Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS IN MALAYSIAN LISTED COMPANIES

This study examines the appointment process for independent directors in public listed companies (PLCs) in Malaysia. To this end, open-ended interviews were conducted with chairmen of nomination committees of PLCs in Malaysia in order to understand the appointment process. The results revealed that nominations may come from various sources, including from the firm’s board members, CEO or owners. It was also found that the nominees are those within the personal network of the board members, CEO or owners. The main reason given was to shorten the appointment process and also because they knew the candidates personally. In terms of the selection criteria, the personal qualities of a candidate were found to be very important. In particular, the board puts emphasis on experience, expertise, professional qualifications, and reputation to identify a candidate who can commit to their tasks. However, the board does not consider race, religion, and gender as important selection criteria. Our findings reveal that it is the board that makes the final decision on the appointment or reappointment of independent directors. Based on our findings, we conclude that nominations for independent directorships mainly come from inside the firms and those nominated are within their networks. In other words, the independent directors are known or connected either to the board members, CEO or major shareholders. Hence, it would be very difficult for independent directors to perform a monitoring role as prescribed in agency theory. Rather, the independent directors are appointed to the board primarily to play a service role, consistent with resource dependency theory. The fact that firms prefer professionals with experience indicates that candidates for independent directorships are appointed because of their expertise and their service role.
Studying sales in terms of export performance: A quantitative research for the border gate of Sarp Satışların ihracat performansı açısından araştırılması: Sarp sınır kapısında nicel bir çalışma

Sales made to foreigners by SMEs in Sarp border region are an important commercial activity. A large number of entrepreneurs continue to increase their activities in order to benefit from the advantages of the border region. The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of marketing strategy, entrepreneurship, market attractiveness and foreign trade barriers on sales in terms of export performance. The research data were collected from SMEs operating around Sarp border gate in Hopa/Artvin at Turkey-Georgian border by using convenience sampling method with face to face interview. SPSS and PLS structural equation modelling were used in analyzing the data. According to the findings of the study; marketing strategy, entrepreneurship and market attractiveness were found positively significant on sales performance. But, the effect of the defined barriers on sales performance was not found significant. This study examines the sales at the border region and offers valuable information to the parties interested in the topic. Ozet Sarp sinir bolgesindeki KOBI’lerin yabancilara yaptigi satislar onemli bir ticari faaliyettir. Cok sayida girisimci bolgenin avantajindan yararlanabilmek icin bu sinir bolgesinde faaliyetlerini arttirarak devam ettirmektedir. Bu calismanin amaci pazarlama stratejisi, girisimcilik, pazar cekiciligi ve dis ticaret engellerinin satislara ihracat performansi acisindan etkilerini incelemektedir. Arastirma icin olusturulan modelinin verileri kolayda ornekleme yontemiyle Turkiye-Gurcistan sinirindaki Hopa/Artvin Sarp bolgesindeki isletmelerle yuz yuze yapilan anketlerden elde edilmistir. Verilerin analiz edilmesinde SPSS ve PLS yapisal esitlik modellemesi kullanilmistir. Arastirmadan elde edilen bulgulara gore; pazarlama stratejisi, girisimcilik ve pazar cekiciligin satis performansini olumlu yonde etkiledigi bulunmustur. Ancak, tanimlanan engellerin satis performansi uzerindeki etkisi anlamli bulunmamistir. Bu calisma sinir bolgesindeki satislari incelemekte ve konuyla ilgilenen taraflara degerli bilgiler sunmaktadir.
Teaching employability skills through simulation games

This paper examines the use of a business simulation game to test its effectiveness in promoting the awareness of employability skills in undergraduate students. A mixed approach using an-online survey tool was used to record student perceptions of how their employability skills were developed across ten courses and three faculties. The survey was conducted before the unit started, and on completion. Key emerging themes show that students demonstrated an increased awareness and development of their employability skills. They acquired and developed their skills by learning how to operate a small business start-up using a business simulation game. This research project was limited to one core unit in the curriculum, and the project is university specific. A cross university research project would add further value to the research project. Students are able to articulate the skills they have acquired and developed thus showing elements of self-awareness. An increase in student’s social capital is likely to enhance their career decisions. This paper will be of value to institutions wishing to evaluate the use of serious business simulation games to embed employability skills into the curriculum.
Should we redefine the classic lateral pallium?

The quadripartite model of the telencephalic pallium of amniotes offered by the Puelles school includes a medial, dorsal, lateral, and ventral pallium. Watson and Puelles ([2016] J. Comp. Neurol. this issue) now newly propose that the mammalian ventral pallium gives rise not only to all of the pallial amygdala but also to the olfactory cortex, which hitherto was considered to arise from the lateral pallium. Thus, the region of the lateral pallium was misidentified in the quadripartite model, as the designated histogenetic unit gives rise to the insular cortex/claustrum and should therefore be considered a most ventrolateral part of the dorsal pallium (its ventrolateral subdivision). The mesopallium of birds then is the homologue of this ventrolateral dorsal pallial part, not of the classic lateral pallium. The region designated as the ventral pallium in the initial quadripartite model should therefore be divided in the new Watson/Puelles model into a smaller ventral pallium and a lateral pallium. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:1509–1513, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Riboregulators and the role of Hfq in photosynthetic bacteria

Anoxygenic and oxygenic bacteria directly convert solar energy into biomass using photosynthesis. The formation and composition of photosynthetic complexes has to be tightly controlled in response to environmental conditions, as exposure to sunlight can be harmful due to the generation of reactive oxygen species and the damaging effects of UV irradiation. Therefore, photosynthetic bacteria are exposed to a particular set of regulatory challenges in addition to those that also affect other bacteria, requiring sophisticated regulatory systems. Indeed, hundreds of potential regulatory RNAs have been identified in photosynthetic model bacteria as well as antisense RNAs (asRNAs) of up to several kb in length that protect certain mRNAs from degradation. The trans-acting small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs), PcrZ and PsrR1, control pigment and photosystem biogenesis in Rhodobacter sphaeroides and cyanobacteria, respectively. The asRNAs IsrR and As1_flv4 act as negative regulators and the asRNAs PsbA2R and PsbA3R as positive effectors of photosynthesis gene expression in Synechocystis 6803.
Pathophysiology of Pediatric Liver Disease Liver Development

Introduction The essential liver endocrine and exocrine functions require a precise spatial arrangement of the repeated hepatic lobule consisting of the central vein, portal vein, hepatic artery, intrahepatic bile duct system, and hepatocyte zonation. This allows (1) blood to be carried through the liver parenchyma and sampled by all hepatocytes, (2) hepatocytes to uptake metabolites and toxins from the blood for metabolizing and detoxification from their basal sinusoidal side, and (3) hepatocytes to produce and secrete bile from their apical canalicular side to be carried out of the liver through the biliary (i.e., intrahepatic bile duct) system composed of biliary epithelial cells (i.e., cholangiocytes). This chapter describes the process of liver development (i.e., hepatogenesis), defining the molecular factors required for regulating induction of liver progenitors (i.e., hepatoblasts), hepatoblast differentiation into the two epithelial cell types of the liver (i.e., hepatocytes and cholangiocytes), and setting up the initial architecture that is critical for the liver to perform its functions. Understanding these processes and its molecular control provides insight into cellular origin, developmental abnormalities potentially contributing to liver disease, and liver regeneration.
Kit ligand actions on ovarian stromal cells: Effects on theca cell recruitment and steroid production

Factors that control recruitment of theca cells from ovarian stromal‐interstitial cells are important for early follicle development in the ovary. During recruitment, theca cells organize into distinct layers around early developing follicles and establish essential cell–cell interactions with granulosa cells. Recruitment of theca cells from ovarian stromal stem cells is proposed to involve cellular proliferation, as well as induction of theca cell‐specific functional markers. Previously, the speculation was made that a granulosa cell‐derived “theca cell organizer” is involved in theca cell recruitment. Granulosa cells have been shown to produce kit‐ligand/stem cell factor (KL). KL is known to promote stem cell proliferation and differentiation in a number of tissues. Therefore, the hypothesis was tested in the current study that granulosa cell‐derived KL may help recruit theca cells from undifferentiated stromal stem cells during early follicle development. The actions of KL were examined using adult bovine ovarian fragment organ culture and isolated ovarian stromal‐interstitial cells. In organ culture KL significantly increased the number of theca cell layers around primary follicles. Experiments using purified stromal‐interstitial cell cultures showed that KL stimulated ovarian stromal cell proliferation in a dose‐dependent manner. Stromal cell differentiation into theca cells was analyzed by the induction of theca cell functional markers (i.e., androstenedione and progesterone production). Bovine ovarian stromal cells produced low levels of androstenedione (5–40 ng/μg DNA) and progesterone (5–30 ng/μg DNA) in vitro that were approximately 20‐fold lower than theca cells under similar conditions. Treatment with KL did not affect ovarian stromal cell androstenedione or progesterone production. Interestingly, hormones such as estrogen and hCG did stimulate stromal cell steroid production. The results in this study suggest that granulosa cell‐derived KL appears to promote the formation of theca cell layers around small (i.e., primary) ovarian follicles. KL directly stimulated ovarian stromal cell proliferation but alone did not induce functional differentiation (i.e., high steroid production). Therefore, KL is proposed to promote early follicle development by inducing proliferation and organization of stromal stem cells around small follicles. Observations suggest that KL may act as a granulosa‐derived “theca cell organizer” to promote stem cell recruitment of ovarian stromal cells in a manner similar to the way that KL promotes hematopoietic and lymphoid stem cells in bone marrow and the thymus. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 55:55–64, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Uses of milk in sweetmeat shops and consumer preferences to milk products at Mymensingh municipality in Bangladesh

The work has been designed to investigate the utilization of milk for consumption of fluid milk and milk products, their distribution pattern, pricing, shelf life and consumer’s preference of Mymensingh municipality in Bangladesh. The study was based on milk and milk products and data were collected from the selected sweetmeat shops by direct interview, of which 20 samples were collected from sweetmeat shops and 7 from goalas. Both tabular and statistical methods were used for collected data analysis. Shopkeepers of different sweetmeat shops received raw milk from farmers (52.6%) and goalas (47.4%) and the highest amount of whole milk was required in per unit production of rasomalai (21%) and ghee (18%) whereas the lowest amount in chomchom (9%). Milk products prices were not remained same throughout the year in this municipality due to fluctuation of raw milk availability and their price. Eid, Puja festivals and other educational activities results that may increase milk products selling especially rasogolla and kalojam. Research findings also showed non-significant difference in case of pricing, distribution pattern, shelf life and selling of milk and milk products following sweetmeats. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2016, 2(2): 266-273
To share or not to share: modeling knowledge sharing using exchange ideology as a moderator

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose important determinants of knowledge sharing, including co‐worker congruence, received task interdependence, organizational commitment and participative decision‐making. Exchange ideology is considered a moderator in this study.Design/methodology/approach – A two‐step procedure of structural equation modeling is applied for data analysis. The moderating effects are simultaneously examined using data from employees across different industries.Findings – This study suggests the influence of co‐worker congruence on knowledge sharing is stronger for individuals with low exchange ideology than for those with high exchange ideology, while the influence of received task interdependence on knowledge sharing is stronger for individuals with high exchange ideology than for those with low exchange ideology. The influence of participative decision‐making on knowledge sharing is stronger for individuals with high exchange ideology than for those with low exchange ideolo.
Bradykinin and respiratory mucous membranes. Analysis of bradykinin binding site distribution and secretory responses in vitro and in vivo.

Bradykinin (BK) and lysyl-BK (lys-BK, kallidin) have been proposed as potentially important mediators of rhinorrhea. Possible mechanisms by which BK might contribute to rhinorrhea were investigated by several approaches. (1) The autoradiographic distribution of 125I-BK binding sites in human inferior turbinate nasal mucosa was determined. (2) The effects of BK and lys-BK and antagonists on radiolabeled respiratory glycoconjugate (RGC) release from human nasal mucosa was measured. (3) The secretory effects of BK were studied in cat tracheal mucosa maintained in short-term explant culture, and in ferret trachea maintained in Ussing chambers. (4) The effects of BK on macromolecule secretion in guinea pig nasal mucosa was studied in vivo. Autoradiographic examination of human nasal mucosa revealed that 125I-BK specifically bound to small muscular arteries, venous sinusoids, and submucosal fibers. No specific binding to submucosal glands or goblet cells was noted. Human nasal fragments secreted significantly increased amounts of RGC in response to 10 microM BK (15.0% +/- 1.8 compared with control values; mean +/- standard error of the mean; n = 7; p less than 0.01 by Student's unpaired t test), 10 microM lys-BK (12.2% +/- 3.3; n = 5; p less than 0.05), and 100 microM methacholine (35.7% +/- 2.3; p less than 0.0001). The addition of 1 microM BK, or 1 microM lys-BK, did not induce release. The addition of the BK receptor antagonist des-Arg9-[Leu8]-BK (10 microM) or inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolism with 50 microM nordihydroguaiaretic acid or 65 microM ibuprofen inhibited the prosecretory effect of 10 microM BK. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A 0.5-V Biomedical System-on-a-Chip for Intrabody Communication System

A low-voltage (0.5 V) and low-power (4.535 mW) monolithic biomedical system-on-a-chip (SOC) consisting of a receiver, a transmitter, a microcontrol unit, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), implemented in a 0.18-μm CMOS technology for intrabody communication is first reported. The SOC can take command through a human body and activate (or turn on) the ADC and transmitter inside the SOC. Then, a biomedical signal is converted to digital format and transmitted to the RF gateway through a human body. With this transmission methodology and the proposed SOC circuit, it is much more power efficient than wireless communication. Moreover, since no antenna is required, the chip size of the SOC is only 1.5 mm2, excluding the test pads.
RECIPIENTS OF GOVERNANCE: TRUST AND THE EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVE

Purpose To introduce trust as related to organizational design and management within the broader domain of governance and report on case study research on trust carried out in a large Australian organization. Design/methodology/approach This paper is in three parts. The first part reviews a selection of ideas and recent writers on trust; the second part describes the methodology of the case study research which focused on relationship management where trust emerged as an important element of relationships. This is followed by examples from the findings. The third part addresses insights and future research. Originality/Value The study of trust has become an important topic for management and corporate governance during recent years. After discussing scholarly interpretations of trust, empirical research findings are used to provide insight into how employees actually understand and interpret trust.
Organizational characteristics and information content of an archaeal genome: 156kb of sequence from Sulfolobus solfataricus P2

We have initiated a project to sequence the 3Mbp genome of the thermoacidophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus P2. Cosmids were selected from a provisional set of minimally overlapping clones, subcloned in pUC18, and sequenced using a hybrid (random plus directed) strategy to give two blocks of contiguous unique sequence, respectively, 100389 and 56105bp. These two contigs contain a total of 163 open reading frames (ORFs) in 26–29 putative operons; 56 ORFs could be identified with reasonable certainty. Clusters of ORFs potentially encode proteins of glycogen biosynthesis, oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate, ATP‐dependent transport across membranes, isoprenoid biosynthesis, protein synthesis, and ribosomes. Putative promoters occur upstream of most ORFs. Thirty per cent of the predicted strong and medium‐strength promoters can initiate transcription at the start codon or within 10 nucleotides upstream, indicating a process of initial mRNA‐ribosome contact unlike that of most eubacterial genes. A novel termination motif is proposed to account for 15 additional terminations. The two contigs differ in densities of ORFs, insertion elements and repeated sequences; together they contain two copies of the previously reported insertion sequence ISC 1217, five additional IS elements representing four novel types, four classes of long non‐IS repeated sequences, and numerous short, perfect repeats.
Effects of plasma from hypertensive patients on the responses to angiotensin and norepinephrine in dogs and rats

The effect of peripheral venous plasma (PVP) from normotensive sub;ects (Group A), and hypertensive patients who received placebo (Group B) or thiazide therapy (Group C) on vascular reactivity and resistance was evaluated in intact rats and dogs. Plasma electrolytes and serum levels of creatinine were normal in the three groups. Administration of 100 pl per kilogram of pVP from Groups A, B, or C did not affect the systemic pressure or the pressor responses to norepinephrine (NE) and angiotensin (A) in the anesthetized rat. The canine paw was perfused with autologous blood at constant flow. Intra‐arterial infusions of pVP (0.5 ml per minute) from Groups A, B, and C transiently reduced vascular resistance by 23 ± 11 %,35 ± 8%, and 8 ± 6% respectively. However, paw perfusion pressure returned to control values within 30 minutes. Pressor responses to NE were similar before and during infusion of pVP from each group. The pressor responses to tyramine (T) were enhanced by 33% during infusion of pVP from Group A and 67% (p < 0.05) and 62% (p < 0.05) during infusions of pVP from Groups Band C, respectively. Since PVP from Groups A, B, and C enhanced the pressor response to T but did not affect the response to NE, we conclude that a substance in human PVP enhances T‐induced catecholamine release. This substance probably does not play a role in essential hypertension.
Alcoholic Chronic Pancreatitis and Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis: Differences in Alcohol Use Habits and Patterns in Indian Subjects

Objectives Alcohol abuse is a risk factor for both liver cirrhosis and chronic pancreatitis. However, less than 15% of heavy drinkers develop these complications. Coexistence of cirrhosis and pancreatitis in the same patient is considered uncommon. We compared drinking patterns and related patient factors in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. Methods A prospective evaluation of 307 patients (all men: 188 with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 119 with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis) was conducted over a 7-year period using a detailed alcohol assessment proforma. Assessment of demographic features, diet, and other habits like tobacco smoking were recorded. Results Patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis were older. The mean ± SD age in alcoholic liver cirrhosis was 52.4 ± 9.16 years and 47.1 ± 9.78 years (P < 0.001) in alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. The mean ± SD age when they started drinking was similar in both groups (22.8 ± 5.32 years and 24.3 ± 6.94; P > 0.05). The mean ± SD duration of drinking was higher in the cirrhosis group (29.5 ± 10.25 years) than in the pancreatitis group (21.5 ± 9.61 years) (P < 0.001). Fifty-nine percent of cirrhosis and 75% of pancreatitis were heavy tobacco smokers (P = 0.004). Conclusions There are distinct differences in drinking patterns and related patient factors between alcoholic liver cirrhosis and alcoholic chronic pancreatitis, suggesting the need to orient different interventional strategies.
On the autonomy of experiments in economics

Most methodological discussion in experimental economics has been pursued by justifying the use of experiments as theory‐testing vehicles. More recently, it has also been argued that the external validity of experiments requires the use of non‐experimental field studies. Therefore, it has been proposed, experiments are intermediaries between theories and field evidence. In this paper it is argued that this picture of experiments is mistaken in the general case and that experiments can be justifiably undertaken as autonomous vehicles of discovery, independently of theory‐testing or field studies.
Vortioxetine-induced manic mood switch in patient with previously unknown bipolar disorder

1 Kahn JP, Meyers JR. Treatment of comorbid panic disorder and schizophrenia: evidence for a panic psychosis. Psychiatr Ann. 2000;30:29-33. 2 Veras AB, Nardi AE, Kahn JP. Attachment and self-consciousness: a dynamic connection between schizophrenia and panic. Med Hypotheses. 2013;81:792-6. 3 Freeman D, Fowler D. Routes to psychotic symptoms: trauma, anxiety and psychosis-like experiences. Psychiatry Res. 2009;169:107-12. 4 Ruby E, Polito S, McMahon K, Gorovitz M, Corcoran C, Malaspina D. Pathways associating childhood trauma to the neurobiology of schizophrenia. Front Psychol Behav Sci. 2014;3:1-17. 5 Bermanzohn PC, Arlow PB, Albert C, Siris SG. Relationship of panic attacks to paranoia. Am J Psychiatry. 1999;156:1469.