Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Voluntary Adoption of Corporate Governance Mechanisms

We model firms' incentives to voluntarily adopt corporate governance mechanisms and hypothesize that management's ability to extract private benefits, the need for external funds, and the ease with which a firm's assets may be monitored are important determinants of the level of governance. Using hand-collected data, we test these hypotheses and examine firms' propensity to adopt recommended but not required governance standards from their home and neighboring country's jurisdictions. We document that a significant level of voluntary adoption occurs and that this level has been both increasing over time and declining in variability across firms. Governance mechanisms are least likely to be voluntarily implemented when management controls a significant portion of common stock votes or a majority owner exists. In contrast, voluntary adoption increases when the firm faces significant investment opportunities and employs large levels of expenditures which are difficult to monitor such as research and development expenses.
Stable phases of solid hydrogen at megabar pressures and at zero temperature.

We have explored the stable phases of solid hydrogen by calculating band-theoretical energies in the local density approximation, for the system of oriented molecules at Mbar pressures and at zero temperature. It is shown that the hexagonal-close-packed lattice persists up to ∼300 GPa with a structure of space group Pca2 1 , which has wide band gaps
1156 Stroke May 2017 Genome-Wide Association With Total Serum Bilirubin Levels

Bilirubin (a heme oxygenase-1 metabolite), the end product of heme catabolism, is a potent endogenous antioxidant. Numerous studies have shown an inverse association between bilirubin levels and several oxidative stress–mediated diseases such as coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and colorectal cancer. According to the first report on the association between bilirubin level and stroke in 2003, plasma bilirubin concentration might serve as a useful marker of oxidative stress in patients with hemorrhagic stroke. Since then, similar results have been reported in both Western and Asian countries. However, Arsalan et al have reported that higher serum bilirubin levels are associated with increased stroke severity, longer hospitalization, and poor prognosis. Therefore, the role of bilirubin as a risk factor or prognostic factor for stroke is uncertain because of potential confounding factors. Given the limitations of observational studies, whether the association between bilirubin and stroke is causal or because of residual confounding remains unknown. Mendelian randomization uses genetic variants randomly allocated according to Mendel’s second law without any preconception. As instrumental variables (IV) for Mendelian randomization analysis, studies on genetic polymorphisms in major bilirubin related genes such as uridine diphosphoglucuronyltransferase (UGT1A1), solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B1, and solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B3 have been reported. In particular, rs6742078 in UGT1A1, a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that explains 18% of the variation in total serum bilirubin levels is well known as a critical region related to bilirubin. In addition, data from numerous studies have suggested that stroke is markedly heritable. The proportion of variance explained by a shared genetic background ranges from 0.37 to 40.3. However, to the best of our knowledge, Mendelian randomization on bilirubin with stroke has not been reported yet. With the assumption that bilirubin is a strong mediator between genes and stroke, the causal effects of bilirubin on stroke can be determined using a genetic marker through Mendelian randomization analysis. Using the KCPS-II (Korean Cancer Prevention Study-II) Biobank Cohort, we hypothesized that lower levels of serum bilirubin would increase stroke because of bilirubin gene variations.
La normativité corporelle sous le bistouri : (re)penser l’intersectionnalité et les solidarités entre les études féministes, trans et sur le handicap à travers la transsexualité et la transcapacité

Cette recherche se situe a la jonction des etudes feministes, trans et sur la production du handicap. Elle s’interesse aux limites des analyses feministes intersectionnelles et leurs difficultes a considerer certains axes identitaires, telles l’identite de genre et les capacites, a travers l’analyse de deux cas de figure de modifications corporelles, soit la transsexualite et la transcapacite (transformation visant a acquerir un handicap). Cette these s’articule autour de la question suivante : quels sont les angles morts des analyses intersectionnelles et comment pouvons-nous y remedier? Pour repondre a cette question, cette these propose trois objectifs : 1) Participer aux questionnements critiques entourant certaines limites des analyses feministes intersectionnelles pour en diversifier les axes a partir de l’identite de genre et des capacites; 2) Remettre en question les presupposes conceptuels et les privileges cisgenristes et (cis)capacitistes qui sous-tendent les discours negatifs entourant ces modifications corporelles et mettre en valeur les points de convergence entre les mouvements feministes, transactivistes et anticapacitistes pour instaurer des dialogues et des solidarites entre eux; 3) Fournir un modele enrichi de l’intersectionnalite pouvant etre deploye en etudes feministes, trans et sur la production du (trans)handicap, apte a repondre aux nouvelles revendications de justice de groupes opprimes, comme celles des personnes transsexuelles et transcapacitaires. A l’aide d’une methodologie alliant l’analyse critique de discours, l’analyse archeologique et genealogique, les discours negatifs de certaines feministes et d’autres scientifiques sur ces transformations corporelles sont cartographies et critiques. Les reflexions presentees ici, s’inscrivant dans une approche poststructuraliste et queer, ne proposent pas une recherche des « origines » et des motivations de la transsexualite et de la transcapacite, mais plutot une etude des discours negatifs vis-a-vis ces phenomenes et des systemes normatifs qui sous-tendent ces discours. C’est sous cet angle que cette recherche constitue un apport important aux champs des savoirs, tant sur le plan theorique, normatif que politique : en se penchant sur deux cas de figure « extremes », elle met en lumiere les normativites corporelles des regimes dominants, notamment cisgenriste et (cis)capacitiste, occultees tant dans nos societes que dans nos mouvements sociaux.
An evaluation of the API-20 STREP system.

a variety of diseases. These conditions include classical group A Streptococcus pyogenes infections, group B streptococcal meningitis in neonates12 also pneumonia and endometritis in adults,3 Strep dysgalactiae meningitis in neonates,4 endocarditis due to group G streptococci5 and newly recognised human diseases due to group R streptoCOCci6 7 which are normally pathogenic only to animals, particularly pigs. The viridans streptococci produce infections ranging from septicaemia to deep-seated abscesses.8 Microbiologists usually rely upon serological techniques to characterise streptococcal isolates as conventional biochemical tests are slow, tedious and time-consuming. These serological methods are based on Lancefield's type specific polysaccharide antigens,9 and there are several commercial kits available for these tests.10-12 These techniques give reliable results only with beta-haemolytic streptococci and variable results with group D organisms, also the maximum number of groups identifiable is six. Thus alphaand non-haemolytic streptococci require further biochemical tests to avoid being termed viridans or indifferent streptococci. In an attempt to combine various methods into
Review: Aberrant EVI1 expression in acute myeloid leukaemia

Deregulated expression of the ecotropic virus integration site 1 (EVI1) gene is the molecular hallmark of therapy‐resistant myeloid malignancies bearing chromosomal inv(3)(q21q26·2) or t(3;3)(q21;q26·2) [hereafter referred to as inv(3)/t(3;3)] abnormalities. EVI1 is a haematopoietic stemness and transcription factor with chromatin remodelling activity. Interestingly, the EVI1 gene also shows overexpression in 6–11% of adult acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cases that do not carry any 3q aberrations. Deregulated expression of EVI1 is strongly associated with monosomy 7 and 11q23 abnormalities, which are known to be associated with poor response to treatment. However, EVI1 overexpression has been revealed as an important independent adverse prognostic marker in adult AML and defines distinct risk categories in 11q23‐rearranged AML. Recently, important progress has been made in the delineation of the mechanism by which EVI1 becomes deregulated in inv(3)/t(3;3) as well as the cooperating mutations in this specific subset of AML with dismal prognosis.
Prospective evaluation of technetium-99m-HMPAO SPECT in mild and moderate traumatic brain injury.

UNLABELLED We prospectively evaluated the contribution of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in patients who have sustained acute, mild or moderate head trauma. METHODS Forty-two patients formed the first subgroup of moderate trauma (ModTr) and 25 patients formed the second subgroup of mild trauma (MilTr). All 67 patients underwent an initial SPECT (Tinit) within 4 wk after a closed cranial trauma. After a mean interval of 3 mo from the time of Tinit, all patients were clinically re-evaluated; those with an abnormal Tinit underwent a repeat SPECT (Trpt) as well. All SPECT studies were visually graded by agreement of three observers adjudging a score ranging from 0 (no lesions) to 4. RESULTS For the group as a whole (ModTr + MilTr), the following results could be derived: (1) in 32/33 Tinit negative cases, clinical symptoms had resolved; (2) the positive predictive value of Tinit was only 20/34 (59%); (3) the sensitivity for the repeat SPECT was 19/20 (95%). CONCLUSION Our results show that: (1) SPECT alterations correlate well with the severity of the trauma; (2) a negative initial SPECT study is a reliable predictor of a favorable clinical outcome; (3) in cases with a positive initial SPECT, a follow-up consisting of a combination of SPECT and clinical data is necessary; (4) in patients suffering from postconclusive symptoms, SPECT offers an instrument to objective sequelae.
A Review: Design Variables Optimization and Control Strategies of a Linear Switched Reluctance Actuator for High Precision Applications

This paper presents the review of design variables optimization and control strategies of a Linear Switched Reluctance Actuator (LSRA). The introduction of various type of linear electromagnetic actuators (LEA) are compared and the advantages of LSRA over other LEA are discussed together with the type of actuator configurations and topologies. The SRA provides an overall efficiency similar to induction actuator of the similar rating, subsequently the friction and windage losses are comparable but force density is better. LSRA has the advantage of low cost, simple construction and high reliability compare to the actuator with permanent magnet. However, LSRA also has some obvious defects which will influence the performance of the actuator such as ripples and acoustic noise which are caused by the highly nonlinear characteristics of the actuator. By researching the design variables of the actuator, the influences of those design variables are introduced and the detail comparisons are analyzed in this paper. In addition, this paper also reviews on the control strategies in order to overcome the weaknesses of LSRA.
Low Bandwidth Video Streaming using FACS, Facial Expression and Animation Techniques

In this paper we describe an easy to use real-time 3D facial expression and animation system that takes the creation of individual facial expressions to the atomic level. That is instead of generating and recording known facial expressions we propose a mechanism that will allow us to create and store each atomic facial distortion. We can then combine some of these singular distortions to create meaningful expressions. FACS Action Units (AUs) is one such technique that describes the simplest visible movement, which cannot be decomposed into more basic ones. We use this as the basis for creating these atomic facial distortions. The Waters muscle based facial model has been used and extended to allow the user to calibrate and record each facial deformation as described in FACS AUs. The user can then create any facial expression by simply stating the series of AUs and its degree of activation in a controlled fashion. These features all form part of the Facial Animation System (FAS). Our FAS is implemented in such a way that enables it to be used as a low bandwidth video streaming player - a real time facial animation player driven only by FACS AUs transmitted as plain text over TCP sockets.
Can multiple myeloma become a curable disease?

For decades, multiple myeloma (MM) has been considered a disease of the elderly, with few therapeutic options apart from alkylators and corticosteroids. The treatment goal was disease control, with response rates of 50%, with occasional complete responses (CRs) and median survival of 2–3 years. [1
Physiotherapy intervention late after stroke and mobility.

OBJECTIVE--To determine whether the intervention of a physiotherapist improved mobility in patients seen more than one year after stroke. DESIGN--Randomised crossover trial comparing two groups offered intervention by a physiotherapist, one immediately after entry into the trial and the other after a delay of three months. The intervention consisted of identifying problems and offering advice and help to solve the problems. SETTING--Patients' homes in Oxfordshire. SUBJECTS--Patients who had reduced mobility due to a stroke more than one year before entry; 60 were recruited from a community stroke register and 34 in other ways. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Standard measures of mobility including gait speed, functional ambulation categories, the Nottingham extended activities of daily living index, and individual items from the Barthel activities of daily living index and the Frenchay activities index. Measures of manual dexterity, depression, and anxiety were used as controls. RESULTS--94 patients entered the trial and 49 were randomised to immediate and 45 to delayed physiotherapy; 89 were compared at the crossover point. At randomisation the two groups were comparable. At three months the group given early therapy showed an improvement in gait speed whereas the untreated group had declined (differences of -3.9 v 6.4 s to walk 10 m; p less than 0.01); between three and six months the group given delayed therapy showed improvement and the previously treated group declined (differences of 6.5 v -3.9 s to walk 10 m; p less than 0.01). A 9% (95% confidence interval 0% to 18%) decrease in time taken to walk 10 m was associated with treatment and a 12% (2% to 19%) increase when patients were untreated. Other measures did not change significantly. CONCLUSION--Intervention of an experienced physiotherapist late after stroke specifically improves mobility, albeit by a small amount, but the effects do not seem to be maintained, perhaps because there is an underlying decline in mobility in these patients. Gait speed offers a simple and sensitive measure of outcome.
Specificity of Sprint and Agility Training Methods

The purpose of this study was to determine if straight sprint training transferred to agility performance tests that involved various change-of-direction complexities and if agility training transferred to straight sprinting speed. Thirty-six males were tested on a 30-m straight sprint and 6 agility tests with 2–5 changes of direction at various angles. The subjects participated in 2 training sessions per week for 6 weeks using 20–40-m straight sprints (speed) or 20–40-m change-of-direction sprints (3–5 changes of 100°) (agility). After the training period, the subjects were retested, and the speed training resulted in significant improvements (p < 0.05) in straight sprinting speed but limited gains in the agility tests. Generally the more complex the agility task, the less the transfer from the speed training to the agility task. Conversely, the agility training resulted in significant improvements in the change-of-direction tests (p < 0.05) but no significant improvement (p > 0.05) in straight sprint performance. We concluded that straight speed and agility training methods are specific and produce limited transfer to the other. These findings have implications for the design of speed and agility training and testing protocols.
Carcass characteristics of South African native chicken lines

Carcass characteristics of the Koekoek, New Hampshire, Naked-Neck, Lebowa-Venda and Ovambo chicken lines were evaluated. The highest dressed-carcass mass was recorded for Ovambo chickens and the highest percentage breast muscle was recorded for Naked-Neck chickens. Percentage fat and fatty acid composition differed between lines (p (South African Journal of Animal Science: 2000, 30(1): 53-56)
A general framework for managing multiple tasks in highly redundant robotic systems

The exploitation of kinematic redundancies in robotic systems may provide more dexterity and versatility in the execution of complex tasks. When functional constraint tasks are imposed in addition to the end-effector tasks, a task priority strategy is advisable. The authors propose a general framework for managing multiple tasks in highly redundant systems. In particular, they derive joint velocity and acceleration solutions which can be used as reference input trajectories to suitable model-based controllers. They also develop a recursive implementation, and discuss the occurrence of singularities in the Jacobian associated with the generic task. Two case studies illustrate the effectiveness of the algorithm on a snake-like robot. <<ETX>>
Variation in the Diagnosis of Child Abuse in Severely Injured Infants

OBJECTIVE. Diagnosis of child abuse is difficult and may reflect patient, practitioner, and system factors. Previous studies have demonstrated potential lethal consequences if cases of abuse are missed and suggested a role for continuing medical education in improving the accuracy of diagnosis of suspected abuse. Although the majority of injured American children are treated at general hospitals, most published studies of severe injury resulting from child abuse have been conducted at children’s hospitals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of hospital type in observed variations in the frequency of diagnosis of child physical abuse among children with high-risk injuries. METHODS. Hospital discharge data were evaluated, and adjusted rates of abuse diagnosis were reported according to hospital type. A regression model estimated the number of cases of abuse that would have been diagnosed if all hospitals identified abuse as frequently as observed at pediatric specialty hospitals. This study consisted of children who were <1 year old and admitted to US hospitals in 1997 for treatment of traumatic brain injury or femur fracture, excluding penetrating trauma or motor-vehicle–related injury. A total of 2253 weighted cases were analyzed. RESULTS. The proportion of patients with a medical diagnosis of child abuse varied widely between hospital types: 29% of the cases were diagnosed as abuse at children’s hospitals compared with 13% at general hospitals. An estimated 178 infants (39% of total) with these specific injuries would have been identified as abused had they been treated at children’s rather than general hospitals. CONCLUSIONS. Hospital type was associated with large variations in the frequency of diagnosis of child abuse. This variation was not related to observed differences in the patients or their injuries and may result from systematic underdiagnosis in general hospitals. This result has implications for quality-improvement programs at general hospitals, where the majority of injured children in the United States receive emergent medical care.
Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate reduces ischemia-reperfusion injury of the small intestine.

AIM To evaluate whether pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an enhancer of HO production, attenuates intestinal IR injury. METHODS Eighteen male rats were randomly allocated into three groups: (a) sham; (b) IR, consisting of 30 min of intestinal ischemia, followed by 2-h period of reperfusion; and (c) PDTC treatment before IR. Intestinal microvascular perfusion (IMP) was monitored continuously by laser Doppler flowmetry. At the end of the reperfusion, serum samples for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and biopsies of ileum were obtained. HO activity in the ileum was assessed at the end of the reperfusion period. RESULTS At the end of the reperfusion in the IR group, IMP recovered partially to 42.5% of baseline (P<0.05 vs sham), whereas PDTC improved IMP to 67.3% of baseline (P<0.01 vs IR). There was a twofold increase in HO activity in PDTC group (2 062.66+/-106.11) as compared to IR (842.3+/-85.12) (P<0.001). LDH was significantly reduced (P<0.001) in PDTC group (585.6+/-102.4) as compared to IR group (1 973.8+/-306.5). Histological examination showed that the ileal mucosa was significantly less injured in PDTC group as compared with IR group. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that PDTC improves the IMP and attenuates IR injury of the intestine possibly via HO production. Additional studies are warranted to evaluate the clinical efficacy of PDTC in the prevention of IR injury of the small intestine.
The onset and cessation of seasonal rainfall over Africa

Variation in the seasonal cycle of African rainfall is of key importance for agriculture. Here an objective method of determining the timing of onset and cessation is, for the first time, extended to the whole of Africa. The method is applied to five observational data sets and the ERA‐Interim reanalysis. Compatibility with known physical drivers of African rainfall, consistency with indigenous methods, and generally strong agreement between satellite‐based rainfall data sets confirm that the method is capturing the correct seasonal progression of African rainfall. The biannual rainfall regime is correctly identified over the coastal region of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. However, the ERA‐Interim reanalysis exhibits timing biases over areas with two rainy seasons, and both ERA‐Interim and the ARCv2 observational data set exhibit some inconsistent deviations over West Africa. The method can be used to analyze both seasonal‐interannual variability and long‐term change. Over East Africa, we find that failure of the rains and subsequent humanitarian disaster is associated with shorter as well as weaker rainy seasons, e.g., on average the long rains were 11 days shorter in 2011. Cessation of the short rains over this region is 7 days later in El Niño and 5 days earlier in La Niña years with only a small change in onset date. The methodology described in this paper is applicable to multiple data sets and to large regions, including those that experience multiple rainy seasons. As such, it provides a means for investigating variability and change in the seasonal cycle over the whole of Africa.
Bi-Directional Giant Magneto Impedance Sensor

A thin film giant magneto impedance (GMI) based on magnetic field sensor has been developed using electrodeposited Ni-Fe permalloy. Chemical composition, surface morphology, and magnetic properties of Ni-Fe permalloy were char-acterized as a function of plateup parameters, and process conditions were established to deposit a Ni-Fe thin film with a high permeability (~1000) and a low coercivity (0.6 Oersted). Conventional GMI sensors are uni-directional and are several millimeters long. In this work, a spiral-shaped sensor using electroplated Ni-Fe permalloy to detect bi-directional magnetic field is reported. Excellent bi-directional magnetic field sensing has been demonstrated using the 1 mm2 compact double-spiral structure.