Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance of Selected Quoted Companies In Nigeria

This study examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance of quoted companies in Nigeria. There is a crying need for an in-depth study into the quality, extent of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and identification of areas for future improvement so that transparency can be ensured, especially in developing countries like Nigeria where CSR practices are limited. Five research hypotheses were formulated for the study and some of the specific objectives are to determine the relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure and return on assets; and to determine the relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure and return on equity. The study made use of ex-post facto research design. The sample of the study comprises of thirty companies quoted in various sectors of the Nigerian stock exchange. Data analysis were analysed using multiple regression, with the aid of SPSS version 22. The findings of the study revealed a positive relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure and return on assets in Nigerian quoted companies. Consequent upon this study, it was recommended among others that the issue of corporate social responsibility should be part of the corporate mission and strategy statements and not just be regarded as a philanthropic exercise.
Application of 4k-order Hadamard matrices to simultaneous driving capacitive touch systems

In recent years, simultaneous driving and sensing techniques for capacitive sensors have used to obtain high signal-to-noise ratio for given time limit of the touch system. In this paper, we show more effective utilization of design constraints of touch system by the use of the variants of 4k-order orthogonal codes. It is also possible to ease the specification of input stages of receivers in capacitive touch controllers.
A Comparison of Three Anesthetic Techniques in Patients Undergoing Craniotomy for Supratentorial Intracranial Surgery

Several anesthetic techniques have been used successfully to provide anesthesia for resection of intracranial supratentorial mass lesions. One technique used to enhance recovery involves changing anesthesia from vapor-based to propofol-based for cranial closure. However, there are no data to support a beneficial effect of this approach in the immediate postoperative period after craniotomy. We evaluated 3 anesthetic techniques in 60 patients undergoing elective surgery for supratentorial mass lesions. Patients were randomly assigned to three anesthesia study groups: propofol infusion, isoflurane inhalation, and these two techniques combined. In the combination group, once the dura was closed, isoflurane was discontinued and propofol infusion simultaneously started. We studied intra- and postoperative hemodynamics and several recovery variables for 2 h after the end of anesthesia. Baseline and average intraoperative blood pressure and heart rate values did not differ among the groups. Heart rate and blood pressure increased similarly in all groups in response to intubation and pin placement and postoperatively. None of the recovery event times (open eyes, extubation, follow commands, oriented, Aldrete score) or psychomotor test performance differed significantly. We conclude that the sequential administration of isoflurane and propofol did not provide earlier recovery and cognition than the intraoperative use of isoflurane alone.
A Comparison of Botulinum Toxin A and Intralesional Steroids for the Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis

Background: The objective of this study was to compare intramuscularly applied botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) in the gastroc-soleus complex with intralesional steroids for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. Methods: The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups according to the treatment received. The patients were evaluated over 6 months. The evaluation scores included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Maryland Foot and Ankle, Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI), and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score. Moreover, patients were instructed to perform plantar fascia stretching exercises over the course of the study. The final number of patients was 36, of whom 19 received BTX-A (10 men and 9 women) and 17 (6 men and 11 women) received steroids. Results: When compared to patients who received steroids, the patients who received BTX-A exhibited more rapid and sustained improvement over the duration of the study. Conclusion: A combination of BTX-A and plantar fascia stretching exercises yielded better results for the treatment of plantar fasciitis than intralesional steroids. Level of Evidence: Level I, therapeutic studies.
Worker Overconfidence: Field Evidence and Implications for Employee Turnover and Returns from Training

Combining weekly productivity data with weekly productivity beliefs for a large sample of truckers over two years, we show that workers tend to systematically and persistently over-predict their productivity. If workers are overconfident about their own productivity at the current firm relative to their outside option, they should be less likely to quit. Empirically, all else equal, having higher productivity beliefs is associated with an employee being less likely to quit. To study the implications of overconfidence for worker welfare and firm profits, we estimate a structural learning model with biased beliefs that ac-counts for many key features of the data. While worker overconfidence moderately decreases worker welfare, it also substantially increases firm profits. This may be critical for firms (such as the main one we study) that make large initial investments in worker training.
Decentralised cooperative attitude tracking using modified Rodriguez parameters based on relative attitude information

In this article, the problem of decentralised cooperative attitude tracking based on relative attitude information is considered in the context of deep space spacecraft formation flying. We use modified Rodriguez parameters for attitude representation due to its nonreduction. We first present a distributed sliding-mode estimator and a cooperative attitude tracking control law such that the attitudes and angular velocities of all spacecraft track their references. Then we extend the result to three different cases. In the first case, we use a passivity approach to derive a control law without angular velocity measurements, which is of significance for applications with low-cost configurations of spacecraft. In the second case, to relax the special connectivity condition given in the original control design, we obtain a locally asymptotical stability condition for any undirected connected communication topology. In the third case, we consider cooperative attitude tracking in the presence of a dynamic communication topology. Simulation results are presented to validate the effectiveness of these control laws.
Energy expenditure and wasting in human immunodeficiency virus infection.

BACKGROUND Increased expenditure of energy at rest has been considered a contributing factor to the negative energy balance and weight loss that occur in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, the true determinant of energy balance is not resting but total energy expenditure. We sought to determine the contribution of total energy expenditure to weight changes in patients with HIV-associated wasting. METHODS We performed 51 assessments of energy metabolism in 27 men with HIV infection at different stages of disease, including periods of both rapid and slow weight loss. Resting energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry, total energy expenditure by the doubly-labeled-water technique, and energy intake by recording the weight of food consumed. The results were compared with the rate of weight loss or gain. RESULTS The mean (+/- SD) total energy expended by the HIV-infected men was 2750 +/- 670 kcal per day, no more than that expended by normal men. There was a significant positive relation between total energy expenditure and the rate of weight change (r = 0.61, P < 0.001); thus, during rapid weight loss, total energy expenditure was reduced to 2180 +/- 580 kcal per day (P = 0.009), primarily because of reduced physical activity. During rapid weight loss, the negative energy balance (-850 +/- 580 kcal per day) was primarily the result of the reduction in energy intake, to 1330 +/- 610 kcal per day; intake correlated strongly with the rate of weight change (r = 0.84, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In patients with HIV infection, total energy expenditure is reduced during episodes of weight loss. Reduced energy intake, not elevated energy expenditure, is the prime determinant of weight loss in HIV-associated wasting.
Entrepreneurship Development Vs. Reluctance in Applying for the European Union Funds : a Case Study on the Example of the Mazovian Region in Poland

The main objective of the article is to investigate why entrepreneurs from the Mazovian region are not eager to apply for the EU funds. The authors asked the following research questions: Why are the entrepreneurs reluctant to apply for the EU funds? How (if) has the situation changed comparing the 2007-2013 and the 2014-2020 perspectives? What should be changed from the side of the EU perspective? In the research a qualitative method – direct interview with entrepreneurs – was used. 171 entrepreneurs were interviewed. Purposive sampling was used. The authors chose the companies, which fulfilled the following conditions: they were interested in applying for the EU funds; they had experience in getting support from the European Union; they perceive themselves as “innovative”. All enterprises were from the Mazovian region in Poland. It was stated that a large number of companies wants to apply for the EU funds, but they cannot do it due to many factors such as the necessity to include own funds; no interest to participate in any project; the willingness to purchase the apparatus or appliance or too high bureaucracy. The best way to make the EU funds available for the companies is to meet their problems and expectations first. It should be done in the form of consultations between the government and business world. Such consultations would bring ideas, which topics should be included into the proposed programmes. The originality of this work lies in studying factors, which make the entrepreneurs from the Mazovian region impossible to apply for the EU funds. It is very important to recognise them as the 2014-2020 perspective offers a huge amount of money, which can be well spent by the entrepreneurs, if they managed with hampering factors.
16S rRNA Sequence Diversity in Mycobacterium celatum Strains Caused by Presence of Two Different Copies of 16S rRNA Gene

ABSTRACT Direct sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) ofMycobacterium celatum isolates showed ambiguities, suggesting heterogeneity. Cloned 16S rDNA yielded two copies of the gene, which differed by insertion of a thymine at position 214 and by additional mismatches. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis confirmed the presence of two copies of 16S rDNA within the bacterial chromosome.
Imbalance in the production between vascular endothelial growth factor and endostatin in Kawasaki disease

To investigate whether an imbalance exists in the production between angiogenic and antiangiogenic growth factors in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD), we measured the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endostatin (ES) in 35 patients with KD, 15 patients with acute febrile diseases (disease controls) and 15 healthy children. KD patients had significantly higher VEGF levels and lower ES levels (P < 0·01) in the acute and subacute phases than the disease control and healthy children. KD patients with coronary artery lesions (CAL, n = 10) had significantly higher VEGF levels and lower ES levels (P < 0·05) in the subacute and convalescent phases than those without CAL (n = 25). The ratios of VEGF/ES in sera of KD patients with CAL were significantly higher (P < 0·05) in the acute and convalescent phases compared to those without CAL. Furthermore, the occurrence of CAL significantly correlated with the VEGF/ES ratio above 10 × 10−3 in the subacute phase of KD (Odds ratio 17·25, P = 0·005). The findings in the present study indicate that an imbalance exists in the production between VEGF and ES in patients with KD while also suggesting that KD patients with a high VEGF/ES ratio have a significantly greater risk of CAL involvement.
Acquisition Motives and the Distribution of Acquisition Performance

Research summary: I examine how acquisition motives relate to the distribution of post-acquisition performance. I argue that acquisitions motivated by operating synergies have the potential to experience greater gains than acquisitions driven by financial synergies but are harder to value and implement, making them more uncertain. Using SEC filings, conference calls and press releases to capture acquisition motives, I find that acquirers pursuing operating synergies are more likely to experience highly positive and highly negative long-term returns than acquirers pursuing financial synergies. I also find that acquisition experience and geographic proximity to targets soften acquirers' extreme downside outcomes in operating synergy acquisitions. My theory and results suggest that approaches that emphasize average outcomes for acquirers and use industry classifications to capture acquisition motives may be incomplete. Managerial summary: Managers engage in acquisitions for various reasons. In this study, I find that reasons related to operating synergies (e.g., revenue growth through new product offerings or cost savings through economies of scale) are more likely to result in extreme high and low performance outcomes for the acquiring firm compared to reasons related to financial synergies (e.g., diversification of cash flow streams). In addition, I find that the acquirer's prior acquisition experience and the geographic proximity between the target and acquirer help soften the extreme low performance outcomes related to operating synergies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determining Factors For Purchasing Life Insurance: The Chilean Case

Sumary _____________________________________________________________________ This study investigates whether a threshold exists at which a person perceives a greater need for a life insurance contract. The empirical analysis examines discrete choice for cross-sectional cohort data of Chile, a developing economy. The results show that the determining factors for purchasing life insurance include degree of risk aversion, whether the individual has been hospitalized, whether the individual has children, marital status, family group's own assets, and institutional elements. ______________________________________________________________________
Role of molecular diagnostics in the management of viral hepatitis B.

INTRODUCTION Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection continues to be a global health concern with an estimated 350 - 400 million people infected worldwide. Globally, HBV is the leading cause of chronic liver disease that may progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and classification of the disease are important to determine whether therapy is needed. AREAS COVERED The review contains an overview of recent data on the existing and emerging developments in the molecular diagnostic and monitoring tools for chronic liver disease. EXPERT OPINION Monitoring of HBV viral load is the most widely used method in assessing liver disease severity, predicting development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, deciding initiation of antiviral therapy, assessing treatment response as well as early detection of emergence of drug resistance. Some recent studies have downplayed the importance of viral load in HBV management. Phenotyping/genotyping methods can establish emergent resistance to antivirals. Increasing number of reports suggest that clinical outcome and efficacy of antiviral treatment might vary with HBV genotype and precore/core promoter mutants. The importance of covalently closed circular DNA is also becoming apparent in this regard. Further studies on the development of newer molecular methods for a better management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) will minimize morbidity in CHB.
Sex and Genetic Background Influence Superoxide Dismutase (cSOD)-Related Phenotypic Variation in Drosophila melanogaster

Mutations often have drastically different effects in different genetic backgrounds; understanding a gene’s biological function then requires an understanding of its interaction with genetic diversity. The antioxidant enzyme cytosolic copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (cSOD) catalyzes the dismutation of the superoxide radical, a molecule that can induce oxidative stress if its concentration exceeds cellular control. Accordingly, Drosophila melanogaster lacking functional cSOD exhibit a suite of phenotypes including decreased longevity, hypersensitivity to oxidative stress, impaired locomotion, and reduced NADP(H) enzyme activity in males. To date, cSOD-null phenotypes have primarily been characterized using males carrying one allele, cSodn108red, in a single genetic background. We used ANOVA, and the effect size partial eta squared, to partition the amount of variation attributable to cSOD activity, sex, and genetic background across a series of life history, locomotor, and biochemical phenotypes associated with the cSOD-null condition. Overall, the results demonstrate that the cSOD-null syndrome is largely consistent across sex and genetic background, but also significantly influenced by both. The sex-specific effects are particularly striking and our results support the idea that phenotypes cannot be considered to be fully defined if they are examined in limited genetic contexts.
Requirement for βB1‐crystallin promoter of Xenopus laevis in embryonic lens development and lens regeneration

Regulation of the lens‐specific βB1‐crystallin promoter in Xenopus laevis was investigated using transgenic larvae and tadpoles. Comparison of the promoter sequence with that of chicken βB1‐crystallin gene indicates significant sequence similarity over a span of several hundred base pairs starting from the transcriptional start site. Remarkably, PL‐1 and PL‐2 sequences identified in the chicken promoter as essential binding sites of MAF, Pax6 and Prox1 transcription factors were conserved. Mutations of X (Xenopus) PL‐1 and XPL‐2 sequences eliminated the promoter activity, indicating a conserved mechanism regulating βB1‐crystallin promoter among vertebrate species. A stepwise deletion of the promoter sequence starting from 2800 bp indicated that the proximal 260 bp directly upstream of the transcription initiation site is sufficient for eliciting lens‐specific expression, but the 150 bp promoter sequence is inactive despite it containing the XPL‐1 and XPL‐2 sequences, suggesting the presence of an additional and essential regulatory sequence located between −150 and −260 bp. Activity of the βB1‐crystallin promoter during lens regeneration from cornea was examined using transgenic tadpoles and found to have the same dependence on promoter regions as in embryonic lens development, indicating that gene regulation is largely shared by the two lens‐generating processes.
Infected Nonunion of the Long Bones

The problems in infected nonunion include multiple sinuses, osteomyelitis, bone and soft tissue loss, osteopenia, adjacent joint stiffness, complex deformities, limb-length inequalities, and multidrug-resistant polybacterial infection. Bone gap and active infection are the crucial factors relating to treatment and prognosis. Gaps larger than 4 cm likely cannot be effectively bridged by corticocancellous bone grafting. If the limb has intact distal circulation and sensation, limb salvage and reconstruction generally is preferable to amputation. The fracture generally unites if adequate debridement of the nonunion site is done with fracture stabilization and bone grafting. We reviewed 42 consecutive patients with infected nonunion of the long bones. These patients have been categorized into two groups. Type A is infected nonunion of long bones with nondraining (quiescent) infection, with or without implant in situ; Type B is infected nonunion of long bones with draining (active) infection. Both are classified further into two subtypes: 1) nonunion with a bone gap smaller than 4 cm or 2) nonunion with a bone gap larger than 4 cm. Single-stage debridement and bone grafting with fracture stabilization are the methods of choice for Type A1 infected nonunions. Adequate debridement, fracture stabilization, and second-stage bone grafting gives desirable results in Type B1 infected nonunions. Distraction histiogenesis is the preferred procedure for Type A2 and B2. The autogenous nonvascularized fibular graft, posterolateral bone grafting for the tibia, and centralization of the ulna over distal radial remnant (single bone forearm) may be good treatment options in selected cases.
Multicenter trial on the efficacy of HBIG and vaccine in preventing perinatal hepatitis B. Final report

In an attempt to interrupt perinatal transmission of hepatitis B, 92 infants born to HBsAg carrier mothers (49 to HBeAg‐positive mothers, 30 to anti‐HBe‐positive with abnormally elevated ALT levels, and 13 to HBeAg/anti‐HBe‐negative mothers) received 0.5 ml/kg BW of HBIG at birth and at 1 month of age. Three IM injections of hepatitis B vaccine were given at 3, 4, and 9 months of life. All babies who were given the three doses of vaccine developed an active anti‐HBs response: of these, 53 (62.3%) had antibody titers higher than 1,000 mIU/ml, 29 (34.2%) had levels between 100 and 1,000 mIU/ml, and the other three (3.5%) were below 100 mIU/ml. At the end of the 2‐year follow‐up, these three poor responders became anti‐HBs negative, whereas the others still had antibody.
Oxaliplatin, folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil (FOLFOX-4) combination chemotherapy as second-line treatment in advanced colorectal cancer patients with irinotecan failure: a Korean single-center experience.

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to determine the effectiveness and tolerance of oxaliplatin, folinic acid (FA) and infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (FOLFOX-4) chemotherapy when used as a second-line treatment in patients with advanced colorectal cancer for whom an irinotecan-containing regimen failed. METHODS Thirty-eight patients with measurable colorectal cancer, progressive after previous irinotecan-containing chemotherapy for metastatic disease, were registered in this trial. Oxaliplatin was administered on day 1 at the dose of 85 mg/m(2) as a 2 h infusion, concurrently with FA 200 mg/m(2)/day, followed by bolus 5-FU 400 mg/m(2) and a 22 h infusion of 5-FU 600 mg/m(2) for two consecutive days. The treatment was repeated every 2 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred or until a patient chose to discontinue the treatment. RESULTS For 34 patients treated, a total of 183 chemotherapy cycles were administered. In an intent-to-treat analysis, six patients (16%) achieved a partial response that they maintained for 5.4 months. The median progression-free and overall survivals were 2 and 5 months, respectively. Frequently encountered toxicities were peripheral neuropathy and gastrointestinal side effects including diarrhea. Although there was one early death, toxicity profiles were generally predictable and manageable. CONCLUSION Second-line FOLFOX-4 is a feasible regimen with modest activity for colorectal cancer patients with irinotecan failure. Further clinical trials incorporating novel biological agents are warranted.