Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumer attitudes towards European food versus traditional Chinese food in selected urban settings in China

This Chapter explores Chinese consumers’ perceptions in relation to both traditional and European food. A web-based free word association test was administered to 302 consumers in China. They were asked to give the first three words that came into their minds when they were presented with each of two stimulus words, ‘traditional food’ and ‘European food’. Three researchers grouped the elicited words into different classes and then into dimensions. Descriptive analysis was used to measure whether there were statistically significant differences in the frequencies of classes and dimensions for the two food concepts between each socio-demographic groups. The findings show that Chinese consumers define traditional food and European food through ten similar dimensions: Sensory appeal, Health, Origin, Marketing, Safety, Variety, Heritage, Symbolic meaning, Simplicity and Mood. Additionally, they associate traditional food with the dimensions Elaboration, Celebration and Habit, as well as linking European food to the dimensions Convenience and New. Although ten dimensions are the same, obvious differences can be identified by comparing the classes for the two food concepts. Further, there are significant differences in the class associations for European food between age groups and in the dimension associations between gender groups. Chapter 2 Perceptions 33 2.
Evaluating outcomes: Retrak's use of the Child Status Index to measure wellbeing of street-connected children

Retrak’s vision is a world where no child is forced to live on the street. The child is always at the centre of our work and therefore measurements of organisational impact must place the progress of the child at the centre of assessment. In establishing a system of measurement to effectively and consistently monitor the changes in the lives of children as a result of Retrak’s work, the Child Status Index (CSI) has been adapted to apply to the context of children connected to the street. This paper is the initial review of the findings of the CSI in the pilot period, 2011 and 2012, as a measurement of child wellbeing and a tool for tracking children’s progress along their Retrak journey to establish the impact of Retrak’s programmes in both Ethiopia and Uganda.
Enforcement Strategies in UK Corporate Governance: A Roadmap and Empirical Assessment

In this timely book, the law and economics of corporate governance is approached from various angles. Alessio Pacces shows that perspectives are evolving and that they differ between the economic and the legal standpoint, as well as varying between countries. A group of leading scholars offers their views and provides fresh empirical evidence on existing theories as well as developing new theoretical insights based on empirical puzzles. They all analyse the economics of corporate governance with a view to how it should, or should not, be regulated.
Hidden Russia: Informal Relations and Trust

ly represents an audience member’s aesthetics and preferences. It can be life-style preferences, belonging to certain ethnic group, hobbies, sports, food, or other characteristics acceptable within the network context. Fulfilment of Social Norms The fulfilment of social norms defines the functioning of personal networks and is the second factor for maintaining trust. In the context of establishing trust, our research findings show that the general perception of the fulfilment of social norms is key signals of credibility, i.e. a person’s decency and authenticity, in the context of Russian
Parameters Underlying Distinct T Cell-Dependent Polysaccharide-Specific IgG Responses to an Intact Gram-Positive Bacterium versus a Soluble Conjugate Vaccine1

IgG anti-polysaccharide (PS) responses to both intact Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pn) and PS conjugate vaccines are dependent on CD4+ T cells, B7-dependent costimulation, and CD40-CD40-ligand interactions. Nevertheless, the former response, in contrast to the latter, is mediated by an ICOS-independent, apoptosis-prone, extrafollicular pathway that fails to generate PS-specific memory. We show that pre-existing PS-specific Igs, the bacterial surface or particulation, selective recruitment of B cell subsets, or activation and recruitment of Pn protein-specific CD4+ T cells do not account for the failure of Pn to generate PS-specific IgG memory. Rather, the data suggest that the critical factor may be the lack of covalent attachment of PS to protein in intact Pn, highlighting the potential importance of the physicochemical relationship of PS capsule with the underlying bacterial structure for in vivo induction of PS-specific Igs.
Nutrition management in the adult patient with Crohn’s disease

Abstract Malnutrition, nutrient deficiencies and osteoporosis are common in patients with Crohn’s disease, regardless of disease activity. While the role of diet in the pathogenesis of the disease remains inconclusive, upon diagnosis, nutrition therapy plays an integral role in patient care. Successful nutrition intervention involves appropriate nutritional assessment, supplemental nutrition and individualised counselling and support.
The effect of probiotics on growth performance of broilers

After the FDA ban on fluoroquinolones from being using in poultry over concerns that it was a driving force behind antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the use of probiotic bacteria has become increasingly popular for improved nutrition. The aim of this study was to assess the effects on growth performance by introducing three kinds of commercial probiotics, to the diet of broiler chickens, commercial strain, 308 vertexes in Iran. For this purpose, chickens were divided into four groups include: (a) control group, without probiotics, (b) experimental group containing Protexin, (c) experimental group containing Primalac, (d) experimental group containing Calciparine. The effects of probiotics on growth performance were measured and results shows that feeding broilers with probiotics have significant effects (P < 0.05) on average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR), while it appeared insignificant on daily feed intake (DFI). However, the results of this research reveal that that feeding chicken broilers with these probiotics have positive effects on growth performance of chicken broilers. Thus, the use of these probiotics is highly recommended.
SCARECROW reinforces SHORT-ROOT signaling and inhibits periclinal cell divisions in the ground tissue by maintaining SHR at high levels in the endodermis

In contrast to development in animals, much of the patterning of plants occurs post-embryonically in specialized structures called meristems. The root apical meristem of Arabidopsis thaliana is a readily accessible structure that has been extensively studied to uncover the factors that control root growth and cellular patterning. Recently we showed that one of the key factors in patterning the root, the mobile transcription factor SHORT-ROOT (SHR), acts in a concentration-dependent manner to initiate or suppress asymmetric divisions in the endodermis. The amount of SHR varies dynamically in the endodermis with the age of the root. Here we show that this variation is controlled in part through the activity of the transcription factor, SCARECROW (SCR), which regulates SHR movement and therefore its effective concentration and function in the endodermis.
Perceived quality and satisfaction in multiservice organisations: the case of Spanish public services

The main aim of the paper is to study the causal relationship between two constructs, perceived quality and satisfaction, in the particular case of multiservice organisations. These organisations offer a range of services to their customers, so that evaluation of perceived overall quality and of satisfaction is more complex than that of a single service. The study centres on two publicly‐owned multiservice organisations: hospitals, and universities. The particular nature of multiservice organisations is that, when dealing with the influences of the dimensions of perceived quality, it is necessary to take into consideration not only the perceived quality of each of the services, but also the perceived overall quality of the multiservice organisation and the overall satisfaction with it.
Recognition of Deferred Tax Assets Practices and Conservatism

The application of IAS 12 promotes a form of conservative accounting practice, especially concerning the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities. In this paper, we observe whether these conservative practices are also evident in Malaysia. We examine one book-tax difference that may have an impact on the adoption of IAS 12 in Malaysia. This rule concerns the treatment of losses or allowances under normal business operations (category I) and those types of business that are granted tax incentives (category II). We propose that companies are more conservative if they recognise less deferred tax assets due to unabsorbed tax losses and allowances and vice versa. We also identify whether any distinct patterns exist among industries and auditor type with the recognition of deferred tax assets. Using descriptive and inferential statistics, we analyse the recognition of deferred tax assets practices for 880 public listed companies. Two main conclusions can be made from the findings. Firstly, Malaysian companies reflect a high degree of conservatism in their practices of adopting FRS 112. Secondly, a further analysis shows that companies in the Plantation, Properties and Construction Industry show significant differences in their level of conservatism while Big-4 auditors also show higher levels of conservatism.
Exploring Managers' Views About Brand Saboteurs

This paper explores the relationship between employee behaviour and service brand performance. Current literature emphasizes the importance of employee behaviour in delivering a strong service brand, and suggests that employees can be clustered according to their degree of support for the brand. Twenty in-depth interviews were undertaken with HR and Marketing managers in financial services and grocery firms. In the context of employees as brand builders, we explore whether managers have recognized variations in the level of employee support for the brand. Specifically, we surface managers' views about negative performers, or 'Brand Saboteurs'
General and Robust Error Estimation and Reconstruction for Monte Carlo Rendering

Adaptive filtering techniques have proven successful in handling non‐uniform noise in Monte‐Carlo rendering approaches. A recent trend is to choose an optimal filter per pixel from a selection of non spatially‐varying filters. Nonetheless, the best filter choice is difficult to predict in the absence of a reference rendering. Our approach relies on the observation that the reconstruction error is locally smooth for a given filter. Hence, we propose to construct a dense error prediction from a small set of sparse but robust estimates. The filter selection is then formulated as a non‐local optimization problem, which we solve via graph cuts, to avoid visual artifacts due to inconsistent filter choices. Our approach does not impose any restrictions on the used filters, outperforms previous state‐of‐the‐art techniques and provides an extensible framework for future reconstruction techniques.
Inhaled formaldehyde induces DNA–protein crosslinks and oxidative stress in bone marrow and other distant organs of exposed mice

Formaldehyde (FA), a major industrial chemical and ubiquitous environmental pollutant, has been classified as a leukemogen. The causal relationship remains unclear, however, due to limited evidence that FA induces toxicity in bone marrow, the site of leukemia induction, and in other distal organs. Although induction of DNA–protein crosslinks (DPC), a hallmark of FA toxicity, was not previously detected in the bone marrow of FA‐exposed rats and monkeys in studies published in the 1980s, our recent studies showed increased DPC in the bone marrow, liver, kidney, and testes of exposed Kunming mice. To confirm these preliminary results, in the current study we exposed BALB/c mice to 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 mg m−3 FA (8 hr per day, for 7 consecutive days) by nose‐only inhalation and measured DPC levels in bone marrow and other organs of exposed mice. As oxidative stress is a potential mechanism of FA toxicity, we also measured glutathione (GSH), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA), in the bone marrow, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, lung, liver, spleen, and testes of exposed mice. Significant dose‐dependent increases in DPC, decreases in GSH, and increases in ROS and MDA were observed in all organs examined (except for DPC in lung). Bone marrow was among the organs with the strongest effects for DPC, GSH, and ROS. In conclusion, exposure of mice to FA by inhalation induced genotoxicity and oxidative stress in bone marrow and other organs. These findings strengthen the biological plausibility of FA‐induced leukemogenesis and systemic toxicity. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 54:705–718, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
I NTELLIGENT SYNAPSES FOR MULTITASK AND TRANSFER LEARNING

Deep learning has led to remarkable advances when applied to problems in which the data distribution does not change over the course of learning. In stark contrast, biological neural networks exhibit continual learning, solve a diversity of tasks simultaneously, and have no clear separation between training and evaluation phase. Furthermore, synapses in biological neurons are not simply real-valued scalars, but possess complex molecular machinery that enable non-trivial learning dynamics. In this study, we take a first step toward bringing this biological complexity into artificial neural networks. We introduce intelligent synapses which are capable of accumulating information over time, and exploiting this information to efficiently protect old memories from being overwritten as new problems are learned. We apply our framework to learning sequences of related classification problems, and show that it dramatically reduces catastrophic forgetting while maintaining computational efficiency.
Determination of rolling element bearing condition via acoustic emission

Acoustic emission is an emerging technique for condition monitoring of rolling element bearings and potentially offers advantages for detection of incipient damage at an early stage of failure. Before such a technique can be applied with confidence for health monitoring, it is vital to understand the variation of acoustic emission generation with operating conditions in a healthy bearing. This paper investigates the effects of increased speed and load on the generation of acoustic emission within cylindrical roller bearings, and it was found that the root mean square signal level increased significantly with increasing speed whereas increasing load had a far weaker effect. The AERMS value for each experiment was compared with the trend of the Lambda value. The bearing was operating under full film lubrication regime, so it was determined that increases in AERMS were not caused by asperity contact. By consideration of trends in frequency energy amplitude, it was determined that excitation of the bearings resonant frequencies were responsible for an increase of energy in the frequency range of 20–60 kHz. The excitation energy at 330 kHz (the acoustic emission sensor’s resonant frequency) increased with load, indicating a link between high-frequency emission and stress at the contact zone. Following characterisation of the bearing under normal operating conditions, an accelerated life test was conducted in order to induce fatigue failure. The frequency response demonstrated that throughout a period of constant wear, the energy amplitude at the bearings resonant frequency increased with time. As the bearing failure became more significant, the energy of the high-frequency components above 100 kHz was spread over a broader frequency range as multiple transient bursts of energy were released simultaneously by fatigue failure of the raceways. This paper demonstrates the potential of acoustic emission to provide an insight into the bearing’s behaviour under normal operation and provide early indication of bearing failure.
PENGARUH KARAKTERISTIK CORPORATE GOVERNANCE TERHADAP EFFECTIVE TAX RATE (ETR) (STUDI EMPIRIS PADA PERUSAHAAN PERBANKAN YANG TERDAFTAR DI BEI TAHUN 2011-2013)

This study aims to examine the influence of Corporate Governance Characteristic consisting of Independent Commissioner, Audit Committee, Institutional ownership, and management ownership on the Effective Tax Rate (ETR). This study is an empirical research with the purpose of sampling techniques in data collection. Secondary data obtained from financial statement bank enterprises listing on the Stock Exchange during the year 2011 to the year 2013. Multiple regression analysis was conducted using SPSS version 17.00 for windows. The result of this study that the variables that affect the effective tax rate is independent commissioner, audit committee, and ownership of manajerial. While variable that did not affect the effective tax rate is institutional ownership. Keywords: Effective tax rate, Independent Commissioner, Audit Committee, Institutional Ownership, and Management Ownership.
The value of deliberate metaphor

Over the past decades, metaphor has predominantly been studied as a matter of language and thought within the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Recently, however, metaphor scholars have observed that this two-dimensional cognitive-linguistic view of metaphor does not (sufficiently) accommodate the role of metaphor in communication. They argue for a rehabilitation of more rhetorically-oriented approaches to metaphor in which the role of metaphor as metaphor in communication between language users is central. This thesis investigates the communicative dimension of metaphor within the developing theoretical framework of Deliberate Metaphor Theory (DMT). DMT extends the two-dimensional model of metaphor with a dimension of communication in which a distinction is made between ‘deliberate’ and ‘non-deliberate’ metaphors. Specifically, this thesis contributes to the further development of this three-dimensional model of metaphor by addressing a set of key methodological and empirical issues regarding the role of deliberate metaphor that are currently in need of clarification. To this end, the first part of this thesis is concerned with the establishment of a reliable method for the identification of deliberate metaphor in language use. In the second part, the manifestation of deliberate metaphor in natural language use is described from both a quantitative, corpus-analytical perspective, as well as from a qualitative perspective. Finally, the third part of this thesis examines the effects of deliberate metaphor on reasoning. Together, the studies carried out in this thesis demonstrate the value of deliberate metaphor, adding to the growing body of research on the role of metaphor as metaphor in communication.
FFT-based imaging processing for cultural heritage monitoring

Conservation of precious metallic works of art requires an in situ monitoring of the conditions of the objects and of the protecting coatings employed for their restoration. In this paper a simple diagnostic tool based on digital photography and 2D-FFT imaging processing is proposed that is used for monitoring the corrosion process occurring on metal surfaces. The proposed approach has been tested in laboratory on a set of silver reference samples which have been coated with SiOx thin films deposited via plasma and submitted to a tarnishing test. The obtained results show that the proposed technique permits to overcome most of the problems usually encountered when using conventional image processing based on amplitude and colors that require maintaining standard lighting and artifacts conditions, that are not easily achievable in museums. Although the proposed solution is not able to provide details about protective coating failure and the corrosion mechanism, its results can be correlated to the tarnishing susceptibility and, therefore, this technique can be use to assess the stability of the artifacts and to put in evidence the beginning of dangerous localized corrosion phenomena, that require immediate restoration.
Different Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathways Cooperate to Regulate Tumor Necrosis Factor α Gene Expression in T Lymphocytes*

Tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-α) is a potent proinflammatory cytokine and plays a crucial role in early events of inflammation. TNF-α is primarily produced by monocytes and T lymphocytes. In particular, T-cell-derived TNF-α plays a critical role in autoimmune inflammation and superantigen-induced septic shock. However, little is known about the intracellular signaling pathways that regulate TNF expression in T cells. Here we show that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways control the transcription and synthesis of TNF-α in A3.01 T cells that produce the cytokine upon T cell activation by costimulation with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and ionomycin. Selective activation of each of the distinct MAPK pathways by expression of constitutively active kinases is sufficient for TNF-α promoter induction. Furthermore, blockage of all three pathways almost abolishes TPA/ionomycin-induced transcriptional activation of the TNF-α promoter. Selective inhibition of one or more MAPK pathways impairs TNF-α induction by TPA/ionomycin, indicating a cooperation between these signal transduction pathways. Our approach revealed that the MAPK kinase 6 (MKK6)/p38 pathway is involved in both transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of TNF expression. Moreover, analysis of the progressive 5′ deletion mutants of the TNF-α promoter indicates that distinct promoter regions are targeted by either ERK-, JNK-, or p38-activating pathways. Thus, unlike what has been reported for other TNF-α-producing cells, all three MAPK pathways are critical and cooperate to regulate transcription of theTNF-α gene in T lymphocytes, suggesting a T-cell-specific regulation of the cytokine.
Glucosamine and osteoarthritis: time to quit?

Glucosamine (2‐amino‐2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose), an amino monosaccharide derivative of glucose, is a precursor of the glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans that make up articular cartilage. The notion that augmenting the intake of the precursor molecule, glucosamine, may directly stimulate articular proteoglycan synthesis to modulate osteoarthritis has provided the rationale for its widespread use. Theoretically, exogenous glucosamine may augment glycosaminoglycan synthesis in cartilage. There is a simultaneous theoretical concern that it might also induce insulin resistance in insulin‐sensitive tissues.