Sustainability of businesses, if not more, is equally important as profitability. As a means of measuring sustainability, the ESG score has solidified its acceptance among firms as well as other stakeholders all over the world. In the world of business, the only permanent thing is evaluation. Like sustainability, the paradigm has also been shifted from tangible to intangible assets like goodwill, patents, trademark, etc. In recent years, ESG as a sustainability performance evaluation system has drawn the attention of many academics and students as a topic of research. There have been many studies highlighting the relationship of firms’ sustainability performance with their economic outcomes and risks. However, no study has been conducted on the impact of ESG scores on goodwill. Our study evaluates the relationship between ESG scores and firms’ goodwill.Sweden is chosen as the research area which is the highest-ranked country in terms of sustainability in the years 2017 and 2018. There is a high probability of getting a dependable result where ESG is given proper importance. Rifinitiv datastream is used as the source of data for this study. We have considered the listed companies of OMX Stockholm 30 (except 4 banks) as a sample from the year 2010 to 2019. We have considered shareholder theory, stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory, goodwill, and merger and acquisition to analyze and interpret the underlying significance of our study. The result of our study shows that there is a significant negative impact of ESG score on gross goodwill/ total asset. Similar results have been found between the individual E, S, and G scores and gross goodwill/ total assets.

2015 konnte in mehreren Studien ESCAPE, EXTENDED IA, MR CLEAN, REVASCAT, SWIFT-PRIME eine signifikante Überlegenheit der mechanischen Thrombektomie verglichen mit der alleinigen i. v. Lysetherapie mit rtPA bezogen auf Revaskularisierung bei Patienten mit einer LVO (large vessel occlusion) nachgewiesen werden. Diese neue Therapiemöglichkeit erforderte eine Aufteilung der Patienten die von einer Thrombektomie profitieren (LVO) und der Patienten, die keiner Thrombektomie zugeführt werden können (nLVO). Die zentrale Fragestellung der Studie ist: Kann ein symptomorientierter Schlaganfallscore die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines großen intrakraniellen Gefäßverschlusses mit hinreichender Präzision vorhersagen und kann auf Basis dieser Vorhersage ein Patient direkt in ein übergeordnetes Schlagfanfallzentrum gebracht werden, obwohl sich dadurch eine Bridging Lysetherapie verzögern würde? Um diesen Fragen auf den Grund zu gehen führten wir eine monozentrische Querschnittstudie durch, in deren Rahmen 215 Patienten rekrutiert wurden. Die Rekrutierung erfolgte mittels eines aus Subitems bereits etablierter Schlafanfallscores (FAST, CPSS, LAPSS, 3ISS, RACE), zusammengesetzten Fragebogens. Die ausgefüllten Fragebögen wurde in Excel digitalisiert und mittels SPSS, Signifikanz und Odds Ratio berechnet. Anschließend wurde aus den signifikanten Subitems mit der höchsten Odds Ratio ein neuer einfach anzuwendender Schlaganfallscore, bestehend aus den präklinisch erhobenen Daten gebildet (Würzburg Score of Large Vessel Occlusions, WOLVE- Score). Weiter wurden Signifikanz, Odds Ratio, Sensitivität und Spezifität des WOLVE-Score mit denen der oben genannten etablieren Scores verglichen. / 2015 several publications ESCAPE, EXTENDED IA, MR CLEAN, REVASCAT, SWIFT-PRIME proofed a significant superiority of the mechanical thrombectomy in Patients suffering from a LVO (large vessel occlusion) concerning revascularization rates compared to i. v. thrombolysis with rtPA, alone. This newly discovered therapy required a new distribution of patients who could profit from a thrombectomy (LVO) and those who would not profit from a thrombectomy (nLVO). The key question is: Can a symptom related stroke score predict the probability of a large vessel occlusion with a sufficient precision and is it possible to admit a patient to a comprehensive stroke center based on this prediction, even though an early bridging thrombolysis is delayed. To answer this question we performed a cross-sectional study in which 215 patients were recruited by using a composite questionnaire consisting of subitems from established stroke scores (FAST, CPSS, LAPSS, 3ISS, RACE). The questionnaire was digitalized in Ecxel. Statistical calculations of the significancy and the odds ratio were conducted in SPSS. The significant subitems with the highest odds ratio were used to construct a new simple stroke score for LVO recognition in the field (Würzburg Score of Large Vessel Occlusions, WOLVE- Score). Eventually the significancy, odds ratio sensitivity and specificity of the WOLVE-Score were calculated and compared to the ones of the established scores.

archives@tulane.edu / Background: Human Biological Aging (BA) estimates are developed by human to better capture the gradual increase in the vulnerability of the aging body than chronological age. Human sleep dimensions have been suggested to be associated with human health indicators including cardiometabolic function, cognitive function and mortality. The objective of this study was to examine indicators of BA and their predictive validity using Klemera and Doubal’s Method (KDM), and Physiological Dysregulation Method (PDM) for quantifying BA, as well as to explore if phenotypical and genetic associations between sleep variables and BA estimates exist, using the Bogalusa Heart Study (BHS) – a community-based, cohort study. Method: In order to estimate BA, nineteen biomarkers were selected. Training datasets were from NHANES. The target dataset included 1,034 BHS subjects assessed between 2013-2016. Training was done separately for male and female, black and white participants. KDM and Mahalanobis Distance (DM) based PDM methods were used. Cognitive and physical performance testing were used to examine predictive validity. The association between three sleep dimension variables and BA estimates were explored using 953 black and white BHS 2013-2016 subjects. Sleep duration in hours, chronotype scores and social jetlag in hours were the independent variables. BA estimates were the dependent variables. Genotyping information from the BHS 2013-2016 were included (n=646) for genetic association. Related SNPs on morning chronotype were used to compute a genetic risk score (GRS) for BHS participants. Association between chronotype GRS and chronotype phenotype were explored. Multivariate linear regression was used for all association analyses. Results: BA estimates were calculated using both the KDM and PDM methods. Linear regression showed that PDM BA estimates were associated with lower cognitive function physical performance tests. The effect sizes of all associations between PDM BA estimates and performance tests were of greater magnitude than between KDM estimates and performance tests. Short sleep duration and evening chronotype was associated with larger PDM BA estimates. Morning chronotype GRS was not associated with morning chronotype phenotype among BHS participants. Conclusion: PDM BA estimates are robust measures of biological aging in black and white men and women enrolled in the BHS. Insufficient sleep duration and evening chronotype may advance biological aging, regardless of gender, race and CA. We did not find association between morning chronotype GRS and morning chronotype phenotype. PDM BA estimates should be recommended for future aging studies using data from BHS participants. / 1 / Xunming Sun

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / Objectives: Diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TM) is a challenge in countries with a high burden of the disease and constrained resources and clinical prediction rules (CPRs) could be of assistance. We aimed at developing a CPR for diagnosis of TM in a Latin American setting with high tuberculosis incidence and a concentrated HIV epidemic. Methods: We enrolled adult patients with clinical suspicion of TM attending two hospitals in Lima, Peru. We obtained information on potential anamnestic, clinical and laboratory predictive findings that are easy to collect and promptly available. We independently diagnosed TM according to a composite reference standard that included a series of microbiological tests. We performed bivariate analysis and constructed a logistic regression model to select the predictive findings associated with TM. With the selected predictors included in the model, we developed a score-based CPR. We assessed its internal validity and diagnostic performance. Results: Of 155 analysed patients, 59 (38%) had TM. The CPR we derived includes three predictors: cough for 14 days or more, 10–500 cells in CSF and adenosine deaminase ≥ 6 U/l in CSF. It classifies patients into high-, moderate- or low-score groups and has an overall area under the ROC curve of 0.87. 59% of patients were assigned to either the high- or the low-score group, permitting prompt decision-making. In patients in the high-score group, it attains a positive likelihood ratio for TM of 10.6 and in patients with low scores, a negative likelihood ratio of 0.10. Bootstrap analysis indicated high internal validity. Conclusion: This CPR could support decision-making in patients with clinical suspicion of TM. External validation and further assessment of its clinical impact are necessary before application in other settings. / Revisión por pares

A series of 4 observational studies was performed on a Bovelder herd at Johannesburg Water’s Northern Farm. The heifer and cow breeding seasons started on 15 October and 1 November every year, and consisted of 50 d and 60 d of oestrus observation respectively, with once daily artificial insemination (AI). Five to 7 days after the AI period bulls were added in multi-sire groups for a period of 42 d. Pregnancy diagnoses were performed between 23 March and 26 April every year. The farming system had been in place for >25 years, with few deviations. In the first study, reproductive tract scoring (RTS) by transrectal palpation on a 5- point scale was performed 1 day before the start of breeding on a group of heifers (n = 272) born in 2002. Heifers with RTS 1 or 2 were estimated to be pre-pubertal, those with RTS 3 pubertal and those with RTS 4 or 5 post-pubertal. Pre-breeding body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) were recorded, and Kleiber ratio (KR) was calculated (average daily gain/end weight0.75). Heifers were followed until they weaned their first calves. The objectives of this study were to determine if RTS is a valid tool to predict reproduction and production performance in limited bred beef heifers, and to compare its predictive value with that of BW, BCS, age and KR. After adjustment for BW and age, RTS was positively associated with pregnancy rate to the 50 day AI season (P < 0.01), calf weaning weight (P < 0.01) and pregnancy rate to the subsequent breeding season (P < 0.01), and negatively associated with days to calving (P < 0.01). RTS was a better predictor of fertility than was vi KR, and similar in its prediction of calf weaning weight. It was concluded that RTS is a predictor of heifer fertility and compares well with other traits used as a predictor of production outcomes. It was further hypothesised that RTS may predict long-term reproductive performance due to its association with pregnancy outcome and days to calving after first breeding, combined with reports that heifers calving early tend to calve early in subsequent seasons and have increased lifetime production. In study 2, a 7-year longitudinal study, 292 beef cows in two age cohorts were observed from 1-2 d before their first breeding season (day of RTS), until they had weaned up to 5 calves. Years to reproductive failure was defined as the number of years until a cow failed to become pregnant during the AI season. Animals with RTS 1 or 2 were at increased risk of early reproductive failure compared to those with RTS 4 or 5 (HR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.0, 1.9) despite the fact that RTS was not associated with calving rate or days to calving after the second calving season. The predictive value of RTS was lower in the age cohort with a higher prevalence of anoestrus. Most animals with RTS 1 or 2 that were subsequently detected in oestrus were in early to mid di-oestrus at the time of scoring. It was concluded that RTS is a valid culling tool to improve long-term reproductive success in a seasonal breeding system, by excluding poor performing animals. It was further concluded that the predictive value of RTS decreases with increasing prevalence of anoestrus and at certain stages of the oestrous cycle. Apart from failure to calve, dystocia as a result of foeto-maternal disproportion is the cause of significant production loss in beef heifers. Internal pelvis area (PA) can be calculated as the product of vertical and horizontal diameter of the pelvis measured transrectally using a calliper device. In study 3, the effects of five culling strategies using prebreeding PA data on calving and dystocia rates and on pre-breeding and calf birth weight (BWT) were compared in 484 heifers. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine independent predictors of PA, calf BWT and dystocia. Hypothetical culling of 10 or 20% of heifers was applied within age cohort after ranking by each of the following: unadjusted PA (PA); PA adjusted to 365 d of age (APA); PA:BW ratio (PA:BW); PA adjusted to the median BW of the group by the regression coefficient of PA on BW(BWPA) and PA similarly adjusted to the median lean BW (LBWPA). Dam parity, calf BWT and either BWPA or LBWPA were the only independent predictors of dystocia (P < 0.05), whereas the effect of PA tended to be significant only after adjusting for calf BWT (P = 0.08). After culling by PA or APA, retained heifers were heavier, had a higher calving rate and calves tended to be heavier at birth compared to culled heifers, but dystocia rates were not different. Although culling by PA:BW resulted in lower dystocia rate, it resulted in lower pre-breeding BW in retained than in culled heifers. Culling by BWPA and LBWPA had better sensitivity and specificity for dystocia than PA, and resulted in higher calving- and lower dystocia rates in the retained heifers, without affecting the pre-breeding BW or calf BWT. It was concluded that pelvimetry is a useful culling tool to aid in the management of dystocia in yearling heifers, and that adjustment of PA to median BW within age group improves its accuracy and avoids the undesirable side-effects of using unadjusted PA. The strong association of PA with calving rate resulted in the hypothesis for study 4, namely that PA can add prognostic value to RTS as a predictor of reproductive failure in beef heifers. Transrectal ultrasound (US) examination of the reproductive tract was also investigated in this study (n = 488) with the objective of identifying which ultrasonographic measures taken at a single point in time before the onset of breeding were independently associated with reproductive outcomes. In this study pregnancy failure was defined as the failure to become pregnant after the AI and bull breeding periods while anoestrus was defined as the failure to be detected in oestrus during the entire 50 d AI period. BCS, uterus horn diameter, absence of a CL, largest follicle of less than 13mm and PA were the pre-breeding examination variables that remained in prognostic models (P < 0.1). Combining either the model based on the three remaining US measures or RTS with PA provided more accurate prognostic models for pregnancy failure and anoestrus than using RTS alone (P < 0.05). It was concluded that US measures have prognostic value for pregnancy failure in restricted bred yearling heifers as a result of their association with anoestrus, and that smaller PA has additional value to identify poor performing heifers. In conclusion, pre-breeding examination is useful to identify beef cows with lower potential to reproduce successfully over the long term in a restricted breeding system. It is recommended that PA should always be included in such examination, either unadjusted or adjusted by BW, in herds with a low and high incidence of dystocia respectively, in combination with ultrasonography of the reproductive tract. When ultrasonography is not available, the accuracy of RTS by transrectal palpation can likely be improved by repeating it in low scoring animals after 7 days. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Production Animal Studies / unrestricted

Adverse Childhood Experience Scores, more commonly known as ACE scores, have provided new insight into the effects of adverse events on longstanding health and chronic illnesses in adults. Evidence shows that individuals with history of ACEs have increased risk of developing multiple chronic illnesses with or without increased exposure to activities that are detrimental to health, i.e. tobacco, alcohol, or other drug use. Additionally, a history of ACEs significantly increases an individual’s likelihood of participating in behaviors that are detrimental to long-term health, including risky behaviors and resulting addiction issues. However, in most individuals with ACEs, their childhood experiences, or the extent of the experience, is not likely to be mentioned in casual conversation. By increasing knowledge on ACE scores and implementing scoring of all individuals possible, it would improve a physician’s ability to assess risk and health screening needs for a patient on a more individualized basis. The purpose of this study is to educate Bristol Family Medicine residents on the daily uses and clinical correlations provided by ACE scoring in an attempt to increase score documentation of future patients.We will begin by providing a short knowledge assessment about ACE scores to residents in the Bristol Family Medicine residency program. We will then give a detailed presentation on the usefulness and effectiveness of using ACE scores in clinical judgement and screening. Following the presentation, we will provide a similar knowledge assessment as well as a questionnaire to assess likelihood of residents to implement ACE scores in their current practice.

Kaplan and Norton have provided a framework to link control to an organization's vision-the balanced scorecard. This approach provides measures in four areas: (1) Customer, (2) Internal Business, (3) Innovation and Learning and (4) Financial. This article provides a starting point in adapting this method to a church by looking at four measurement perspectives: (1) Members/Attenders, (2) Internal Ministry Processes, (3) Ministering, and (4) Innovation and Learning. An example is then developed using a church's mission and visio.

Purpose: Sonography provides a fast, portable, and noninvasive method for patient assessment. However, the benefit of providing real-time ultrasound (US) imaging and fluid quantification shortly after patient arrival has not been explored. The objective of this study was to prospectively validate a US hemoperitoneum scoring system developed at our institution and determine whether sonography can predict a therapeutic operation. Methods: For 12 months, prospective data on all patients undergoing a trauma sonogram were recorded. All sonograms positive for free fluid were given a hemoperitoneum score. The US score was compared with initial systolic blood pressure and base deficit to assess the ability of sonography to predict a therapeutic laparotomy. Results: Forty of 46 patients (87%) with a US score ≥ 3 required a therapeutic laparotomy. Forty-six of 54 patients with a US score < 3 (85%) did not need operative intervention. The sensitivity of sonography was 83% compared with 28% and 49% for systolic blood pressure and base deficit, respectively, in determining the need for therapeutic operation. Conclusion: We conclude that the majority of patients with a score ≥ 3 will need surgery. The US hemoperitoneum scoring system was a better predictor of a therapeutic laparotomy than initial blood pressure and/or base deficit.

Covariate quality has been primarily theory driven in propensity score matching with a general adversity to the interpretation of group prediction. However, effect sizes are well supported in the literature and may help to inform the method. Specifically, I index can be used as a measure of effect size in logistic regression to evaluate group prediction. As such, simulation was used to create 35 conditions of I, initial bias and sample size to examine statistical differences in (a) post-matching bias reduction and (b) treatment effect sensitivity. The results of this study suggest these conditions do not explain statistical differences in percent bias reduction of treatment likelihood after matching. However, I and sample size do explain statistical differences in treatment effect sensitivity. Treatment effect sensitivity was lower when sample sizes and I increased. However, this relationship was mitigated within smaller sample sizes as I increased above I = .50.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Observational studies offer unique advantages over randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in many situations where RCTs are not feasible or suffer from major limitations such as insufficient sample sizes and narrowly focused populations. Because observational data are relatively easy and inexpensive to access, and contain rich and comprehensive demographic and medical information on large and representative populations, they have played a major role in the assessment of the effectiveness and safety of medical interventions. However, observational data also have the challenges of higher rates of missing data and the confounding effect. My proposal is on the development of three statistical methods to address these challenges. The first method is on the refinement and extension of a multiply robust (MR) estimation procedure that simultaneously accounts for the confounding effect and missing covariate process, where we derived the asymptotic variance estimator and extended the method to the scenario where the missing covariate is continuous. The second method focuses on the improvement of estimation precision in an RCT by a historical control cohort. This was achieved through augmenting the conventional effect estimator with an extra mean zero (approximately) term correlated with the conventional effect estimator. In the third method, we calibrated the hidden database bias of an electronic medical records database and utilized an empirical Bayes method to improve the accuracy of the estimation of the risk of acute myocardial infarction associated with a drug by borrowing information from other drugs.