Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selecting the optimal renewable energy using multi criteria decision making

Renewable energies are well-known as one of the most important energy resources not only due to limited other energy resources, but also due to environmental problems associated with air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable energy project selection is a multi actors and sophisticated problem because it is a need to incorporate social, economic, technological, and environmental considerations. Multi criteria decision making (MCDM) methods are powerful tools to evaluate and rank the alternatives among a pool of alternatives and select the best one. COPRAS (COmplex PRoportional ASsessment) is an MCDM technique which determines the best alternative by calculating the ratio to the ideal solution and the negative ideal solution. On the other hand, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is widely used in order to calculate the importance weights of evaluation criteria. In this paper an integrated COPRAS-AHP methodology is proposed to select the best renewable energy project. In order to validate the output of the proposed model, the model is compared with five MCDM tools. The results of this paper demonstrate the capability and effectiveness of the proposed model in selecting the most appropriate renewable energy option among the existing alternatives.
Does the New Conceptual Framework Provide Adequate Concepts for Reporting Relevant Information about Performance?

Abstract The basic question we raise in this paper is whether the 2013 Discussion Paper (DP 2013) on the Conceptual Framework provides adequate principles for reporting an entity's performance and what improvements could be made in the light of both user needs and evidence from academic literature. DP 2013 proposes to continue applying a balance sheet approach to financial accounting, whereby the income statement serves as a statement explaining changes in an entity's financial position. Performance is reduced to a discussion of possible approaches to defining other comprehensive income items and recycling. We conclude that the literature supports a more refined approach to communicating relevant attributes of performance, defining performance independently from assets and liabilities and taking into account various relevant disaggregations within profit or loss. We therefore propose a more balanced approach to financial reporting whereby the balance sheet and income statement are treated as equally important and the income statement gives more information about various relevant attributes of performance.
The Effect of Gestational Age at Birth on Post-Term Maturation of Heart Rate Variability

Study Objective: Preterm birth delays maturation of autonomic cardiovascular control, reflected in reduced heart rate variability (HRV) in preterm compared to term infants at term-equivalent age. It has been suggested that immature cardiovascular control contributes to the increased risk for the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in preterm infants. However, the effects of prone sleeping, the major SIDS risk factor, and of gestational age (GA) at birth on HRV have not been assessed in preterm infants beyond term-equivalent age. mean GA 33.5 ± 0.3 weeks), and term (n = 17; mean GA 40.1 ± 0.3 weeks) infants were recruited and underwent daytime polysomnography at 2–4 weeks, 2–3 months, and 5–6 months post-term corrected age (CA). Infants slept both supine and prone. HRV was assessed in the low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) ranges. Results: There was no effect of prone sleeping on HRV parameters in either preterm group. In term infants LF/HF was significantly elevated in the prone position in AS at 2–4 weeks (P < 0.05). HF HRV was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) and LF/HF increased (P < 0.05) in very preterm compared to both preterm and term infants at 2–3 months CA. Conclusion: Prone sleeping did not significantly impact on heart rate variability (HRV) in preterm infants. However, reduced maturation of high frequency HRV in very preterm infants resulted in significantly altered sympathovagal balance at 2–3 months corrected age, the age of peak sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) risk. This may contribute to the increased risk of SIDS in infants born at earlier gestational age. The effect of gestational age
Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Survives within Neutrophils

ABSTRACT Extracellular pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains are common causes of a variety of clinical syndromes, including urinary tract infections, abdominal infections, nosocomial pneumonia, neonatal meningitis, and sepsis. ExPEC strains are extracellular bacterial pathogens; therefore, the innate immune response (e.g., professional phagocytes) plays a crucial role in the host defense against them. Studies using the model ExPEC strain CP9 demonstrated that it is relatively resistant to neutrophil-mediated bactericidal activity. Although this could be due to resistance to phagocytosis, the ability of CP9 to survive the intracellular killing mechanisms of neutrophils is another possibility. Using a variation of the intracellular invasion assay, we studied the survival of CP9 within peripheral blood-derived human neutrophils. Our results indicated that CP9 did survive within human neutrophils, but we were unable to demonstrate that intracellular replication occurred. This finding was not unique to CP9, since when a conservative assessment of survival was used, four of six additional ExPEC strains, but not an E. coli laboratory strain, were also capable of survival within neutrophils. Initial studies in which we began to decipher the mechanisms by which CP9 is able to successfully survive intracellular neutrophil-mediated bactericidal activity demonstrated that CP9 was at least partially susceptible to the neutrophil oxidative burst. Therefore, absolute resistance to the oxidative burst is not a mechanism by which ExPEC survives within neutrophils. In addition, electron microscopy studies showed that CP9 appeared to be present in phagosomes within neutrophils. Therefore, avoidance of phagosomal uptake or subsequent escape from the phagosome does not appear to be a mechanism that contributes to CP9's survival. These findings suggest that survival of ExPEC within neutrophils may be an important virulence mechanism.
Social and Environmental Disclosure and Corporate Characteristics: A Research Note and Extension

This paper is concerned with the attempts to explain the disclosure of social and environmental information in the annual reports of large companies by reference to observable characteristics of those companies. An extensive literature has sought to establish whether variables such as corporate size, profit and industry segments can explain corporations' disclosure practices. The results from that predominantly North American and Australasian literature are largely inconclusive. This paper provides an extension of that literature by considering a more disaggregated specification of social and environmental disclosure and by employing a detailed time-series data set. By so doing, the paper tests two possible explanations for the inconclusiveness of prior research: namely that any relationships between corporate characteristics and disclosure are dependent upon the type of disclosure and that any such relationships are not stable through time. The results provide support for these explanations as sufficient, if not necessary, conditions for explaining the inconsistency in prior results. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd 2001.
De-marginalising the public in PPP projects through multi-stakeholders management

Various problems have been encountered on PPP initiatives around the world that have eventually led to PPP projects failures. Public opposition due to various factors has been reported as the main reason for failure in several instances. A significant number of these factors point to two interconnected aspects: definition of the principal project stakeholder (PPS) and the management of the principal project stakeholder (MPPS), as a multi-stakeholder. Current literature on the management of project stakeholders has focused on the implementation phase which involves the private sector while the public as the principal stakeholders remain marginalised. This paper focuses on the latter aspect and takes a critical look at the process of multi-stakeholder consultation and management in a PPP project environment. The paper advocates for a paradigm shift in PPP stakeholder management and provides a conceptual model for appropriate stakeholder management in PPP projects.
Corporate Governance and Efficiency: Evidence from U.S. Property–Liability Insurance Industry

This study examines the relation between corporate governance and the efficiency of the U.S. property–liability insurance industry during the period from 2000 to 2007. We find a significant relation between efficiency and corporate governance (board size, proportion of independent directors on the audit committee, proportion of financial experts on the audit committee, director tenure, proportion of block shareholding, average number of directorships, proportion of insiders on the board, and auditor dependence). We also find property–liability insurers have complied with the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act (SOX) to a large extent. Although SOX achieved the goal of greater auditor independence and might have prevented Enron‐like scandals, it had some unexpected effects. For example, insurers became less efficient when they had more independent auditors because the insurers were unable to recoup the benefits of auditor independence.
Human Well-Being and In-Work Benefits: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Many politicians believe they can intervene in the economy to improve people's lives. But can they? In a social experiment carried out in the United Kingdom, extensive in-work support was randomly assigned among 16,000 disadvantaged people. We follow a sub-sample of 3,500 single parents for 5 ensuing years. The results reveal a remarkable, and troubling, finding. Long after eligibility had ceased, the treated individuals had substantially lower psychological well-being, worried more about money, and were increasingly prone to debt. Thus helping people apparently hurt them. We discuss a behavioral framework consistent with our findings and reflect on implications for policy.
Opposite Influences of Endogenous Dopamine D1 and D2 Receptor Activation on Activity States and Electrophysiological Properties of Striatal Neurons: Studies CombiningIn Vivo Intracellular Recordings and Reverse Microdialysis

The tonic influence of dopamine D1 and D2receptors on the activity of striatal neurons in vivowas investigated by performing intracellular recordings concurrently with reverse microdialysis in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats. Striatal neurons were recorded in the vicinity of the microdialysis probe to assess their activity during infusions of artificial CSF (aCSF), the D1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 (10 μm), or the D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride (20 μm). SCH 23390 perfusion decreased the excitability of striatal neurons exhibiting electrophysiological characteristics of spiny projection cells as evidenced by a decrease in the maximal depolarized membrane potential, a decrease in the amplitude of up-state events, and an increase in the intracellular current injection amplitude required to elicit an action potential. Conversely, a marked depolarization of up- and down-state membrane potential modes, a decrease in the amplitude of intracellular current injection required to elicit an action potential, and an increase in the number of spikes evoked by depolarizing current steps were observed in striatal neurons after local eticlopride infusion. A significant increase in maximal EPSP amplitude evoked by electrical stimulation of the prefrontal cortex was also observed during local eticlopride but not SCH 23390 infusion. These results indicate that in intact systems, ongoing dopaminergic neurotransmission exerts a powerful tonic modulatory influence on the up- and down-state membrane properties of striatal neurons and controls their excitability differentially via both D1- and D2-like receptors. Moreover, a significant component of D2 receptor-mediated inhibition of striatal neuron activity in vivo occurs via suppression of excitatory synaptic transmission.
How “Collective” Is Union Citizenship Behavior? Assessing Individual and Coworker Antecedents

Contributing to an emerging literature on solidarity or group-norm effects on union participation, the authors examine the extent to which union citizenship behavior (UCB) can be characterized as a collective phenomenon. Findings from studies of UK local government workers and teachers suggest that, for organization-focused behaviors, it is meaningful to think of collective or group-level UCB. Furthermore, group-level UCB had a significant positive association with individual-level UCB. There was no evidence that a greater consistency of citizenship within a unit was associated with a stronger relationship between collective and individual citizenship behaviors. These findings suggest that it is worthwhile to analyze UCB as a collective phenomenon, and the authors call for more work on the contextual antecedents of union citizenship and participation.
Portfolio Considerations in the Valuation of Real Estate

When a real asset rises in price faster than inflation (as real estate did in the late 1970s) and rises significantly in price over an extended period (as real estate has done for the last decade and one-half), it concerns valuation and investment professionals who fear about it being over-valued. One of the reasons for such price performance may be an increase in demand due to the portfolio characteristics of the asset during the period of time in question. For real estate this means the proportion included in optimal portfolios should be significant and increasing as individual tax rates increase in an environment of increasing average tax rates.This study uses six tax brackets (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%) and portfolios consisting of three traditional assets (NYSE common stocks, corporate bonds and small stocks) plus three types of real estate (residential, business and farmland) to demonstrate that this is what has transpired in the real estate markets. Optimal portfolio weights are derived for each asset for after-tax portfolios. Real estate in general and residential real estate especially increased as a proportion of the optimal after-tax portfolio as individual tax rates increased. Other studies are used to demonstrate an environment of increasing average tax rates. Copyright American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association.
The determinants of customer loyalty: An analysis of intangible factors in three service industries

The purpose of this study is to investigate how customers’ perceptions of service quality, product quality, and price fairness influence their loyalty to a particular service provider. Based on the results of a pilot study, we have elected to study banks, auto repair and maintenance shops, and (gasoline) filling stations, each of which are characterized by differing degrees of intangible service provision. Our results show that customer satisfaction either fully or partially mediates the relationship between consumers’ perceptions and their loyalty. The direct or indirect effects on customer loyalty of the perception of product and service quality, as well as of perceived price fairness, are related to the differing levels of intangible service associated with each of the three different service industries.
Impact of E-Learning Strategy on Students’ Academic Performance at Strathmore University, Kenya

This study examined the impact of e-learning strategies on students’ academic performance at Strathmore University. The purpose of the study was to investigate the methodology, ideologies, output and ecology of ICT strategies and their impact on students’ performance. This was done through comparing students’ mean scores on courses deploying ICT in their delivery with those that do not. The findings were that the e-learning strategies adopted at the University positively impacted on students’ academic performance. However, a digital divide in disfavour of poor students is cutting back on the effectiveness of elearning at the University. The paper discusses recommendations towards improvements in deployment of e-learning. Keywords : Teaching and Learning; E-learning; ICT.
Frankenstein PSO applied to neural network weights and architectures

In this paper we present the FPSOA-FPSOP, a modified version of Frankstein Particle Swarm Optimization (FPSO), which is used to adjust the weights and architectures of a feedforward neural network. To evaluate the algorithm we used benchmark classification problems in medical care area. The results were compared with other algorithms which use the same methodology to find out the weights and architectures.
High Copy Number of Mitochondrial DNA Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients with Advanced Stage Colon Cancer

Introduction The aim of this investigation was to determine whether alterations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in colon cancer were associated with clinicopathological parameters and postsurgical outcome. Methods By quantitative real-time PCR assay, the mtDNA copy number was detected in a cohort of colon cancer and matched adjacent colon tissues (n = 162). Results The majority of patients had higher mtDNA content in colon cancer tissues than matched adjacent colon tissues. Moreover, high mtDNA content in tumor tissues was associated with larger tumor size, higher serum CEA level, advanced TNM stage, vascular emboli, and liver metastases. Further survival curve analysis showed that high mtDNA content was related to the worst survival in patients with colon cancer at advanced TNM stage. Conclusions High mtDNA content is a potential effective factor of poor prognosis in patients with advanced stage colon cancer.
Visible‐Light‐Induced Self‐Healing Diselenide‐Containing Polyurethane Elastomer

Visible light is an easily achievable and mild trigger for self-healing materials. By incorporating dynamic diselenide bonds into polyurethane, visible-light-induced self-healing materials can be fabricated. Besides mild visible light, the healing process can also be realized using directional laser irradiation, which makes the system a remotely controllable self-healing system.
Stock Returns, Inflation and Macroeconomy: The Long- and Short-Run Dynamics

We re-examine the inverse relationship between stock returns and inflation in the post- World War II period. Fama (1981) theorizes that the inverse inflation-stock return correlation is a proxy for the negative relationship between inflation and real activity. Geske and Roll (1983) argue that the inflation-stock return correlation reflects changes in government expenditures, real economic conditions and monetization of budget deficits. We test these hypotheses simultaneously using a multivariate vector-Error-Correction Model (VECM) proposed by Johansen and Juselius (1992, 1994). We find that both real activity and monetary fluctuations generate the contemporaneous correlation between stock returns and inflation. However, the Federal Reserve bank seems not to monetize Federal deficits, nor do government deficits appear to drive changes in real economic activity during the period examined. Thus, our results appear more compatible with Fama's explanation than that of Geske and Roll. More intriguingly, the sources of both real activity and monetary fluctuations are the long-run disequilibria of macroeconomy.
Investigating team work in the Egyptian context

Purpose – The aim is to explore in the Egyptian context the incidence and pervasiveness of teamworking, the types of teams in use, and to gather information on some of the factors perceived by researchers in the West to be influential in determining team effectiveness.Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports and discusses a preliminary inquiry in a sample of 20 manufacturing and service organisations in Egypt. The research was conducted by way of face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews with between three and five managers in each of the organisations. Comparisons are drawn with much of the western literature and further research needs are identified.Findings – This initial survey has provided evidence of the utilisation of teamworking in a sample of employing organisations in Egypt, which in several respects appears to reflect trends and developments in the more developed economies of the West.Research limitations/implications – In this survey only some of the factors identified as influencing tea.
Timing of diagnosis of 47,XXY and 48,XXYY: A survey of parent experiences

47,XXY/Klinefelter syndrome is the most common sex chromosomal aneuploidy, yet 64% of males with this condition go undiagnosed. 48,XXYY is less common and there is less known about the diagnosis. The objective of this study is to describe the diagnosis experiences of parents of males with 47,XXY and 48,XXYY. Parents of 89 males with 47,XXY and 76 males with 48,XXYY completed a survey that gathered data about their experiences leading to a diagnosis, including the current age of the child, age at diagnosis, reasons for initial concern, and the specialists providing the diagnosis. In the 47,XXY cohort diagnosed postnatally, 59% presented with developmental delay, with a mean age at first parental concern of 5.2 years and mean age of diagnosis at 10.0 years. The remaining 41% presented with endocrinologic issues with a mean age at first concern of 19.1 years and mean age of diagnosis at 21.1 years. In the 48,XXYY group, 93% presented with developmental delay, with mean age at first parental concern of 2.4 years and mean age of diagnosis at 7.6 years. Hence, the average time from initial parental concern to diagnosis of 47,XXY or 48,XXYY ranges from 2 to 5 years, with those presenting with developmental issues having a longer lag to diagnosis compared to those presenting with endocrinologic issues. Increased awareness of the developmental, psychological, and medical features of 47,XXY and 48,XXYY is important to facilitate timely diagnosis and initiation of appropriate screenings and treatments that are important for optimal outcomes. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identification of Atypical Scrapie in Canadian Sheep

Scrapie, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of sheep and goats, exists in most small ruminant-producing countries of the world. A novel form of this disease was recently recognized and is known by various names, including Nor98, Nor98-like, and atypical scrapie. Differing from classic scrapie in epidemiology, histopathology, and biochemical characteristics, atypical scrapie cases have been identified throughout Europe and in the United States. Enhanced scrapie surveillance efforts recently identified 3 cases of atypical scrapie in Canada.
Converging Corporatization? Police Management, Police Unionism, and the Transfer of Business Principles

There has been a convergence of private and public policing corporate sectors into a ‘police industry. ’ In part, this process has involved the successful reshaping of public police management into a corporate executive, such that the private and public security sectors converge in various ways. Ironically the success of the transfer of business principles to the public police has revitalized police unions, giving rise to an assumption that in the face of their opposition, the transfer of business principles will stall and eventually fail. By contrast, we identify the existence of unionized and non‐unionized sectors of policing as a normal feature of modernist industry. By doing so, it appears that in the current environment of labour relations—ironically—this formation may itself contribute to a new wave of business‐oriented reforms affecting police associations themselves.