Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corticosteroid use in rheumatoid arthritis: prevalence, predictors, correlates, and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE To determine the rate of current and lifetime use of corticosteroids, the degree of association between corticosteroids and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) activity and outcome, corticosteroid initiation and discontinuation rates, and the predictors associated with initiation and discontinuation. METHODS A total of 12,749 patients with RA were evaluated semiannually as to corticosteroid use, RA activity measures, RA outcomes, and predictors of initiation and discontinuation of corticosteroids. RESULTS Current corticosteroid use was 35.5% and lifetime use was 65.5%. Rheumatologists varied substantially in their use of corticosteroids. The primary patient-derived determinant of corticosteroid initiation, current use, and discontinuation was symptom severity, although 21-25% of patients in remission or with minimal disease activity continued taking corticosteroids. Within the pool of current users, 24.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) 23.2-25.3%] discontinued corticosteroids yearly, and among patients newly starting corticosteroids this rate was 56.9% (95% CI 53.4-60.7%). Corticosteroid initiation occurred at a rate of 8.9% (95% CI 8.4-9.3%) per year. Among corticosteroid users, persistent use (> 5 years) occurs in about one-third of patients. Corticosteroid use and duration of use is associated with severe outcomes for current and past users. For current users versus non-current users, covariate adjusted outcomes were: mortality 5.7% versus 2.6%, work disability 28.4% versus 17.2%, and total joint replacement 18.5% versus 13.0%. CONCLUSION Corticosteroid use is dynamic and is associated with RA severity. Corticosteroid use is also associated with adverse longterm outcomes, but the ability to discern causal associations is severely limited by confounding by indication. The idea of "once on corticosteroids, always on corticosteroids" is incorrect and applies to only a minority of patients.
Accountability and Value Enhancement Roles of Corporate Governance

We examine the twin roles of accountability and value enhancement of corporate governance in the context of financial reporting. We investigate the accountability role by examining the association between governance structures and abnormal accruals, and the value enhancement role by investigating the association between abnormal accruals explained by governance structures and future performance. We differentiate between governance mechanisms that have direct roles in the financial reporting process (audit related) from mechanisms that have indirect roles (board related). We find that independent and active audit committees and independent boards are important governance attributes for financial reporting. We show that both audit-related and board-related governance structures are value enhancing.
In Litigation : How Far do the “Haves” Come Out Ahead

This paper studies the consequences of asymmetric litigation costs. Under three differ- ent protocols: static legal process, dynamic legal process with exogenous sequencing and dynamic legal process with endogenous sequencing, solutions are obtained for the litigation efforts and the expected value of lawsuits on each side. Outcomes are evaluated in terms of two normative criteria: achieving `justice' and minimizing aggregate litigation cost. The theory implies that a moderate degree of asymmetry may improve access to justice. The dynamics of legal process may accentuate or diminish the effect of asymmetry. The en- dogenous sequencing protocol minimizes cost and may improve access to justice.
ErbB4 in parvalbumin-positive interneurons is critical for neuregulin 1 regulation of long-term potentiation

Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) is a trophic factor that acts by stimulating ErbB receptor tyrosine kinases and has been implicated in neural development and synaptic plasticity. In this study, we investigated mechanisms of its suppression of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus. We found that NRG1 did not alter glutamatergic transmission at SC-CA1 synapses but increased the GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic currents in CA1 pyramidal cells via a presynaptic mechanism. Inhibition of GABAA receptors blocked the suppressing effect of NRG1 on LTP and prevented ecto-ErbB4 from enhancing LTP, implicating a role of GABAergic transmission. To test this hypothesis further, we generated parvalbumin (PV)-Cre;ErbB4−/− mice in which ErbB4, an NRG1 receptor in the brain, is ablated specifically in PV-positive interneurons. NRG1 was no longer able to increase inhibitory postsynaptic currents and to suppress LTP in PV-Cre;ErbB4−/− hippocampus. Accordingly, contextual fear conditioning, a hippocampus-dependent test, was impaired in PV-Cre;ErbB4−/− mice. In contrast, ablation of ErbB4 in pyramidal neurons had no effect on NRG1 regulation of hippocampal LTP or contextual fear conditioning. These results demonstrate a critical role of ErbB4 in PV-positive interneurons but not in pyramidal neurons in synaptic plasticity and support a working model that NRG1 suppresses LTP by enhancing GABA release. Considering that NRG1 and ErbB4 are susceptibility genes of schizophrenia, these observations contribute to a better understanding of how abnormal NRG1/ErbB4 signaling may be involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
Debt Buybacks, Debt Reduction, and Debt Rescheduling under Asymmetric Information

In the early nineties there was a significant recovery of many debt-ridden economies after the shift in debt policy implicit in the so-called Brady Plan. Yet, the use of scarce resources from debtor countries to buy back part of their debts remains a controversial feature of this Plan. We use a multiperiod model of debt overhang to show that, under asymmetric information, this transfer of resources emerges naturally as part of the shift from a strategy of debt rescheduling, to one of debt reduction.
The role of physicians' personal knowledge of the patient in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND Primary care physicians' personal knowledge of their established patients has not been investigated systematically, and its role in clinical practice has not been characterized empirically. METHODS A qualitative study used an iterative, grounded theory method for thematic analysis of transcribed, semistructured long interviews. Subjects were family physicians in stable employment and in continuous clinical practice for at least 2 years at a staff-model health maintenance organization. RESULTS Personal knowledge of the patient clearly influenced the use of time in the examination room, the recognition of changes in baseline status, and the ability to verbalize medical information in terms that have unique meaning for particular patients. Personal knowledge fostered a sense of predictability in personal interactions; facilitated the creation of trust; served as an organizing scheme for data collection, recall, and interpretation; counterbalanced impersonal professional principles such as compulsiveness, duty, and responsibility; shaped ability to communicate effectively about issues related to quality of life and functional status; influenced choices of consultants; but also had the potential to interfere with diagnosis or with patient presentation of new information. CONCLUSIONS Personal knowledge of patients was an important influence on physicians' daily clinical practice in this setting.
Comparison of pivmecillinam and nalidixic acid in the treatment of acute shigellosis in children.

The efficacy of oral pivmecillinam was compared with nalidixic acid in the treatment of acute shigellosis in children 1-8 years of age. In a double-blind trial we studied 80 comparable children with bloody diarrhoea of less than 3 days' duration. Shigella spp. was isolated in 71 children. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either pivmecillinam, 50 mg/kg.day, or nalidixic acid, 60 mg/kg.day, both given orally for 5 days. The stool frequency decreased progressively in both treatment groups. Nalidixic acid failed to eradicate Shigella species in 10 patients, compared with three in the pivmecillinam group (p = 0.04). Similarly, clinical failure was observed in 11 of 37 patients receiving nalidixic acid and in 2 of 26 patients infected with nalidixic acid-susceptible strains as against none in the group receiving pivmecillinam. The results suggest that pivmecillinam given orally was, in fact, more effective than nalidixic acid in the treatment of acute shigellosis in children, particularly when the resistant strains are taken into account.
Assessment and Measurement of Atmospheric Pollution (Particulate Matter) Around Zawiya City-Libya

Total air suspended particulates (TSP) samples were collected over glass fiber filter and determined gravimetrically. The contents on the glass filter was digested in HF-HCl-HNO3 mixture and the trace elemental analysis of Al, Fe, Mn, and Pb were performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) technique, which offers many advantages such as low detection limits, wide linear calibration range and no matrix interference in addition to simultaneous multi-element determination. The filter with TSP was weighted, dissolved in HF-HCl-HNO3 acid mixture and the trace element such as Al, Fe, Mn and Pb were determined using (ICP-OES) technique. This work was carried out at four sites around Zawia city. Three sampling location were selected on sites of heavy traffics and industrial activities. These sites were (A1) at the center of Zawia city; (A2) near the power station and the refinery; (A3) nearby the main coastal road and (A4 control) at zone where there are no industrial activities or any obvious source of pollution. These samples were collected during Summer, Autumn, Spring, and Winter. The daily variation of TSP during this period showed the lowest value 70 µg/m3 in January (Winter), and the highest value 587.121 µg/m3. This value is relatively high compared with EU limit values (300 µg/m3), USEPA (150 µg/m3), and WHO (150-230 µg/ m3). The mean monthly variation of TSP showed the lowest measured result of 78.28 ± 0.08 µg/m3 in January and the highest value 306 µg/m3 in May. Seasonal variation of TSP showed high results during Spring season which is 239.44 µg/m3 and all other seasons showed lower values of 131.19 µg/m3, 198.28 µg/m3 and 159.85 µg/m3 for Winter, Autumn, and Summer, respectively compared with Spring season. The trace elements levels in TSP were Al>Fe>Pb>Mn. The concentration of Al, Fe, Mn and Pb are lower in site A4 and Al and higher in sites A3 and A2 due to heavy traffic and industrial activities. The meteorological parameters over the study area showed some factors such as wind speed, humidity and temperature that may affect TSP concentrations.
The role of management accounting in a company in transition from command to market economy

This article will examine the role of selected aspects of management accounting in a company that is changing from command to market economy. By applying the institutional theory to a Hungarian, previously government‐owned and production‐oriented transition company, calculation practice and cash flow management are analysed as technologies that represent recognisable and non‐recognisable rationales and logics in the transition process. It is concluded that calculation practice is not new in terms of technology, it is the application of the practice that is new. However, cash flow management is a completely new discipline that is not so easy to handle. Indeed, the new “everyday reality” has fundamentally changed the purpose of management accounting and related expectations about (re‐) constitution of rationales and practices. But the changes in management accounting are based on a historical cargo of experiences and rationality that cannot be dismissed just like that.
XRCC1 Gene Polymorphisms and Risk of Lung Cancer in Turkish Patients

Abstract Polymorphisms in the X-ray repair cross complementing 1 (XRCC1) gene have been found to be associated with susceptibility to various types of cancers. We investigated the association between the XRCC1 gene Arg399Gln polymorphism and the susceptibility to lung cancer in Turkish patients. To determine the association of this polymorphism with the risk of lung cancer in Turkish patients, a hospital-based case-control study was designed, involving 67 patients with lung cancer and 60 control subjects with no cancer history who were matched for age and gender. XRCC1 genotypes (Arg/Arg, Arg/Gln, and Gln/Gln) were determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis on genomic DNA. No statistically significant relationship was determined between the lung cancer and control groups (p>0.05). Among the patients, 61% were Arg/Arg, 28% were Arg/Gln, and 11% were Gln/Gln. Among the controls, 50% were Arg/Arg, 38% were Arg/Gln, and 12% were Gln/Gln. There was no difference in the distribution of XRCC1 genotypes or the frequencies of the Arg (75% versus 69%) and Gln (25% versus 31%) alleles between the lung cancer patients and controls. Our results suggest that the XRCC1 gene Arg399Gln polymorphism is not associated with an increased risk for the development of lung cancer in Turkish patients.
The Representation of Female Athletes in Online Images of Successive Olympic Games

Photographs tell stories. They are 'so much a part of our daily lives we rarely think about how they influence us and what that influence is'. Yet photographs, like other media images, can be used to legitimate the interests of hegemonic groups seeking to shape consensus or consent to existing social arrangements (Duncan, 1990, p. 22). A content analysis of 2004 Olympic Games coverage on the website of Australia's national public broadcaster, ABC News Online, shows that images of female athletes outnumbered those of male athletes. However, in line with results from analysis of 2000 Olympics coverage on News Online, women competing in team sports received little recognition and females were frequently depicted as passive subjects rather than active competitors. Such under-representation for team players and stereotypical portrayals of sportswomen on News Online may instill in its news audiences the belief that women's sports are less powerful, less interesting and thus separate and different from men's sports.
Does this patient have a hemorrhagic stroke?: clinical findings distinguishing hemorrhagic stroke from ischemic stroke.

CONTEXT The 2 fundamental subtypes of stroke are hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. Although neuroimaging is required to distinguish these subtypes, the diagnostic accuracy of bedside findings has not been systematically reviewed. OBJECTIVE To determine the accuracy of clinical examination in distinguishing hemorrhagic stroke from ischemic stroke. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE and EMBASE searches of English-language articles published from January 1966 to April 2010. STUDY SELECTION Prospective studies of adult patients with stroke that compared initial clinical findings with accepted diagnostic standards of hemorrhagic stroke (computed tomography or autopsy). DATA EXTRACTION Both authors independently appraised study quality and extracted relevant data. DATA SYNTHESIS Nineteen prospective studies meeting inclusion criteria were identified (N = 6438 patients; n = 1528 [24%] with hemorrhage stroke). Several findings significantly increase the probability of hemorrhagic stroke: coma (likelihood ratio [LR], 6.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2-12), neck stiffness (LR, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.9-12.8), seizures accompanying the neurologic deficit (LR, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.6-14), diastolic blood pressure greater than 110 mm Hg (LR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.4-14), vomiting (LR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.7-5.5), and headache (LR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7-4.8). Other findings decrease the probability of hemorrhage: cervical bruit (LR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03-0.47) and prior transient ischemic attack (LR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.18-0.65). A Siriraj score greater than 1 increases the probability of hemorrhage (LR, 5.7; 95% CI, 4.4-7.4) while a score lower than -1 decreases the probability (LR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.23-0.37). Nonetheless, many patients with stroke lack any diagnostic finding, and 20% have Siriraj scores between 1 and -1, which are diagnostically unhelpful (LR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.77-1.1). CONCLUSION In patients with acute stroke, certain findings accurately increase or decrease the probability of intracranial hemorrhage, but no finding or combination of findings is definitively diagnostic in all patients, and diagnostic certainty requires neuroimaging.
Finding competence characteristics among first semester students in computer science

First-year students are often not well equipped with the base competencies that are a necessary precondition for effectively acquiring complex new knowledge. Among others, these base competencies comprise self-organization, analytical thinking, or communication skills. Shortcomings in these competencies often lead to problems in the study process. To solve these problems, we need to investigate the students' initial competencies, in order to become aware of possible deficits, find ways to deal with them, and thus to enable students to reach their goals. Therefore, we developed a self-assessment on base competencies, an accompanying knowledge test and a questionnaire on personal information. The data collected by these tools was analyzed, searching for competence characteristics which influence whether our students persevere and participate in the final exam, or drop out early. The results of our data analysis support the assumption that both non-technical and technical competencies are crucial to study successfully. Correlation analysis has identified several characteristics which distinguish the students that participate in the exam from those who do not. Based on these results, we suggest ways to optimize university courses, teaching methods, and the support of first-year students to meet their needs.
Modeling Stress in Silicon With TSVs and Its Effect on Mobility

With the most popular electronic products being the slimmest ones with the highest functionality, the ability to thin, stack, and interconnect chips is becoming more important. One method to accomplish this is by using the through silicon via (TSV). This is a means of electrical connection in 3-D stacked devices that saves space and shortens the electrical interconnect length, improving electrical performance. Unfortunately, the large mismatch between the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of copper (17.5 × 10-6/°C) and silicon (2.5 × 10-6/°C) has made the TSV a reliability concern. A mismatch in CTE translates to a mismatch in thermal strain when the wafer is subjected to large temperature loadings during fabrication. This local thermal mismatch also induces stresses on the silicon surface around the vias which can affect the mobility of the silicon. In this paper, the thermal stresses and strains induced on silicon due to the proximity of copper vias have been investigated for various geometries (via diameter, via pitch, silicon thickness, stacking layers) using finite element modeling. These results should be useful for: 1) designing substrates with TSVs such that mobility in the active devices are not affected by the presence of TSVs, and 2) understanding the limitations of stacking chips with respect to stress in silicon as well as joint reliability.
Analysis of the Functional Interchange between the IE1 and pp71 Proteins of Human Cytomegalovirus and ICP0 of Herpes Simplex Virus 1

ABSTRACT Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate early protein IE1 and the tegument protein pp71 are required for efficient infection. These proteins have some functional similarities with herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) immediate early protein ICP0, which stimulates lytic HSV-1 infection and derepresses quiescent HSV-1 genomes. All three proteins counteract antiviral restriction mediated by one or more components of promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies, and IE1 and pp71, acting together, almost completely complement ICP0 null mutant HSV-1. Here, we investigated whether ICP0 might substitute for IE1 or pp71 during HCMV infection. Using human fibroblasts that express ICP0, IE1, or pp71 in an inducible manner, we found that ICP0 stimulated replication of both wild-type (wt) and pp71 mutant HCMV while IE1 increased wt HCMV plaque formation and completely complemented the IE1 mutant. Although ICP0 stimulated IE2 expression from IE1 mutant HCMV and increased the number of IE2-positive cells, it could not compensate for IE1 in full lytic replication. These results are consistent with previous evidence that both IE1 and IE2 are required for efficient HCMV gene expression, but they also imply that IE2 functionality is influenced specifically by IE1, either directly or indirectly, and that IE1 may include sequences that have HCMV-specific functions. We discovered a mutant form of IE1 (YL2) that fails to stimulate HCMV infection while retaining 30 to 80% of the activity of the wt protein in complementing ICP0 null mutant HSV-1. It is intriguing that the YL2 mutation is situated in the region of IE1 that is shared with IE2 and which is highly conserved among primate cytomegaloviruses. IMPORTANCE Herpesvirus gene expression can be repressed by cellular restriction factors, one group of which is associated with structures known as ND10 or PML nuclear bodies (PML NBs). Regulatory proteins of several herpesviruses interfere with PML NB-mediated repression, and in some cases their activities are transferrable between different viruses. For example, the requirement for ICP0 during herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection can be largely replaced by ICP0-related proteins expressed by other alphaherpesviruses and even by a combination of the unrelated IE1 and pp71 proteins of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Here, we report that ICP0 stimulates gene expression and replication of wt HCMV but cannot replace the need for IE1 during infection by IE1-defective HCMV mutants. Therefore, IE1 includes HCMV-specific functions that cannot be replaced by ICP0.
Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: a Survey

This survey reviews the growing use of patent data in economic analysis. After describing some of the main characteristics of patents and patent data, it focuses on the use of patents as an indicator of technological change. Cross-sectional and time-series studies of the relationship of patents to R&D expenditures are reviewed, as well as scattered estimates of the distribution of patent values and the value of patent rights, the latter being based on recent analyses of European patent renewal data. Time-series trends of patents granted in the U.S. are examined and their decline in the 1970s is found to be an artifact of the budget stringencies at the Patent Office. The longer run downward trend in patents per R&D dollar is interpreted not as an indication of diminishing returns but rather as a reflection of the changing meaning of such data over time. The conclusion is reached that, in spite of many difficulties and reservations, patent data remain a unique resource for the study of technical change.