Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Firm-specific determinants of the extent of compliance with international accounting standards in the corporate annual reports of companies listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange: a positive accounting approach

This paper examines the firm specific characteristics – as a proxy for positive accounting research – that are associated with the propensity of companies listed on the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchanges (CASE) to comply with the newly harmonised Egyptian Accounting Standards (EASs) issued in 1997 and that are close to the international accounting standards (IASs). Although having an international audit firm is the dominant factor associated with disclosure and measurement/presentation compliance, ownership concentration, share trading, size as measured by market capitalisation and internationality are also associated with compliance. However, the results show that profitability, liquidity and leverage do not seem to affect the extent of compliance with EASs and the performance of manufacturing are at par with non-manufacturing firms. Also the performance of private sector firms is at par with public sector firms. This may indirectly imply that the positive accounting perspective may not be entirely applicable for de facto compliance in Egypt. Hence, it cannot be entirely inferred that listed Egyptian companies may use de facto compliance with EASs as a means of reducing agency costs, raising capital, reducing political costs or signalling to the market that they are high quality firms.
Embedding Visual Hierarchy With Deep Networks for Large-Scale Visual Recognition

In this paper, a layer-wise mixture model (LMM) is developed to support hierarchical visual recognition, where a Bayesian approach is used to automatically adapt the visual hierarchy to the progressive improvements of the deep network along the time. Our LMM algorithm can provide an end-to-end approach for jointly learning: 1) the deep network for achieving more discriminative deep representations for object classes and their inter-class visual similarities; 2) the tree classifier for recognizing large numbers of object classes hierarchically; and 3) the visual hierarchy adaptation for achieving more accurate assignment and organization of large numbers of object classes. By learning the tree classifier, the deep network and the visual hierarchy adaptation jointly in an end-to-end manner, our LMM algorithm can achieve higher accuracy rates on hierarchical visual recognition. Our experiments are carried on ImageNet1K and ImageNet10K image sets, which have demonstrated that our LMM algorithm can achieve very competitive results on the accuracy rates as compared with the baseline methods.
Editorial: Industrial Symbiosis – An Environmental Perspective on Regional Development

Industrial Ecology is a collective term for a number of business-centered systems-oriented approaches to improve the eco-efficiency of industry. Employing ecological metaphors, IE asks questions about the sustainability of the current industrial paradigm. In essence, it argues that the traditional model of industrial activity where individual manufacturing processes take in raw materials and generate products to be sold plus waste for disposal, needs to be transformed into a more integrated “closed-loop” model: an industrial ecosystem. Here raw material extraction and waste generation are minimized since waste serves as the raw material for other production processes.
Proposed diagnostic criteria for cerebellar ataxia with neuropathy and vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS)

Purpose of review:Diagnosis of ataxic disorders is an important clinical challenge upon which prognostication, management, patient solace, and, above all, the hope of future treatment all rely. Heritable diseases and the possibility of affected offspring carry the added burden of portending adverse health, social and financial ramifications. Recent findings:Cerebellar ataxia with neuropathy and vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS) is an inherited multisystem ataxia compromising cerebellar, vestibular, and sensory function. It is not uncommon, but despite early attempts the genetic defect is yet to be identified. As the search for the causative gene continues, we have found it useful to further define this syndrome in terms of its likely phenotype. Summary:We propose staged diagnostic criteria based on the identified pathology in CANVAS. We envisage that these criteria will aid the clinician in diagnosing CANVAS and the researcher in further elucidating this complex disorder.
Migraine and endothelial function: The HUNT3 Study

Background Reduced endothelial function is associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, but evidence on the association between migraine and endothelial function is conflicting. The aim of this population-based study was to examine the relationship between flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and migraine with aura, migraine without aura and tension-type headache. Methods In the third Nord-Trøndelag Healthy Study (HUNT3) FMD was measured by ultrasound during reactive hyperaemia of the brachial artery in a sample of 4739 healthy adult participants, 3929 of whom answered headache questions. The cross-sectional association between different headache diagnoses and FMD was evaluated by logistic regression, using a categorical approach. Results Mean FMD did not differ between the headache groups and headache-free controls. In multi-adjusted analyses, no consistent association was found between FMD quintiles and headache groups. Conclusions There was no relationship between FMD and migraine or other headache diagnoses in this large cross-sectional study of otherwise healthy respondents including freedom from pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases.
Liposomes containing glucosyl ceramide specifically bind T4 bacteriophage: a self-assembling nanocarrier formulation

A unique formulation is described comprising liposomes containing glucosyl ceramide (GluCer) in the lipid bilayer to which bacteriophage T4 was attached. Binding of the phage T4 did not occur to glycolipids, such as galactosyl ceramide, containing an aldose in which the C-2 or C-4 conformations were not identical to glucose. These results strongly support previous proposals that glucose is a major receptor moiety for T4 binding to Escherichia coli. By using the binding of T4 to liposomal GluCer, we further describe a formulation that can be used as a self-assembling combined antigen and adjuvant carrier. A peptide antigen derived from C-trimer (Ct) of HIV-1 gp41 was fused to the highly antigenic outer capsid protein (Hoc), a nonessential protein of T4 that spontaneously binds to the T4 capsid. This resulted in display of the Ct-Hoc construct on the T4 capsid, and specific binding of a human monoclonal antibody that recognizes a peptide sequence of Ct was demonstrated. Liposomes containing monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) have been demonstrated to have potent adjuvant activities for experimental vaccines both in humans and animals, and because of this, mice were immunized with the Ct-Hoc-T4 construct that was bound to liposomes containing both GluCer and MPLA, resulting in the induction of high titers of Ct-specific antibodies. We conclude that liposomes containing both GluCer and MPLA can spontaneously bind to a construct of T4 that displays antigens that spontaneously binds to the capsid of T4 bacteriophage. This formulation could be utilized as an easily manufactured self-assembling antigen and adjuvant carrier.
Effect of chronic high altitude hypoxia on foetal and maternal juxta-alveolar distal pulmonary smooth muscle cells actin and calponin organisation and growth profiles.

BACKGROUND The effect of chronic high altitude hypoxia (CHAH) in the juxta-alveolar region near the air-blood interface is unknown because of the experimental inaccessibility of this region. OBJECTIVE To examine primary cultures of digested juxta-alveolar smooth muscle cells for hypoxia-induced changes. METHODS Smooth Muscle Cells (SMCs) obtained by dispase digestion of the extreme lung parenchyma were used to study the effect of CHAH in the juxta-alveolar region and foetal and maternal cells were compared. Pulmonary venous SMCs were also obtained from dissected 5th to 7th generation levels pulmonary veins (<0.5 mm). Fluorescence tagged antibodies against alpha smooth muscle actin (alpha SMA) and calponin respectively were used as markers to identify cellular structural differences by routine immunohistochemistry. Comparison of the functional integrity of the cells was made using their growth profiles obtained by radiolabeled thymidine incorporation and liquid scintillation counting. RESULTS Marked differences were seen in juxta-alveolar SMCs obtained by digestion of extreme lung parenchyma of hypoxic sheep. Hypoxic adult sheep cells showed increased filamentation. Hypoxic foetal sheep cells showed internal restructuring and disorganization of both alpha-SMA and calponin filaments. The growth profiles of juxta-alveolar SMCs showed that the hypoxia-affected cells of both the foetus and adult sheep had a fast initial growth rate peaking at 48h while their normoxic equivalents had a steadier growth rate peaking at 72h. Hypoxia-affected cells showed contact inhibition at ~50% subconfluence and apoptosis by 48h. CONCLUSION Chronic high altitude hypoxia causes both phenotypical and functional changes in pulmonary smooth muscle cells near the air/blood interface.
Promoting the Knowledge Economy in the Arab World

This article looks at the information and communication technology (ICT)–related education reform programs in three countries in the Middle East. It indicates the evident policy linkage between the implementation of school-based ICT programs and the development of pupils’ 21st-century skills to address the knowledge economy. The policy aspirations are put in the context of the history of education in the region and the Islamic traditions and beliefs about the nature of knowledge. The impact of the reforms is evaluated on the basis of realities of day-to-day life in schools as reported by independent inspection, review, and evaluation agencies. It concludes that much deeper institutional reform is necessary to fulfill the policy aspirations rather than speculating over progress through technology-enriched futures.
Turnover and Knowledge Loss: An Examination of the Differential Impact of Production Manager and Worker Turnover in Service and Manufacturing Firms

This research examines the comparative effects of production manager and worker turnover in service and manufacturing settings. We suggest that, due to the centrality of human action in services and the ability of manufacturers to insulate the technical core, service and manufacturing companies are differentially dependent on and impacted by the loss of production manager and worker knowledge. The results from a survey of 150 service and manufacturing firms provide partial support for this notion and show that turnover impacts these organizations differently. More specifically, we find that: (1) the negative impact of production worker turnover on firm performance is greater in service settings than in manufacturing settings; and (2) the negative impact of production worker turnover on firm performance is greater than the impact of production manager turnover in service firms. In addition, our findings show that organizational capital moderates the turnover–performance relationship for production workers in service firms.
The role of project target clarity in an uncertain project environment

Product development is recognized as cross‐functional teamwork that has become important in the fast‐paced, globally competitive environment. Despite an extant body of knowledge on the importance of fuzzy front‐end planning and functions of goals in the management literature, the impact of uncertain project environment and goal setting mechanisms in front‐end planning is not fully understood. Product development literature presents numerous case studies or conceptual papers that emphasize the importance of upfront planning and a need for team building; however, large‐scale empirical studies are rare. This paper presents a model linking uncertain project environment, project target clarity, teamwork and its outcome measures (i.e. a product's value to customer and time to market). The data were analyzed from 205 product development projects of firms from the USA and Canada. Valid and reliable instruments were developed to assess the nature and impact of inter‐relationships of these variables. Results from structural model tests indicate that uncertain project environment influences the nature of project targets which in turn affects the level of teamwork. Teamwork is an important process outcome for enhancing value to customer and time to market. Management implications are discussed as well.
The formula that killed Wall Street

Wall Street in the mid‐1980s turned to the quants – brainy financial engineers – to invent new ways to boost profits. They and their managers, though laziness and greed, built a huge financial bubble on foundations that they did not understand. It was a recipe for disaster. The journalist Felix Salmon won the American Statistical Association's Excellence in Statistical Reporting Award for 2010, We reprint his article, first published as the cover story of Wired magazine, because it brilliantly conveys complex statistical concepts to non‐specialists.
Characteristics of Myosin V Processivity

Myosin V is a processive doubled-headed biomolecular motor involved in many intracellular organelle and vesicle transport. The unidirectional movement is coupled with the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis and product release cycle. With the progress of experimental techniques and the enhancement of measuring directness, detailed knowledge of the motility of myosin V has been obtained. Following the ATPase cycle, the 4-state mechanochemical model of the myosin V's processive movement is used. The transitions between various states take place in a stochastic manner. We can use the master equation to analyze and calculate quantitatively. Meanwhile, the effect of the reverse reaction is taken fully into account. We fit the mean velocity, the mean dwell time, the mean run length, and the ratio of forward/backward steps as a functionof ATP, ADP, and Pi concertration. The theoretical curves are generally in line with the experimental data. This work provides a new insight for the characteristic of myosin V.
Head and neck cancer in young people: a series of 52 SCCs of the oral tongue in patients aged 35 years or less

Objectives: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in young people is rare and the literature is confusing. This study was carried out to assess the demographics, clinical features, and treatment outcome in a cohort of patients aged 35 years or less with SCC of the oral tongue (SCCOT). Patients and methods: This was a multicenter retrospective study. Fifty-two patients treated between 1990 and 2000 were identified. Descriptive statistics were analyzed to assess demographic and tumor variables. Results: The WHO performance status was excellent for all patients. Thirty-seven were classified as T1–T2 and 38 were N0. All of them except one were treated with curative intent. Treatment failures were observed in 25 patients (48%). Four patients could be successfully salvaged after SCCOT recurrence or progression. The disease-free survival (DFS) was 52% at 5 years. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 64%. Factors that affected the OS were invasion of the floor (p=0.009), cross over of the midline (p=0.02), positive lymph nodes (p=0.02), and the lack of disease control (p=0.0001). Conclusion: Prognosis was very poor as soon as a local failure developed. Up-front treatment should be optimized to control this rare disease. We propose producing and reporting recommendations via a concerted oncologic physician referral network.
Cost analysis of laparoscopy versus laparotomy for early endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether the cost associated with treatment of early stage endometrial cancer differs on the basis of the surgical approach. METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on a series of women with presumed early stage endometrial cancer treated between 5/96 and 1/99 at a single institution. The patients were grouped according to the surgical approach utilized. The first group consisted of 19 patients who underwent laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and laparoscopic pelvic and paraaortic lymph node dissection. The second group consisted of 17 patients who underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic and paraaortic lymph node dissection. The two groups were compared with a two-tailed Student t test. Variables analyzed included age, Quetelet index (QI), surgical stage, number of lymph nodes, surgical time, estimated blood loss, postoperative complications, number of days in the hospital, and costs. The cost analysis was divided into room and board, pharmacy, ancillary services, operating room equipment, operating room services, and anesthesia. RESULTS Both groups were similar in age, QI, and distribution of stage. The laparoscopic group required more OR time (237 vs 157 min, P < 0.001); however, the number of lymph nodes, estimated blood loss, and postoperative complications were not significantly different between the groups. The laparoscopic group required significantly shorter hospitalization than the laparotomy group (3.7 vs 5.2 days, P < 0.001) resulting in less room and board ($299 vs $454, P < 0.001) as well as pharmacy costs ($443 vs $625, P < 0.02). The cost of anesthesia was higher in the laparoscopic group ($696 vs $444, P < 0.001) but the costs of OR equipment, OR services, and total costs were not statistically different between the groups. CONCLUSION Laparoscopic surgical management of early stage endometrial cancer is feasible with minimal morbidity. The cost savings of early hospital discharge is offset by longer surgical time and higher anesthetic costs. The total costs for each surgical approach are not statistically different. The presumed advantages of less pain, early resumption of normal activities, and overall improvement of quality of life await further investigation.
In vivo biocompatibility versus degree of conversion of resin‐reinforced cements in different time periods

This study focused on test the null hypothesis that there is no difference between the degree of conversion and biocompatibility of different resin reinforced glass ionomer cements (RRGICs). Forty‐eight male Wistar rats were used, distributed into four groups (n = 12), as follows: Group C (Control, polyethylene), Group FOB (Fuji Ortho Band), Group UBL (Ultra band Lok), and Group MCG (Multicure Glass), in subcutaneous tissue. The events of edema, necrosis, granulation tissue, multinuclear giant cells, young fibroblasts, and collagen formation were analyzed at 7, 15, and 30 days. The degree of conversion was evaluated by the Fourier method. Biocompatibility and degree of conversion were assessed using the Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests, and ANOVA and Tukey's test, respectively (P < 0.05). It was observed that, there was significant difference between Groups FOB and UBL for the presence of young fibroblasts at 15 days (P = 0.034) and between the Control and MCG Groups for the presence of multinucleated giant cells at 30 days (P = 0.009). Monomer conversion increased progressively until day 30, with significant difference between Group FOB and Groups UBL and MCG (P = 0.013) at 15 days. The null hypothesis was partially accepted, Fuji Ortho Band showed a less monomer conversion and a smaller number of young fibroblasts in the time of 15 days. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:335–340, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Urban Unemployment and Migrants in Africa: Evidence from Harare 1985–1994

Unemployment is a major problem in urban centers in sub-Saharan Africa. The impact of policies associated with structural adjustment programs has frequently meant major formal job losses in both the public and private sectors. Although it is widely recognized that there has been a major (further) shift into the informal sector it is also often claimed that "unemployment" rates have greatly increased. When it is also assumed that net rural-urban migration has continued at a rapid pace this is believed to be a significant contributor to the rise in unemployment. However because "unemployment" and "underemployment" are hard to measure and to keep discrete when studying urban Africa it is apparent that there is much confusion over current levels and trends in unemployment. This article discusses the problems of analyzing African urban unemployment drawing in particular on a recent International Labor Organization report and presents evidence from long-term research on migrants in Harare which casts doubt on the extent to which net in-migration is a major factor contributing to unemployment in contemporary economically adjusting sub-Saharan Africa. (authors)
Electrically Small, Low-Profile, Huygens Circularly Polarized Antenna

The design, simulation studies, and experimental verification of an electrically small, low-profile, broadside-radiating Huygens circularly polarized (HCP) antenna are reported. To realize its unique circular polarization cardioid-shaped radiation characteristics in a compact structure, two pairs of the metamaterial-inspired near-field resonant parasitic elements, the Egyptian axe dipole (EAD) and the capacitively loaded loop (CLL), are integrated into a crossed-dipole configuration. The EAD (CLL) elements act as the orthogonal electric dipole (magnetic dipole) radiators. Balanced broadside-radiated electric and magnetic field amplitudes with the requisite 90° phase difference between them are realized by exciting these two pairs of electric and magnetic dipoles with a specially designed, unbalanced crossed-dipole structure. The electrically small (ka = 0.73) design operates at 1575 MHz. It is low profile $0.04\lambda _{\mathbf {0}}$ , and its entire volume is only $0.0018\lambda _{\mathbf {0}}^{\mathbf {3}}$ . A prototype of this optimized HCP antenna system was fabricated, assembled, and tested. The measured results are in good agreement with their simulated values. They demonstrate that the prototype HCP antenna resonates at 1584 MHz with a 0.6 dB axial ratio, and produces the predicted Huygens cardioid-shaped radiation patterns. The measured peak realized LHCP gain was 2.7 dBic, and the associated front-to-back ratio was 17.7 dB.