Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk management at Slovak enterprises: an empirical study

Risk management is a process aimed at assessing and managing risks with the goal to minimise losses and maximise benefits. The analysis and evaluation of the risks are decisive in risk assessment according to the risk management framework. The purpose of this article is to assess the current state of implementing the process of analysing and assessing risks related to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to define the main problems outlined in the questionnaire research carried out in 2017 in which 485 SMEs working in Slovakia took part. The questionnaire contained questions about the implementation of risk analysis and risk assessment in SMEs. To conduct the research, the authors used basic methods of statistical assessment, namely simple classification of statistics and calculations of relative acaccountability. Based on the results of the given research, it can be concluded that the SMEs pay the least attention to the analysis and evaluation of risks. In our opinion, this is due to the failure to apply exact methods which seem to be complicated in terms their practical use.
Suppression of measles virus expression by noncytolytic antibody in an immortalized macrophage cell line

Immune regulation of measles virus (MV) expression was studied in a persistently infected mouse macrophage cell line. Synthesis of both membrane-associated and internal MV antigens was suppressed when infected macrophages were treated with polyclonal rabbit anti-MV antibody that was specific for MV proteins. Persistently infected macrophages were treated for 3, 5, or 7 days with increasing doses of anti-MV antibody. All MV proteins were down-regulated 2 days after treatment was terminated. One week after treatment was terminated, down-regulation was still evident but to a lesser degree. MV protein synthesis was suppressed whether or not complement components were inactivated by heating all serum supplements and antibodies. However, when complement was active, cell lysis accounted for some of the reduced MV protein synthesis. When lytic destruction of infected cells by antibody and complement was prevented by inactivation of complement, antibody alone reduced the cellular synthesis of viral proteins by noncytolytic mechanisms. The absence of cell death in the absence of complement was confirmed by the lack of 51Cr release from labeled cells, the lack of reduction in cell number, and the lack of a decrease in total protein synthesis when radiolabeled infected cells were treated with antibody. It is noteworthy that low doses of antibody were optimal for suppression in the longer-term experiments and did not cause lysis, even in the presence of active complement. Since infected macrophages disseminate virus in measles infection, noncytolytic regulation of these cells by antibody may supplement viral clearance by cytolytic T cells and other immune mechanisms.
EFFECT OF MERGERS ON MARKET PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS LISTED IN THE NAIROBI SECURITIES EXCHANGE IN MOMBASA COUNTY

The main objective of the study was to establish the effect of mergers on market performance of commercial banks listed in NSE and operating in Mombasa County. The study found out that Mergers generated value added due to eﬃciency gains, led to increased net profit margin and mergers affected bank’s sales growth positively. However, majority of the respondents were unsure that mergers enabled banks to gain dominant market power eﬀect. There is a strong positive correlation between mergers and market performance of listed commercial banks in Mombasa County (r=0.963). Vertical mergers had positive significant effect on market performance of listed commercial banks (r value=0.694, p-value=0.000). Vertical integration resulted in lowering prices by the merged banks and brought efficiencies by reducing the transaction costs associated with the market exchange. Horizontal mergers had positive significant effect on market performance of listed commercial banks (r value=0.654, p-value=0.000). M ergers were common in industries with fewer firms, competition was higher and potential gains in market share were much greater. Horizontal mergers led to increased market power of the merged banks’. However, majority of the respondents were not sure that horizontal merger increased the concentration and eliminated competition. Conglomerate mergers had no significant effect on market performance of listed commercial banks (r value=0.021, p-value=0.871). Mixed conglomerate merger was appropriate for banks that were looking for product extensions or market extensions and conglomerate merger helped to greatly reduce business risk in the banks through diversification. Product extension mergers had positive significant effect on market performance of listed commercial banks (r value=0.888, p-value=0.000). Product extension mergers enabled banks to group together their products, get access to a bigger set of consumers and to penetrate the market hence improved return on assets. The study recommended that horizontal merger should be adopted with caution since horizontal mergers may not necessarily lead to increase market concentration and eliminate market competition. Key terms: Conglomerate merger, Horizontal merger, Merger, Product-extension merger, Vertical merger CITATION: Mwapaga, A. N. , Mukhongo, A. & Datche, E. (2019). Effect of mergers on market performance of commercial banks listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Mombasa County. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 6 (2), 1188 –1206.
Locative mobile media and time: Foursquare and technological memory

Foursquare is a location-based social network (LBSN) that can be used to explore locations and mark one’s movements in the form of ‘check-ins’. This paper investigates why some Foursquare users are choosing to record their locational past, and in so doing using it as a ‘mediated memory object’ (Dijck, 2009). The paper explores the different ways users then interact with their preserved spatial pasts, owing to Foursquare’s mode of preservation. A close engagement with phenomenological theory on the importance of engagement with technology and technicity as a shaping force on the experience of time conceptualises the use of Foursquare as a memory object. The functionality of Foursquare is positioned as a key element in how the location-based social network is significantly different from older memory related practices, as well as signalling its importance for the individuals that employ Foursquare in this manner.
Development of static and dynamic perception for luminance-defined and texture-defined information

The development of static and dynamic perception for stimuli requiring different levels of neural analysis was assessed by measuring orientation-identification and direction-identification thresholds for both lower-level [or first-order (FO)] and higher-level [or second-order (SO)] stimuli as a function of age. Results demonstrate that both lower-level and higher-level perception continue to develop during school-age years in both dynamic and static domains. When compared with adult levels, dynamic performance for 5–6-year-olds is significantly decreased for SO, but not for the FO perception; however, type of stimulus (FO vs. SO) did not affect the development of static perception. We therefore suggest that levels of stimulus complexity should be considered an important variable when assessing and making inferences regarding the typical and atypical development of static and dynamic perception.
G-50T Polymorphism of the Cytochrome P450 Epoxygenase CYP2J2 Gene is Not Associated with the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease among Chinese in Taiwan

Background: Human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2J2 is expressed in the vascular endothelium and metabolizes arachidonic acid to epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). The EETs are potent vasodilators and inhibitors of inflammation. Thus, the CYP2J2 gene variants may contribute to the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: In total, 209 patients with CAD (114 of them with myocardial infarction [MI]) and 209 age- and sexmatched control subjects were analyzed for the CYP2J2 G-50T polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction. Results: The distribution of CYP2J2 genotype was similar in the CAD cases and controls; the GT genotype was present in 10.5% of CAD patients, as compared to 8.6% of CAD control subjects (odds ratio=1.87, 95% C.I.=0.81-4.32, p=0.146). The frequency of the T allele was also similar in the CAD cases and controls (5.3% vs. 4.3%, p=0.506). There was also no significant association between G-50T polymorphism carriers and the risk of myocardial infarction. Conclusion: From our data, there is no evidence of an association between the CYP2J2 G-50T polymorphism and the risk of CAD and MI among Chinese in Taiwan.
Vertex‐wise shape analysis of subcortical structures in Alzheimer's disease

Background: Most MRI studies in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have focused on cortical and hippocampal atrophy. This study, however, examines regional volumetric and shape abnormalities of subcortical and limbic structures in AD. Methods: Thirty‐six patients with AD and 36 matched controls were included in the study. All subjects were right‐handed, evaluated using standard clinical assessment scales and genotyped at ApoE locus. Structural T1‐weighted images were acquired using 3 Tesla MRI. Vertex‐wise shape analysis was performed, with age, gender and total brain volume used as covariates of no interest. Data on the volumes of the hippocampus, amygdala, caudate, putamen and thalamus were statistically analyzed. Results: The bilateral hippocampus, amygdala, caudate, putamen and thalamus of AD patients were significantly lower in volume than controls. With respect to ApoE4 carrier status, there were no within‐group volumetric differences in either AD or controls. Vertex‐wise shape analysis of AD patients revealed significant surface reductions at the bilateral hippocampus, amygdala, caudate and putamen. No shape‐wise difference was observed between ApoE4 carrier and non‐carrier subjects in either group. Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the Hindi mental status examination score, and shape analysis of atrophy of the hippocampus, caudate and putamen. Conclusions: Significant volume reductions and shape differences were observed in subcortical and limbic structures in AD patients. The observed atrophy of neocortical and deep grey matter structures in AD patients indicates ongoing degenerative processes in the amygdala, caudate and putamen ‐ similar to the hippocampus ‐ which may contribute to cognitive and/or other clinical features in AD.
PENGARUH KEPEMILIKAN INSTITUSIONAL, UMUR PERUSAHAAN, DAN UKURAN PERUSAHAAN TERHADAP CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DISCLOSURE (STUDI PADA PERUSAHAAN MANUFAKTUR TERDAFTAR DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh dari Kepemilikan institusional, umur perusahaan dan ukuran perusahaan terhadap corporate social responsibility disclosure. Penelitian ini menggunakan obyek penelitian pada perusahaan manufaktur yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia periode 2010 sampai 2012, dengan jumlah populasi sebanyak 393 perusahaan. Dengan menggunakan teknik sampling secara purposive sampling, maka didapat total sampel sebanyak 219 pengamatan. Metode analisis yang digunakan adalah regresi berganda. Temuan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kepemilikan institusional, umur perusahaan dan ukuran perusahaan berpengaruh signifikan terhadap corporate social responsibility disclosure. Secara parsial variabel umur perusahaan berpengaruh signifikan terhadap corporate social responsibility disclosure, sedangkan variabel kepemilikan institusional dan ukuran perusahaan tidak berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap corporate social responsibility disclosure. Kepemilikan Institusional tidak berpengaruh terhadap corporate social responsibility disclosure karena semakin besar kepemilikan institusi, pengungkapan CSR yang dilakukan tidak selalu luas. Sedangkan ukuran perusahaan tidak berpengaruh karena dalam Undang-Undang tidak dijelaskan tentang perbedaan luas ataupun detail CSRD, sehingga perusahaan kurang memberikan respon. Umur berpengaruh terhadap CSRD, hasil ini menunjukkan bahwa corporate social responsibility disclosure dipengaruhi oleh umur suatu perusahaan. Perusahaan yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia lebih lama memiliki pengalaman yang lebih baik dalam corporate social responsibility disclosure. Hal ini dikarenakan perusahaan telah melakukan perubahan-perubahan terkait corporate social responsibility disclosure sehingga dari tahun ke tahun mengalami peningkatan. Kata Kunci : kepemilikan institusional, umur perusahaan, ukuran perusahaan, corporate social responsibility disclosure.
Source Localization using MUSIC in a Multipath Environment

MUSIC is a popular subspace method because of its superior performance in estimating direction-of-arrival (DOA). However, the performance of the algorithm in a multipath environment has not been fully addressed. This study evaluates the performance of MUSIC algorithm in estimating DOA in such situation. Experimental verification was performed in an enclosed room with varied parameters including the number of sensors in the antenna array and inter-element spacing. Results show that the algorithm localizes the signal with a deviation of 30 for a four-element, lambda/2 spaced array.
Insulin requirements in patients with diabetes and declining kidney function: differences between insulin analogues and human insulin?

Objectives: In diabetic nephropathy the decline of renal function causes modifications of the insulin and carbohydrate metabolism resulting in changed insulin requirements. The aim of the present study was to identify potential differences in the requirements of human insulin and various insulin analogues in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and renal dysfunction. Methods: The insulin requirements of 346 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus under everyday life circumstances were assessed in an observational study. Simultaneously, laboratory parameters were measured and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the formula by Cockcroft–Gault. Medical history and concomitant medication were recorded. The insulin requirements of long- and short-acting insulin were tested for a relationship with the eGFR and laboratory parameters. Results: The dosage of long-acting human insulin did not show any relation to eGFR. In contrast, a strong positive relation between dosage and renal function was found for insulin glargine and insulin detemir. After classification according to renal function, the insulin dosage at eGFR less than 60 ml/min was 29.7% lower in glargine-treated and 27.3% lower in detemir-treated patients compared with eGFR greater than 90 ml/min. Considering the whole range of eGFR, short-acting human insulin did not show a relation with renal function. Only after classification according to renal function was a dose reduction found for human insulin at eGFR less than 60 ml/min. In contrast, requirements of insulin lispro were significantly related to eGFR over the whole range of eGFR. At eGFR less than 60 ml/min the insulin dosage was 32.6% lower than at eGFR greater than 90 ml/min. The requirements of insulin aspart did not show any association with the eGFR. Conclusions: Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus show different insulin requirements according to the renal function depending on the applied insulin. This finding is essential for the adjustment of insulin therapy in patients with diabetic nephropathy to achieve balanced glycemic control. To determine the underlying mechanisms, further studies on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the different insulins in patients with diabetic nephropathy are needed.
Three‐dimensional repositioning tasks show differences in joint position sense between active and passive shoulder motion

Proprioception is important in maintaining shoulder joint stability. Previous studies investigated the effects of unconstrained multiplanar motion, with subjects able to move freely in space, on repositioning tasks for active shoulder motion but not passive motion. We sought to further explore joint position sense with 3D passive, robot‐guided motions. We hypothesized that target repositioning error would be greater in the case of passively placed targets than for actively placed targets. To investigate, 15 healthy individuals participated (8 female, 7 male), who were at most 6 ft (183 cm) tall to accommodate the equipment, and who had no history of shoulder injury, surgery, or significant participation in throwing sports. Target orientations were centered at 44° of elevation and 32° of horizontal rotation from the frontal plane. Two sets of 10 trials were performed. The first set involved active placement followed by active replacement, and the second set involved passive, robot‐guided, placement followed by active replacement. Repositioning error was greater following passive placement than active placement (p < 0.001). These results further our understanding of the differences between active and passive joint position sense at the shoulder. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:787–792, 2012
The role of science in solving the world's emerging water problems.

Optimum management of global water resources presents one of the most crucial challenges of the 21st century. Global population will increase by three billion or more over the next 50–75 years, and the number of people living in urban areas will more than double. Most of the world's population growth will occur in developing countries where water is already critically short and many of the residents are impoverished. Even today, >1 billion people do not have access to safe and affordable drinking water and perhaps twice that many lack adequate sanitation services. In fact, inadequate drinking water quality is a leading cause of infant mortality worldwide. Food production may soon be limited by water availability. Agricultural water use is not sustainable in many locales around the world for reasons that include soil salinization, ground water overdraft, and the overallocation of available surface water supplies. This situation raises questions about whether there are sufficient water resources to support the existing population on a long-term basis, to say nothing of the significantly larger population that will have to be fed in the remaining decades of this century. Intensifying competition for water resources by agricultural, industrial, and domestic users has led to a sharp increase in stress on aquatic and wetland ecosystems. Moreover, the inadequacy of environmental water supplies in much of the world has been significantly exacerbated by declining trends in water quality. Many developed countries have addressed this problem by adopting laws to guarantee supplies for the environment, but such guarantees are contingent on having adequate water for urban needs and on the availability of sufficient quantities of food. No such guarantees can be provided in developing countries, which tend to neglect environmental needs and are unable to mount efforts to maintain and enhance water quality for financial reasons. There seems …
Coexistence trend contingent to Mediterranean oaks with different leaf habits

Abstract In a previous work we developed a mathematical model to explain the co‐occurrence of evergreen and deciduous oak groups in the Mediterranean region, regarded as one of the distinctive features of Mediterranean biodiversity. The mathematical analysis showed that a stabilizing mechanism resulting from niche difference (i.e. different water use and water stress tolerance) between groups allows their coexistence at intermediate values of suitable soil water content. A simple formal derivation of the model expresses this hypothesis in a testable form linked uniquely to the actual evapotranspiration of forests community. In the present work we ascertain whether this simplified conclusion possesses some degree of explanatory power by comparing available data on oaks distributions and remotely sensed evapotranspiration (MODIS product) in a large‐scale survey embracing the western Mediterranean area. Our findings confirmed the basic assumptions of model addressed on large scale, but also revealed asymmetric responses to water use and water stress tolerance between evergreen and deciduous oaks that should be taken into account to increase the understating of species interactions and, ultimately, improve the modeling capacity to explain co‐occurrence.
Determinants for success of community-based rural tourism: Review of related literatures

The purpose of this paper is to establish a concept of the role of Community-Based Rural Tourism (CBRT) in community development and the significance of Community Participation in order to bring a change in community socioeconomic status through active involvement in community-based rural tourism. The paper pointed out several factors which determine the meaningful and active participation of community members in Community-based rural tourism based on extensive review of related literature. Moreover, the paper articulated the factors which point out the need for collaboration with stakeholders and the importance of tourist satisfaction in ensuring long term benefits through community-based rural tourism. The present paper will be quite helpful in establishing the concept of interdependence between CBRT and community participation, CBRT and tourist satisfaction, CBRT and environment conservation, CBRT and stakeholder collaboration, and the concept of using CBRT as an instrument for community development.
Juvenile Rank Can Predict Male-Typical Adult Mating Behavior in Female Sheep Treated Prenatally with Testosterone1

Abstract Previous research with female sheep indicates that exposure to excess testosterone for 60 days (from Gestational Days 30–90 of the 147-day gestation) leads to virilized genitalia, severe neuroendocrine deficits, as well as masculinization and defeminization of sexual behavior (T60 females). In contrast, 30 days of testosterone exposure (Gestational Days 60–90) produce animals with female-typical genitalia, less severe neuroendocrine alterations, and variable gender patterns of sexual behavior (T30 females). Variation in adult sexual behavior of male ungulates is influenced by early social experience, but this has never been tested in females. Here we investigate the influence of rank in the dominance hierarchy on the expression of adult sexual behavior in females. Specifically, we hypothesized that juvenile rank would predict the amount of male- and female-typical mating behavior exhibited by adult female sheep. This hypothesis was tested in two treatment groups and their controls (group 1: T60 females; group 2: T30 females). Dominance hierarchies were determined by observing competition over resources. Both groups of prenatal testosterone-treated females were higher ranking than controls (T60: P = 0.05; T30: P < 0.01). During the breeding season, both T60 and T30 females exhibited more male-typical mating behavior than did controls; however, the T30 animals also exhibited female-typical behavior. For the T60 group, prenatal treatment, not juvenile rank, best predicted male-typical sex behavior (P = 0.007), while juvenile rank better predicted male mating behavior for the T30 group (P = 0.006). Rank did not predict female mating behavior in the hormone-treated or control ewes. We conclude that the effect of prenatal testosterone exposure on adult male-specific but not female-specific mating behavior is modulated by juvenile social experiences.