Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Job and Professional Leaving Among Newly Licensed RNs

With more than 50% of the nursing workforce close to retirement, it is especially important to keep younger nurses in nursing jobs and careers. This study empirically tests a structural equation model of registered nurse (RN) intent to leave the job and profession using data from a survey of newly licensed RNs (NLRNs). Job demands, difficulties and control, intent to leave the job, and intent to leave the profession were latent variables. A number of direct, indirect, and mediating relationships were modeled. Measurement models for all latent variables and the structural model had good fit. The final model showed a path from job demands, difficulties, and control to job satisfaction to intent to leave the job to intent to leave the profession. The results suggest that the process of an NLRN intending to leave the job and profession involves a number of mediators between the work environment and this intent.
La Constitution jug?e par sa pratique. R?flexions pour un bilan

La pratique institutionnelle s'est developpee de facon autonome : le president de la Republique, appuye sur le suffrage universel, est devenu le pilier du systeme politico-institutionnel. La combinaison de l'article 5 et de son influence politique lui confere une suprematie incontestee. Le Parlement a souffert de la conjonction du parlementarisme rationalise et de l'existence, a partir de 1962, d'une majorite homogene, stable et coherente. Le role joue desormais par le Conseil constitutionnel cree une innovation reelle, non seulement par rapport a l'avant 1958, mais egalement par rapport aux idees des constituants.
Mind the Gap! Stylized Dynamic Facts and Structural Models

We study what happens to identified shocks and to dynamic responses when the data generating process features q disturbances but q1 < q variables are used in an empirical model. Identified shocks are linear combinations of current and past values of all structural disturbances and do not necessarily combine disturbances of the same type. Theory-based restrictions may be insufficient to obtain structural dynamics. We revisit the evidence regarding the transmission of house price and of uncertainty shocks. We provide suggestions on how to compare the dynamics of larger scale DSGEs models with smaller scale VARs. (JEL E12, E13, E23, E31, E43, R31)
Adjusting to new employment landscapes: Consequences of precarious employment for young Australians

As economies transition from industrial to post-industrial, the types of jobs available and employment conditions change. Research indicates that youth employment has been negatively impacted by these changes. For young people seeking to enter the labour market, particularly those combining employment and study, precarious employment has become the norm. However, precarious employment is, for many, no longer a stepping stone on the path to permanent employment. Many young Australians, even those with higher education qualifications, experience prolonged periods of precarious employment. To examine how new employment landscapes are experienced by young workers, we conduct analysis of data collected by the Life Pattern Project, a longitudinal mixed-methods study. Our results show that precarious employment is related to lower levels of job satisfaction and autonomy in young adulthood. JEL Codes: J20, J28, J41
Incidence of subsequent pancreatic adenocarcinoma in patients with a history of nonpancreatic primary cancers

Several environmental risk factors are known to predispose individuals to pancreatic cancer, and up to 15% of pancreatic cancers have an inherited component. Understanding metachronous cancer associations can modify pancreas cancer risk. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of nonpancreatic cancers with subsequent pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Cholesterol feeding strongly reduces hepatic VLDL-triglyceride production in mice lacking the liver X receptor αs⃞ Published, JLR Papers in Press, November 4, 2006.

The oxysterol-activated nuclear receptor liver X receptor α (LXRα) has been implicated in the control of both cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of excess dietary cholesterol on hepatic cholesterol metabolism, lipogenesis, and VLDL production in homozygous (Lxrα−/−), heterozygous (Lxrα+/−), and wild-type mice. Mice were fed either chow or a cholesterol-enriched diet (1%, w/w) for 2 weeks. On the high-cholesterol diet, fractional cholesterol absorption was higher in Lxrα−/− mice than in controls, leading to delivery of more dietary cholesterol to the liver. Lxrα−/− mice were not able to induce expression of hepatic Abcg5/Abcg8, and massive accumulation of free cholesterol and cholesteryl esters (CEs) occurred. Interestingly, despite the inability to upregulate Abcg5/Abcg8, the highly increased hepatic free cholesterol content did stimulate biliary cholesterol output in Lxrα−/− mice. Hepatic cholesterol accumulation was accompanied by decreased hepatic expression of lipogenic genes, probably caused by impaired sterol-regulatory element binding protein 1c processing, lower hepatic triglyceride (TG) contents, strongly reduced plasma TG concentrations (−90%), and reduced VLDL-TG production rates (−60%) in Lxrα−/− mice. VLDL particles were smaller and CE-enriched under these conditions. Lxrα deficiency did not affect VLDL formation under chow-fed conditions. Hepatic stearyl coenzyme A desaturase 1 expression was decreased dramatically in Lxrα−/− mice and did not respond to cholesterol feeding, but fatty acid profiles of liver and VLDL were only slightly different between Lxrα−/− and wild-type mice. Our data indicate that displacement of TGs by CEs during the VLDL assembly process underlies hypotriglyceridemia in cholesterol-fed Lxrα−/− mice.
Motivations for sharing information and social support in social media: A comparative analysis of Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, YouTube, and Flickr

The success or failure of social media is highly dependent on the active participation of its users. In order to examine the influential factors that inspire dynamic and eager participation, this study investigates what motivates social media users to share their personal experiences, information, and social support with anonymous others. A variety of information‐sharing activities in social media, including creating postings, photos, and videos in 5 different types of social media: Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, YouTube, and Flickr, were observed. Ten factors: enjoyment, self‐efficacy, learning, personal gain, altruism, empathy, social engagement, community interest, reciprocity, and reputation, were tested to identify the motivations of social media users based on reviews of major motivation theories and models. Findings from this study indicate that all of the 10 motivations are influential in encouraging users' information sharing to some degree and strongly correlate with one another. At the same time, motivations differ across the 5 types of social media, given that they deliver different information content and serve different purposes. Understanding such differences in motivations could benefit social media developers and those organizations or institutes that would like to use social media to facilitate communication among their community members; appropriate types of social media could be chosen that would fit their own purposes and they could develop strategies that would encourage their members to contribute to their communities through social media.
Reporting of Allocation Method and Statistical Analyses That Deal with Bilaterally Affected Wrists in Clinical Trials for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

ABSTRACTThe authors aimed to describe how often the allocation method and the statistical analyses that deal with bilateral involvement are reported in clinical trials for carpal tunnel syndrome and to determine whether reporting has improved over time. Forty-two trials identified from recently published systematic reviews were assessed. Information about allocation method and statistical analyses was obtained from published reports and trialists. Only 15 trialists (36%) reported the method of random sequence generation used, and 6 trialists (14%) reported the method of allocation concealment used. Of 25 trials including participants with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, 17 (68%) reported the method used to allocate the wrists, whereas only 1 (4%) reported using a statistical analysis that appropriately dealt with bilateral involvement. There was no clear trend of improved reporting over time. Interventions are needed to improve reporting quality and statistical analyses of these trials so that these can provide more reliable evidence to inform clinical practice.
Experimental evaluation of high voltage hold-off capability of post-process mesa-isolated series standard CMOS transistors

We report successful fabrication of high-voltage-holdable CMOS device which is MEMS post-processed from standard circuit fabricated on an SOI (Silicon on Insulator) wafer. The method physically isolates transistors by forming mesa-“islands” by isotropic Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE), instead of classical P-N junction well isolation. The device is usable for high-voltage switching circuit for CMOS-deep-MEMS monolithic integrated device (fig. 1) which employs only standard CMOS and MEMS fabrication technologies. In this report, we evaluated high-voltage hold-off capability of fabricated series-connected MOSFET structures by experiments. Less than 1pA leakage current was measured on 40-series-connected mesa-isolated off-state standard 5V MOSFET on a LSI chip when 200 V was applied. And it was observed that voltage endurance was around 1000 V for 200-series-connected standard 5V MOSFET.
The electoral logic of governor rotations in Ukraine: rulers’ authority, party strength, and regional polarization

ABSTRACT How and under what conditions do authoritarian rulers use the state apparatus to help ensure victory? To answer this question, this paper examines electoral mobilization as a rationale for the appointment of governors in hybrid regimes. Given their absolute authority to use administrative resources, autocratic rulers prefer governors who can perform well in mobilizing the electorate in their favor. However, several circumstances make this strategy suboptimal or impossible. To provide empirical evidence supporting this argument, this study conducts a survival analysis using an original dataset of gubernatorial appointments and dismissals in Ukraine from 1996 to 2017. The results confirm that electoral performance was the primary driver of governor appointments during the presidency of Leonid Kuchma. In addition, it is demonstrated that various institutional conditions, such as party strength, the weak authority of the ruler within the central government, and regional polarization resulted in the adoption of different appointment strategies by subsequent presidents.
Contribution of Individual Spa Therapies in the Treatment of Chronic Pain

ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the contribution of individual spa therapies administered during a period of 3 weeks on measures of well being and pain in a sample of patients with chronic back pain. DesignOne hundred fifty-three patients with chronic back pain undergoing inpatient spa therapy in Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria, participated in the study. According to the prescription of their spa physician, patients underwent two or more of the following treatments: mud packs, carbon dioxide baths, massages, exercise therapies, spinal traction, and electrotherapy. The outcome measures were general pain, back pain, negative mood, and health satisfaction. Regression analyses were conducted to predict the 4 outcome measures at the end of spa therapy and at 6 weeks' follow-up for all therapies applied. The pretreatment outcome measure, age, and sex were controlled for by entering them into the analysis. ResultsPatients showed significant improvements in all 4 outcome measures. The prediction of improvement was generally small: only 1% to 11% of the change of the outcome measures could be explained by the type and number of therapies received. On a short-term basis, mud packs and exercise were found to be associated with a greater improvement in mood, whereas a greater frequency of massage therapy and carbon dioxide baths was associated with a smaller improvement in health satisfaction. On a long-term basis, exercise therapy and spinal traction were associated with a greater reduction in back pain. ConclusionsThe results indicate that, in addition to the individual therapies, other factors relating to spa therapy as a whole must contribute to overall treatment outcome. In addition, the results support the efficacy of exercise therapy for chronic back pain.
MARC: A fast current-readout CMOS front-end for n-substrate, fully-depleted scientific CCDs

This work presents the development of a front-end integrated circuit (IC) targeting the readout of scientific Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs) for a wide range of applications in the field of X-ray imaging. The reference detector considered is a high-performance 20×480, back-illuminated, n-substrate, fully-depleted CCD developed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) MicroSystems Lab. The innovation of MARC (Millisecond ASIC for the Readout of CCDs) is to implement a current readout of the CCD, thus overcoming speed limitations of the most common voltage readout source-follower configurations related to the settling of capacitive nodes. By means of the switched-current technique the IC implements a trapezoidal weighting function. The front-end comprises a programmable bias current generator for the CCD output p-MOSFET and the cascade of an integrator and a subtractor stage for the correlated double sampling. MARC also integrates a programmable digital sequencer to drive the switches of the filter. Measurement results show excellent linearity with a maximum error of 0.3 %, an almost ideal weighting function while the simulated ENC is equal to 2.6 hrms+ at an equivalent speed of 200 fps and 9.1 hrms+ at 400 fps. The first prototype of MARC is implemented in a standard CMOS 0.13 μm 1.2 V technology. Design challenges, simulation and preliminary measurement results are presented.
Contribution of the central thalamus to the generation of volitional saccades

Lesions in the motor thalamus can cause deficits in somatic movements. However, the involvement of the thalamus in the generation of eye movements has only recently been elucidated. In this article, we review recent advances into the role of the thalamus in eye movements. Anatomically, the anterior group of the intralaminar nuclei and paralaminar portion of the ventrolateral, ventroanterior and mediodorsal nuclei of the thalamus send massive projections to the frontal eye field and supplementary eye field. In addition, these parts of the thalamus, collectively known as the ‘oculomotor thalamus’, receive inputs from the cerebellum, the basal ganglia and virtually all stages of the saccade‐generating pathways in the brainstem. In their pioneering work in the 1980s, Schlag and Schlag‐Rey found a variety of eye movement‐related neurons in the oculomotor thalamus, and proposed that this region might constitute a ‘central controller’ playing a role in monitoring eye movements and generating self‐paced saccades. This hypothesis has been evaluated by recent experiments in non‐human primates and by clinical observations of subjects with thalamic lesions. In addition, several recent studies have also addressed the involvement of the oculomotor thalamus in the generation of anti‐saccades and the selection of targets for saccades. These studies have revealed the impact of subcortical signals on the higher‐order cortical processing underlying saccades, and suggest the possibility of future studies using the oculomotor system as a model to explore the neural mechanisms of global cortico‐subcortical loops and the neural basis of a local network between the thalamus and cortex.
Hydrocortisone Aceponate Activity and Benefit/Risk Ratio in Relation to Reference Topical Glucocorticoids

The evaluation of the benefit/risk ratio (BRR) for topical glucocorticoids (TGC) allows the comparison of active ingredients and thereby includes aspects of dosage (blanching response, BR) as well as adverse effects (skin atrophy). In the present study, the BRR of hydrocortisone aceponate, prednicarbate and betamethasone valerate was investigated according to an adapted procedure for investigating the BR. The main difference is the longer application period of the investigational substance without occlusion. Thus, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of all of the systems are considered more intensely and the penetration conditions are designed in a realistic way, namely oriented towards the preparation in order to improve the significance and relevance of the BRR for practical use. The results demonstrate that the investigated substances also show differences in the extent of the BR, but on the other hand they show that the improved penetration characteristics of the double-esterified compounds are clearly less effective. In comparison to the BRR, this results to a large extent in a balanced picture without relevant advantages for single preparations. Nevertheless, the already mentioned positive characteristics of the investigated TGC and the positive practical clinical experiences have been approved. Further investigations have to show whether the method presented here for investigating the BR offers advantages in the comparative assessment of TGC.
Improvement in sleep apnea during nocturnal peritoneal dialysis is associated with reduced airway congestion and better uremic clearance.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Among peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, nocturnal PD (NPD) is known to improve sleep apnea compared with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), but the contributing factors are unclear. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, AND MEASUREMENTS Thirty-eight incident ESRD patients underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG) during NPD and CAPD. Bioelectrical impedance analysis, magnetic resonance imaging of the upper airway, and urea kinetics (Kt/V) during sleep were measured on both occasions. RESULTS The prevalence of severe sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea index, AHI > or = 15/h) was 21.1% during NPD, and 42.1% during CAPD. Mean AHI increased from 9.6 +/- 2.7/h during NPD to 21.5 +/- 4.2/h during CAPD. Both obstructive and central apnea worsened after conversion to CAPD. NPD achieved greater reductions in total body water, hydration fraction, and net ultrafiltration than CAPD during sleep. Overnight peritoneal Kt/V and creatinine clearance were lower after conversion. Both peritoneal Kt/V and peritoneal creatinine clearance correlated with AHI, as did their changes after conversion. Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging revealed reduced pharyngeal volumes and cross-sectional area, and tongue enlargement after conversion. CONCLUSIONS Improvement in sleep apnea during NPD versus CAPD is associated with better fluid and uremic clearance and reduced upper airway congestion during sleep.
Movement detection with adaptive window length for unobtrusive bed-based pressure-sensor array

Use of automated and unobtrusive sensors for physiological monitoring has become popular nowadays, since no devices need to be worn by individuals and it does not require any user interaction. However, when bodily movements occur, movement artifacts are introduced which can interfere with the breathing signal. This paper proposes a method to automatically identify movement onset and offset times when using an unobtrusive bed-based pressure-sensor array. This work makes use of a previously developed method for movement detection based on control levels. The novel contribution of this paper is employing an adaptive window length to calculate a moving average and a moving variance, by measuring the distance between two consecutive peaks in the signal which relates to consecutive movements. We also impose a threshold based on the weight and height of an individual to flag true movements and discard false ones. The proposed method is applicable for different postures and breath patterns of the bed occupant. Our experimental results show that the proposed scheme can lead to an average movement detection offset as low as 1.32 second, with no false-positive events and low false-negatives, and it provides significant improvements compared to a previous method.
Intraday Lead-Lag Relationship between Index Futures and Stock Index Markets: Evidence from Malaysia

This paper investigates the lead-lag relationship between the stock index futures (known as FKLI) and its underlying index, the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) in the emerging Malaysian market. Using 15-second interval data, cross-correlation, and the partial adjustment model, we find a bi-directional asymmetric lead-lag relationship and that the KLCI’s lead over FKLI is much stronger. The evidence also suggests that the KLCI returns over-react to information, more so once thin trading effects are considered. Overall, the evidences suggest that traders prefer to exploit stock specific information in the underlying market despite the advantages of trading the index futures.
Impact of the unrealized gain or loss on stock returns : theory and tests in an alternative utility framework

This dissertation applies the prospect theory and the regret theory to the study on the stock performance and to explain one well-known market anomaly called the momentum effect. The dissertation proposes a theoretical model that links the behavior factors to stock performance and the momentum effect, and performed empirical test to examine the theoretical model. In chapter 2, the model is established on the concept of the potential gain/loss, which indicates if an investor is currently at a winning or a losing position. The model then shows that the investors are highly reluctant to sell their stocks in a large gain or in a large loss situation. The chapter 3 and 4 perform empirical tests on the model of potential gain/loss. The test sample includes all stocks in NYSE and AMEX from 1982 to 2012. The tests are able to confirm the influence of the potential gain/loss on stock returns. Moreover, a zero-cost Extremity minus Middle (EMM) strategy based on the theoretical model is documented to be profitable after controlling for risks. In chapter 5, the model of potential gain/loss is developed into a dynamic version. It suggests that the influence of a potential gain/loss could persist over an intermediate to long term, and generates an upward trend in performance for stocks with large potential gain/loss. The empirical tests in this chapter focus on the time serial evolution of returns. The tests show that stocks with large potential gain/loss have a stronger upward trend. The chapter 6 applies the results from the previous chapter to explain the momentum effect. The upward trend corresponds to a positive return autocorrelation, which is one of the sources that contribute to the momentum profit. The empirical tests in this chapter look into the similarity between the momentum strategy and the potential gain/loss, and also examine the correlation between the momentum profit and the profit from the EMM strategy. Tests show that the potential gain/loss could contribute to the momentum effect, but is not the only source. The momentum effect could be a result of a combination of many complex factors.