Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suboptimal statin adherence and discontinuation in primary and secondary prevention populations

AbstractOBJECTIVES: To compare statin nonadherence and discontinuation rates of primary and secondary prevention populations and to identify factors that may affect those suboptimal medication-taking behaviors. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort utilizing pharmacy claims and administrative databases. SETTING: A midwestern U.S. university-affiliated hospital and managed care organization (MCO). PATIENTS: Non-Medicaid MCO enrollees, 18 years old and older, who filled 2 or more statin prescriptions from January 1998 to November 2001; 2,258 secondary and 2,544 primary prevention patients were identified. MEASUREMENTS: Nonadherence was assessed by the percent of days without medication (gap) over days of active statin use, a measurement known as cumulative multiple refill-interval gap (CMG). Discontinuation was identified by cessation of statin refills prior to the end of available pharmacy claims data. RESULTS: On average, the primary and secondary groups went without medication 20.4% and 21.5% of the time, respectively (P=.149). Primary prevention patients were more likely to discontinue statin therapy relative to the secondary prevention cohort (relative risk [RR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 to 1.43). Several factors influenced nonadherence and discontinuation. Fifty percent of patients whose average monthly statin copayment was <$10 discontinued by the end of follow-up (3.9 years), whereas 50% of those who paid >$10 but ≤$20 and >$20 discontinued by 2.2 and 1.0 years, respectively (RR, 1.39 and 4.30 relative to <$10 copay, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Statin nonadherence and discontinuation was suboptimal and similar across prevention categories. Incremental efforts, including those that decrease out-of-pocket pharmaceutical expenditures, should focus on improving adherence in high-risk populations most likely to benefit from statin use.
When to Tax Labour?

We analyze optimal dynamic taxation when labor supply is indivisible, as in Hansen (1985) and Rogerson (1988). Markets are complete, and an employment lottery determines who works. The consumer can buy insurance to diversify this extrinsic income uncertainty. The optimal wage tax is zero in both the short and long run only when leisure is neutral. If leisure is normal (inferior), labor should be taxed (subsidized). We further derive a wide range of preferences, including HARA, which encompasses normal and non-normal leisure. For those preferences we characterize the dynamic paths of the wage tax.
On Wage-Inequalities in the North and in the South

Northern, developed, skilled-labour rich countries have, in recent years, faced increasing competition from Southern, developing, unskilled-labour rich countries. Many have blamed the South for aggravating the wage-inequality in the North. We build a hybrid model with Heckscher-Ohlin and Ricardian characteristics to tackle this issue. Relative demand for the skilled-labour-intensive good (e.g. cars, computers and computer software) plays a bigger role here than elsewhere in the literature. We find the usual H-O mechanism leads to relative wage convergence, divergence or reversal depending on the relative strength of relative demand, technology and endowment effects. More provocative results arise from innovation/imitation considerations: Northern innovation aggravates Northern wage-inequality but alleviates Southern wage-inequality; Southern imitation alleviates Northern wage-inequality but aggravates Southern wage-inequality.
Multinational enterprises: Comparing performance-related pay between companies in Eastern and Western Europe

This article compares the spread of broad-based individual performance-related pay practices (PRP) in Central and Eastern European (CEE) and Western European companies. The article investigates the dominance effect of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and the constraining effects of industrial relations, i.e. collective bargaining and union influence. A key finding is that we did not find stronger influence by US MNEs compared with other MNEs. Regarding the determinants of industrial relations, in general decentralised firm-level bargaining supports the adoption of PRP schemes, whereas a greater degree of unionisation tends to reduce it. However, the latter effect is not found in CEE countries with their more permissive industrial relations system. The fact that there are high levels of broad-based individual PRP in CEE, that there is no negative association with unionisation and a positive relationship with firm-level bargaining and no effect of MNEs suggests that this practice is well established in firms in CEE.
How Development Matters

Most studies find that the substantial cross-national variation in women's legislative representation is not explained by cross-national differences in socioeconomic development. By contrast, this note demonstrates that economic development does matter. Rather than looking for across-the-board general effects, we follow Matland (1998), and analyze developed and developing nations separately. We find that accepted explanations fit rich nations better than poor nations, and obscure the effects of democracy on women's representation in the developing world. We call for new theoretical models that better explain women's political representation within developing nations, and we suggest that democracy should be central to future models.
Privacy Concerns and Consumer Willingness to Provide Personal Information

The authors examine potential relationships among categories of personal information, beliefs about direct marketing, situational characteristics, specific privacy concerns, and consumers’ direct marketing shopping habits. Furthermore, the authors offer an assessment of the trade-offs consumers are willing to make when they exchange personal information for shopping benefits. The findings indicate that public policy and self-regulatory efforts to alleviate consumer privacy concerns should provide consumers with more control over the initial gathering and subsequent dissemination of personal information. Such efforts must also consider the type of information sought, because consumer concern and willingness to provide marketers with personal data vary dramatically by information type.
Non-Responsive Feeding Practices, Unhealthy Eating Behaviors, and Risk of Child Overweight and Obesity in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Review

Childhood obesity is increasing dramatically in many Southeast Asian countries, and becoming a significant public health concern. This review summarizes the evidence on associations between parental feeding practices, child eating behaviors, and the risk of overweight and obesity in Southeast Asian children 2–12 years old. We systematically searched five electronic academic/research (PubMed, PsycINFO, ProQuest Nursing, Medline, and CINAHL) databases using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement for peer-reviewed studies published in English between January 2000 and December 2016. Fourteen observational studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Reviewed studies were examined separately for preschool- and school-aged children and revealed that non-responsive parental feeding practices and unhealthy child eating behaviors were associated with a risk of child overweight and obesity in several Southeast Asian countries. Nonetheless, due to the small number of identified studies (n = 14) and because only about half of the Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia) were represented (5/11) in the examined studies, additional research is needed to further understand the factors associated with childhood obesity among children in Southeast Asia to develop interventions that are tailored to the specific needs of Southeast Asian countries and designed to address practices and behaviors that may promote childhood obesity.
A bioreactor system for in vitro tendon differentiation and tendon tissue engineering

There is significant clinical demand for functional tendon grafts in human and veterinary medicine. Tissue engineering techniques combining cells, scaffolds, and environmental stimuli may circumvent the shortcomings of traditional transplantation processes. In this study, the influence of cyclic mechanical stimulation on graft maturation and cellular phenotype was assessed in an equine model. Decellularized tendon scaffolds from four equine sources were seeded with syngeneic bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells and subjected to 0%, 3%, or 5% strain at 0.33 Hz for up to 1 h daily for 11 days. Cells cultured at 3% strain integrated deep into their scaffolds, altered extracellular matrix composition, adopted tendon‐like gene expression profiles, and increased construct elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength to native levels. This bioreactor protocol is therefore suitable for cultivating replacement tendon material or as an in vitro model for studying differentiation of stem cells toward tendon. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:911–918, 2015.
Are There Neighbourhood Eects? - a study of ethnic segregation and educational attainment in Sweden.

The scientific literature on an individual’s origin and intergenerational transmission has mostly been concerned with family background factors. A growing literature does, however, raise the question whether the neighbourhood or community that a child is brought up in affects the child’s socio-economic performance, as measured e.g. by educational attainment and future earnings? However, neighbourhood and family effects overlap and are hard to distinguish from each other. But even if the research in the area of neighbourhood effects is relatively scarce and the task of separating neighbourhood effects from other background effects is a difficult one, there has been some successful attempts. Although the empirical evidence shows no general pattern there are studies that have documented different types of neighbourhood effects on social and economic outcomes (Borjas, 1995, Case & Katz, 1991, Corcoran et al, 1992, Cutler & Gleaser, 1997, Page & Solon, 2003, Solon et al, 2000). The research on neighbourhood and community effects has primarily focused on disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Therefore, the discussion of whether the neighbourhood affects earnings, has been closely connected to the problem of segregation and the forces that drive an individual to a particular location. In Sweden, substantial evidence shows that the Swedish metropolitan areas, great Stockholm, Goteborg and Malmo have developed and continue to develop an ethnic and socio-economic segregation. The well educated and relatively
The Voices of Battered Women in India

This study endeavors to give voice to marginalized, understudied women who were abused in India. The study included 90 women who were abused who were seeking help to address violence perpetrated against them by their husbands. A semistructured interview was used to collect data on abuse characteristics, consequences of abuse, and help-seeking behavior. Findings reveal that the vast majority of participants experienced daily abuse that was extremely severe, with 70% reporting they lived under the threat of murder. More than 85% reported needing medical care for their injuries. Respondents in this study sought help from a range of sources; the most effective help was provided by counseling centers and women’s shelters. These findings have important implications for clinical practice and social policy.
[Fibroblast growth factor gene expression in uterine leiomyomas].

OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was the evaluation of acidic and basic FGF expression, as well as collagenolitic activity in human uterine leiomyomas at various stages of tumour growth. MATERIAL AND METHODS Studies were performed on human myometrium and uterine leiomyomas of various weights (small: i.e. less than 10 g, and large: i.e. more than 100 g). The RT-PCR method was used to determine the acidic and basic FGF mRNA levels. The content of both FGF was evaluated by immunoenzymatic method (ELISA). The collagenolitic activity was detected by zymography. RESULTS A distinct increase in the expression of aFGF, the amounts of both FGFs, and collagenolitic activity was observed during the tumour growth. CONCLUSIONS Myometrium conversion into leiomyoma and an increase in its mass is accompanied by a significant increase in aFGF gene expression. The collagenolitic activity elevation favours a release of both FGF isoform from complexes with extracellular matrix components.
Front-to-Back Ratio Enhancement of Planar Printed Antennas by Means of Artificial Dielectric Layers

In this paper, we investigate the use of artificial dielectric layers (ADLs) as a mean to enhance front-to-back radiation ratio in printed, planar antennas. These artificially engineered substrates can be designed to be anisotropic and present high dielectric constants for the waves propagating orthogonal to metallic layers. However, the dielectric constants is as low as that of the host material for the waves that propagates towards grazing direction, and thus surface waves due to multiple reflections at the dielectric air interface are not enhanced. A simple qualitative description of this concept is followed by the presentation of a experimentally verified prototype which clearly highlights the potential advantages of the proposed ADL for antenna applications.
Perceptions of Secondary Principals in Texas Concerning Leadership Skills Attained Through Membership and Participation in the FFA

The primary purpose of this study was to determine Texas secondary principals’ perceptions of leadership skills attained through membership and participation in the FFA program. The target population consisted of Texas secondary principals located at schools with an agricultural science program and chartered FFA chapter. A stratified sample of 288 principals was selected. A questionnaire was developed by the researcher concerning leadership skills and the FFA program. After pilot testing of the questionnaire, it was mailed to the participants of the study to complete. Overall, secondary principals in Texas agreed that membership and participation in the FFA program offers students the opportunity to develop leadership skills. Principals surveyed also agreed that participation in the FFA program helps students to generate goals, establish priorities, develop responsibility, enhance social skills, improve problem solving abilities, listen to others and develop honesty and integrity. The conclusions drawn from this study have opened the door for further research. Now that Texas secondary principals’ perceptions of the attainment of leadership skills by students through membership and participation in the FFA program have been gathered and analyzed, their perceptions regarding other important issues such as curriculum, course offerings and graduation requirements should be collected and analyzed. The results from this study and future studies can be used to build and create relationships between agricultural science teachers and secondary principals allowing them to work together more efficiently to the benefit of the student.
Educational interfaces, software, and technology

One of the primary goals of teaching is to prepare learners for life in the real world. In this ever changing world of technologies such as mobile interaction, cloud computing, natural user interfaces, and gestural interfaces like the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect people have a greater selection of tools for the task at hand. Teachers and students can leverage these tools to improve learning outcomes. Educational interfaces and software are needed to ensure that new technologies serve a clear purpose in the classrooms and homes of the future. Since teachers are always looking for creative ways to engage 21st century learners there needs to be an academic venue for researchers to discuss novel educational tools and their role in improving learning outcomes. This workshop aims at filling this void: combining the pedagogical expertise of the cooperative learning, and learning sciences communities with the technical creativity of the CHI, UIST and interactive surface communities. The objective of this workshop is to become a conference within two years.
Cylindrospermopsin induces oxidative stress and genotoxic effects in the fish CLC cell line

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a cyanotoxin detected in water reservoirs worldwide. The toxin is a potent protein synthesis inhibitor capable of adversely influencing a wide range of cell functions. While data on the prooxidative potency of CYN are inconsistent, genotoxic effects towards certain mammalian cell types have been described. However, such a potential on fish cells has not yet been investigated. Hence, the aim of the study was to elucidate the prooxidative and genotoxic impact of CYN on a common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) leucocyte cell line (CLC). The cells were incubated with the cyanotoxin at concentrations of 0.1, 0.5 or 1 µg ml–1. After 24 h, cytotoxic activity of CYN at the highest used concentration was confirmed by decreased cell membrane integrity and inhibited cell proliferation. Additionally, CYN at 0.5 and 1 µg ml–1 increased intracellular ATP levels and decreased the reduced to oxidized glutathione ratio. Furthermore, a significant increase in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production with concomitant changes in superoxide dismutase activity was observed after a 3.5‐h exposure of the cells to the toxin. Genotoxic activity of CYN, manifested as oxidative DNA damage and elevated number of micronuclei, was also detected in exposed cells. The obtained results indicate that CYN is able to exert a wide range of adverse effects, including oxidative stress and genotoxicity in fish leucocytes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Invisibility of Children's Paid and Unpaid Work

The complexities of intergenerational and gendered intra-household resource allocations are frequently overlooked in poverty reduction policies. To address this lacuna, this article focuses on links between macro-development policies and children's paid and unpaid work burden in Ethiopia. Using a mixed methods approach, quantitative household survey data results highlight the importance of household wealth and assets, family composition and access to education services, while the qualitative results underscore the role of culturally ascribed gendered and age-specific conceptualizations of work, parental attitudes and children's agency. The article concludes with a discussion of the challenges national development plans need to address to tackle childhood poverty more effectively.
Social Structure and Fertility: An Analytic Framework

A striking feature of underdeveloped areas is that virtually all of them exhibit a much higher fertility than do urban-industrial societies. This welldocumented but insufficiently analyzed fact is known to be connected with profound differences in social organization as between the two types of society, and is therefore significant for the comparative sociology of reproduction. The clarity and importance of the contrast, however, should not be allowed to obscure the equally important fact that underdeveloped areas themselves differ markedly in social organization, and that these differences appear to bring about variations in fertility. Though the demographic statistics of backward regions have generally been so poor as to place in doubt the validity of reported differences, there are cases in which the evidence is reliable (e. g., as between Puerto Rico and Jamaica, or Arab Palestine and Ceylon). Of equal interest are the cases in which societies with differing social organization have the same level of fertility, for they may reach this common result by quite different institutional mechanisms. All told, ample opportunity exists for the comparative analysis of social structure as it affects fertility. In view of the bearing of future population trends on economic development, the pursuit of such analysis has a practical as well as a theoretical significance.
Anatomy of the parp gene promoter of Trypanosoma brucei.

While growing in the tsetse fly, Trypanosoma brucei expresses a major surface glycoprotein, the procyclic acidic repetitive protein (PARP). The parp genes are transcribed by an alpha‐amanitin‐resistant RNA polymerase. We have determined the sequence requirements for parp promoter activity. Studies of RNA produced from input DNA in transiently transfected trypanosomes indicate that the RNA is correctly processed by trans‐splicing and polyadenylation. Deletion analyses show that 330 bp are sufficient for full promoter and splicing activity and that the promoter structure is complex, involving at least three elements whose mutual spacing is important. Mutagenesis pin‐pointed two sequences vital for promoter activity; neither bears any resemblance to known prokaryotic or eukaryotic promoter elements.
MOLECULAR CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HIGH‐AFFINITY NITRATE TRANSPORTERS IN MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON 1

Nitrate transporter systems initiate nitrate uptake in photoautotrophic organisms including marine phytoplankton. The functional genes encoding high‐affinity nitrate transporters (Nrt2) in marine phytoplankton were investigated in this study. Direct PCR amplification with newly developed primers was used to detect Nrt2 genes in cultured marine phytoplankton species: Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher (Chlorophyceae); Emiliania huxleyi (Lohmann) W. H. Hay et H. Mohler (Haptophyceae); and four diatoms, including Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grunow) G. A. Fryxell et Hasle, Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cleve, Ditylum brightwellii (T. West) Grunow, and Chaetoceros muelleri Lemmerm. (Bacillariophyceae). Phylogenetic analysis of the detected Nrt2 genes identified three distinct clusters grouped by each class of phytoplankton species. Transcriptional abundance (mRNA) of Nrt2 genes in D. tertiolecta, E. huxleyi, T. weissflogii, and C. muelleri were measured using quantitative reverse transcriptase‐PCR assays under various nitrogen conditions. The diatoms and E. huxleyi induced Nrt2 gene transcripts both in the presence of nitrate and under nitrogen (N) starvation, while the Nrt2 transcript in D. tertiolecta was induced only when nitrate was present. Chaetoceros muelleri exhibited the highest transcript induction of the Nrt2 gene. The transcriptional abundance of the Nrt2 genes in C. muelleri was further examined with short‐term nitrate incubation of cells grown under N‐sufficient or N‐starved conditions. The maximum induction of Nrt2 gene transcripts was observed within 1 h after nitrate was added. Thus, we report differential induction and regulation of Nrt2 genes in the selected phytoplankton species to varying conditions of external N.
Performance measures: traditional accounting measures vs. modern value-based measures. The case of earnings and EVA ® in the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE)

This study is stimulated by both the EVA ® proponents' assertions and by the mixed empirical results for its value relevance reported until now. Pooled time-series, cross sectional data of listed companies in the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) over the period 1992-2001 have been employed to examine whether EVA ® or the traditional accounting-based measures are associated more strongly with stock returns. Relative information content tests reveal that stock returns are more closely associated with earnings per share than with EVA ®. However, incremental information content tests suggest that EVA ® adds considerable explanatory power to earnings per share.