Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relationship between attitudes to aging and physical and mental health in older adults

ABSTRACT Background: Attitudes are known to exert a powerful influence on a range of behaviors. The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of attitudes toward one's own aging to satisfaction with life and physical and mental health measured in a sample of community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Adults who were part of a larger study of health and well-being in rural and regional Australia aged ≥60 years (N = 421) completed a cross-sectional postal survey comprising the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire, the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Results: Overall, attitudes to aging were positive in this sample. More positive attitudes to aging were associated with higher levels of satisfaction with life, better self-report physical and mental health on the SF-12, and lower levels of anxiety and depression, after controlling for confounding variables. Better financial status and being employed were both associated with more positive attitudes to aging and better self-reported physical health. Relationship status was also significantly associated with mental health and satisfaction with life, but not physical health. Conclusion: The promotion of successful aging is increasingly becoming important in aging societies. Having positive attitudes to aging may contribute to healthier mental and physical outcomes in older adults. Overcoming negative stereotypes of aging through change at the societal and individual level may help to promote more successful aging.
SMEs: The Smart Enterprises - Revisited

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are crucial for the economic growth and stability of any country. By facilitating economic activity and provide employment they play a vital role especially for developing countries for contributing to poverty reduction. SME’s considered as the backbone of Indian economy.The major constraints of SMEs are lack of finance for start-up and working capital, Lack of skilled manpower to manage the production, service and marketing. Lack of Line of credit from the suppliers, inability to use new technology to produce quality products/give service.Most of the banks consider lending to SMEs an unattractive venture due to a range of factors including information asymmetries and consequently high transaction costs, collateral requirement, financial products not meeting SME sector requirements in medium to long term Information asymmetries, due to inefficient legal system and weak governance structures of SMEs, result in higher transaction costs on the supply side. On the demand side we find most of the SMEs tend to shy away from formal modes of financing due to the high cost of credit, lengthy procedures, collateral requirements and lack of awareness about the benefits of corporate governance.External finance cannot be obtained by firms in their start-up phase as their management structures are not transparent and usually have intangible assets. International investors are often reluctant to invest in developing countries because their institutions do not provide an adequate level of security for their investment particularly in terms of enforceability of legal rights and governance framework.MNCs and international investors will be willing to forge partnership with SMEs only when their level of confidence and trust increases regarding transparency and governance of the local partner.Most of the SMEs are family owned enterprises and there is no clarity on the roles resulting in credibility problems and inability to arrive at strategic decisions.Good governance is vital for the development of a healthy and competitive corporate sector. For SMEs, corporate governance is about the respective roles of the shareholders as owners and the managers. It is about establishing rules and procedures to manage and run the enterprise.It has been empirically tested that good governance practices of a company gives a positive signal to investors. With the globalization of markets, international capital flows have become extremely valuable source of external financing.Good corporate governance leads to development of a framework that provides adequate protection to the interests of stakeholders and reinforces the fiduciary responsibilities of those vested with the authority to act on behalf of the stakeholders.This paper would analyze the current status of Indian SMEs and how, the introduction SMART governance frame work can make the SMEs SMART Enterprises.
The effect of dietary calcium concentration and particle size on performance, eggshell quality, bone mechanical properties and tibia mineral contents in moulted laying hens

1. A total of 72 H&N Brown Nick laying hens, 76 weeks of age (moulted at 60 weeks of age), were randomly assigned into a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement with three limestone particle sizes and three dietary Ca concentrations (30, 36 and 42 g/kg Ca); with 8 replicates per treatments, and one hen (individual) per experimental unit. 2. Particle sizes of the limestone were: distributions smaller than 2 mm (Fine), between 2 to 5 mm (Medium), and larger than 5 mm (Large). The fine, medium and large limestone particles were all obtained from the same source, and sieve sizes used had screen sizes 2 mm and 5 mm. 3. The different concentrations of dietary Ca, particle size or interactions had no significant effect on egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake or feed conversion ratio. 4. The concentrations of dietary Ca and particle sizes had no significant effect on egg breaking strength, eggshell as % by weight of whole egg or eggshell thickness. The interactions between Ca concentrations and particle sizes had a significant effect on eggshell breaking strength, but not on other parameters. 5. Different dietary particle sizes had no significant effect on the Ca, P and Mg mineral contents of eggshell. While the different concentrations of Ca in diets had a significant effect on the P content of eggshell, they had no significant effect on Ca and Mg contents. 6. Different dietary concentrations of Ca had a significant effect on shear stress, and Ca and Mg contents of tibiae, but not other parameters. Also, dietary particle sizes had a significant effect on shear stress and Ca contents of tibiae. The interaction between Ca concentrations and particle sizes had a significant effect on tibia shear force and Ca content. 7. According to the results of this study, moulted brown laying hens should be fed 36 g/kg Ca and a medium limestone particle size (2–5 mm) in the diet to maintain performance, eggshell and bone quality.
Effect of Company Related News and Events on its Stock Prices Research Conducted on Top Six Companies Listed at Karachi Stock Exchange

This study examines the impact of company news and events on its stock prices. Prior researches show evidence of news effect on the stock prices of the company, depending upon the kind of news and the prevailing economic atmosphere of the country in which the company operates and is registered in the stock exchange. This study investigates what type of news has a positive, no - effect and negative effect on the stock prices of the selected companies listed at all three stock exchanges of Pakistan. Event window methodology was used to analyze the news and events. ANOVA post - hoc tukey and Multiple Regression statistical techniques were used. Data analysis shows that dividend; profit, new investment decisions, appointment of new company administration, insider trading shows positive effect on company's stock indicies. Other news like further issue of stocks, leverage decisions suggested that investors and analyst tends to perceive these as negative or less effects on further investments decisions rather risky towards earning per share and dividend income loss.
Fibroblast growth factor 23 correlates with volume status in haemodialysis patients and is not reduced by haemodialysis.

BACKGROUND Recent data suggest a role for fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) in volume regulation. In haemodialysis patients, a large ultrafiltration volume (UFV) reflects poor volume control, and both FGF-23 and a large UFV are risk factors for mortality in this population. We studied the association between FGF-23 and markers of volume status including UFV, as well as the intradialytic course of FGF-23, in a cohort of haemodialysis patients. METHODS We carried out observational, post hoc analysis of 109 prevalent haemodialysis patients who underwent a standardized, low-flux, haemodialysis session with constant ultrafiltration rate. We measured UFV, plasma copeptin and echocardiographic parameters including cardiac output, end-diastolic volume and left ventricular mass index at the onset of the haemodialysis session. We measured the intradialytic course of plasma C-terminal FGF-23 (corrected for haemoconcentration) and serum phosphate levels at 0, 1, 3 and 4 h after onset of haemodialysis and analysed changes with linear mixed effect model. RESULTS Median age was 66 (interquartile range: 51-75) years, 65% were male with a weekly Kt/V 4.3 ± 0.7 and dialysis vintage of 25.4 (8.5-52.5) months. In univariable analysis, pre-dialysis plasma FGF-23 was associated with UFV, end-diastolic volume, cardiac output, early diastolic velocity e' and plasma copeptin. In multivariable regression analysis, UFV correlated with FGF-23 (standardized β: 0.373, P < 0.001, model R(2): 57%), independent of serum calcium and phosphate. The association between FGF-23 and echocardiographic volume markers was lost for all but cardiac output upon adjustment for UFV. Overall, FGF-23 levels did not change during dialysis [7627 (3300-13 514) to 7503 (3109-14 433) RU/mL; P = 0.98], whereas phosphate decreased (1.71 ± 0.50 to 0.88 ± 0.26 mmol/L; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS FGF-23 was associated with volume status in haemodialysis patients. The strong association with UFV suggests that optimization of volume status, for example by more intensive haemodialysis regimens, may also benefit mineral homeostasis. A single dialysis session did not lower FGF-23 levels.
Gene Dosage Experiments in Enterobacteriaceae Using Arabinose-regulated Promoters

This protocol is used to assay the effect of protein over-expression on fitness of E. coli. It is based on a plasmid expression of a protein of interest from an arabinose-regulated pBAD promoter followed by the measurement of the intracellular protein abundance by Western blot along with the measurement of growth parameters of E. coli cell expressing this protein.
Postoperative pancreatic fistula following surgery for gastric and pancreatic neoplasm; is distal pancreaticosplenectomy truly safe?

BACKGROUND/AIMS A pancreatic fistula is a potentially fatal complication in digestive tract surgery. The aim of this study was to review the prevention and treatment of pancreatic fistula as performed by our department. METHODOLOGY Three hundred and seventeen patients with gastric neoplasm and 34 patients with pancreatic neoplasm who underwent surgical resection between 1981 and 2001 at Kochi Medical School were studied. Comparative analysis of the incidence of pancreatic fistulae and the mortality rate was carried out according to an operation type and time. RESULTS Among the 317 patients who underwent total gastrectomy due to gastric neoplasm, 30 (9.5%) showed pancreatic fistulae. The incidence of pancreatic fistulae in patients who underwent distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic neoplasm was 29.4%. The mortality rate of patients who underwent total gastrectomy was 4.4% and there was a tendency for mortality rate to decrease in the second decade compared to the first. The mortality rate of patients who underwent distal pancreatectomy was 5.9%. CONCLUSIONS Mortality rate tended to decrease with advanced operative procedures, however, the incidence of pancreatic fistulae did not decrease. In pancreatic fistulae, it was found that the type of treatment was important. Intraoperative and postoperative drainage management for pancreaticosplenectomy will likely become much more important.
the Productivity a nd Profitability o f Women Shea Butter Processors i n the West Gonja District o f Northern Ghana

This paper examines the effects of development agencies’ interventions on productivity and profitability of women shea butter processors in contributing to the development of the shea nut industry in Northern Ghana. A survey of 114 women shea butter processors, comprising of 57 each of both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of development interventions in the West Gonja District were sampled and interviewed with a semi structured questionnaire. Focus group discussions were also held to obtain qualitative data. Results of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) conducted at 5% level of significance found that labour productivity of beneficiaries of development interventions by way of training, equipment and machinery provisions do not differ significantly from that of respondents who had never benefited from such interventions. Similar results were found with regard to average monthly profit made by beneficiaries and nonbeneficiaries. Market sourcing was identified as a major problem affecting women shea butter processors in the district. The study therefore recommends that development agencies programs should highlight follow-up trainings, monitoring and supervisions to ensure the sustainability of projects so that they can continue to yield expected impacts. Also, development agents should include market sourcing opportunities in rural enterprise improvement interventions since that remains a challenge to the realization of development interventions.
The effects of antecedents of customer satisfaction on loyalty: a case of the Hong Kong mobile phone industry

This paper tests various hypotheses related to customer satisfaction and its antecedents. By applying the partial least squares technique, this paper empirically validates these hypotheses. The findings showed a positively significant relationship between the independent variables (transmission, service, and price) and dependent variable (customer satisfaction). Path analysis has shown the catalytic need for intermediation by customer satisfaction to achieve overall customer loyalty. Introduction Keen competition exists in Hong Kong cellular phone industry. To date, research in the Hong Kong cellular phone industry has adopted a perception-based approach to measure customer satisfaction (Athanassopoulos and Iliakopoulos, 2003; Lee and Feick 2001). However, studies measuring relationships between determinants of satisfaction on loyalty are limited. Although Woo and Fock (1999) provide valuable insights for Hong Kong mobile services, there still remains some ambiguity on the status of satisfaction being appropriately modeled as a direct antecedent to better influence satisfaction. As full-service retailers providing technologically sophisticated services; telecommunications operators are specifically required to offer complete range of customer service. Therefore, the importance of customer satisfaction has become more apparent in Hong Kong cellular phone market. Thus, our contribution has particular managerial relevance in that it offers insights into the experiential and emotional processes which ultimately lead to customer loyalty. Literature Review Satisfaction plays a particularly important role in competitive environments such as mobile services because of its impact on customer loyalty (Lee and Feick 2001). Customer satisfaction refers to the “customer’s evaluation of a product or service in terms of whether that product or service has met their needs and expectations” (Zeithaml and Bitner 2003, p. 86). Besides, customer satisfaction is multifaceted in nature, and factors that drive satisfaction can be explicit customer needs or implicit expectations, while the key for a firm to retain customer is to differentiate itself from competition. In this study, we define satisfaction as the perceived degree of contentment with regard to a customer’s prior purchase experience (Anderson and Srinivasan 2003). Conceptual frameworks on consumer satisfaction have been developed to measure and conceptualize issues related to it (e.g., Cronin and Taylor 1992). Most studies have focused on
An Exploration of the Relationships between Free Time Management and the Quality of Life of Wage-Earners in Taiwan

Abstract This study was designed to identify the relationship between measures of free time management and the quality of life, exploring whether the amount of free time or the way people use their free time relates to their quality of life. Data were collected during April 2005 in Taipei City, Taiwan. Stratified sampling was used to select the sample. Three companies or institutes were randomly selected from each out of seven business clusters with mail-back questionnaires distributed randomly to employees. Of the 500 questionnaires distributed on-site, 358 usable questionnaires were mailed back with a 71.6% response rate. A 20-item scale of free time management and a 19-item scale of quality of life with considerable reliability were presented. Correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between free time management and the quality of life. No significant relationship was observed between time allocation and the quality of life or free time management. The results indicate that people who manage their free time deliberatively enjoy a better quality of life.
Face Recognition Base on Uncorrelated Linear Extension of Graph Embedding

An uncorrelated linear extension of graph embedding which provides a unified framework for computing all kinds of uncorrelated linear dimensionality reduction algorithms is proposed. Compared with original linear dimensionality reduction methods, the proposed methods are better in terms of reducing or eliminating the statistically correlation between features and improving recognition rate. The experimental results on ORL and Yale face database show that the proposed uncorrelated linear extension of graph embedding methods are better than original methods in terms of recognition rate. Besides, the relation between uncorrelated linear extension of graph embedding and original linear extension of graph embedding is revealed
Bicycle rider control skills: expertise and assessment

Abstract Research on how human balance and control bicycles are inconclusive, largely due to the small number of participants in the previous studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the hypotheses that 1) cycling lateral deviation amplitude will reliably show differences between more and less experienced cyclists and 2) more experienced will exhibit slower and smaller steering motions compared to the less experienced cyclists. Twenty-eight experienced and inexperienced cyclists rode a bicycle in a straight line. Lateral deviation, steering and roll were measured. Intersession reliability of the deviation was high with Cronbach’s alpha values higher than 0.75. The amplitude, variability and rate of steering and roll parameters showed statistically significant differences between the groups. The test used in this study is sensitive to detect differences between more and less experienced cyclists and can be used for further research that aims to test the effect of a specific intervention addressing rider control. We also showed that steering and roll angle, which were described before as two of the main motor control actions in bicycle control, differ in the variability, amplitude and rate between more and less experienced cyclists. The results of the present study have practical implications for improving bicycle rider control and increasing the safety of cyclists.
The Complexity of CEO Compensation

I study firm characteristics that justify the use of options or refresher grants in the optimal compensation packages for CEOs in the presence of moral hazard. I model explicitly the determination of stock prices as a function of the output realizations of the firm: Symmetric learning by all parties about the exogenous quality of the firm makes stock prices sensitive to output observations. Compensation packages are designed to transform this sensitivity of prices-to-output into the sensitivity of consumption-to-output that is dictated by the optimal contract. Heterogeneity in the structure of firm uncertainty implies that some firms are able to implement the optimal contract with very simple schemes that do not include options, refresher grants, or perks, while others need to use these more complex and potentially less transparent instruments.
Treatment options in colchicine resistant familial Mediterranean fever patients: thalidomide and etanercept as adjunctive agents.

OBJECTIVE Regular colchicine treatment cannot control the typical febrile attacks of FMF in about 5-10% of the compliant patients. Here we report the effect of thalidomide and etanercept in 5 colchicine-resistant cases. METHODS Five (4M/ 1F) FMF patients between April 2005 and March 2006, who were experiencing at least 2 attacks per month, despite regular colchicine were included to the study. Four male patients were given thalidomide 100 mg/d initially. Two of these patients unresponsive to thalidomide were prescribed subcutaneous injections of etanercept 25 mg, twice a week. The female patient received etanercept as the first choice due to potential side effects. She then had to be converted to thalidomide due to a severe injection site reaction. RESULTS The median follow up period with thalidomide and etanercept was 8 months. Both thalidomide and etanercept lowered the number of the abdominal attacks. CONCLUSION Thalidomide and etanercept might be effective as additional treatment in colchicine-resistant cases of FMF.
Early Diagnosis of Dementia via a Two-Step Screening and Diagnostic Procedure

We propose a two-step process for the assessment of dementia using standardized instruments. The family physician performs a screening consisting of taking a medical history, gathering information from relatives and friends of the patient, and administering the combined Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clock Drawing Test (CDT). Specialists examine patients with suspected dementia to confirm the diagnosis of dementia and, after a thorough differential diagnostic process, provide the family physician with recommendations for treatment. Specialists should perform neurological and psychiatric examinations, imaging (computer-assisted tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]), and laboratory work-up. The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) core neuropsychological battery is proposed to serve as a minimal data set that is internationally compatible. In addition, we recommend the Nurses' Observation Scale for Geriatric Patients (NOSGER) as a standard tool for functional assessment.
A support for navigation path planning with adaptive previewing for Web-based learning

How to help learners plan a navigation path on the Web is an important issue in Web-based learning/education. Our approach to this is to allow the learners to preview a sequence of Web pages as a navigation path plan. In this paper, we introduce an assistant system that enables learners to plan the navigation path in a self-directed way before navigating hyperspace provided by Web-based learning resources. It also realizes an adaptive previewing in accordance with their planning context. Since the adaptive previewing gives the learners in advance an overview of the contents to be learned, their learning in hyperspace can be improved.