Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incidence of Distal Symmetric (Sensory) Neuropathy in NIDDM: The San Luis Valley Diabetes Study

OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence and risk factors for distal symmetric sensory neuropathy (DSN) in people with NIDDM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Prospective follow-up was conducted from 1988 to 1992 on 231 people free of DSN during the baseline period 1984–1988 (mean follow-up, 4.7 years). Subjects with incident DSN (n = 66) were defined by any two of three criteria: 1) bilateral paresthesia in legs or feet; 2) bilateral decreased or absent ankle reflexes; and/or 3) bilateral decreased or absent cold temperature discrimination in feet. Of all 66 cases, 42 had one positive follow-up visit; 14 cases had 2 positive follow-up visits. RESULTS The overall incidence rate of DSN was 6.1 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 4.7–7.8). The rate for Hispanics (n = 164) and non-Hispanic whites (n = 67), adjusted for age, sex, and NIDDM duration, was 5.3 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 3.9–7.0) and 5.0 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 2.8–8.1), respectively. Adjusting for age and sex, higher glycohemoglobin level and lower C-peptide secretion were associated with increased DSN but were no longer predictive after accounting for duration of diabetes. Logistic regression models found significantly increased risk of DSN for insulin treatment, current smoking, and history of myocardial infarction. Duration was related to DSN incidence until insulin treatment was included. Other risk factors, including height, weight, family history of diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, urinary albumin, protein:creatinine ratio, retinopathy, and alcohol use, were not significantly related to incident DSN. CONCLUSIONS Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites with NIDDM have similar risks of DSN. Current cigarette smoking and a history of myocardial infarction may represent independent risk factors for DSN in addition to glycemic control.
Developing middle managers in the Hong Kong Public sector : a critique of leadership development from a labour process perspective

i Acknowledgements . i Abbreviations . iii 1.0 Introduction . 1 1.1 Rationale and Question formation. 3 1.2 Contribution to the literature . 6 1.3 Structure of the Thesis . 8 2.0 Literature Review . 10 2.
Price Impact of Bond Supply Shocks: Evidence from the Eurosystem's Asset Purchase Program

We use new daily security-level data and test the impact of the Eurosystem's Public sector purchase program (PSPP) on bond returns in the French bond market. We investigate three possible types of supply shocks: related to the cumulative past purchases (“stock”) since the start of the program, the transactions themselves on the day of the purchase (“flow”), and the variation in the expected total size of the program (“expected stock”). Our results show that having purchased 10% of a bond outstanding correlates with a decrease in yield of about -13 bps to -26 bps on average in the first year of implementation of the program, with bigger effects in the most illiquid segments. Set aside very particular conditions, we don't find any significant supplemental effect from flows, presumably in line with the market neutrality objective of the Eurosystem. We then focus on the European bond sell-off period during the spring-summer 2015, and show it was associated with a reduction of the total size of the program expected by market participants, suggesting an Odyssean vs Delphic type of issue for the communication on asset purchases.
One‐day test using stable isotopes to measure true fractional calcium absorption

True calcium absorption can only be measured by the time‐consuming and expensive metabolic balance method and is not predicted well by measuring the fractional absorption (FA) of radiocalcium from a fixed calcium carrier. We describe here a 1 day method for measuring the actual fraction of calcium absorbed from the habitual diet (true fractional calcium absorption, TFCA) using stable isotopes of calcium. Oral and intravenous isotopes were administered with each of the three daily meals, and then the ratio of the two isotopes in the urine was measured by mass spectroscopy. In 12 subjects, TFCA determined from stable Ca correlated well with TFCA measured by the balance method (r = 0.71, P < 0.01), and the mean values were not different (0.26 and 0.26). In contrast, no significant correlation was found between FA and TFCA. The weak relationship between FA and TFCA underscores the importance of tracing dietary calcium rather than a fixed calcium carrier in tests of calcium absorption. Using the new method, TFCA was inversely related to dietary calcium (r = −0.45, P < 0.05), demonstrating that it could detect physiological changes in calcium absorption. Thus, this test has two important advantages: (1) it provides a simple way to measure TFCA and true fractional calcium absorption (the product of TFCA and dietary calcium), the physiologically relevant variables, and (2) because there is no radiation exposure, the test can be used in pregnant women and children, the isotopes can be prepared in advance, and several isotopes can be used simultaneously.
Absolute continuity of the Schrödinger operator spectrum in a multidimensional cylinder

The Schrödinger operator −∆ + V in a d-dimensional cylinder, d ≥ 3, is considered with various boundary conditions. Under the assumption that the potential V is periodic with respect to the “longitudinal” variables and V ∈ Ld−1,loc, it is proved that the spectrum of the Schrödinger operator is absolutely continuous. §
The Chicken or the Egg: Examining Temporal Precedence Among Attitudes, Injunctive Norms, and College Student Drinking.

OBJECTIVE The present study was designed to test for projection, conformity, or reciprocal associations among attitudes, injunctive norms, and drinking. Assuming that these constructs are not independent, we proposed three possible trajectories. A conformity model would suggest that injunctive norms should temporally precede drinking or attitudes. Alternatively, a projection model would suggest that attitudes or alcohol use would precede injunctive norms. Furthermore, by examining the processes over three time points, the current study would also examine whether both conformity and projection processes were at work, indicating reciprocal relationships. METHOD participants included 249 college students (63.1% female), who participated as a control group in a larger intervention trial. Structural equation modeling was used to examine cross-sectional and prospective associations among injunctive norms, attitudes, and drinking across each of the three time points. RESULTS Findings demonstrated three significant cross-lagged associations. Injunctive norms at Time 1 was significantly associated with drinking at Time 2 (conformity), and both attitudes and drinking at Time 2 were significantly associated with injunctive norms at Time 3 (projection). The pattern of cross-lagged associations suggested one meaningful indirect pathway, from Time 1 injunctive norms to Time 2 drinking to Time 3 injunctive norms (reciprocal association). CONCLUSIONS The present study suggests that both the conformity and the projection processes seem to be important and evident for college student drinking when considering injunctive norms and drinking over time. Interventions that focus on both conformity and projection may be particularly effective at reducing longer-term alcohol use.
Book-tax differences as a proxy for tax-induced earnings management - Evidence from Finnish private firms

The purpose of this thesis is to examine whether book-tax differences (BTDs) are a reasonable proxy for tax-induced earnings management in Finland. BTDs have been previously studied mostly in lower book-tax conformity countries by using estimates of taxable income. This thesis thus extends existing literature to a country with higher book-tax conformity and makes use of Finland’s unique public tax records that allow deriving BTDs from actual taxable income. To determine the strength of BTDs as a proxy, BTDs are compared against a popular discretionary accrual proxy around a corporate event that is considered a strong incentive to manage earnings. The 2014 tax reform in Finland reduced the corporate income tax (CIT) rate from 24,5 to 20 percent and prior studies present strong evidence that firms engage in income-decreasing earnings management in the year immediately before the CIT rate cut to achieve tax savings. This study therefore also extends previous studies that have mainly relied on accrual measures to observe taxinduced earnings management around CIT rate cuts. Based on prior research, three hypotheses are formulated with the emphasis on discretionary accruals, BTDs, and their interaction in 2013. The data for the empirical study comprise 35 135 firm-year observations of profitable Finnish private firms in 2011‒2015. Discretionary accruals are estimated following Jones (1991), Kothari et al. (2005) and Francis et al. (2013), and total BTDs are applied as a BTD measure. Three OLS regression models are developed to provide evidence for the hypotheses. The results suggest that BTDs reflect well opportunistic earnings management even in a higher book-tax conformity context when there is a strong tax incentive. In addition, earnings management in response to the CIT rate cut is significant with both proxies, and BTDs and discretionary accruals have a negative relation in 2013. Besides, all results are statistically significant at the one percent level and are verified with a series of robustness checks. As BTDs have not been previously studied in higher book-tax conformity countries, the results are of particular interest for the academic community and provide fruitful avenues for future research. The findings also provide economically important information for legislators and policymakers when planning future tax reforms.
Business takeovers and firm growth: Empirical evidence from a German panel

The present article links business takeovers to the literature on serial autocorrelation of growth rates. The aim of the study is to identify the effects of successions on the performance of small German firms by analysing the growth pathways over a period of eight years after business takeover. Using panel data from 1,872 firms, the present article shows that for the first two years after a business takeover, small firms are subject to negative serial correlation of growth rates regarding employment. The analysis underlines the importance of longitudinal data to provide evidence on changes in the behaviour of a firm following a business takeover.
Murine Bactericidal/Permeability-Increasing Protein Inhibits the Endotoxic Activity of Lipopolysaccharide and Gram-Negative Bacteria1

Recognition of LPS by TLR4 initiates inflammatory responses inducing potent antimicrobial immunity. However, uncontrolled inflammatory responses can be detrimental. To prevent the development of septic shock during an infection with Gram-negative bacteria, the immune system has developed mechanisms to neutralize LPS by specialized proteins. In this study, we report the recombinant expression and functional characterization of the mouse homolog of human bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI). Purified recombinant mouse BPI was able to neutralize LPS-mediated activation of macrophages and to block LPS-dependent maturation of dendritic cells. Recombinant mouse BPI neutralized the capacity of Gram-negative bacteria to activate immune cells, but did not influence the stimulatory properties of Gram-positive bacteria. Unlike human BPI, mouse BPI failed to kill or inhibit the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Together, these data demonstrate that murine BPI is a potent LPS-neutralizing protein that may limit innate immune responses during Gram-negative infections.
Ceria Maintains Smaller Metal Catalyst Particles by Strong Metal-Support Bonding

Keeping Nanoparticles Small Heterogeneous catalysts that consist of small metal nanoparticles absorbed on oxide supports can deactivate over time through a process called sintering. Elevated temperatures increase the rate of diffusion of metal atoms over the support, and larger, less reactive particles grow at the expense of smaller ones. Some supports that contain reducible metals, such as cerium oxide, tend to resist sintering better than oxides such as alumina. Farmer and Campbell (p. 933) present an analysis of previous calorimetry data for silver nanoparticles on magnesium oxides and cerium oxide surfaces and show that nanoparticles smaller than 1000 atoms are bound much more strongly to reduced cerium oxide. The energetic driving force for creating larger particles is quite low on these surfaces and increases the lifetime of smaller particles. The stability of cerium oxide surfaces allows deposited silver nanoparticles to maintain a small size distribution. The energies of silver (Ag) atoms in Ag nanoparticles supported on different cerium and magnesium oxide surfaces, determined from previous calorimetric measurements of metal adsorption energies, were analyzed with respect to particle size. Their stability was found to increase with particle size below 5000 atoms per particle. Silver nanoparticles of any given size below 1000 atoms had much higher stability (30 to 70 kilojoules per mole of silver atoms) on reduced CeO2(111) than on MgO(100). This effect is the result of the very large adhesion energy (~2.3 joules per square meter) of Ag nanoparticles to reduced CeO2(111), which we found to be a result of strong bonding to both defects and CeO2(111) terraces, apparently localized by lattice strain. These results explain the unusual sinter resistance of late transition metal catalysts when supported on ceria.
A Globally Convergent Method for lp Problems

The $l_p $-norm discrete estimation problem $\min_{x \in \Re^n } ||b - A^T x||_p^p $ is troublesome when p is close to unity because the objective function approaches a nonsmooth form as p converges to one. This paper presents an efficient algorithm for solving $l_p $-norm problems for all $1 \leq p < 2$. When $p = 1$ it is essentially the method presented by T. F. Coleman and Y. Li [Math. Programming, 56 (1992), pp. 189–222], which is a globally and quadratically convergent algorithm under some nondegeneracy assumptions. The existing iteratively reweighted least-squares (IRLS) method can be obtained from the new approach by updating some dual multipliers in a special fashion. The new method is globally convergent, and it is superlinearly convergent when there is no zero residual at the solution. At each iteration the main computational cost of the new method is the same as that of the IRLS method: solving a reweighted least-squares problem. Numerical experiments indicate that this method is significantly.
Detection of TEM‐induced reciprocal translocations in F1 sons of CD‐1 male mice: Comparison of sequential fertility evaluation and cytogenetic analysis

To determine the positive and negative classification error rates associated with the HTA in our laboratory, F1 sons of TEM‐exposed CD‐1 male mice were evaluated by the sequential fertility method with subsequent cytogenetic analysis. Males who sired three litters of size 10 or less when mated to primiparous females from either the B6C3F1 or the BCF1 strain were classified as partial steriles. When meiotic chromosome analyses revealed the presence of at least two cells containing multivalent figures, males were classified as translocation heterozygotes. When the fertility evaluation and the cytogenetic analysis were compared, normal fertility was observed on 5 of 83 (6.02 %) translocation‐bearing F1 males mated to B6C3F1 tester females and on 3 of 83 (3.61 %) F1 males mated to BCF1 tester females. Thus, the false‐negative error rates were 6.02% and 3.61% with these two tester strains. Multivalent figures were not observed in the meiotic chromosomes of 410 F1 males. Of these, 12 (2.93%) had reduced fertility when mated to the B6C3F1 tester strain as did 7 (1.71%) mated to the BCF1 strain. Thus, the false‐positive error rates with these two tester strains were 2.93% for the B6C3F1 strain and 1.71 % for the BCF1 strain. Our results indicate that nonzero error rates, both false‐positive and false‐negative, are associated with the sequential mating method HTA. In addition, the magnitude of these error rates was influenced not only by the tester female strain but also by the genotype of the F1 male.
Operation Strategy of Multi-Energy Storage System for Ancillary Service

Energy storage systems (ESSs) used for ancillary purposes in power systems have different capacities and output characteristics, and so need to be scheduled and operated together based on their state of charge (SOC) rather than individually. This paper proposes a simple but effective method for properly allocating energy in a multi-ESS used for spinning reserve. Through different case studies, it is shown that power demands are more effectively distributed across each ESS using the newly proposed allocation method.
An Information Provider's Wish List for a Next Generation Big Data End-to-End Information System

As the leading source of intelligent information, Thomson Reuters delivers must-have insight to the world’s financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property, science and media professionals, supported by the world's most trusted news organization. In this paper we describe a recent initiative at Thomson Reuters to establish Big Data infrastructure to store most of this data, and to apply open standards for linking the contents of this data. We describe our wish list of technology not currently available from open source and commercial solutions for a next generation big document and data system.
Ischemic preconditioning ameliorates excitotoxicity by shifting glutamate/γ‐aminobutyric acid release and biosynthesis

Excitotoxicity is recognized to play a major role in cerebral ischemia‐induced cell death. The main goal of the present study was to define whether our model of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) promotes a shift from excitatory to inhibitory neurotransmission during the test ischemia to diminish metabolic demand during the reperfusion phase. We also determined whether γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) played a role in IPC‐induced neuroprotection. Ten minutes of cerebral ischemia was produced by tightening the carotid ligatures bilaterally following hypotension. Samples of microdialysis perfusate, representing extracellular fluid, were analyzed for amino acid content by HPLC. IPC promoted a robust release of GABA after lethal ischemia compared with control rats. We also observed that the activity of glutamate decarboxylase (the predominant pathway of GABA synthesis in the brain) was higher in the IPC group compared with control and ischemic groups. Because GABAA receptor up‐regulation has been shown to occur following IPC, and GABAA receptor activation has been implicated in neuroprotection against ischemic insults, we tested the hypothesis that GABAA or GABAB receptor activation was neuroprotective during ischemia or early reperfusion by using an in vitro model (organotypic hippocampal slice culture). Administration of the GABAB agonist baclofen during test ischemia and for 1 hr of reperfusion provided significant neuroprotection. We concluded that increased GABA release in preconditioned animals after ischemia might be one of the factors responsible for IPC neuroprotection. Specific activation of GABAB receptor contributes significantly to neuroprotection against ischemia in organotypic hippocampal slices. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dynamic Streaming Algorithms for Epsilon-Kernels

Introduced by Agarwal, Har-Peled, and Varadarajan [J. ACM, 2004], an epsilon-kernel of a point set is a coreset that can be used to approximate the width, minimum enclosing cylinder, minimum bounding box, and solve various related geometric optimization problems. Such coresets form one of the most important tools in the design of linear-time approximation algorithms in computational geometry, as well as efficient insertion-only streaming algorithms and dynamic (non-streaming) data structures. In this paper, we continue the theme and explore dynamic streaming algorithms (in the so-called turnstile model). Andoni and Nguyen [SODA 2012] described a dynamic streaming algorithm for maintaining a (1+epsilon)-approximation of the width using O(polylog U) space and update time for a point set in [U]^d for any constant dimension d and any constant epsilon>0. Their sketch, based on a "polynomial method", does not explicitly maintain an epsilon-kernel. We extend their method to maintain an epsilon-kernel, and at the same time reduce some of logarithmic factors. As an application, we obtain the first randomized dynamic streaming algorithm for the width problem (and related geometric optimization problems) that supports k outliers, using poly(k, log U) space and time.
Follow-up thyroid carcinoma by whole-body counting.

Abstract A simple whole-body counter has been used to measure retention of 131I following a test dose in 36 patients with thyroid carcinoma in whom normal thyroid tissue had been ablated. (1) In patients with normal renal function, the fall of wholebody 131I content occurred with a fast initial component (biological half-life, T½≏12 hours) due to iodide excretion. In all patients, even in the absence of detectable localised 131I concentration, this was followed by a much slower component (T½ > 14 days). The size of the latter component depended on the amount of 131I that was organically bound and provided a measure of the amount of 131I-concentrating tissue remaining. (2) In patients with normal renal function, a single measurement on the sixth day after the test dose indicated the magnitude of the slow component. A retention exceeding 0·31 per cent of the dose at the sixth day was associated with localised residual 131I-concentrating tissue, while with retention less than 0·15 per cent no such tissue was.
International market entry mode – a systematic literature review

Abstract This wholly conceptual paper examines the breadth of literature on Market Entry Modes, a fundamentally important and strategic issue for managers in growing organisations of all sizes in all sectors. Key concepts and terms are defined and then a set of key Internationalisation Theories are systematically and critically reviewed, these being: the Transaction Cost Approach, Institutional Theory, the Eclectic Paradigm, the Uppsala Internationalisation Model and the Resource Based View. The final portion of the paper is integrative and highlights three key literature gaps as signposts for future work.