Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gastric cancer mortality in a high-incidence area (Ardabil Province, Northwest Iran): What risk factors are causative?

(RET)/papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) rearrangements in radiation-induced thyroid cancer was mainly identified from post-Chernobyl tumors, which resulted from extremely high dose radiation exposure (Nikiforova et al., 2004). Chernobyl-related radiation-induced RET/ PTC rearrangements were also associated with more aggressive tumor behavior (Rabes et al., 2000). However, no clear evidence has shown that low-dose radiation exposure through medical practice induces RET/PTC rearrangements. Although Seaberg et al. (2009) found that ionizing radiation exposure resulting from various sources was associated with more aggressive tumor pathology, this relationship is still inconclusive (Furlan and Rosen, 2004; Seaberg et al., 2009). Our study did not find diagnostic radiography to be associated with multifocal disease and lymph node involvement.
Will Worldwide Adoption Of IFRS Improve Comparability? An Instructional Case Between Two Companies In Two Countries

One of the most compelling arguments for US companies to adopt IFRS is to increase comparability between companies and countries worldwide. This instructional case emphasizes to students that even though two companies both follow the same set of accounting rules (IFRS in this case), comparability of financial statements can still be difficult due to accounting choices, judgments, and estimates made by management. In this case, two start-up companies enter the renewable energy industry and begin retailing wind turbines. Students record identical first-year transactions for the two companies, record six additional transactions where each company makes different accounting choices when applying IFRS, prepare a set of financial statements, and calculate ratios. Through these tasks, students can see how accounting choices made by management affect comparability of the financial statements. This case also gives students an opportunity to discuss how culture and the general accounting environment in a country may influence the accounting choices made by management.
Contextual Effects of Reference Prices in Retail Advertisements

Reference prices, which are extensively used in retail advertisements, have received considerable research attention over the last 15 years. The authors examine how reference prices in advertisements affect consumers’ price beliefs and behavioral intentions in different contexts. A model of reference price effects is proposed and tested. The model facilitates explanation of anomalous findings in previous research.
Investment intelligence from insider trading

The term insider trading refers to the legal stock transactions of the officers, directors, and large shareholders of a firm. Many investors believe that corporate insiders, informed about their firms' prospects, buy and sell their own firm's stock at favorable times, reaping significant profits. The key question for stock market investors is whether publicly available insider-trading information can help them to outperform a simple passive index fund. Basing his insights on an exhaustive data set that captures information on all reported insider trading in all publicly held firms over a period of twenty-one years—over one million transactions! —H. Nejat Seyhun shows how investors can use insider information to their advantage. He documents the magnitude and duration of the stock price movements following insider trading, determinants of insiders' profits, and the risks associated with imitating insider trading. He looks at the likely performance of individual firms and of the overall stock market, and compares the value of what one can learn from insider trading with commonly used measures of value such as price-earnings ratio, book-to-market ratio, and dividend yield.
Premature ovarian failure.

Premature ovarian failure is the term usually used to describe women aged younger than 40 years who present with amenorrhea, hypergonadotropinism, and hypoestrogenism. Such women may ovulate and even conceive after the diagnosis is made, so it may be more appropriate to refer to these patients as having "primary ovarian insufficiency," or alternatively, as having "hypergonadotropic hypogonadism" or "primary hypogonadism. " The clinical presentation is diverse, and several different disorders can lead to premature ovarian failure. Affected women should be investigated for premutations of the FMR1 gene (causing fragile X syndrome in its fullest form) and for adrenal antibodies. Thyroiditis is the most frequent autoimmune disorder associated with premature ovarian failure and should be ruled out as well. Osteopenia is increased in women with premature ovarian failure, and measures to prevent accelerated bone loss are warranted. Hormone therapy (HT) should be provided to eliminate symptoms of estrogen deficiency and help prevent osteopenia, but will not necessarily (and inexplicably) prevent pregnancy in the 5-10% of women who conceive spontaneously after the diagnosis is made. There are no data indicating that these young women are at increased risk of side effects from HT. If pregnancy is desired, use of donor oocytes with in vitro fertilization is most likely to result in pregnancy.
A Framework for Relating Waiting Time and Customer Satisfaction in a Service Operation

Introduces a framework for integrating the operations management and marketing approaches within a service operation. Focuses on customer satisfaction with waiting time, with the aim of providing improved satisfaction for a given level of resources. Provides an application of this methodology by presenting an example in the fast food industry. Concludes with suggestions for extending such a framework to other service organizations.
Recognizing and naming faces: aging, memory retrieval, and the tip of the tongue state.

Subjects over the age of 50 were presented with famous and nonfamous male faces. If they recognized the face, they were asked for his name and for as much information about the person as possible. For recognition, older subjects were less sensitive (lower d-prime) and more cautious (higher beta) than younger subjects. The number of "tip of the tongue" (TOT) naming responses as a proportion of faces recognized increased with age, while the number of responses where the right name was produced correspondingly decreased with age. Following responses of No, TOT, and Yes to "Do you know his name? ", older subjects reported fewer correct semantic features than younger subjects in all three cases; but as proportions of the number of correct semantic features following Yes responses, there were no age effects (.21 and .59 for No and TOT responses, respectively). In multiple regression analyses, age surprisingly was often a better predictor of performance than measures of current cognitive ability. The results are interpreted as evidence of impairment with age associated with at least three stages in the face recognition process as identified by Bruce and Young (1986).
Resveratrol shows neuronal and vascular-protective effects in older, obese, streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract Diabetes-induced CVD is the most significant complication of prolonged hyperglycaemia. The aim of this study was to determine whether resveratrol, a polyphenol antioxidant compound, when administered at a dose that can be reasonably obtained through supplementation could prevent the development of cardiovascular complications in older, obese, diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in 6-month old, obese, male Wistar rats via a single intravenous dose of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg). Randomly selected animals were administered resveratrol (2 mg/kg) via oral gavage daily for 8 weeks. Body weights, blood glucose levels, food intake and water consumption were monitored, and assessments of vascular reactivity, tactile allodynia and left ventricular function were performed. Resveratrol therapy significantly improved tactile allodynia and vascular contractile functionality in diabetic rats (P<0·05). There were no significant changes in standardised vasorelaxation responses, plasma glucose concentrations, water consumption, body weight, left ventricular hypertrophy, kidney hypertrophy, heart rate or left ventricular compliance with resveratrol administration. Resveratrol-mediated improvements in vascular and nerve function in old, obese, diabetic rats were associated with its reported antioxidant effects. Resveratrol did not improve cardiac function nor mitigate the classic clinical symptoms of diabetes mellitus (i.e. hyperglycaemia, polydypsia and a failure to thrive). This suggests that supplementation with resveratrol at a dose achievable with commercially available supplements would not produce significant cardioprotective effects in people with diabetes mellitus.
Olfactory display using a miniaturized pump and a SAW atomizer for presenting low-volatile scents

Recently, the research on olfactory display for incorporating the sense of smell into virtual reality has gradually expanded. To present odors with a vivid sense of smell, an ability to generate a variety of odors with efficient speed is indispensible. In this paper, we developed a new type of olfactory display, composed of a miniaturized electroosmotic pump and a surface acoustic wave device for presenting the low-volatile scents that are conventionally difficult to be generated with acceptable speed. We used an odor sensing system to evaluate the capability to present the low volatile scent and the ability to blend smells of our proposed new type olfactory display.
Paradoxical block of the Na+‐Ca2+ exchanger by extracellular protons in guinea‐pig ventricular myocytes

1 The Na+‐Ca2+ exchange is a major pathway for removal of cytosolic Ca2+ in cardiac myocytes. It is known to be inhibited by changes of intracellular pH that may occur, for example, during ischaemia. In the present study, we examined whether extracellular protons (pHo) can also affect the cardiac exchange. 2 Na+‐Ca2+ exchange currents (INa‐Ca) were recorded from single adult guinea‐pig ventricular myocytes in the whole‐cell voltage‐clamp configuration while [Ca2+]i was simultaneously imaged with fluo‐3 and a laser‐scanning confocal microscope. To activate INa‐Ca, intracellular Ca2+ concentration jumps were generated by laser flash photolysis of caged Ca2+ (DM‐nitrophen). 3 Exposure of the cell to moderately and extremely acidic conditions (pHo 6 and 4) was accompanied by a decrease of the peak INa‐Ca to 70 % and less than 10 %, respectively. The peak INa‐Ca was also inhibited to about 45 % of its initial value by increasing pHo to 10. The largest INa‐Ca was found at pHo≈ 7·6. 4 Simultaneous measurements of [Ca2+]i and INa‐Ca during partial proton block of the Na+‐Ca2+ exchanger revealed that the exchange current was more inhibited by acidic pHo than the rate of Ca2+ transport. This observation is consistent with a change in the electrogenicity of the Na+‐Ca2+ exchange cycle after protonation of the transporter. 5 We conclude that both extracellular alkalinization and acidification affect the Na+‐Ca2+ exchanger during changes of pHo that may be present under pathophysiological conditions. During both extreme acidification or alkalinization the Na+‐Ca2+ exchanger is strongly inhibited, suggesting that extracellular protons may interact with the Na+‐Ca2+ exchanger at multiple sites. In addition, the electrogenicity and stoichiometry of the Na+‐Ca2+ exchange may be modified by extracellular protons.
Assessing the Efficiency of Commercial Banks in Greece During the Financial Crisis: A Linear Approach in Conjunction with Financial Analysis

This paper investigates the financial performance of commercial banks in Greece for the period 2007-2011, which is marked by the severe financial crisis. The efficiency assessment of Greek banks is based on financial figures and ratios. For this purpose a representative dataset of seven Greek commercial banking institutions is selected and exhaustive empirical research is employed based on financial, correlation and regression analyses in order to estimate the impact of selected independent variables (asset utilization, operational efficiency and bank size) on financial performance indicators (net interest margin and return on assets). The output of this research implies that during the tested period large banks in terms of deposits, credits, assets and shareholders’ equity under-perform in comparison with small banks. Moreover, significant correlations are reported between efficiency indicators and independent variables, remarks that are also confirmed from regression analysis results. However, the statistically significant impact of independent variables on the Greek banks’ financial performance is weaker than expected as compared to the pre-crisis period (2002-2007), condition which could be attributed to the distortion of financial linkages in the wake of the severe financial crisis that plagued the Greek banking system and Greek economy as a whole during the last six years.
Finite-time passive filtering for a class of uncertain Lipschitz nonlinear systems

The finite-time passive filtering for a class of nonlinear systems with uncertainties is considered. The nonlinear parameters are assumed to satisfy Lipschitz conditions. An optimal robust passive filter with respect to the finite-time interval is designed while the exogenous disturbances are unknown but norm bounded. Based on passivity theory and finite-time stability theory, the sufficient condition for the existence of finite-time robust passive filter is given by constructing appropriate Lyapunov function. And then, applying linear matrix inequalities techniques, the design method of the finite-time optimal passive filter is derived and can be obtained in the form of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the developed approaches.
Osteoarthritis-like changes and decreased mechanical function of articular cartilage in the joints of mice with the chondrodysplasia gene (cho).

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether heterozygosity for a loss-of-function mutation in the gene encoding the alpha1 chain of type XI collagen (Col11a1) in mice (chondrodysplasia, cho) causes osteoarthritis (OA), and to understand the biochemical and biomechanical effects of this mutation on articular cartilage in knee and temporomandibular (TM) joints. METHODS Articular cartilage from the knee and TM joints of mice heterozygous for cho (cho/+) and their wild-type littermates (+/+) was examined. The morphologic properties of cartilage were evaluated, and collagen fibrils were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine the protein expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) and MMP-13 in knee joints. In 6-month-old animals, fixed-charge density was determined using a semiquantitative histochemical method, and tensile stiffness was determined using an osmotic loading technique. RESULTS The diameter of collagen fibrils in articular cartilage of knee joints from heterozygous cho/+ mice was increased relative to that in control cartilage, and histologic analysis showed OA-like degenerative changes in knee and TM joints, starting at age 3 months. The changes became more severe with aging. At 3 months, protein expression for MMP-3 was increased in knee joints from cho/+ mice. At 6 months, protein expression for MMP-13 was higher in knee joints from cho/+ mice than in joints from their wild-type littermates, and negative fixed-charge density was significantly decreased. Moreover, tensile stiffness in articular cartilage of knee joints from cho/+ mice was moderately reduced and was inversely correlated with the increase in articular cartilage degeneration. CONCLUSION Heterozygosity for a loss-of-function mutation in Col11a1 results in the development of OA in the knee and TM joints of cho/+ mice. Morphologic and biochemical evidence of OA appears to precede significant mechanical changes, suggesting that the cho mutation leads to OA through a mechanism that does not initially involve mechanical factors.
Die Performance deutscher Aktienfonds: Lassen sich Selektions- und Timingfähigkeiten nachweisen und hat die Wahl des Performancemaßes einen Einfluss auf die Beurteilung?

Neben den klassischen Performancemasen, wie der Sharpe-Ratio, der Treynor-Ratio und dem Jensen-Alpha wurden in den letzten Jahrzehnten weiterfuhrende Ansatze fur die Analyse und Bewertung von Kapitalanlagen entwickelt. Die moderneren Performancemase verlangen keine Konstanz der Risikomase wahrend des Betrachtungszeitraums oder berucksichtigen auch andere Risikomase als die Volatilitat bzw. Beta und setzen somit keine Normalverteilung der Renditen voraus. Die durchgefuhrte empirische Untersuchung anhand von 66 Aktienfonds mit dem Anlageschwerpunkt Deutschland zeigt, dass die Fondsmanager in allen analysierten Perioden uber nahezu keinerlei Fahigkeiten bei der Titelauswahl verfugen. Der Vergleich verschiedener Performancemase zeigt zudem, dass die Wahl des Performancemases nur einen marginalen Einfluss auf das Ranking und damit die Beurteilung besitzt. Ferner lasst sich bei den verschiedenen Performancemasen kein zeitlicher Zusammenhang zwischen den Ergebnissen der verschiedenen Analyseperioden feststellen.
Cross-City Variations in Housing Outcomes in Postreform China

Using the 2005 microcensus data set, this research adopts a multilevel approach to examine housing outcomes in relation to city-level contexts. We find that housing stratification in contemporary China is not homogeneous across cities but rather is spatially dynamic and conditioned by local contexts. Net of other effects, per capita gross domestic product and housing price are significantly associated with housing outcomes in the open market, whereas the effect of a city's administrative rank is restricted to the social housing domain. In addition, in relatively rich cities, the advantage of proper institutional affiliations in owning commodity housing somewhat diminishes, but it remains persistent, if not strengthened, in owning reformed housing and affordable housing. The effects of market-related factors (i.e., education and income) on housing outcomes also vary across cities.
LOG p-DIVISIBLE GROUPS (D’APRÉS KATO)

1.1. 1. A pre-log structure on a scheme X is an étale sheaf of commutative monoids M over X equipped with a map α : M → OX of sheaves of monoids. A log structure is a pre-log structure where α induces an isomorphism α−1(O× X) ∼= O × X . The forgetful functor from the category of log structures to that of pre-log structures has a left adjoint that takes a pre-log structure (M,α) to its associated log structure (M, α).
Strategies And Practices Of Talent Management And Their Impact On Employee Retention And Effectiveness

The talent management is one of the primary managemental tool in 21 st century human assets management. This paper studied the strategies and practices of talent management and their impact on employee retention and effectiveness of its execution at AREVA T&D India Ltd. The prime focus of this study has to analysis the talent management initiative taken by the HR professional and find out the effectiveness of such initiatives as well as the satisfaction level of the employees. Simple percentage analysis, Chi squire test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for evaluation. The study revealed that age of employees is independent from satisfaction but experience of employees does affect the satisfaction with the practices of talent management. Finding of ANOVA revealed that each of the parameter has a different impact on effectiveness of talent management practices but a distinctive impact on employee's satisfaction.
Epidemiology of celiac sprue: a community-based study.

OBJECTIVE To address the frequency and outcome of celiac disease in a United States community. METHODS We identified all Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents diagnosed with this condition during the period, 1960 through 1990, using the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Twenty-eight incident cases (19 women, nine men) were identified. RESULTS The overall age- and gender-adjusted incidence of celiac disease in the community was 1.2 per 100,000 person-yr (95% CI 0.7, 1.6). There were no significant changes in incidence over time, although rates did increase; the incidence was similar in men and women and rose with age in both genders (p < 0.05). Survival in this inception cohort was 100% at 6 months and 96% at 5 yr, which was not significantly different from expected. The estimated prevalence on January 1, 1991, was 21.8 per 100,000. CONCLUSION This study provides the first epidemiologic data on celiac disease in the United States.
An efficient algorithm for finding the centers of conics and quadrics in noisy data

We present an efficient algorithm for finding the center of conics and quadrics of known parameters in noisy or scarce data. The problem arises in applications where a conic or quadric of known parameters, such as a circle of known radius, is extracted from a scene or part. Although the original problem is nonlinear and usually requires an iterative method for its solution, we reduce it to the well-known problem of minimizing a nonhomogeneous quadratic expression on the unit sphere. In the case of closed conics and quadrics, such as circles, ellipses, spheres, and ellipsoids, we obtain the solution in just one iteration, and no starting estimate is required. For hyperbolas and hyperboloids, we describe the Gauss Seidel algorithm, for which we give a Lyapunov type proof of convergence. Furthermore, every iteration of this algorithm satisfies all constraints.
Curative Potencies against α-Amanitin Poisoning by Cytochrome c

The fatalities occurring after ingestion of the poisonous mushroom Amanita phalloides are thought to be due to α-amanitin. Cytochrome c provided antidotal effects against a lethal dose of this toxin in mice. Significant survival was obtained even when the treatment was withheld for 8 hours. The enzyme was superior to a previously explored therapeutic regimen consisting of penicillin and its combination with chloramphenicol and sulfamethoxazole.
A MAXIMAL MOMENT INEQUALITY FOR LONG RANGE DEPENDENT TIME SERIES WITH APPLICATIONS TO ESTIMATION AND MODEL SELECTION

We establish a maximal moment inequality for the weighted sum of a long- range dependent process. An extension to H$\acute{a}$jek-R$\acute{e}$ny and Chow's type inequality is then obtained. It enables us to deduce a strong law for the weighted sum of a stationary long-range dependent time series. To illustrate its usefulness, applications of the inequality to estimation and model selection in multiple regression models with long-range dependent errors are given.