Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Client identification and client commitment in a privately held client setting: : Unique constructs with opposite effects on auditor objectivity

SYNOPSIS: In this paper, we examine individual auditors' identification with, and commitment to, privately held clients, and their effects on auditor objectivity. Client identification reflects the extent to which an auditor's self-concept and self-definition are derived from a perceived oneness with the client. In contrast, client commitment reflects a responsibility for and a dedication to the client, but the auditor and client remain separate psychological entities. Drawing from the unique perspectives of social identity theory and social exchange theory, we hypothesize and find that client identification is distinct from client commitment. Further, we hypothesize and find that client identification and client commitment have different effects on auditor objectivity. Specifically, client identification is negatively related to auditor objectivity, whereas client commitment is positively related. The findings of this study apply predominantly to the audit of private companies where clients are more lik.
Show the data, don't conceal them

This short editorial is the first of a planned series to guide the handling of data from laboratory experiments. We hope that authors (and editors) may find this helpful in writing and assessing future journal articles. It’s clear that data handling in science needs to be improved, if only from the number of attempts that have been made to rectify the problem. Books, articles and websites give copious words of advice, too numerous to cite. Many are indeed helpful, but others are often too dense and discouraging for the non-specialist. Often the advice is ‘too general in nature, too limited in scope, and too specialized in vocabulary to be useful to most authors and editors’ (Lang & Secic, 2010). On one occasion the American Physiological Society gave specific advice (Curran-Everett & Benos, 2004). When the guidelines were followed up, the results were found to be mixed, with some praise but also criticism and controversy, with little overall effect on the quality of publication (Curran-Everett & Benos, 2007). In general, encouraged by the slow but substantial change that has occurred in medical journals, there seems to be a mood to improve, although changes in basic science journals have been slow, if they have occurred at all. Comparison of basic science reports with clinical studies is not flattering (Watters & Goodman, 1999). We are well aware that advice alone has been ineffective. We could easily list a comprehensive set of guidelines, which would probably suffer a fate similar to those
The mouse 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase multigene family includes two functionally distinct groups of proteins.

The enzyme 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta HSD) plays an essential role in the biosynthesis of all steroid hormones. We previously reported the isolation, characterization, and tissue-specific expression of four distinct but highly homologous 3 beta HSD cDNAs (forms I, II, III, and IV). Enzymatic characterization of three of these isoforms demonstrated that mouse 3 beta HSD I and III function as dehydrogenase/isomerases, but 3 beta HSD IV functions exclusively as a 3-ketosteroid reductase. We now report the isolation and characterization of an additional distinct mouse 3 beta HSD cDNA, 3 beta HSD V, which is expressed in the liver of male mice beginning in late puberty. Similar to 3 beta HSD IV, 3 beta HSD V functions exclusively as a 3-ketosteroid reductase converting an active androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), into an inactive androgen, 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,17 beta-diol. Expressed 3 beta HSD V, however, exhibits a considerably lower apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) value for DHT than 3 beta HSD IV (0.47 microM vs. 2.2 microM, respectively). The complete predicted amino acid sequence of 3 beta HSD II is also reported. The predicted amino acid sequence of mouse 3 beta HSD V reveals that this new form is more closely related to the 3-ketosteroid reductases, mouse 3 beta HSD IV and rat III (93 and 84% identity, respectively), than to the other rodent isoforms that share less than 75% identity. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Physical Activity Counseling by Diabetes Educators Delivering Diabetes Self-management Education and Support

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine factors that influence physical activity counseling of diabetes educators delivering diabetes self-management/support (DSME/S). Methods Diabetes educators were surveyed about their DSME/S counseling at the American Association of Diabetes Educators Pennsylvania State Diabetes Conference to explore (1) time dedicated to physical activity counseling, (2) importance placed on physical activity as a treatment for diabetes, (3) knowledge of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, (4) level of confidence with physical activity counseling, and (5) barriers associated with physical activity counseling. Results A sample of 119 diabetes educators with 13.0 ± 8.6 years of DSME/S experience participated in the survey (95.8% female; 94.1% white; 60.5% nurses; 73.9% Certified Diabetes Educators). Of 4 common DSME/S content areas (healthy eating, taking medications, monitoring blood glucose, and physical activity), physical activity was ranked as the third most important behind healthy eating and taking medications, with 14.5 ± 12.1 minutes per session spent counseling on physical activity. The proportion of educators acknowledging the current physical activity guidelines for moderate-intensity aerobic activity, vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, and resistance training was 74%, 20.5%, and 62.8%, respectively. Being “very confident” for counseling on physical activity was reported by 54.7%, while “inability to engage patients in physical activity” and “time allotted for DSME/S visits” were the most challenging personal and practice barriers reported, respectively. Physical activity is an important lifestyle behavior for the treatment of diabetes. Conclusions Findings suggest that there are challenges to physical activity counseling within DSME/S. Strategies to improve physical activity counseling by diabetes educators warrant attention.
Limited information, the possibility of rational choice and the contingent valuation method

The contingent valuation method (CVM) for assessing non‐use values has undergone significant criticism recently on various fronts. In this paper, the author analyses the notion that imposing reasonable bounds on the rationality of agents might undermine the basis for any method that attempts to elicit non‐use values on environmental goods from individuals, including CVM. The model of bounded rationality applied is that of Gans (1996). On the basis of that model, it is argued that in complex and unfamiliar situations one would not expect individuals to be able to express their true preferences. Following this line, the author discusses the possibilities for using experts for valuation as well as for providing information for decision making on the preservation of public resources.
Policy choice and partial identication Preliminary and incomplete draft

Many methodological debates in microeconometrics are driven by the tension between \what we can get" (identication) and \what we want" (parameters of interest). This paper proposes to consider models of policy choice which allow for a joint formal discussion of both issues. In particular, we study the problem of optimal treatment assignment based on partial identication of conditional average treatment eects. Partial identication of conditional average treatment eects maps into a partial ordering of policies in terms of
Pharmaceutical metabolites in the environment: Analytical challenges and ecological risks

The occurrence of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals in the environment has been a subject of concern for the past decade because many of these emerging contaminants have been shown to persist in soil and water. Although recent studies indicate that pharmaceutical contaminants can pose long‐term ecological risks, many of the investigations regarding risk assessment have only considered the ecotoxicity of the parent drug, with very little attention given to the potential contributions that metabolites may have. The scarcity of available environmental data on the human metabolites excreted into the environment or the microbial metabolites formed during environmental biodegradation of pharmaceutical residues can be attributed to the difficulty in analyzing trace amounts of previously unknown compounds in complex sample matrices. However, with the advent of highly sensitive and powerful analytical instrumentations that have become available commercially, it is likely that an increased number of pharmaceutical metabolites will be identified and included in environmental risk assessment. The present study will present a critical review of available literature on pharmaceutical metabolites, primarily focusing on their analysis and toxicological significance. It is also intended to provide an overview on the recent advances in analytical tools and strategies to facilitate metabolite identification in environmental samples. This review aims to provide insight on what future directions might be taken to help scientists in this challenging task of enhancing the available data on the fate, behavior, and ecotoxicity of pharmaceutical metabolites in the environment.
Cold-knife conization versus photodynamic therapy with topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II with associated human papillomavirus infection: a comparison of preliminary results.

BACKGROUND The optimal treatment of preinvasive cervical lesions is still not clear as all surgical techniques cause substantial cervical stroma destruction with the risk of a possible incompetent cervix. Photodynamic therapy can preserve fertility due to selective tissue destruction. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of cold-knife conization versus photodynamic therapy with topical 5-aminolevulinic acid in eradicating cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II and associated HPV infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eleven HPV-positive non-pregnant women were selected for photodynamic therapy (PDT). To be eligible for this procedure superficial cervical PAP smears as well as colposcopic biopsies performed before therapy had to show CIN II with the lesion involving at least 15% of the cervix and being colposcopically visible. The deep endocervical PAP smear had to show normal endocervical epithelium. The next (following each PDT) 11 HPV-positive women with CIN II treated with cold-knife conization were used as a control group. The cervical sampling for HPV DNA was performed 3 months after conization and PDT. Patients were followed-up for 1 year with cytological smears and colposcopy at the outpatient department of the hospital. RESULTS Follow-up at three months revealed that HPV was eradicated by both techniques in 73%. After 12 months follow-up, 100 vs. 91% (conization vs. PDT) of the patients were disease-free. No systemic side-effects and no local necrosis, sloughing or scarring occurred due to PDT. One patient treated with PDT presented with a relapsing suspicious PAP smear and an abnormal white colposcopic lesion after application of acetic acid 6 months post-PDT. A subsequent conization was performed and revealed a CIN I lesion. No statistically significant differences concerning HPV eradication (p > 0.05) and recurrence (p > 0.05) could be observed between the two methods. CONCLUSION The results presented in this study indicate that topical PDT with 5-ALA is in most cases a successful treatment of CIN II with comparable results to cold-knife conization. In contrast to cold-knife conization, PDT causes no substantial cervical stroma destruction with the risk of a possible subsequent incompetent cervix. Also the feasibility of topical PDT on an outpatient basis, the lack of significant post-treatment complications and the cost effectiveness make the topical approach with PDT preferable in selected circumstances. Due to the potential risk of invasive cancer with metastatic spread, patient's selection criteria must be strict and a pretreatment histological examination is obligatory.
The Determinants of Shopping Center Rents

This paper presents the first empirical examination of the determinants of inter-center variations in shopping center rents. We use weighted least squares estimation to test the relationship between market rents for shopping centers and various independent variables. The results indicate that rent levels respond to various factors as expected: "customer drawing power," architectural design, location, and general economic conditions explain a significant proportion of the variation in rent levels.
U.S.-Cuban Trade Cooperation and Its Unraveling

Although it is frequently forgotten in today's geopolitical climate, in the first sixty years of this century, the United States and Cuba shared a close relationship of economic and political cooperation. The cohesiveness of the relationship progressively broke down until it was abruptly ended with the Cuban Revolution of 1959. This paper seeks to understand the mechanism by which the relationship degenerated. We propose that, by viewing it as a long-term relational contract, analogous to a private contract, one can identify organizational features that unhinged the cohesivehess of the relationship. In particular, the long-term relational contract, established at the turn of the century with the incorporation of the Platt Amendment into the Cuban constitution and the U.S.-Cuban Treaty of Reciprocity, began to unravel seriously because of a fatal flaw included in its governance structure after 1934. This turning point was marked by two formal acts - the abrogation of the Platt Amendment and signing of a new treaty of reciprocity, and the passage of the Jones-Costigan Act in the United States, which founded the current quota-based U.S. sugar program. We demonstrate how the operation of the quota system created a dynamic that led to the disintegration of U.S.-Cuban cooperation. The International Relational Contract The usefulness in the contractual analogy lies in the well-developed body of literature that applies to private contracting agreements. Clearly, there are fundamental differences in how sovereign states reach agreements relative to private business entities. The key point of similarity is that both modern businesses and governments are complex organizations that produce decisions by an interaction between members. The existence and stability of long-term relational agreements between organizations is one of the features that underlies modern capitalism. This is true both of private business organizations and of governments acting on behalf of their citizens to promote international commerce and legal defense of indi
Economic Policy Problems in Latin America: A Review

As the framework for organizing this necessarily brief review, I have taken the title of the conference, "Key Problems of Economic Policy in Latin America," as the point of departure, and examined these problems within the context of the old-fashioned trichotomy of economics and economic policy: (a) resource allocation, (b) distribution of income and wealth, and (c) economic growth and stability. This classification scheme appears to cover a substantial share of the economic policy problems confronting Latin America.
Systemic Exposure to PAHs and Benzene in Firefighters Suppressing Controlled Structure Fires

Turnout gear provides protection against dermal exposure to contaminants during firefighting; however, the level of protection is unknown. We explored the dermal contribution to the systemic dose of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other aromatic hydrocarbons in firefighters during suppression and overhaul of controlled structure burns. The study was organized into two rounds, three controlled burns per round, and five firefighters per burn. The firefighters wore new or laundered turnout gear tested before each burn to ensure lack of PAH contamination. To ensure that any increase in systemic PAH levels after the burn was the result of dermal rather than inhalation exposure, the firefighters did not remove their self-contained breathing apparatus until overhaul was completed and they were >30 m upwind from the burn structure. Specimens were collected before and at intervals after the burn for biomarker analysis. Urine was analyzed for phenanthrene equivalents using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a benzene metabolite (s-phenylmercapturic acid) using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry; both were adjusted by creatinine. Exhaled breath collected on thermal desorption tubes was analyzed for PAHs and other aromatic hydrocarbons using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. We collected personal air samples during the burn and skin wipe samples (corn oil medium) on several body sites before and after the burn. The air and wipe samples were analyzed for PAHs using a liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. We explored possible changes in external exposures or biomarkers over time and the relationships between these variables using non-parametric sign tests and Spearman tests, respectively. We found significantly elevated (P < 0.05) post-exposure breath concentrations of benzene compared with pre-exposure concentrations for both rounds. We also found significantly elevated post-exposure levels of PAHs on the neck compared with pre-exposure levels for round 1. We found statistically significant positive correlations between external exposures (i.e. personal air concentrations of PAHs) and biomarkers (i.e. change in urinary PAH metabolite levels in round 1 and change in breath concentrations of benzene in round 2). The results suggest that firefighters wearing full protective ensembles absorbed combustion products into their bodies. The PAHs most likely entered firefighters’ bodies through their skin, with the neck being the primary site of exposure and absorption due to the lower level of dermal protection afforded by hoods. Aromatic hydrocarbons could have been absorbed dermally during firefighting or inhaled during the doffing of gear that was off-gassing contaminants.
Physician Related Delays in the Diagnosis of Lung Cancer in India.

INTRODUCTION Lung cancer is associated with a poor prognosis, if detected late in the disease course. Delay in seeking health care, wrong diagnosis and delay in specialist referral can contribute to delay in diagnosis. AIM This study was done to assess physician related delays in the diagnosis of lung cancer and the treatments given before presenting to our center. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 96 consecutive patients diagnosed with lung cancer were enrolled in this study. Details of previous physician consultations, their specialization, diagnoses made and treatments given were obtained from records available with the patients. RESULTS Patients, on an average consulted two physicians before presenting to our center. Less than half of the physicians (45%) suspected lung cancer during their evaluation. Around 18% of physicians made an incorrect diagnosis of tuberculosis, out of whom, 88.6% had prescribed anti-tuberculous therapy. Only 27% of physicians referred the patients to higher medical centres for evaluation. Pulmonology Specialists (PS) were the most likely to diagnose lung cancer (p<0.0001). General Medicine Specialists (GMS) were the most likely to misdiagnose cancer as tuberculosis, followed by General Practioners (GP) when compared to PS (p-value =0.0422). CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that, many physicians have a low index of suspicion to diagnose lung malignancy and most commonly misdiagnose it as tuberculosis. It is likely that most patients failed to seek the services of PS directly or through referral either due to a shortage of PS or due to other reasons.
Switchable frequency bands microstrip antennas

Novel microstrip antennas with reconfigurable resonant frequency capability are proposed. The antennas consist of two radiating rectangular patches, connected by thin metallic strip incorporating a PIN diode in between. By controlling the PIN diode bias voltage, the antenna can be switched between two different frequencies. Both simulation and experimental results indicate that without any additional matching elements, the proposed antennas demonstrates very good input match at all the resonant frequencies.
Screening and training inter-cultural competencies: evaluating the impact of national culture on inter-cultural competencies

Inter-cultural competencies have become increasingly important for international personnel selection and training. The purpose of this article is to evaluate psychometric data regarding the controversy as to whether inter-cultural competencies are culture-free or culture-bound. In two empirical research projects in the USA and Germany national differences in inter-cultural competencies are evaluated. National culture is indicated as a significant independent variable for inter-cultural competencies in both studies. However, the impact of national culture on inter-cultural competencies seems to be minor in relation to the impact of gender culture as well as of organizational culture. Therefore, inter-cultural competencies are judged to be culture-general in the two nations. Conceptual conclusions as well as practical conclusions for IHRM are discussed, based on the results. Finally, the limitations of the studies are pointed out.
Unanticipated lessening of the rise in extracellular potassium during ischemia by pinacidil.

BACKGROUND The efflux of potassium (K) through the ATP-sensitive K channel is considered an important cause of the rise in extracellular K ([K+]e) during no-flow ischemia. We postulated that agents that enhance K conductance in this channel would enhance the rise in [K+]e. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied the effects of 10 and 25 mumol/L pinacidil, and ATP-sensitive K channel opener that provides metabolic protection to the ischemic myocardium, on the rise in [K+]e recorded by K-sensitive electrodes, the change in action potential duration (APD) recorded by microelectrodes, and the changes in activation during ischemia in in situ pig hearts and Tyrode-perfused rabbit interventricular septa. Pinacidil 25 mumol/L unexpectedly lessened the rise in [K+]e and the activation delay in both preparations. Pinacidil 10 mumol/L had no effect in the rabbit and only a slight effect in the pig. Both concentrations significantly exaggerated the APD shortening induced by ischemia. By varying stimulation frequency, we demonstrated that the rise in [K+]e during ischemia, both before and after pinacidil, correlated with the time that the action potential was at its plateau voltage. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that the rise in [K+]e during ischemia is due to multiple factors, including K conductance across membrane channels, K driving force as reflected by the time that the action potential is at its plateau voltage, and the metabolic effects of ischemia. The unanticipated lessening of the rise in [K+]e by pinacidil reflects the balance of its effects on these several parameters.
Capital Market Equilibrium with Transaction Costs

A two-asset, intertemporal portfolio selection model is formulated incorporating proportional transaction costs. The demand for assets is shown to be sensitive to these costs. However, transaction costs have only a second-order effect on the liquidity premia implied by equilibrium asset returns: the derived utility is insensitive to deviations from the optimal portfolio proportions, and investors accommodate large transaction costs by drastically reducing the frequency and volume of trade. A single-period model with an appropriately chosen length of period does not imply the same liquidity premium as the intertemporal model because the appropriate length of the time period is asset specific.