic mice and the demonstration of R. tsutsugamushi-specific T helper cells in immune thymus-bearing mice. The antibody produced in athymic mice after infection with R. akari, R. conorii, and R. typhi was predominantly immunoglobulin M, based on isotype-specific radioimmunoassays and sucrose gradient fractionation. Furthermore, the antibody produced by athymic mice in response to R. akari infection reacted with a carbohydrate-containing outer membrane component.
THE URUGUAY ROUND AND THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: THAILAND AND THE PHILIPPINES

Studies on the economic impact of the Uruguay Round of the GATT have frequently suggested that all or almost all countries–developed and developing–will gain. In the present paper it is argued that the number of developing countries which lose from the Round may be much larger than is generally assumed. This issue is discussed in the context of Thailand and the Philippines, two countries generally considered to be so similar for trade analysis purposes that they are often grouped together as if their interests were the same. It is suggested here that Thailand is a net gainer from the Round and the Philippines a net loser.
Jointness of growth determinants: Reply to comments by Rodney Strachan, Eduardo Ley and Mark F.J. Steel

This comment contrasts the jointness statistics proposed by Doppelhofer and Weeks (2009) with alternatives proposed by Strachan (2009) and Ley and Steel (2007). In contrast to the alternatives, our jointness statistic constitutes a formal test for dependence over the joint posterior distribution. The essential difference between our proposed measure and the alternatives is that our jointness measures uses the entire joint posterior distribution. We discuss differences in jointness, as well as inclusion and exclusion margins of the joint posterior distribution, and the impact on economic significance using the numerical examples given by Strachan (2009) and Ley and Steel (2009). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Joint transmitter/receiver optimization for overlay wireless systems

In wireless communication paradigms such as cognitive radio, the overlay user operates only when the channel is idle. We propose a framework that allows simultaneous co-channel operation of both the legacy and the overlay user. The sum of the mean-squared error (MSE) of the new system plus the excess MSE in the existing system due to the introduction of the overlay system is minimized by designing the transmitter and the receiver of the overlay system. Simulation results under fading condition show that our proposed method can yield significant improvement in the system performance by achieving a gain of 10dB compared to an un-optimized system.
Case Study of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the On-Line Affluent Financial Services Market

ABSTRACT In the current period of constrained economic conditions, this study initiates an analysis of customer relationship management (CRM) on the Web sites of financial service businesses. Customer relationship management is a critical differential that enables competitive edge for businesses focused on the affluent customer market. Though investment in marketing, sales and service innovation is limited under existing conditions, the analysis of the study on large financial businesses indicates that the businesses enable higher commerce, content and context, but lower and generally inadequate communication, community, connection and customization design on their Web sites. The analysis, conducted as an assignment by adult graduate students in an information systems course, contributes important insight into the competitive dynamics of customer relationship management for Web empowered financial service businesses striving to service the demanding affluent market. This study furnishes an expanded framew.
Understanding Human Activities in Green Areas with Social Media Data

Up-to-date information about human-nature interactions are urgently needed to inform sustainable land use planning and nature conservation. Large amounts of content-rich geographic data are produced continuously by users of different social media platforms across the globe containing information about the whereabouts and activities of people. Such data, combined with other sources of data, have potential to provide new and useful information about human presence, activities, observations and movements at different spatial and temporal scales. Despite many examples in other fields, location-based social media data have not been widely used in nature conservation. This work aims to understand the potential and biases in geographic social media data in order to inform conservation-related decision making across scales. Main objectives of the work are to 1) extract meaningful patterns related to human-nature interactions in green areas from location-based social media, while 2) understanding the biases and limitations of the data. Firstly, the aim is to position location-based social media data among other sources of user-generated geographic information and to identify the useful elements and limiting factors of using such data in conservation science. Secondly, the aim is to understand who the data represents in order to derive further information about green area users. Lastly, user-generated data is combined and contrasted with other data sources to understand the spatial and temporal patterns of human actions, and potential threats in areas of high conservation value at regional and global scales.
Characterization and Modelling of Circular Piezoelectric Micro Speakers for Audio Acoustic Actuation

A study of circular piezoelectric micro speakers is presented for applications in the audio frequency range, including values for impedance, admittance, noise figures, transducer gain, and acoustic frequency responses. The micro speakers were modelled based on piezoelectric micro ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) design techniques and principles. In order to reach the audio frequency range, transducer radii were increased to the order of one centimetre, whilst piezoelectric layer thicknesses ranged the order of several μm. The micro actuators presented might be used for a variety of electroacoustic applications including noise control, hearing aids, earphones, sonar, and medical diagnostic ultrasound. This work main contribution is the characterization of the design space and transducer performance as a function of transducer radius, piezoelectric layer thickness, and frequency range, looking towards an optimized fabrication process.
Effect of alipogene tiparvovec (AAV1-LPL(S447X)) on postprandial chylomicron metabolism in lipoprotein lipase-deficient patients.

BACKGROUND Lipoprotein lipase-deficient (LPLD) individuals display marked chylomicronemia and hypertriglyceridemia associated with increased pancreatitis risk. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of i.m. administration of an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV1) for expression of LPL(S447X) in muscle (alipogene tiparvovec, AAV1-LPL(S447X)) on postprandial chylomicron metabolism and on nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) and glycerol metabolism in LPLD individuals. METHODOLOGY In an open-label clinical trial (CT-AMT-011-02), LPLD subjects were administered alipogene tiparvovec at a dose of 1 × 10(12) genome copies per kilogram. Two weeks before and 14 wk after administration, chylomicron metabolism and plasma palmitate and glycerol appearance rates were determined after ingestion of a low-fat meal containing (3)H-palmitate, combined with (continuous) iv infusion of [U-(13)C]palmitate and [1,1,2,3,3-(2)H]glycerol. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS After administration of alipogene tiparvovec, the triglyceride (TG) content of the chylomicron fraction and the chylomicron-TG/total plasma TG ratio were reduced throughout the postprandial period. The postprandial peak chylomicron (3)H level and chylomicron (3)H area under the curve were greatly reduced (by 79 and 93%, 6 and 24 h after the test meal, respectively). There were no significant changes in plasma NEFA and glycerol appearance rates. Plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide also did not change. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Intramuscular administration of alipogene tiparvovec resulted in a significant improvement of postprandial chylomicron metabolism in LPLD patients, without inducing large postprandial NEFA spillover.
Career development learning in higher education: how authentic work experiences and opportunities for career exploration can increase self-efficacy and inform career identity

A recent study suggests that enhancing career development is a key motivator for students entering university (Kandiko & Mawer, 2013). This article discusses the place of career development learning within the ‘employability’ agenda. It draws upon social learning and constructivist theories of career development in a qualitative case study exploring undergraduate students’ experiences of placements in relation to their career development learning and employability. Findings suggest significant value in providing authentic work experiences and opportunities for career exploration (to ‘broaden their horizons’ rather than narrowing down choices) to inform career identities and increase self-efficacy and motivation.
The Pricing of Interest‐Rate Risk: Evidence from the Stock Market

This paper addresses the issue of whether firms are required to pay an ex ante premium to investors for bearing the risk of interest-rate changes. A two-factor APT model with the market and changes in the yield on long-term government bonds as factors is employed. The paper shows that, empirically, most of the interest-sensitive stocks are in the utility industries, and that there is reasonable evidence that the interest factor is priced in the sense of the APT. Several sources for the interest sensitivity are considered, and regulatory lags are focused on as a likely candidate. SOME FIRMS EXHIBIT ex post sensitivity in their stock returns to unanticipated changes in interest rates. Are these firms required to pay investors ex ante for bearing this risk of interest-rate changes? The framework for examining pricing of unanticipated interest-rate changes is a two-factor APT model with the market and changes in the yield on long-term government bonds as factors. The issue is whether the interest-rate change premium is significant. To study this, the paper uses full information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimation on groups of twenty-five individual firms, with both cross-equation constraints and withinequation nonlinear constraints on the parameters as mandated by the APT model. Whether the risk of unanticipated changes in interest rates is priced in the market is of particular interest with regard to regulated firms. Regulated firms (especially electric utilities) turn out to comprise the big majority of firms that are sensitive to unanticipated interest-rate changes. After some preliminary investigation, the analysis focuses on electric utilities. Much empirical work on the APT relies on factor analysis, e.g., Roll and Ross [30]. Bower, Bower, and Logue [5] use factor analysis in comparing the APT and the CAPM to explain utilities' returns. The present paper, however, uses observable variables at the macro level. Chan, Chen, and Hsieh (CCH; [7]), and Chen, Roll, and Ross (CRR; [8]) also examine APT models with specific macroeconomic factors. CCH and CRR use a traditional Fama-MacBeth type of cross-sectional estimation approach in the premia calculations rather than a FIML approach. Gibbons and Stambaugh have applied FIML techniques to models using only the market as an explanatory variable. Gibbons [20] used a noniterative algorithm on portfolios of firms, equivalent to a two-step cross-sectional approach. Stam
Poultry Meat Quality in Relation to Muscle Growth and Muscle Fiber Characteristics

Variations in the definition of poultry meat quality exist because the quality traits are not solely based on intrinsic and extrinsic factors but also consumers' preference. Appearance quality traits (AQT), eating quality traits (EQT), and reliance quality traits (RQT) are the major factors focused by the consumer before buying good quality of poultry meat. AQT and EQT of poultry meat are controlled by physical and biochemical characteristics of muscle fibers which can be categorized into a total number of fibers (TNF), cross-sectional area of fibers (CSAF), and fiber type composition (FTC). In poultry meat, it has been shown that muscle fiber properties play a key role in meat quality because numerous studies have reported the relationships between quality traits and fiber characteristics. Despite intensive research has been carried out to manipulate the muscle fiber to improve poultry meat quality, demand in a rapid growth of poultry muscle has correlated to the deterioration in the meat quality. The present paper reviews the definition of poultry meat quality, meat quality traits, and variations of meat quality. Also, this review presents recent knowledge underlying the relationship between poultry meat quality traits and muscle fiber characteristics.
Development and preliminary validation of a measure of social inclusion for use in people with mental health problems: The SInQUE

Background: Social exclusion can be both a cause and a consequence of mental health problems. Socially inclusive practice by mental health professionals can mitigate against the stigmatizing and excluding effects of severe mental illness. Aim: To develop and test the validity of a measure of social inclusion for individuals with severe mental illness – the Social Inclusion Questionnaire User Experience (SInQUE). Method: The domains of the SInQUE were chosen to reflect the domains of social inclusion identified in the Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey. Patients with severe mental illness were recruited from rehabilitation, general and forensic psychiatric services and were asked to complete the questionnaire in an individual interview with a researcher. Results: Sixty six patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder completed the SInQUE, alongside measures of psychiatric symptoms, needs and quality of life, to assess its acceptability, and concurrent and construct (convergent and discriminant) validity. The SInQUE took 45 minutes to complete and was found to have good concurrent and discriminant validity. Convergent validity was established for two domains: social integration and productivity. Conclusion: Preliminary findings suggest that the SInQUE may be a useful tool for assessing and monitoring social inclusion in individuals with severe mental illness. It has construct and concurrent validity with measures of unmet need and quality of life in this group. Further testing of the reliability of the SInQUE on a larger population is indicated.
Management of the urban spatial setting to determine the effect of urban heat island on the Bangkok Metropolis, Thailand

This paper describes how urbanization and human activities cause higher air temperatures in urban areas than the urban climate. This paper uses remote sensing data to observe this urbanization and its surrounding areas. The high temperature can cause problems to the environment, such as high energy consumption on cooling, raised air pollution levels and changes in land use and the creation of a heat island in Bangkok Metropolis, Thailand. This study found that the urban heat island (UHI) problem is caused by the large size of the urban area and sparse vegetation and water resources. Some strategies and approaches are raised in this paper in order to reduce the problem.
The U.S. And Asem: Why the Hegemon Didn't Bark

Relationships with the United States and American policy preferences have been important to the Asian and European members of ASEM in its establishment and activities. Yet U.S. policy, business, and media elites have paid little public attention to ASEM. The puzzle is why not. Explanations of inattentiveness or foresight about Asia's economic difficulties are unpersuasive. Instead, American "silence" fits with a reasoned understanding among internationally oriented policy and business leaders that ASEM has and will pose little in the way of difficulties for their preferences about Asia and the EU for security, civil society, and economic matters. Indeed, the maneuverings in and around ASEM about those three policy areas have been and are likely to continue to be of some modest help to American internationalists. Their domestic persuasiveness benefits from ASEM developments which bolster actions they desire and reduce pressure for policy positions they wish to avoid or believe are unlikely to gain approval in the American political economy.
Globalization, Human Resource Practices and Innovation: Recent Evidence from the Canadian Workplace and Employee Survey

This study examines the triangular relationship that connects the degree to which a workplace is internationally engaged, the extent to which it innovates, and the human resource practices it adopts. By pooling various years of data from the Canadian Workplace and Employee Survey, a nationally representative data set, we found that certain practices, such as variable pay and autonomy training, are more likely to be used in international workplaces. We subsequently found that for an international workplace, the use of variable pay contributes very little to workplace innovation while autonomy training has a positive relationship with innovation.
Mycoplasma genitalium-Encoded MG309 Activates NF-κB via Toll-Like Receptors 2 and 6 To Elicit Proinflammatory Cytokine Secretion from Human Genital Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma genitalium has been implicated in several important reproductive tract syndromes in women, including pelvic inflammatory disease, cervicitis, and tubal factor infertility. The mechanisms of immune activation are unclear, and we sought to determine whether M. genitalium was capable of activating innate immune responses through ligation of highly expressed Toll-like receptors (TLR) of the genital tract. Using HEK293 cells expressing specific human TLR, viable M. genitalium and the recombinant C-terminal portion of the immunogenic protein MG309 (rMG309c) were shown to activate NF-κB via TLR2/6. These data provided a putative mechanism for activation of the innate response in genital tissues. Genital epithelial cells (EC) are the first responders to sexually transmitted pathogens and express high levels of TLR2 and -6. Following exposure to purified rMG309c, vaginal and ecto- and endocervical EC secreted proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8. Vaginal EC were less responsive than cervical EC. The capacity of rMG309c to bind TLR2/6 and elicit inflammation was sensitive to proteinase K digestion and independent of traditional N-terminal lipoylation. Furthermore, the immunostimulatory capacity of rMG309c was localized specifically to a 91-amino-acid subfragment of the recombinant protein, suggesting that TLR activation is likely amino acid based. Together, these data indicated that human vaginal and cervical EC are immunologically responsive to M. genitalium and to purified rMG309c via highly expressed TLR of the genital tract. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms for activation of acute-phase inflammatory responses and suggest that M. genitalium colonization of reproductive tract tissues may result in inflammatory sequelae.
European Stock Markets and the ECB's Monetary Policy Surprises

This paper contributes to the literature measuring the response of stock markets to monetary policy actions. We analyse the reaction of European stock market returns to unexpected interest rate decisions by the European Central Bank (ECB). Endogeneity between interest rate changes and stock returns is taken into account using the identification through the heteroscedasticity approach. Relying on different methods to extract monetary policy shocks, we find a negative and significant relation between unexpected ECB decisions and European stock market performance. Moreover, monetary policy decisions of the ECB are well anticipated by the market, implying that the central bank successfully communicates its monetary policy. Copyright 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd