Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biologic Grafts and Synthetic Meshes in Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery

Despite the lack of evidence, augmenting pelvic organ prolapse surgery with biologic graft or synthetic mesh is increasing. The objective of this review is to examine the available grafts and meshes and discuss the current data addressing the use of these implants in correction of apical, anterior, and posterior prolapse. Most of the studies are retrospective with few randomized controlled trials. There is level I evidence suggesting that repair of apical prolapse with abdominal sacral colpopexy using synthetic mesh results in improved outcomes. However, most of the data concerning graft or mesh incorporation in anterior or posterior repairs do not support augmentation with prosthesis.
Interest rate, size and book-to-market effects in Australian financial firms

The Fama–French three-factor model (1993) has been extensively used to study the pricing of nonfinancial stocks. This study provides the first examination of the pricing of Australian financial stocks using the Fama–French framework. The four-factor model (market, size, book-to-market and momentum) augmented with the level, slope and curvature of the interest rate term structure is used to examine the pricing of Australian financial stocks. The interest rate factors have not been previously considered for pricing Australian stocks within the Fama–French framework. Consistent with US evidence, we use a system-based estimation to show that the size and book-to-market factors are not priced in the cross section of the equity returns of Australian financial stocks. Momentum and term spread are priced in the equity returns of both financial and nonfinancial stocks. These findings are robust to the inclusion of control variables such as default spread, the inflation rate and a dummy variable for the global financial crisis.
THE HEDGING EFFECTIVENESS AND THE STABILITY OF THE OPTIMAL HEDGE RATIOS: EVIDENCE FOR THE ISTANBUL STOCK EXCHANGE 30 CONTRACT

n this paper we investigate ex ante hedging effectiveness of the Istanbul Stock Exchange 30 (ISE 30) stock index futures contract covering the period January 2007-December 2014. An optimal hedge ratio is typically calculated by regressing historical spot prices, spot price changes or spot returns on futures prices, futures price changes or returns. The slope of the regression is then used as the optimal hedge ratio. However, no guidelines are provided on what return interval and estimation period should be chosen for the calculation of returns. The empirical research has shown that hedge ratio estimates are not invariant to the return measurement interval or the estimation period. This study finds that although the daily returns for the estimation of hedge ratio provides the best ex-post performance, ex-ante tests favor hedge ratios calculated with longer return intervals and estimation periods. While one should expect greater precision for longer estimation periods, results of this study do not provide satisfactory evidence in favor of this argument.
Industrial relations and the management of flexibility: factors shaping developments in Spain and the United Kingdom

Any analysis of workforce flexibility within particular countries needs to take account not only of the character of industrial relations and union organization at workplace and company levels, but also of how actions at those levels are influenced by broader regulatory arrangements covering employment and work practices. In other words, to avoid the over-simplifications and over-generalizations which much of the flexibility debate has in the past been (correctly) accused of and to expand the analysis offered by the relatively broad-brush, multi-country studies, it is necessary to locate issues of flexibility more securely within both existing national regulatory and institutional frameworks, and also to take account of patterns of union organization and job regulation at the local level, and the ways unions and workforces have responded to (and at times even shaped) different flexibility initiatives by employers. By analysing different types of enterprise in Spain and the United Kingdom, this article see.
Communities of practice and organizational learning: case study of a global IT solutions company

Purpose – In today's dynamic business environment knowledge is overturning the old rules of strategy and competition. In this context, communities of practice (CoPs) have recently found a distinct position as a learning and change tool. The aim of this paper is to understand the critical role that CoPs have been found to play in organizational learning and knowledge sharing.Design/methodology/approach – The study is built mainly around the “how” question related to organizational CoPs within a social context. It makes use of a case study approach to map and describe the relationships between CoPs and organizational learning and knowledge sharing in a midsized global IT solutions company.Findings – The results show that CoPs could be significant for learning and sharing and gaining organizational competitive advantage. To achieve this, they require a supportive culture and management team.Research limitations/implications – The main limitation is the use of a single case study.Practical implications – It w.
Effects of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 on astrocyte gene expression and function: Potential role in neuropathogenesis

Neurodegeneration and dementia caused by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection of the brain are common complications of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) reduced the incidence of HIV-1-associated dementia, but so far had no effect on the high frequency of milder neurological disorders caused by HIV-1. This indicates that some neuropathogenic processes persist during limited HIV-1 replication in the central nervous system (CNS). The authors are evaluating the hypothesis that interaction of HIV-1 with astrocytes, which bind HIV-1 but support limited productive HIV-1 infection, may contribute to these processes by disrupting astrocyte functions that are important for neuronal activity or survival. Using laser-capture microdissection on brain tissue samples from HIV-1-infected individuals, we found that HIV-1 DNA can be detected in up to 1% of cortical and basal ganglia astrocytes, thus confirming HIV-1 infection in astrocytes from symptomatic patients. Using rapid subtraction hybridization, the authors cloned and identified 25 messenger RNAs in primary human fetal astrocytes either up-regulated or down-regulated by native HIV-1 infection or exposure to gp120 in vitro. Extending this approach to gene microarray analysis using Affymetrix U133A/B gene chips, the authors determined that HIV-1 alters globally and significantly the overall program of gene expression in astrocytes, including changes in transcripts coding for cytokines, G-coupled protein receptors, transcription factors, and others. Focusing on a specific astrocyte function relevant to neuropathogenesis, the authors showed that exposure of astrocytes to HIV-1 or gp120 in vitro impairs the ability of the cells to transport l-glutamate and the authors related this defect to transcriptional inhibition of the EAAT2 glutamate transporter gene. These findings define new pathways through which HIV-1 may contribute to neuropathogenesis under conditions of limited virus replication in the brain.
How to assess proposals for enlargement reform of the European Central Bank

The forthcoming enlargement of the European Union and consequently, within a few years, of the euro area, requires a reformulation of the decision-making framework of the European System of Central Banks. This article serves as a reminder of the reasons for the necessity of this reform, evaluates the solution adopted by the European Council and surveys other reform possibilities. It proposes a coherent and exhaustive set of criteria to judge the European Central Bank enlargement reform, which allows for a numerical assessment. Finally, it indicates another solution, which closely fits the proposed set of criteria. JEL classifications: E52, E58, D70
Identities and Ideas: Participation of Young Legislators in the Canadian House of Commons

On June 16, 2005, Stephen Harper, then leader of the Official Opposition announced creation of the Youth Conservative caucus composed of members age forty and under. The group’s mission was to develop policy that speaks to youth. The creation of this group highlighted a noticeable statistical advantage the Conservative Party held over the Liberal Party in the last Parliament. Almost twenty percent of the federal Conservative Party caucus was under the age of forty while less than ten percent of the Liberal Party caucus fell in the same age bracket. This situation provoked a number of interesting questions. How many young parliamentarians have been elected to federal Parliament since Confederation? Once in Parliament do young parliamentarians make a significant contribution to the legislature. This article begins with an overview of the theories of representation in parliament in relation to youth membership. It then looks at young member representation and participation. It argues that young federal parliamentarians tend to fulfill the role of ‘standing for’ rather than ‘acting for’ their constituents.
European Higher Education and the Harmonization of Quality and Standards

This paper examines trends in European higher education, particularly in the area of harmonizing quality and standards across Europe. It examines these trends in the context of their influence on the challenges facing the European higher education sector, as outlined in the Bologna Declaration, in developing a world-class higher education system. The response of the UK to this initiative is examined in detail as an exemplar of a national response to these European aspirations. The paper concludes that, although significant progress has been made at national and institutional level, a further overarching effort at European level is required to ensure that the objective of harmony within the context of quality and transparency is realized. It also concludes that significant recent developments in the UK should be observed by the sector in general to inform European-wide debate and further development.
Urban Real Wages and the Nigerian Trade Union Movement, 1939-60

Academic discussion of the Nigerian trade union movement has, except for passing comments, focused attention on its political role and tended to ignore or minimize its economic effects. A major reason for this remarkable neglect of its primary function has been the belief that the internal weaknesses of Nigerian trade unions and the peculiar difficulties posed for them by the characteristics of the Nigerian labor market and the Nigerian labor force have severely handicapped them as bargaining institutions.1
Comprehensive Study of N-Channel and P-Channel Twin Poly-Si FinFET Nonvolatile Memory

This paper develops the n-channel and p-channel twin poly-Si fin field-effect transistor nonvolatile memory with a structure that is composed of Ω-gate nanowires (NWs). Experimental results demonstrate that the NW device has superior memory characteristics because its Ω-gate structure provides a large memory window and high program/erase efficiency. With respect to endurance and retention, the memory window can be maintained at 3.6 V after 104 program and erase cycles, and after 10 years, the charge is 53.4% of its initial value. In the future, it can be applied in multilayer Si ICs in fully functional system-on-panel, active-matrix liquid-crystal display and 3-D stacked flash memory.
Metatranscriptomic data reveal the effect of different community properties on multifunctional redundancy

The assessment of functional redundancy (FR) is essential to understand community structure‐function relationships because FR buffers the functional performance of communities against changes in community composition. We introduce a novel metatranscriptome‐based approach to quantify FR, which permits multifunctional aspects to be addressed. FR among prokaryotes was ranked in water samples after exposure to changing salinity. FR was higher for functional categories with mostly broad functions shared among many taxa than for functional categories containing many narrow functions. Furthermore, community characteristics had a higher impact on FR than environmental conditions. The metric also allows FR to be estimated between selected groups of taxa, and FR was high between more closely related organisms if communities were grown in similar environmental conditions. Overall, our data revealed a pronounced influence of functional diversity on the one hand but also the characteristics of individual community members on FR, which was specifically high in those communities whose members were more sensitive to salinity changes.
NADPH Oxidase—Dependent Superoxide Production Is Associated With Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Subjects Free of Clinical Atherosclerotic Disease

Objective—Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The NADPH oxidase constitutes the main source of superoxide in phagocytic and vascular cells. This study aimed to investigate the levels of NADPH oxidase–mediated superoxide production in phagocytic cells and the association between phagocytic superoxide production and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), a surrogate marker of asymptomatic atherosclerosis. Methods and Results—NADPH oxidase–mediated superoxide production was determined by a chemiluminescence assay using lucigenin and associated with IMT for 184 asymptomatic subjects free of overt clinical atherosclerotic disease. Compared with individuals in the lowest tertile of superoxide production, those in the upper tertile (>20 counts/sec) showed significantly higher IMT (P<0.05). In correlation analysis, a positive relationship was found between superoxide production and carotid IMT. Superoxide production also correlated positively (P<0.05) with body mass index (BMI). In multivariate analysis, the association of superoxide production with carotid IMT remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, BMI, triglycerides, glucose, and smoking. Conclusions—In a population sample of adults without clinically overt atherosclerotic disease, increased NADPH oxidase activity was associated with enhanced carotid IMT, suggesting a relationship between phagocytic NADPH oxidase–mediated oxidative stress and the development of atherosclerosis.
Relationship between Remittance, Export, Foreign Direct Investment and Growth: A Panel Cointegration and Causal Analysis in South Asia

The relationship among remittances, foreign direct investments (FDI), exports and economic growth is known to have an important role in economic literature for countries suffering from technological distress and unemployment problems. This paper explores the long and short run relationship among remittances, exports, foreign direct investment and economic growth using data of South Asian countries. The study covers the period from 1989 to 2011. Stationarity of the variables have been examined through both first and second generation unit root tests to cater for Cross-section Dependence. After confirmation of panel cointegration, long term coefficients have been estimated by Fully Modified OLS (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) models. Pooled Mean Group (PMG) methodology is applied to have an examination of the cause and effect relation among the associated variables. Results of the applied test suggest the presence of cointegration among the tested variables. FMOLS and DOLS estimation analysis reveals a positive impact of capital, remittances, exports, and FDI on economic growth whereas a negative impact of labor on growth is observed. The causality analysis confirms the presence of long term equilibrium relation among labor, economic growth, capital, remittances, exports, and foreign direct. In short run, exports Granger cause growth and FDI Granger cause exports. Feedback causality is also confirmed between remittances and capital in the South Asian countries.
A 0.35 μm SiGe Low-Noise Amplifier for UWB, Receivers with Integrated Interferer Rejection

A fully integrated solution for rejecting the interference caused by wireless local area network (WLAN) transmissions in the 4.9-5.825 GHz band for ultrawideband (UWB) receivers is presented. Front-end prototypes implemented in a low cost 0.35 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology are used as a test vehicle to assess the effectiveness of the presented approach. The proposed blocker altering technique mitigates the gain desensitization, third-order intermodulation distortion and second-order intermodulation distortion by as much as 9.8 dB, 7.9 dB and 6 dB, respectively. At a power consumption of only 49.2 mW, the maximum receiver conversion gain and the minimum double side-band NF measured at the PCB connectors are about 22 dB and 5.5 dB, respectively, with an input match of -10 dB over the 3.1-8 GHz band.
Insider Trading, Litigation Concerns, and Auditor Going-Concern Opinions

ABSTRACT: We investigate whether insider selling affects the likelihood of firms receiving auditor going-concern opinions. Prior studies document significant negative market reactions to the issuance of going-concern opinions, indicating that such opinions convey bad news to investors. Insider sales followed by negative news are likely to attract regulators' scrutiny and investor class-action lawsuits. Therefore, we predict that, to reduce the risk of litigation, managers have incentives to avoid receiving going-concern opinions after their insider sales by pressuring auditors for clean audit opinions. We evaluate this prediction empirically and find that the probability of receiving a going-concern opinion is negatively associated with the level of insider selling. Further analysis indicates that this negative relation is more pronounced for firms that are economically significant to their auditors but less pronounced when (1) auditors have concerns about litigation exposure and reputation loss and (2) a.
Power laws in economics and finance: some ideas from physics

We discuss several models in order to shed light on the origin of power-law distributions and power-law correlations in financial time series. From an empirical point of view, the exponents describing the tails of the price increments distribution and the decay of the volatility correlations are rather robust and suggest universality. However, many of the models that appear naturally (for example, to account for the distribution of wealth) contain some multiplicative noise, which generically leads to non-universal exponents. Recent progress in the empirical study of the volatility suggests that the volatility results from some sort of multiplicative cascade. A convincing 'microscopic' (i.e. trader based) model that explains this observation is however not yet available. It would be particularly important to understand the relevance of the pseudo-geometric progression of natural human time scales on the long-range nature of the volatility correlations.
Productivity Impacts and Spillovers from Foreign Ownership in the United Kingdom

In this paper, we measure the indirect impact of FDI on the total factor productivity of domestic plants in a number of UK manufacturing industries, 1974–95, using a standard production-function-based approach. We use data from the UK ARD and information derived from UK input-output tables. Our results indicate that the competition and ‘absorption capacity’ effect at times outweighs potential benefits, leading to negative spillovers. We also find that inter-industry spillovers are generally more prevalent than intra-industry spillovers. We conclude that the nature of spillovers is such that measurement techniques traditionally adopted fail to explain adequately their complex and diverse nature.
A gaze tracking scheme with low resolution image

To estimate the eye gaze accurately, a high-resolution and good quality image of the eye region is essential. Therefore, one or multiple narrow angle cameras with long lens are commonly used. In case of poor image resolution or absence of narrow angle focusing, the gaze tracking would be inaccurate. This paper looks into the possibility of using low resolution wide angle camera to track gaze. In order to combat the limitation of poor eye-region image which might only be defined by a few pixels, a precise corneal reflection vector estimation based on local image reconstruction method is proposed. By using 2D bilinear interpolation, the local eye-region image is enhanced for precise reflection vector estimation. Although the accuracy of the proposed method can barely be compared with that of the state of art techniques, it is yet noteworthy that the performance gain has been achieved with low resolution images only, indicating the possibility of tracking gaze with low-cost simple cameras.
Plantation rubber, land grabbing and social-property transformation in southern Laos

This paper critically examines theories of accumulation, dispossession and exclusion for analyzing the agrarian transformations that result from contemporary large-scale land acquisitions across the Global South. Building upon Marx's primitive accumulation, Harvey's accumulation by dispossession and Hall et al.'s Powers of Exclusion, conceptual lenses are developed through which to examine how land grabs transform property and social relationships of resource-based production. I examine the concession of 10,000 hectares by the central government of Laos to a Vietnamese corporation for extracting timber and planting rubber in the southern province of Attapeu. This acquisition has excluded farmers from land and resources that constituted their primary sources of (re)production, reconfigured rural property relations, altered the peasant relationship to land and produced new exploitative forms of wage labor.
Antimicrobial activity of two techniques for arm skin disinfection of blood donors in Brazil

Objective: Evaluation of the antimicrobial effect of skin disinfection techniques is essential to avoid the transmission of infectious agents during blood transfusion. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of two methods of arm skin disinfection used in blood donors at a Hemotherapy Center in Brazil that represents an important centre for distributing haemocomponents to many cities in the country.
Gamma‐glutamyltranspeptidase levels as an aid in the management of human cancer

Plasma gamma‐glutamyltranspeptidase (GGTP) levels were measured in 435 cancer patients, 120 healthy controls, 15 patients with systemic lupus erythematosis, and 10 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The mean GGTP activity of all cancer patients studied, with the exception of malignant lymphoma, was significantly elevated compared to control values. Several patient groups were retrospectively analyzed to determine whether GGTP levels correlated with clinical status. Patients who were disease‐free had GGTP levels in the normal range, whereas patients with metastases had elevated levels. Serially increasing GGTP levels were associated with disease progression and death. Persons who remained free of disease had serial GGTP levels within the normal range. Furthermore, decreasing levels were associated with response to therapy. These results indicate that GGTP levels may have prognostic value in various human malignancies.