Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Why the New Benefit Corporations May Not Prove to Be Truly Socially Beneficial

The financial meltdown of 2007 and the subsequent Great Recession have led many people to believe that corporations are on the wrong track. Instead of pursuing primarily shareholder value, corporations should, the argument goes, strive to contribute to the public welfare. This point of view has served to fuel interest in a relatively new type of corporations -- social enterprises. Indeed, some commentators have argued that we are now “in the midst of a historical movement in which some of the core ideas of business, and of the law that governs it, are being reconsidered” (Greenfield, 2014,1). This social enterprises movement aims at “overturning the hegemony of shareholder value” (Nocera, 2012, A19). Social enterprises may take a variety of legal forms (limited liability companies, nonprofit entities, etc.). This paper focuses primarily upon one particular new form increasingly popular within the United States -- the “benefit corporation. ” I evaluate whether U.S. benefit corporations are likely to realize as much social benefit as is frequently claimed. Part One of the paper describes the features of benefit corporations as they are constituted in many states. Part Two lays out the benefits being extolled by supporters of this U.S. legal corporate form. Part Three challenges these claims and adduces reasons for doubting whether benefit corporations will prove to be as socially useful as they claim to be. Part Four concludes with some suggestions for future lines of research into the nature of the firm and benefit corporations in particular.
The effects of sex, parity and maternal age on birth weights in a specialist hospital setting in Nigeria

This study looked at the combined effects of maternal age, fetal sex and parity in a specialist hospital setting and compared it with already published figures obtained from public health-care data in Nigeria. The results show a relationship exists with bivariate analysis between these variables and birth weight, but with multivariate analysis the relationship proves to be spurious. Socio-economic status and maternal health were felt to be the most important considerations within the specialist hospital setting, as patients who attend are more likely to be of high socio-economic status and therefore on a higher income and better educated. This has a beneficial impact on maternal health and a positive outcome on birth weight.
Selection of optimal slice count for multi-slice analysis of skewed induction motors

This paper studies the effect of different slice count on quality of multi-slice simulation. The slices are distributed evenly along the axial length of the machine. The torque and current waveforms at nominal point are analysed for different numbers of slices, and compared with the measured waveforms. Practical optimum is identified finding a trade-off between simulation time and results quality.
Survey and Risk Assessment of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Exposure to Neonicotinoid Pesticides in Urban, Rural, and Agricultural Settings

Abstract A comparative assessment of apiaries in urban, rural, and agricultural areas was undertaken in 2013 and 2014 to examine potential honey bee colony exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides from pollen foraging. Apiaries ranged in size from one to hundreds of honey bee colonies, and included those operated by commercial, sideline (semicommercial), and hobbyist beekeepers. Residues in and on wax and beebread (stored pollen in the hive) were evaluated for the nitro-substituted neonicotinoid insecticides imidacloprid and its olefin metabolite and the active ingredients clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and dinotefuran. Beebread and comb wax collected from hives in agricultural landscapes were more likely to have detectable residues of thiamethoxam and clothianidin than that collected from hives in rural or urban areas (∼50% of samples vs. <10%). The maximum neonicotinoid residue detected in either wax or beebread was 3.9 ppb imidacloprid. A probabilistic risk assessment was conducted on the residues recovered from beebread in apiaries located in commercial, urban, and rural landscapes. The calculated risk quotient based on a dietary no observable adverse effect concentration (NOAEC) suggested low potential for negative effects on bee behavior or colony health.
The Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors, Genistein and Methyl 2,5-Dihydroxycinnamate, Inhibit the Release of (3H)Arachidonate from Human Platelets Stimulated by Thrombin or Collagen

Summary We have investigated the effects of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, genistein and methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate, on [3H]arachidonic acid release from human platelets. Both tyrosine kinase inhibitors blocked, in a dose-dependent manner, the release of arachidonic acid stimulated by thrombin or suspensions of collagen fibres. Blockade by the tyrosine kinase inhibitors occurred early in the arachidonate release time course. Both genistein and methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate also inhibited tyrosine phosphorylation in platelets. The inhibitors were specific in that they did not affect protein kinase C activity, ATP levels or mobilization of Ca2+ from internal stores. These findings suggest a role for tyrosine kinase activity in the regulation of phospholipase A2 in platelets stimulated by the physiological ligands, thrombin and collagen
Effect of Levonorgestrel and Ethinyloestradiol on Vasoconstriction in Rat Isolated Vasculature

Abstract— Female Sprague‐Dawley rats were injected s.c. with 0.2 μg day−1 ethinyloestradiol (EE2) or 2.0 μg day−1 levonorgestrel (NG), procedures previously shown to increase systolic blood pressure. Increases in perfusion pressure to clonidine, phenylephrine, noradrenaline (NA) and angiotensin II (AII) were observed in rat isolated tail arteries, and to NA in the isolated mesenteric vasculature from steroid and vehicle‐treated rats. NG treatment for four weeks produced increases in sensitivity to phenylephrine and NA in rat tail arteries; at 6 weeks the increases in sensitivity had largely disappeared but the maximum responses to clonidine and phenylephrine were increased. No change in sensitivity to AII was observed with NG. In contrast, EE2 treatment for six weeks produced increases in sensitivity to AII, and a decrease in sensitivity and maximum response to clonidine but not to phenylephrine or NA, in tail arteries. Responses to NA in the mesenteric vasculature were increased after 6 weeks NG treatment but unaffected after 12 weeks EE2 treatment. It is concluded that NG treatment stimulates α‐adrenoceptor number, affinity or receptor‐linked Ca2+ events which may contribute to its previously demonstrated hypertensive effect. The increased responsiveness to AII but not the decrease in α2‐adrenoceptor responsiveness may be associated with the chronic hypertension induced by EE2.
"It's Natural to Grab and Pull": Retrieving Content from Large Displays Using Mid-Air Gestures

Mid-air gestures have been largely overlooked for transferring content between large displays and personal mobile devices. To fully utilize the ubiquitous nature of mid-air gestures for this purpose, the authors developed SimSense, a smart space system that automatically pairs users with their mobile devices based on location data. Users can then interact with a gesture-controlled large display and move content onto their handheld devices. In a user study, the authors investigated two mid-air gestures for content transfer: grab-and-pull and grab-and-drop. Their results show that mid-air gestures are well suited for content-retrieval scenarios and offer an impressive user experience; grab-and-pull is the preferred for scenarios when content is transferred to the user, whereas grab-and-drop is presumably ideal when the recipient is another person or a device; and distinct gestures can be successfully combined with common point-and-dwell mechanics prominent in many gesture-controlled applications.
Diet composition of expanding breeding populations of the Magellanic Penguin

ABSTRACT The Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) is the most abundant and widely distributed seabird breeding on the Patagonian Coast of Argentina. We combined conventional stomach content and stable isotope analysis to assess Magellanic Penguin diet during the chick rearing stage at the two northernmost colonies in an area subject to fisheries. In 2011 and 2013, Thornfish (Bovichtus argentinus) was the main prey by mass at Complejo Islote Lobos (63.0% and 32.3%, respectively) and Argentine Anchovy (Engraulis anchoita) at Estancia San Lorenzo (85.2 and 63.3%, respectively). Magellanic Penguins from both colonies showed low isotopic niche overlap in 2011 (36%) and no overlap in 2013, suggesting a different use of prey species and/or foraging areas. Stable isotope mixing models showed that Argentine Anchovy (52.8%) and Thornfish (65.9%) were the main prey at Complejo Islote Lobos in 2011 and 2013, respectively, while Patagonian Redfish (Sebastes oculatus) (46.4%) and Squat Lobster (Munida gregaria) (50%) were the main prey at Estancia San Lorenzo in 2011 and 2013, respectively. Results show that in addition to Argentine Anchovy, previously recognized as main prey for breeding Magellanic Penguins in northern Patagonia, other juvenile or small sized fish are important diet items. Diet results suggest different scenarios of food conditions for each colony, despite the relative short distance between breeding locations. The low contribution of Argentine Hake (Merluccius hubbsi) and Argentine Shortfin Squid (Illex argentinus) suggests a low trophic overlap with commercial fisheries. The information provided is key to understand changes in the marine ecosystem and potential penguin-fishery interactions.
Knobloch syndrome involving midline scalp defect of the frontal region.

We report on a 4-year-old boy with Knobloch syndrome. He has vitreoretinal degeneration, high myopia, cataract, telecanthus, hypertelorism, and a high-arched palate. He also has a defect of the anterior midline scalp with involvement of the frontal bone as documented by a computed tomography (CT) scan. The brain was normal on CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging. We present a review of the 23 published cases with this syndrome. Our patient illustrates the importance of investigating for underlying ocular and central nervous system pathology whenever midline scalp defects are present.
Hydrolysis of Pork Muscle Sarcoplasmic Proteins byLactobacillus curvatus and Lactobacillus sake

ABSTRACT Lactobacillus curvatus CECT 904 and Lactobacillus sake CECT 4808 were selected on the basis of their proteolytic activities against synthetic substrates. Further, the effects of whole cells, cell extracts, and a combination of both enzymatic sources on muscle sarcoplasmic proteins were determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography analyses. Strains of both species displayed proteinase activities on five sarcoplasmic proteins. The inoculation of whole cells caused a degradation of peptides, whereas the addition of cell extracts resulted in the generation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic peptides. This phenomenon was remarkably more pronounced when L. curvatus was involved. Whole cells also consumed a great amount of free amino acids, while the addition of intracellular enzymes contributed to their generation.L. sake accounted for a greater release of free amino acids. In general, cell viability and also proteolytic events were promoted when cell suspensions were provided with cell extracts as an extra source of enzymes.
Retinal organization in the retinal degeneration 10 (rd10) mutant mouse: A morphological and ERG study

Retinal degeneration 10 (rd10) mice are a model of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (RP), identified by Chang et al. in 2002 (Vision Res. 42:517–525). These mice carry a spontaneous mutation of the rod‐phosphodiesterase (PDE) gene, leading to a rod degeneration that starts around P18. Later, cones are also lost. Because photoreceptor degeneration does not overlap with retinal development, and light responses can be recorded for about a month after birth, rd10 mice mimic typical human RP more closely than the well‐known rd1 mutants. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the morphology and function of the rd10 mouse retina during the period of maximum photoreceptor degeneration, thus contributing useful data for exploiting this novel model to study RP. We analyzed the morphology and survival of retinal cells in rd10 mice of various ages with quantitative immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy; we also studied retinal function with the electroretinogram (ERG), recorded between P18 and P30. We found that photoreceptor death (peaking around P25) is accompanied and followed by dendritic retraction in bipolar and horizontal cells, which eventually undergo secondary degeneration. ERG reveals alterations in the physiology of the inner retina as early as P18 (before any obvious morphological change of inner neurons) and yet consistently with a reduced band amplification by bipolar cells. Thus, changes in the rd10 retina are very similar to what was previously found in rd1 mutants. However, an overall slower decay of retinal structure and function predicts that rd10 mice might become excellent models for rescue approaches. J. Comp. Neurol. 500:222–238, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of parity and stage of lactation on adenosine triphosphate, somatic cell count and antitrypsin content in cows' milk

Summary Significant effects of parity and stage of lactation were found on ATP content, somatic cell count and antitrypsin content when using morning milk samples from 39 cows over a period of 18 months. A close similarity was evident between variation in ATP and somatic cell count, except during the first 10 d after parturition when the variation in ATP was more pronounced. The same result was obtained in the whole material as well as in a healthy subset. This study shows clearly that parity and stage of lactation must be taken into account when establishing normal values for ATP as an indicator of mastitis.
Vascular Retinopathy in Relation to Cognitive Functioning in an Older Population—the Hoorn Study

To the Editor: Cognitive impairment and dementia are important health problems that may be caused by vascular damage in the brain. [1] The cerebral vasculature is anatomically, embryologically, and physiologically related to that of the retina, and both are sensitive to exposure to vascular risk factors. [2, 3] Vascular damage to the retina is easy to measure noninvasively. Hence, visualization of retinal vessels may offer insight into the status of the vessels in the brain and thus provide insight into vascular causes of late-life cognitive impairment. A recent systematic review found variable associations between retinal vascular changes and performance on various cognitive domains in persons without dementia. [4, 5] The goal of the current study was to extend these findings by assessing these associations in a population-based cohort using a detailed neuropsychological examination.
Contribution to the production of lactulose-rich whey by in situ electro-isomerization of lactose and effect on whey proteins after electro-activation as confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight-mass spectrometry and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electropho

Cheese-whey, a major co-product of the dairy industry, has recently been the subject of many technological applications. We studied the bioconversion of whey into valuable bio-products such as a potential lactulose prebiotic and compounds with antioxidant properties. This paper examines efficiency, safety, and economics of electro-activation as an eco-friendly technology for a maximum valorization of whey. Thus, a bottom-up approach was therefore addressed. The effect of 4 experimental parameters--low working temperatures (0, 10, and 25 °C), current intensities (400, 600, and 800 mA), volume conditions (100, 200, and 300 mL), and feed concentrations [7, 14, and 28% (wt/vol)]--on lactose-whey isomerization to lactulose under electro-activation process were studied. Structural characteristics of whey proteins and antioxidant functionality were also investigated. The results showed a compromise to be reached between both parameters. Therefore, the maximum yield of 35% of lactulose was achieved after 40 min of reaction at the working temperature of 10 °C under 400 mA electric current field and 100-mL volume conditions with using feed solution at 7% (wt/vol). The isomerization of lactose to lactulose is accomplished by subsequent degradation to galactose, but only at a very small amount. Additionally, whey electro-activation showed significantly elevated antioxidant capacity compared with the untreated samples. The enhancement of antioxidant functionality of whey electro-activation resulted from the synergistic effect of its partial hydrolysis and the formation of antioxidant components that were able to scavenge free radicals. In conclusion, the findings of this study reveal that the whey treated by the safety electro-activation technology has both lactulose-prebiotic and antioxidant properties and could have a substantial application in the manufacture of pharmaceutical and functional foods.
Fast video super resolution using deep convolutional networks

Video Super-Resolution(SR) is the method of reconstructing high resolution (HR) image frames by increasing the spatial resolution of low resolution (LR) image counterparts. SR has tremendous applications in the fields of satellite imaging, face recognition, defense, medical imaging and restoration etc. In this paper, we propose a technique of motion compensation between consecutive frames in LR video and pass as an input to our deep convolution neural network(CNN) model of 25 weight layers. The model is trained on both space and time dimension of LR-HR database. Consecutive HR frames are reconstructed by adding the sub-pixel motion vectors to super-resolved HR frame. We observed that over 97% of computation time is spend on convolution, so the convolution filter operation is parallelized in CNN model by using novel GPU optimization methods and achieved a speed up factor of 1000X over CPU. On using the gradient clipping technique of [1], the convergence rate of training model is boosted. We train the model using multi-scale LR-HR frames thereby achieving multi up-scale factor. We justify our proposed method by comparing our experimental results with current SR algorithms.
Nurse Entrance Test Scores: A Predictor of Success

A program evaluation was conducted to determine if requiring higher scores on critical thinking components of the Nurse Entrance Test would have a positive effect on the percentage of students that could be retained in a diploma nursing program. The program evaluation revealed that using the Nurse Entrance Test as a tool for admissions screening, specifically portions of the examination that predict critical thinking, was effective in helping to predict success through level I nursing courses.
The effects of a 4-week mesocycle of barbell back squat or barbell hip thrust strength training upon isolated lumbar extension strength

Objectives Common exercises such as the barbell back squat (BBS) and barbell hip thrust (BHT) are perceived to provide a training stimulus to the lumbar extensors. However, to date there have been no empirical studies considering changes in lumbar extension strength as a result of BBS or BHT resistance training (RT) interventions. Purpose To consider the effects of BBS and BHT RT programmes upon isolated lumbar extension (ILEX) strength. Methods Trained male subjects (n = 14; 22.07 ± 0.62 years; 179.31 ± 6.96 cm; 79.77 ± 13.81 kg) were randomised in to either BBS (n = 7) or BHT (n = 7) groups and performed two training sessions per week during a 4-week mesocycle using 80% of their 1RM. All subjects were tested pre- and post-intervention for BBS and BHT 1RM as well as isometric ILEX strength. Results Analyses revealed that both BBS and BHT groups significantly improved both their BBS and BHT 1RM, suggesting a degree of transferability. However, the BBS group improved their BBS 1RM to a greater degree than the BHT group (p = 0.050; ∼11.8 kg/10.2% vs. ∼8.6 kg/7.7%, respectively). And the BHT group improved their BHT 1RM to a greater degree than the BBS group (p = 0.034; ∼27.5 kg/24.8% vs. ∼20.3 kg/13.3%, respectively). Neither BBS nor BHT groups significantly improved their isometric ILEX strength. Conclusions The present study supports the concept of specificity, particularly in relation to the movement mechanics between trunk extension (including pelvic rotation) and ILEX. Our data suggest that strength coaches, personal trainers, and trainees can self-select multi-joint lower-body trunk extension exercises based on preference or variety. However, evidence suggests that neither the BBS nor BHT exercises can meaningfully increase ILEX strength. Since strengthening these muscles might enhance physical and sporting performance we encourage strength coaches and personal trainers to prescribe ILEX exercise.
Predicting Type 1 Diabetes Using Biomarkers

Clinical type 1 diabetes is preceded by an asymptomatic phase that can be identified by serum islet autoantibodies. This perspective proposes that there is now sufficient evidence to allow a broader use of islet autoantibodies as biomarkers to diagnose type 1 diabetes that is already at an asymptomatic stage, so that attempts to prevent clinical hyperglycemia become a feature of disease management. Prediction would first, therefore, shift toward the use of genetic and other biomarkers to determine the likelihood that islet autoimmunity will develop in an infant, and second, toward metabolic assessment to stage and biomarkers to determine the rate of progression to hyperglycemia in children in whom islet autoimmunity is diagnosed. A case is presented for future comprehensive risk assessment that commences at birth and includes attempts to predict, stage, and prevent initiation and progression of the disease process at multiple stages. The biomarkers required achieving this level of sophistication and dissemination are discussed.
Cytotoxicity of rigid gas‐permeable lens care solutions

Reports on cytotoxic effects of rigid gas‐permeable lens multipurpose solutions, which remain important because of increasing popularity of orthokeratology, are limited. This study determined cytotoxic effects of rigid gas‐permeable lens multipurpose solutions on human corneal epithelial cells and assessed the proliferation rate at different levels of cell membrane damage.