Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bringing the social context back in: governance and wealth distribution in global commodity chains

Abstract This paper addresses recent changes in governance patterns that significantly altered power relations and wealth distribution in global commodity chains. First, it emphasizes the rise of a financial sphere made up of institutional investors and executives of large corporations at the top of GCCs, and discusses the consequences of this for supplier relations and working conditions of women workers at the base of GCCs. Second, by linking recent governance debates at the level of the firm to issues of governance of the whole chain, it identifies three distinct normative views (shareholder, stakeholder and institutional) of the ways in which the distribution of social welfare can be improved in GCCs. Beyond the shareholder and stakeholder views, a call is made for strengthening an institutional view of GCC governance.
Preparation and Molecular Structure of a Cyclopentyl-Substituted Cage Hexasilsesquioxane T6 (T = cyclopentyl-SiO1.5) Starting from the Corresponding Silanetriol

Cyclopentyl substituted silanetriol can be prepared and isolated. Its condensation yields the corresponding disiloxanetetrol as a primary condensation product. Further condensation leads to the hexameric polyhedral silsesquioxane cage T6. The latter has been mentioned in the literature before however, lacking structural data. All compounds have been characterized with multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and, in addition, the molecular structures have been determined in the case of the disiloxanetetrol and the hexasilsesquioxane via single crystal X-ray diffraction.
Long-run validity of Purchasing Power Parity and cointegration analysis for Central Asian countries

This study investigates the long-run validity of Purchasing Power Parity for three transition Asian countries, namely Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The results show that the nominal exchange rates, domestic and foreign price series are not cointegrated when four different types of cointegration techniques were applied. Time series properties of the real exchange rates for these countries also show that they are non-stationary. All these results confirm that validity of the Purchasing Power Parity in the long-run can be rejected for these countries.
Interference Alignment Scheme Based on Limited Feedback for Two-Cell Interfering MIMO-MAC

In this paper, we propose an interference alignment (IA) scheme based on limited feedback for the two-cell interfering multiple input multiple output multiple access channel (MIMOMAC), which obtains the precoding vectors in the codebook directly so that the inter-cell interference (ICI) channels are most aligned. With the quantized precoding vectors, the receive beamforming filters are designed to cancel the impact of interuser interference (IUI) and reduce the residual ICI. In addition, we characterize the complexity of our proposed IA scheme. From simulation results, we demonstrate that the proposed scheme can provide the better sum rate performance under the same system configurations than the existing schemes which mitigate the interference leakage by aligning the ICI channels under limited feedback.
Academic Salaries in the UK and US

We examine the wages of graduates inside and outside of academe in both the UK and US. We find that in both the UK and the US an average graduate working in the HE sector would earn less over his or her lifetime than graduates working in non-academic sectors. The largest disparity occurs throughout the earlier and middle career period and so if people discount their future earnings, the difference will be even greater than these figures suggest. Academics in the UK earn less than academics in the US at all ages. This difference cannot be explained by differences in observable characteristics such as age, gender or ethnicity. This leads us to conclude that the differences in UK and US academic wages are unlikely to be due to differences in the academics themselves, but rather to differences in labour markets generally and in systems of higher education between the two countries, which suggests that there is a strong pay incentive for academics to migrate from the UK to the US.
Exposure to ionizing radiation modifies neurally-evoked electrolyte transport and some inflammatory responses in rat colon in vitro.

PURPOSE To characterize the responsiveness of the colon to neural stimulation following acute exposure of rats to gamma-radiation and to correlate observed changes to a number of parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rats were exposed to 5 or 10 Gy 137Cs gamma-radiation or not (sham-irradiated) and studied at 1, 3 and 7 days after irradiation. Stripped segments of colon were mounted in Ussing chambers for measurements of neurally-evoked electrolyte transport (electrical field stimulation). Colonic tissue was also taken for biochemical (tissue 5-hydroxytryptamine, histamine, leukotriene B4, nitric oxide synthase) and histological analyses (mast cells). RESULTS In irradiated rats both proximal and distal colon were hyporesponsive to electrical field stimulation at 1 and 3 days, but had recovered by 7 days. In the distal colon, carbachol responses were attenuated 1 day after 10 Gy. Mast cells, tissue histamine and leukotriene B4 synthesis were significantly reduced at all time points but no changes were seen in 5-HT or inducible NOS activity. CONCLUSIONS Rat colon becomes hyporesponsive to neural stimuli post-irradiation. The response initially (1 and 3 days) correlates with decreased mast cells and histamine, but not at 7 days.
Two-moment decision model for location-scale family with background asset

This paper studies the impact of background risk on the indifference curve. We first study the shape of the indifference curves for the investment with background risk for risk averters, risk seekers, and risk-neutral investors. Thereafter, we study the comparative statics of the change in the shapes of the indifference curves when the means and the standard deviations of the returns of the financial asset and/or the background asset change. In addition, we draw inference on risk vulnerability and investment decisions in financial crises and bull and bear markets.
Interferon alfa2a induction therapy in combination with ribavirin and amantadine for the treatment of naive patients with chronic HCV infection

Summary. Pilot studies have suggested that the addition of amantadine to interferon (IFN) is effective against hepatitis C virus (HCV). Furthermore, IFN induction therapy seems to improve virological response rates. In this open, randomized, multicentre trial we compared safety and efficacy of a triple therapy comprising IFNα2a, ribavirin and amantadine using high induction doses (6 MU IFNα daily for the first 6 weeks) against a therapy with standard IFNα dosages over the entire treatment period plus amantadine and ribavirin. A total of 158 naive patients with chronic HCV infection were randomized 1:1. Group A (n = 81): induction therapy with 6 MU IFNα daily for 6 weeks, followed by 6 MU three times a week (tiw) for 18 weeks and then 3 MU tiw until week 48. Group B (n = 77): standard therapy with 6 MU IFNα tiw for 24 weeks, followed by 3 MU until week 48. All patients received oral ribavirin (10 mg/kg/day) and amantadine (200 mg/day). The triple therapy was safe and well tolerated. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to biochemical response rates. Groups A and B did not differ in virological response rates at the end of treatment (33%vs 35%) or at the end of the 6 month follow up period (37%vs 39%). We could not detect favourable effects on sustained virological response rates using induction therapy, in either genotype 1 or non‐1 infected patients. In summary, induction therapy with 6 MU IFNα daily did not result in increased overall response rates compared with standard IFNα dosages of 6 MU tiw.
The stigma of failure: An international comparison of failure tolerance and second chancing

It is commonly asserted that high rates of entrepreneurship and superior economic performance in the United States is linked to a higher cultural tolerance of business failure. After reviewing cross country patterns of entrepreneurship we develop in this paper a measure of cultural attitudes towards failure which has two components. We term these failure tolerance which captures attitudes towards the risk of a business failing and second chancing which measures the degree of agreement with the proposition that those who have failed should be given a second chance. Using a unique dataset on attitudes to failure for a sample of 9,500 individuals drawn from 19 economies for the year 2002 we show that respondents in the USA appear to have relatively high levels of failure tolerance. However, they are less willing to grant a second chance to those who have tried and failed. We find that having relatively high levels of failure tolerance is not positively correlated with GDP growth. Having a relatively positive attitude towards second chancing across countries is positively related to GDP growth. Taken together these results suggest there is a link between attitudes to failure and economic growth, but it is not the one conventionally assumed in current policy rhetoric which argues that relatively favourable attitudes towards second chancing in the USA explains its more entrepreneurial activity.
The impact of perceived organization support on cross-cultural adjustment, job satisfaction and turnover of expatriate employees from individualistic and collectivist countries in the United Arab Emirates

i Chapter One Introduction 1.1 Background . 1 1.2 Research Objectives . 2 1.3 Justification and Importance of the Study . 5 1.4 Research Methodology . 7 1.5 Thesis Outline . 8 1.6 Definitions and Terms . 9 1.7 Delimitations of Scope . 9 1.8 Conclusion . 12 Chapter Two Literature Review 2.
Fair value accounting – an industry view

The author notes the proposals put forward by the Joint Working Group of Standard Setters on Financial Instruments and sets out the arguments why the banking community is against the concept of measuring financial instruments under a fair value accounting system. He suggests that the proposals should be abandoned and that the accounting standard setters join with the banking industry to produce improvements in financial reporting.
Short‐term outcome after active perinatal management at 23—25 weeks of gestation. A study from two Swedish tertiary care centres. Part 2: infant survival

Aim: To determine neonatal survival rates based on both foetal (stillborn) and neonatal deaths among infants delivered at 23–25 wk, and to identify maternal and neonatal factors associated with survival. Methods: The medical records of 224 infants who were delivered in two tertiary care centres in 1992–1998 were reviewed retrospectively. At these centres, policies of active perinatal and neonatal management were universally applied. Data were analysed by gestational age groups and considered in three time periods. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with survival. Results: The rate of foetal death was 5%. Of infants born alive, 63% survived to discharge. Survival rates including foetal deaths in the denominator at 23, 24 and 25 wk were 37%, 61% and 74%, respectively, and survival rates excluding foetal deaths were 43%, 63% and 77%, respectively. Of infants born with 1‐min Apgar scores of 0–1, 43% survived. In the total cohort, survival rates including foetal deaths in the denominator increased from 52% in time period 1 to 61% in time period 2 and 74% in time period 3 (p > 0.02). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, higher birthweight (OR: 1.91 per 100 g increment; 95% CI: 1.45–2.52), female gender (OR: 3.33; 95% CI: 1.65–6.75), administration of antenatal steroids (OR: 2.95; 95% CI: 1.46–5.98) and intrauterine referral from a peripheral hospital (OR: 2.35; 95% CI: 1.18–4.68) were associated with survival. Apgar score ± 3 at 1 min (OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.22–0.95) was associated with decreased survival. The use of antenatal steroids was protective at 23–24 wk (OR: 5.2; 95% CI: 2.0–13.7), but not at 25 wk.
Role of innovation in the relationship between organizational culture and firm performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of innovation on the relationship between organizational culture and firm performance.Design/methodology/approach – Data for the study were collected through a survey from 154 branches of ten prominent banks in Turkey and responses were analyzed to assess the relationships between organizational culture, firm performance and organizational innovation.Findings – The findings reveal that in the banking sector, although organizational culture and innovation have a direct and positive effect on the firm performance dimensions, organizational culture was found to have an insignificant regression coefficient on the dimensions of firm performance in the presence of organizational innovations.Practical implications – These findings provide useful insights for organizations, particularly in the banking industry, seeking to be competitive and responsive to environmental changes by successfully introducing innovations. Conclusions emphasize that me.
Global Crisis Reporting: Journalism in the Global Age

1. Global crisis, what crisis? 2. Journalism in the global age 3. (Un)natural disasters: The calculus of death and the ritualization of catastrophe 4. Ecology and climate change: From science and sceptics to spectacle and! 5. Forced migrations and human rights: Antinomies in the mediated ethics of care 6. New wars and the global war on terror: On vicarious, visceral violence 7. The 'CNN effect' and 'compassion fatigue': Researching beyond commonsense 8. Humanitarian NGOs, news media and the changing relations of communicative power 9. Global crisis reporting: Conclusions Glossary
Functional plasticity of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor in differentiating human erythroid precursor cells

Calcium signaling is essential to support erythroid proliferation and differentiation. Precise control of the intracellular Ca2+ levels in erythroid precursor cells (EPCs) is afforded by coordinated expression and function of several cation channels, including the recently identified N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). Here, we characterized the changes in Ca2+ uptake and electric currents mediated by the NMDARs occurring during EPC differentiation using flow cytometry and patch clamp. During erythropoietic maturation, subunit composition and properties of the receptor changed; in proerythroblasts and basophilic erythroblasts, fast deactivating currents with high amplitudes were mediated by the GluN2A subunit-dominated receptors, while at the polychromatic and orthochromatic erythroblast stages, the GluN2C subunit was getting more abundant, overriding the expression of GluN2A. At these stages, the currents mediated by the NMDARs carried the features characteristic of the GluN2C-containing receptors, such as prolonged decay time and lower conductance. Kinetics of this switch in NMDAR properties and abundance varied markedly from donor to donor. Despite this variability, NMDARs were essential for survival of EPCs in any subject tested. Our findings indicate that NMDARs have a dual role during erythropoiesis, supporting survival of polychromatic erythroblasts and contributing to the Ca2+ homeostasis from the orthochromatic erythroblast stage to circulating red blood cells.
Requirements and definitions in conflict of interest policies of medical journals.

CONTEXT Conflicts of interest (COIs) may influence medical literature. However, it is unclear whether medical journals have consistent policies for defining and soliciting COI disclosures. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of author COI policies, requirements for signed disclosure statements, and variability in COI definitions among medical journals. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey of Instructions for Authors and manuscript submission documents, including authorship responsibility forms, for high-impact medical journals across 35 subject categories available from March through October 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Presence of language referring to COI disclosure in the Instructions for Authors or manuscript submission documents. RESULTS Of 256 journals, 89% had author COI policies. Fifty-four percent required authors to sign a disclosure statement, and 77% provided definitions of COI. Most definitions were limited to direct financial relationships; a minority of journals requested disclosure of other potential conflicts such as personal relationships (42%), paid expert testimony (42%), relationships with other organizations (26%), or travel grants (12%). The prevalence of policies varied by subject category: all internal medicine, respiratory medicine, and toxicology journals studied had comprehensive COI definitions, with 19 of these 24 journals requiring signed disclosure attestations. In contrast, 6 of 19 geriatrics, radiology, and rehabilitation journals requested author COI disclosure. Most journals that officially endorsed International Committee of Medical Journal Editors guidelines had COI policies (68/69), compared with 84% of journals not endorsing the guidelines (158/187). CONCLUSIONS In 2008, most medical journals with relatively high impact factors had author COI policies available for public review. Among journals, there was substantial variation in policies for solicitation of author COIs and in definitions of COI.
Macro and Micro Implementation.

Abstract : Significant educational change requires more than the introduction of new technologies or the alteration of traditional curricula. Significant change cannot be accomplished without new patterns of behavior. That is, new roles and relationships for teachers, administrators, and students need to be defined and maintained. Implementing such change is a difficult and uncertain process, which neither social science theory nor practical wisdom has thus far been able to illuminate. This essay, drawing on an analysis of educational innovation attempted in 200 U.S. school districts, describes critical aspects of the implementation process and suggests conceptualization that might serve as a basis to guide the development of theory and practice.
Differential Signaling by the Focal Adhesion Kinase and Cell Adhesion Kinase β*

pp125FAK and CAKβ/Pyk2/CadTK/RAFTK are related protein-tyrosine kinases. It is therefore of interest whether CAKβ shares some of the properties of pp125FAK. Using recombinant glutathioneS-transferase fusion proteins, we show that the C-terminal domains of both proteins bind paxillin in vitro. The C-terminal domain of CAKβ was engineered to be autonomously expressed in chicken embryo cells and, like pp125FAK and p41/43FRNK (the C-terminal noncatalytic domain of pp125FAK), was found to localize to cellular focal adhesions. In contrast, full-length CAKβ was generally found diffusely distributed throughout the cell, although a fraction of the cells exhibited focal adhesion localization. Vanadate treatment of pp125FAK- and CAKβ-overexpressing CE cells induced a dramatic increase in the phosphotyrosine content of a common set of proteins including tensin, paxillin, and p130Cas, but some of these substrates, particularly p130Cas, appeared to be differentially phosphorylated by pp125FAK and CAKβ. Levels of tyrosine phosphorylation were higher in CAKβ-overexpressing cells, and additional phosphotyrosine-containing species were specifically immunoprecipitated. In addition, vanadate treatment of CE cells overexpressing CAKβ, but not pp125FAKoverexpressors, induced a profound morphological change, which could be a consequence of the observed differences in substrate phosphorylation.
Psychomotor cues for depression screening

Depression is a cognitive impairment, which according to the World Health Organisation is the leading cause of disability worldwide. One key trait of depression is psychomotor retardation, which adversely affects both emotional and physical behaviour of an individual. In this paper we perform experiments on the Audio Visual Emotion recognition Challenge 2016 — Depression Classification sub-Challenge (AVEC 2016 — DCC) dataset, with the objective to develop methods for automated screening of depression. We discuss two frameworks for the task of automated depression screening. The first is based on computation of facial movement features, followed by regression to yield a higher level feature which is correlated to depression severity of an individual. The second framework focuses on classification between depressed and non-depressed individuals on the basis of their speech spectra. We show that the regression framework yields a correlation value of 0.55 with depression severity scores, which is better than individual features, thereby demonstrating its efficacy. Meanwhile, the classification framework provides a mean E1 score of 0.906 on the development subset, which is comparable to the state-of-art on the AVEC 2016 — DCC development set i.e. 0.910.
Alpha-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone Reduces Colonic Damage in Rat Model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The aim of the study was to investigate the dose-dependent in vivo effect of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) in a rat model of inflammatory bowel disease induced by 2, 4, 6-tri nitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS). Laboratory animals (male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g) were given 3 doses of alpha-MSH (0.5 mg/kg, 1 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg) intraperitoneally 1 hour prior to inducing colitis with a TNBS enema. Control animals received saline solution i.p. Rats were sacrificed after 72 hours and the area of mucosallesions, involving the distal 10 cm of colon, was detennined in mm2 by means of image analysis software. Alpha-MSH structure was analyzed by means of NMR spectroscopy. The area of colonic darnage was significantly reduced following pretreatment with a single dose of 1 mg/kg alpha-MSH, as compared to control animals (p = 0.0147). Higher and lower doses had no significant effects. A single dose of 1 mg/kg a-MSH provided strong, statistically significant and pharmacologically relevant cytoprotection. The results point to alpha-MSH effectiveness in controlling inflarnmation and imply that further in vitro and in vivo experiments should be carried out to judge the importance and relevance of alpha MSH in the control of inflammatory bowel disease. NMR data support a hairpin loop conformation of alpha MSH in water solution, which includes conserved message sequence.
Savings-investment cointegration in panel data

Existing cointegration tests for the savings-investment model are limited because of low testing power. In this paper the savings-investment correlation is re-examined using a panel cointegration test by which the power seems to be improved greatly. A cointegration relationship is obtained between the two variables with panel data, and the savings retention coefficient is far from zero. This seems to be consistent with results based on traditional regression methods. Thus, it is concluded that cointegration techniques do not provide the solution to the savings-investment puzzle.