Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of width of disk fenestration and a ventral slot on biomechanics of the canine C5-C6 vertebral motion unit.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of disk fenestration and ventral slot formation on vertebral motion unit (VMU) range of motion (ROM) and determine the effects of fenestration and ventral slot width on VMU ROM. SAMPLE POPULATION C5-C6 VMUs from 10 skeletally mature canine cadavers. PROCEDURES Specimens were assigned to 2 groups (5 specimens/group). Surgery was performed in which width of a fenestration and a ventral slot was 33% (group 1) or 50% (group 2) the width of the vertebral body. Flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial torsion ROMs were measured during loading before surgery, after fenestration, and after ventral slot formation. Range of motion was compared within groups to determine effects of surgical procedure on stability and between groups to determine effects of width of fenestration and ventral slot on stability. RESULTS For both groups, fenestration resulted in a significant increase in ROM during flexion-extension, compared with results for intact specimens. Ventral slot formation resulted in a significant increase in ROM during flexion-extension and lateral bending, compared with results for intact specimens. Ventral slot formation resulted in a significant increase in ROM only during flexion-extension, compared with results for fenestrated specimens. There were no significant differences in ROM of the intact, fenestrated, and ventral slot specimens between groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Analysis of these results suggests that fenestration and ventral slot procedures each affect the biomechanics of the C5-C6 VMU. Width of a fenestration or ventral slot up to 50% of the width of C5-C6 may be clinically acceptable.
Volatilitätsprognosen auf Basis der DAX-Volatilitätsindizes

This article analyses the information content of the volatility indices VDAX and VDAX-NEW published by the German Stock Exchange with respect to forecasts of the volatility of DAX returns realized in future. In a period of 17 years (1992– 2008), the volatility indices are compared with one another as well as with volatility estimates based on historical measures. To this end, the analysis is based on the riskmetrics methodology as well as on a GARCH model besides the historically realized volatility. The results suggest that the VDAX-NEW contains all relevant information on historical returns as well as the VDAX and represents a more efficient estimator of future volatility compared with the VDAX.
CHAPTER 4 Respiratory muscle assessment

Respiratory muscles generate the pressure differences driving ventilation. Respiratory muscle weakness is hence an important clinical feature. In advanced stages, respiratory muscle weakness leads to respiratory pump failure. Respiratory muscle dysfunction (i.e. reduced strength or endurance) is to be distinguished from lung function abnormalities, and should be measured separately. Inspiratory muscle weakness may partially explain dyspnoea and exercise intolerance. In addition, reduced respiratory muscle force has been shown to be an important predictive factor for poor survival in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [1], cystic fibrosis [2] and congestive heart failure [3]. In advanced stages the functional consequence of respiratory muscle weakness is a reduction of the operational lung volume and patients may require mechanical ventilation. Expiratory muscle weakness leads to problems with speech, and mucus retention due to impaired cough efficacy. Measurement of respiratory muscle function is important in the diagnosis of respiratory muscle disease [4–6], or respiratory muscle dysfunction [7]. It may also be helpful in the assessment of the impact of chronic diseases [8–12] or their treatment [13–15] on the respiratory muscles. For example, specific inspiratory muscle training has been reported to be useful in COPD only when patients present with significant respiratory muscle weakness [15], and tapering of oral corticosteroid treatment successfully restored respiratory muscle strength and dyspnoea in patients with corticosteroid-induced myopathy [16]. The present chapter aims to provide clinicians with some aspects of respiratory muscle testing. More detailed, excellent reviews on the pathophysiology and aetiology of respiratory muscle weakness are available elsewhere for the interested reader [17, 18]. Indications, techniques commonly used in clinical practice and issues important in the interpretation of the test results are the main focus of this chapter.
Managing Supplier Competition and Sourcing Sequence for Component Manufacturing

We consider a setting in which a manufacturer sequentially sources two components and uses reverse auction to select a supplier with the lowest bidding price for each component. The manufacturer chooses a quantity to order from each supplier and a price for selling the final product. We show that the interplay between the direct competition faced by suppliers in providing their respective components and the sequence whereby the manufacturer sources components influence system performance in a subtle, and sometimes dramatic, way. As the direct competition for the early sourced component intensifies, the profit of its supplier will deteriorate while the profits of the other firms will improve. As the direct competition for the late sourced component intensifies, however, the profit of its supplier may improve, and the profits of the other supplier, the manufacturer, and the system can all decrease. Compared with when the manufacturer simultaneously sources the components, sequentially sourcing the components can benefit the manufacturer and every supplier. Furthermore, all the channel parties can unanimously agree on a specific sourcing sequence. All of these signify the importance for manufacturers to take appropriate measures to manage their sourcing procedures and the competition environments faced by their suppliers.
Democracy in Capitalist Times: Ideals, Limits, and Struggles

Democracy is under threat from a variety of forces originating in the transnational capitalist economy. Dryzek here outlines these forces, considers how democracy might be defended against them, and explores the prospects for deepening democracy. Democratic communication in civil society, social movements, and workplaces are the most likely places for revitalization of the democratic impulse.
Oncolytic (replication-competent) adenoviruses as anticancer agents

Importance of the field: Whilst therapies for neoplasies have advanced tremendously in the last few decades, there is still a need for new anti-cancer treatments. One option is genetically-engineered oncolytic adenovirus (Ad) ‘vectors’. These kill cancer cells via the viral replication cycle, and amplify the anti-tumor effect by producing progeny virions able to infect neighboring tumor cells. Areas covered in this review: We provide a description of basic Ad biology and summarize the literature for oncolytic Ads from 1996 to the present. What the reader will gain: An overall view of oncolytic Ads, the merits and drawbacks of the various features of these vectors, and obstacles to further development and future directions for research. Take home message: Ads are attractive for gene therapy because they are relatively innocuous, easy to produce in large quantities, genetically stable, and easy to manipulate. A variety of have been constructed and tested, in pre-clinical and clinical experiments. Oncolytic Ads proved to be remarkably safe; no dose-limiting toxicity was observed in any clinical trial, and the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. At present, the major challenge for researchers is to increase the efficacy of the vectors, and to incorporate oncolytic virotherapy into existing treatment protocols.
First Contract Arbitration: Effects on Bargaining and Work Stoppages

Newly certified unions often experience difficulty negotiating a first agreement. To remedy this, the Employee Free Choice Act proposes that the National Labor Relations Act provide for first contract arbitration (FCA). Using a panel of Canadian jurisdictions that have introduced FCA legislation at different times over several decades, the author addresses three questions: (1) How does this legislation affect the incidence of first agreement work stoppages? (2) Does FCA encourage or discourage collective bargaining in the negotiation of first agreements? (3) Does FCA influence the duration of first agreement work stoppages? The author finds that the presence of FCA legislation reduces first agreement work stoppage incidence by at least 50 percent, yet unions make use of FCA infrequently and first contracts are rarely imposed by third parties. Together these results suggest that FCA encourages collective bargaining by creating an incentive for the parties to bargain in good faith and negotiate an agreement. Finally, FCA legislation has no statistically significant impact on the duration of first agreement work stoppages.
Energy and Carbon Dynamics at Advanced Stages of Development: An Analysis of the U.S. States, 1960-1999

This paper explores the relationships among per capita income, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by focusing on a set of economies at advanced stages of development, the U.S. states. Energy consumption and emissions grew 50-60percent on average over the 1960-1999 period. The states’ per capita energy consumption and emissions have grown on average 2 percent annually. The energy consumption income elasticity is positive but decreasing in income, although energy production takes an inverted- U shape, reflecting the electricity imports among high income states. The standard CO2 measure, corresponding to energy production, is characterized by an inverted-U environmental Kuznets curve. Adjusting emissions for interstate electricity trade yields an emissions-income relationship that peaks and plateaus. The carbon intensity of energy declines with income for total energy consumption and the industrial, residential, and commercial sectors.
The effect of income smoothing on the informativeness of stock price: Evidence from the Tehran Stock Exchange

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether income smoothing does indeed improve the informativeness of stock prices about firms' future earnings and cash flows. Also an approach to studying the effects of income smoothing is presented. , – This study uses data from 1992‐2006 and runs regressions on each of the 560 industry‐year cross‐sections. The data compiled from the financial statements of firms were collected for each year available from the Tehran Stock Exchange database. Income smoothing is defined as the management of accruals to reduce time‐series variation in income, and uses a cross‐sectional version of the Jones model, modified by Kothari, Leone and Wasley. Smoothing is measured as the variation of net income relative to the variation in CFO, or the correlation between changes in accruals and changes in CFO. Informativeness is measured as the coefficient on future earnings (cash flows) in a regression of current stock return against current and future earnings (cash flows and accruals). , – The findings suggest that income smoothing enhances the information content of the effect of stock price on future earnings, thus improving the ability of market participants to make informed decisions about the allocation of capital resources. , – Although previous research on the subject of income smoothing in an emerging market has been documented, its effect on stock prices efficiency is largely unknown. Thus, this paper presents an approach to studying the effects of income smoothing and the knowledge that the ability to manage earnings could improve stock prices efficiency could be useful for academics and policymakers in this market.
On Taking the 'Alternative' Route: Risks, Rewards, Style and Performance Persistence of Hedge Funds

Using a new database of hedge funds, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the risk-return characteristics, risk exposures, style analysis and performance persistence of various hedge fund strategies. We conduct a mean-variance analysis to find that a combination of alternative investments and passive indexing provides significantly better risk-return tradeoff than passively investing in the different asset classes. Using a broad asset class factor model, we find that the hedge fund strategies outperform the benchmark by a range of 6% to 15% per year. We infer the significant risk exposures of different hedge fund strategies using generalized style analysis and find results consistent with their investment objectives. Finally, using parametric and non-parametric methods, we examine persistence in the performance of hedge fund managers. We find a reasonable degree of persistence which seems to be attributable more to the losers continuing to be losers instead of winners continuing to be winners.
Almighty Twitter, what are people asking for?

With the advance of modern technology, social networking sites, such as Twitter, are becoming increasingly important information sources for people to find answers to their questions. Given such trend, in this project, we report results from our analysis of 10,000 English-written question tweets with expectations of helpful answers (which we call “information seeking tweets” in the following paper) collected in one week period. We explore the topical characteristics and patterns demonstrated in people’s information seeking behaviors under online social contexts. In particular, through our topical comparisons between social search, traditional search and real time search, we find that social information seekers show more personalized requirements and more timely needs. Technology, healthcare and education related questions appeared extremely frequent among questions asked on Twitter, along with a desire to pursue help from experts in these areas. In addition to our findings on the topical domains, we also observe that social search contains a significantly less proportion of direct communication than general tweets, showing user’s relatively higher openness to diversified answers. Our results also indicate the important role that time and location play in social information seeking context. Based on these findings, implications for future design of social search systems or tools are discussed at the end.
Cisplatin-based therapy for elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: implications of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 5592, a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Older patients, even if fit, are often considered incapable of tolerating platinum-based systemic therapy. We performed a retrospective analysis of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 5592, a phase III randomized trial of platinum-based chemotherapy regimens for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and compared outcomes in enrollees 70 years of age and older with those in younger patients. METHODS ECOG carried out a randomized phase III trial of cisplatin plus either etoposide or paclitaxel in chemotherapy-naïve NSCLC patients with stages III(B) or IV disease. Toxic effects, response rates, and survival rates were compared between age groups. All P values were two-sided. RESULTS A total of 574 patients enrolled from August 1993 through December 1994 were evaluable. Eighty-six (15%) were 70 years old or older. Older patients had a higher incidence of cardiovascular (P =.009) and respiratory (P =.04) comorbidities and nonanalgesic medication use (P =.02). Leukopenia (P<.001) and neuropsychiatric toxicity (P =.002) were more common in elderly men than in younger men. Elderly women lost more weight than younger women (P =.006). Other toxic effects were similar in older and younger patients. The proportions with clinical partial or complete response (21.5% versus 23.3%; Fisher's exact test, P =.66), median time to progression (4.37 versus 4.30 months; log-rank test, P =.29), and survival distribution (log-rank test, P =.29; median survival, 9.05 versus 8.53 months; 1-year survival, 38% versus 29%; and 2-year survival, 14% versus 12%) were similar in patients younger than 70 years and 70 years old or older. Baseline quality-of-life and treatment-outcome indices were similar. Equivalent declines over time in functional well-being occurred in both groups. CONCLUSION Response rate, toxicity, and survival in fit, elderly NSCLC patients receiving platinum-based treatment appear to be similar to those in younger patients, although patients 70 years old or older have more comorbidities and can expect more leukopenia and neuropsychiatric toxicity. Advanced age alone should not preclude appropriate NSCLC treatment.
The Swedish unemployment insurance - will the Ghent system survive?

I artikeln diskuteras de fackliga a-kassornas betydelse for den internationellt mycket hoga fackliga organisationsgraden i Sverige. Kopplingen mellan fackforeningar och statsstodda a-kassor, det s k Ghent-systemet, tenderar emellertid undermineras av den sedan 1980-talet stigande direktanslutningen till a-kassorna. Vidare diskuteras mojliga konsekvenser av den obligatoriska arbetsloshetsforsakring som alliansen avser infora.
Long‐Term Chemical Carcinogenesis Bioassays Predict Human Cancer Hazards: Issues, Controversies, and Uncertainties

Abstract: Long‐term carcinogenesis bioassays are the most valued and predictive means for identifying potential carcinogenic hazards of various agents to humans. Agents may be chemicals, chemical mixtures, multiple chemicals, combinations of chemicals, residues and contaminants, commercial products and formulations, and various exposure circumstances. Life‐styles, dietary factors, and occupational exposure circumstances are very difficult, but not totally impossible, to evaluate experimentally. Historically, the first chemical bioassay took place in the early part of this century: Yamagiwa and Ichikawa 1 in 1915, showed that coal tar applied experimentally to rabbit ears caused skin carcinomas. Since then, nearly 1500–2000 bioassays of one sort or another have been carried out. Importantly, however, some of these bioassays must be considered inadequate for judging the absence of carcinogenicity, since there were various limitations on the way they were performed: too few animals, too short a duration, too low exposure concentrations, too limited pathology, as examples. Thus, each bioassay must be critically evaluated, especially those reported to be negative, because “false negatives” are certainly more hazardous to human health than are “false positives”. Likewise, one must be careful not to discount bioassay results simply because a target organ in rodents may not have a direct counterpart in humans (e.g., Zymbal glands 2 ), or because an organ site in rodents may not be a major site of cancers in humans (e.g., mouse liver). The design and conduct of a bioassay is not simple, however, and one must be fully aware of possible pitfalls as well as viable and often necessary alternatives. Similarly, evaluating results and interpreting findings must be approached with the utmost objectivity and consistency. These and other select issues, controversies, and uncertainties possibly encountered in long‐term bioassays are covered in this paper. One fact remains abundantly clear: for every known human carcinogen that has been tested adequately in laboratory animals, the findings of carcinogenicity are concordant.
Characterization of the Dose—Concentration‐Dependent Hemodynamic Effects of Nifedipine in Heart Failure

The hemodynamic effects of increasing oral doses of nifedipine (10 to 30 mg) were studied in 12 patients who had low output heart failure. With each set of hemodynamics, serum concentrations of nifedipine were measured to determine the concentration/response relationships. Eleven of twelve patients responded acutely to nifedipine, defined as a reduction in systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and an augmentation in cardiac index (CI) and stroke volume index (SVI). The differential dose effects (X ± SD) for SVR and SVI for baseline (N = 11), 10 mg (N = 10), 20 mg (N = 3) and 30 mg (N = 4) were: 1913 ± 486, 1102 ± 221, 1128 ± 166, 803 ± 176 and 17.9 ± 4.8, 23.8 ± 4.5, 31 ± 0.42, 33 ± 3.5, respectively. All nifedipine doses reduced SVR and increased CI and SVI compared with baseline (P < .001). The increase in CI and SVI was significantly correlated to the mg/kg dose of nifedipine (r = 0.79; P < .001). Nifedipine administration resulted in no significant change in central venous pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, or pulmonary vascular resistance. No relationship could be demonstrated between serum concentrations of nifedipine and any hemodynamic effect. Conclusions drawn were: [1) the afterload reduction effects of nifedipine are acutely efficacious in a large portion of patients with heart failure and this activity supercedes the negative inotropic effects of the drug at doses between 10 and 30 mg; (2) the magnitude of the hemodynamic effects are dose dependent; (3) large decrements in systemic blood pressure (≥20% reduction in mean arterial pressure) can be produced with single 10‐mg doses of nifedipine in patients with heart failure, indicating that the use of this drug in this population be closely supervised; and (4) the lack of a direct concentration‐effect relationship may indicate that the pharmacodynamics of nifedipine in heart failure differ from those demonstrated for other physiologic states.
CAR'ing for the Skin

Epidermal T cell responses to injury and infection require stimulation by a protein that maintains cell adhesion and normal dermal integrity. The innate immune system provides the first line of defense against pathogens through major barriers like the skin and mucosa. Specialized sentinel cells embedded in these barriers sound the alarm when they sense that the barrier has been breached (1). What these sentinel cells recognize and how they are activated have perplexed immunologists for over a decade. Two papers in this issue, by Verdino et al. on page 1210 (2) and by Witherden et al. on page 1205 (3), demonstrate that part of the mechanism involves the recognition of a tight junction protein expressed in the skin.
The Role of Pyruvate Kinase M2 in Cancer Metabolism

The M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase is expressed preferentially in cancer cells over other pyruvate kinase isoforms. PKM2 is unique in its ability to be regulated allosterically by nutrients and growth signaling pathways, allowing cells to adapt their metabolic program to match physiological needs in different environments. Here, we discuss the role of pyruvate kinase M2 in glioma and in cancer metabolism.
Teaching management and management educators: some considerations

This paper is concerned with some aspects of management education and intends to discuss the relationships among universities, teaching techniques, management educators, and information and communication technologies. Adopting an adequate perspective of the relationship between universities and enterprises for improving and updating management higher education, it defends that management can be taught in a better way if universities are able to explore its teachers' skills and establish very frequent partnerships with enterprises to create an environment where management activities may be better understood. The aim is to revise different issues, to emphasise the value of practical approaches of management education, the importance of pedagogy based on solving problems and the decision‐making process. An interpretative model for management education supported by the integration of management teaching techniques is presented. The model is divided into three areas: the area of theoretical resources, the area related to educator's personal experience, and a set of practical aspects where partnerships are included. Further empirical work will be required to appreciate university's committees' opinions, managerial implications, and to evaluate their statistical meaning.