Bankruptcy and the size effect

.Bankruptcy; Distress Risk; Financial Firms; Regime Shifts; Size Effect

International Diversification: An Extreme Value Approach

.Diversification; Downside Risk; Correlation Complexity; Extreme Value; Systemic Risk

International Diversification: A Copula Approach

.Diversification; Copula; Correlation Complexity; Downside Risk; Systemic Risk

Comparison of clinical outcomes and toxicity in endometrial cancer patients treated with adjuvant intensity-modulated radiation therapy or conventional radiotherapy

PurposeTo evaluate the treatment outcomes and toxicity in endometrial cancer patients treated with hysterectomy and adjuvant intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or conventional radiotherapy (CRT).MethodsThere were 101 patients with stage IA-IIIC2 endometrial carcinoma treated with hysterectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy. In total, 36 patients received adjuvant CRT and 65 were treated with adjuvant IMRT. The endpoints were overall survival, local failure-free survival, and disease-free survival. Patients were assessed for acute toxicity weekly according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0. Late toxicity was evaluated according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Late Radiation Morbidity Scoring Schema.ResultsThe 5-year overall survival, local failure-free survival, and disease-free survival for the CRT group and the IMRT group were 82.9% versus 93.5% (p = 0.26), 93.7% versus 89.3% (p = 0.68), and 88.0% versus 82.8% (p = 0.83), respectively. Four (11.1%) patients had Grade 3 or greater acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity and three (8.3%) patients had Grade 3 or greater acute genitourinary (GU) toxicity in the CRT group, whereas four (6.2%) patients had Grade 3 or greater acute GI toxicity in the IMRT group and no patient had severe GU toxicity. There was one (2.8%) patient who had Grade 3 or greater late GI toxicity and one (2.8%) patient had Grade 3 or greater late GU toxicity in the CRT group, whereas no patient had severe GI or GU toxicity in the IMRT group.ConclusionAdjuvant IMRT for endometrial cancer patients had comparable clinical outcomes with CRT and had less acute and late toxicity

Non-leisure time physical activity is an independent predictor of longevity for a Taiwanese elderly population: an eight-year follow-up study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and non-leisure time physical activity (NLTPA) on mortality among the elderly in Taiwan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is a prospective observational cohort study. We analyzed the mortality data from a cohort of 876 non-institutionalized community-dwelling men and women aged 65 years or over, who were recruited by stratified clustering random sampling from Tainan city and participated in the 1996 Elderly Medication Survey. Information about activities and other variables were collected by structured interviews at baseline in the participants' home. The Cox proportional hazards model and crude death rate were applied to estimate mortality risk.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among the 876 participants, 312 died during the follow-up period (1996-2004). In the unadjusted Cox regression model, subjects aged over 75, having difficulty in carrying out activities of daily living (ADLs), a BMI less than 18.5, a history of diabetes mellitus or stroke, without LTPA or being inactive in NLTPA, were found to have a higher risk of eight-year mortality. With the adjustment for age, gender, education level, habitual smoking and drinking, living status, BMI and medical history, the mortality was found to be higher among the sedentary subjects, either defined by lack of LTPA or NLTPA, with the hazard ratio of 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.97-1.66) and 1.45 (95% CI = 1.07-1.97), respectively. Furthermore, when both LTPA and NLTPA were put into the model simultaneously, NLTPA (HR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.03-1.91) but not LTPA (HR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.92-1.59) significantly predicted mortality during eight-year follow-up. In addition, subjects who were actively engaged in NLTPA had a lower mortality risk especially in subjects without performing LTPA.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>NLTPA is an independent predictor of longevity among older people in Taiwan. A physically active lifestyle, especially engaged in NLTPA, is associated with lower mortality risk in the elderly population. We thus suggest that encouraging older people to keep on engaging in customary NLTPA is good for their health.</p

Using Sidereal Rotation Period Expressions to Calculate the Sun’s Rotation Period through Observation of Sunspots

We utilize sidereal rotation period expressions to calculate the sun’s rotation period via sunspot observation. From the well-known astronomical sites, we collected sunspot diagrams for 14 months, from January 2013 to February 2014, to analyze, compare, and implement statistical research. In addition to acquiring the average angular rate of the movement of sunspots, we found that even the same number of sunspots moved at different angular rates, and generally the life of larger sunspots is longer than 10 days. Therefore the larger sunspots moved around the back of the sun, and a handful of relatively smaller sunspots disappeared within a few days. The results show that the solar rotation period varied with the latitude. However, if we take the average of the sunspots at high and low latitudes, we find that the calculated value is very close to the accredited values

Multi-parametric neuroimaging evaluation of cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis and its correlation with neuropsychological presentations

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is a rare genetic disorder. Recent studies show that brain damage in CTX patients extends beyond the abnormalities observed on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We studied the MRI and ^{99 m}Tc-ethyl cysteinate dimer single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) findings of CTX patients and made a correlation with the neuropsychological presentations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and 3D T1-weighted images of five CTX patients were compared with 15 age-matched controls. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was use to delineate gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volume loss. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and eigenvalues derived from DTI were used to detect WM changes and correlate with neuropsychological results. SPECT functional studies were used to correlate with GM changes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Cognitive results showed that aside from moderate mental retardation, the patient group performed worse in all cognitive domains. Despite the extensive GM atrophy pattern, the cerebellum, peri-Sylvian regions and parietal-occipital regions were correlated with SPECT results. WM atrophy located in the peri-dentate and left cerebral peduncle areas corresponded with changes in diffusion measures, while axial and radial diffusivity suggested both demyelinating and axonal changes. Changes in FA and MD were preceded by VBM in the corpus callosum and corona radiata. Cognitive results correlated with FA changes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In CTX, GM atrophy affected the perfusion patterns. Changes in WM included atrophy, and axonal changes with demyelination. Disconnection of major fiber tracts among different cortical regions may contribute to cognitive impairment.</p

RssAB Signaling Coordinates Early Development of Surface Multicellularity in Serratia marcescens

Bacteria can coordinate several multicellular behaviors in response to environmental changes. Among these, swarming and biofilm formation have attracted significant attention for their correlation with bacterial pathogenicity. However, little is known about when and where the signaling occurs to trigger either swarming or biofilm formation. We have previously identified an RssAB two-component system involved in the regulation of swarming motility and biofilm formation in Serratia marcescens. Here we monitored the RssAB signaling status within single cells by tracing the location of the translational fusion protein EGFP-RssB following development of swarming or biofilm formation. RssAB signaling is specifically activated before surface migration in swarming development and during the early stage of biofilm formation. The activation results in the release of RssB from its cognate inner membrane sensor kinase, RssA, to the cytoplasm where the downstream gene promoters are located. Such dynamic localization of RssB requires phosphorylation of this regulator. By revealing the temporal activation of RssAB signaling following development of surface multicellular behavior, our findings contribute to an improved understanding of how bacteria coordinate their lifestyle on a surface