Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Board Characteristics and Muslim Ownership Structure on Value Relevance of Accounting Information: Evidence from Malaysian Shariah Compliant Companies

Corporate reporting is considered important because it provides information to assist internal and external corporate annual report users in making informed decisions. The high quality of financial reporting information is really significant, since employing this information can also lead to an increase in investment efficiency. Owners or shareholders need all necessary financial information for decision making. Nevertheless, even though they own the companies but the management is carried out by a pool of professionals – managers and directors. Thus, the directors set the directions and policies for the management team to run the company’s daily affairs. The separation between ownership and managers in firms leads to the agency problem between them. This study looks into the relationship between corporate governance characteristics (the size of the board of directors, the number of Shariah background directors, number of Muslim female in board, Muslim ownership structure) and value relevance of accounting information. Findings show a positive association between board size and value relevance of accounting information in Malaysian Shariah-compliant firms. However, there is not enough evidence to prove Shariah background members on board can enhance the value relevance of accounting information. Regarding the relationship between the presence of Muslim female directors in the board and the value relevance of accounting information, the results reveal insignificant relationship. The findings also indicate that companies with large Muslim ownership are negatively significant for value relevance of accounting information.
IMVAMUNE®: modified vaccinia Ankara strain as an attenuated smallpox vaccine

Smallpox vaccines based on replicating vaccinia virus are known to elicit rare yet serious adverse events, particularly in human populations with immune deficiency, atopic dermatitis and at the extremes of age. A vaccine that induces protective immune responses equivalent to first-generation smallpox vaccines while reducing the risk for severe adverse events is critical for a national stockpile of smallpox vaccines. Modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) has been proposed as an immediate solution for vaccination of high-risk individuals. Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine MVA-BN® (IMVAMUNE®) is a MVA strain that is replication incompetent in mammalian cell lines. IMVAMUNE has been administered to more than 1900 human subjects to date, including high-risk populations (e.g., people diagnosed with atopic dermatitis or infected with HIV) in which standard replicating vaccines are contraindicated. We review the Phase I clinical trial safety profile and immune responses and compare them with other smallpox vaccines, including ACAM2000™ and Dryvax®.
Technique d'antennes multi-entrees multi-sorties dans un systeme de type cellulaire

Ce memoire presente une etude sur l'efficacite spectrale theorique de systemes de transmission dits multi-entrees multi-sorties, dont la caracteristique essentielle est d'utiliser plusieurs antennes a la fois en emission et reception, dans le cadre des radiocommunications de type cellulaire. Cette technique de multiplexage spatial permet d'accroitre de maniere significative l'efficacite spectrale des systemes de communication qui est un parametre tres important pour les systemes de nouvelle generation. Les performances d'un systeme de transmission combinant la situation multi entrees-sorties avec de la modulation adaptative et de la reutilisation de frequence, sont etudies pour un grand nombres de situations concretes definies par des parametres comme la configuration des cellules, le controle de puissance et les techniques de reception. Un premier ensemble de resultats presente une etude comparative des performances de trois systemes definis par differents nombres d'emetteurs (n) et de recepteurs (m). Dans un environnement a une seule cellule, les simulations montrent l'avantage important du systeme mimo (n = 3, m = 3), sur les systemes simo (n = 1, m = 3) et siso (n = 1,m = 1). Une comparaison similaire est effectuee dans un environnement a plusieurs cellules, ou la degradation des resultats dues aux cellules voisines est quantifiee et l'avantage du systeme mimo sur le systeme simo est diminue. Cet avantage remonte lorsque le nombre de recepteurs est plus eleve et le nombre d'etats de la modulation est contraint a des valeurs raisonnables. Ces systemes sont evalues en terme d'efficacite spectrale moyenne (moyennee en temps, sur toutes les localisations du recepteur et sur tous les evanouissements). Cependant, la distribution de la capacite (ou efficacite spectrale) est aussi etudiee en fonction de la localisation du recepteur, en utilisant la plate-forme de simulation puis en developpant des equations analytiques. L'accord entre les deux resultats, analytique et par simulation, est excellent.
PCR-Based Method To Differentiate the Subspecies of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex on the Basis of Genomic Deletions

ABSTRACT The classical Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MtbC) subspecies include Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium africanum (subtypes I and II), Mycobacterium bovis (along with the attenuated M. bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin [BCG]), and Mycobacterium microti; increasingly recognized MtbC groupings include Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae and “Mycobacterium tuberculosis subsp. canettii. ” Previous investigations have documented each MtbC subspecies as a source of animal and/or human tuberculosis. However, study of these organisms is hindered by the lack of a single protocol that quickly and easily differentiates all of the MtbC groupings. Towards this end we have developed a rapid, simple, and reliable PCR-based MtbC typing method that makes use of MtbC chromosomal region-of-difference deletion loci. Here, seven primer pairs (which amplify within the loci 16S rRNA, Rv0577, IS1561′, Rv1510, Rv1970, Rv3877/8, and Rv3120) were run in separate but simultaneous reactions. Each primer pair either specifically amplified a DNA fragment of a unique size or failed, depending upon the source mycobacterial DNA. The pattern of amplification products from all of the reactions, visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis, allowed immediate identification either as MtbC composed of M. tuberculosis (or M. africanum subtype II), M. africanum subtype I, M. bovis, M. bovis BCG, M. caprae, M. microti, or “M. canettii” or as a Mycobacterium other than MtbC (MOTT). This MtbC PCR typing panel provides an advanced approach to determine the subspecies of MtbC isolates and to differentiate them from clinically important MOTT species. It has proven beneficial in the management of Mycobacterium collections and may be applied for practical clinical and epidemiological use.
Employees’ Responses to Positive Feedback from Customers and Managers

OF THE THESIS EMPLOYEES’ RESPONSES TO POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM CUSTOMERS AND MANAGERS by I Hsuan Tsai Florida International University, 2018 Miami, Florida Professor Jinlin Zhao, Major Professor The purpose of this research is to understand the impacts of positive feedback from customers and managers and the extrinsic rewards and intrinsic rewards on job satisfaction. Furthermore, this research will examine how employees in the hospitality industry react to positive feedback and to explore whether this positive feedback has practical applications to help increase employee satisfaction. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, 339 valid surveys from respondents with experience working in the hospitality industry were returned. The results indicated that positive feedback from customers as well as summarized positive customer feedback delivered by managers have positive relationships with intrinsic reward, extrinsic reward, and job satisfaction. The findings suggested that positive feedback does influence employees’ Job satisfaction. And this study will provide suggestions on improving employees’ positive perception by applying positive feedback to increasing employees’ satisfaction and further development.
The Arterivirus Nsp4 Protease Is the Prototype of a Novel Group of Chymotrypsin-like Enzymes, the 3C-like Serine Proteases (*)

The replicase of equine arteritis virus, an arterivirus, is processed by at least three viral proteases. Comparative sequence analysis suggested that nonstructural protein 4 (Nsp4) is a serine protease (SP) that shares properties with chymotrypsin-like enzymes belonging to two different groups. The SP was predicted to utilize the canonical His-Asp-Ser catalytic triad found in classical chymotrypsin-like proteases. On the other hand, its putative substrate-binding region contains Thr and His residues, which are conserved in viral 3C-like cysteine proteases and determine their specificity for (Gln/Glu)(Gly/Ala/Ser) cleavage sites. The replacement of the members of the predicted catalytic triad (His-1103, Asp-1129, and Ser-1184) confirmed their indispensability. The putative role of Thr-1179 and His-1199 in substrate recognition was also supported by the results of mutagenesis. A set of conserved candidate cleavage sites, strikingly similar to junctions cleaved by 3C-like cysteine proteases, was identified. These were tested by mutagenesis and expression of truncated replicase proteins. The results support a replicase processing model in which the SP cleaves multiple Glu(Gly/Ser/Ala) sites. Collectively, our data characterize the arterivirus SP as a representative of a novel group of chymotrypsin-like enzymes, the 3C-like serine proteases.
Endovascular Treatment of Thoracic Dissection

Type A aortic dissection remains fatal if untreated. Although classical medical therapy for type B dissection is considered the therapy of choice in uncomplicated cases, the paradigm is changing as greater experience is accrued with endovascular treatments and technical advances improve the long-term outlook. Diagnosis is also becoming more sophisticated, allowing greater appreciation of the anatomy of dissections and improving the knowledge base as their natural history is assessed.
Ecological risk assessment for mink and short‐tailed shrew exposed to PCBs, dioxins, and furans in the Housatonic River area

A probabilistic risk assessment was conducted to characterize risks to a representative piscivorous mammal (mink, Mustela vison) and a representative carnivorous mammal (short‐tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda) exposed to PCBs, dioxins, and furans in the Housatonic River area downstream of the General Electric (GE) facility in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Contaminant exposure was estimated using a probabilistic total daily intake model and parameterized using life history information of each species and concentrations of PCBs, dioxins, and furans in prey collected in the Housatonic River study area. The effects assessment preferentially relied on dose–response curves but defaulted to benchmarks or other estimates of effect when there were insufficient toxicity data. The risk characterization used a weight of evidence approach. Up to 3 lines of evidence were used to estimate risks to the selected mammal species: 1) probabilistic exposure and effects modeling, 2) field surveys, and 3) species‐specific feeding or field studies. The weight of evidence assessment indicated a high risk for mink and an intermediate risk for short‐tailed shrew. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:174–184. © 2015 SETAC
The Habit of Giving

Many charitable organizations believe it is worthwhile to solicit very small donations, particularly from young people, because these gifts form a habit of giving which leads to larger donations in the future. Indeed, there is some evidence of a positive correlation between giving when young and giving when old. However, such a correlation, by itself, does not constitute evidence of habit formation. Using data on alumni contributions to a university, we assess whether the correlation is due to habit formation - true state dependence - or to unobservable factors such as affinity to the school. We further examine whether habits form by the mere act of giving or based on the amount given. We implement an instrumental variables approach using the fact that performance of the school's athletic teams and solicitation by one's former roommates generate shocks to giving while young that are plausibly uncorrelated with giving when older. There is strong evidence of habit formation on the extensive margin, but not in the amount given. This finding has important implications for fundraising strategies, charities' accounting practices, and tax policy.
When Multiple Actors' Online Interactions Lead to Value Co-Destruction: An Explorative Case Study

This chapter explores the value co-destruction and deviant behavior during multiple actors’ online interactions. While several studies have highlighted its benefits, researchers have often failed to consider the negative consequences of these interactions. Previous studies focused on offline dyadic interactions and have not completely explained the causes of these problematic interactions in an online context. To this end, by using JetStar Airways, this chapter explores VCD by investigating the online context of the tourism industry, as characterized by the often complex relations among multiple actors. This study contributes from a theoretical standpoint by extending VCC literature considering the negative consequences of deviant behaviors in an online context and by identifying five deviant behaviors related to multiple actors’ interaction: performing illegal actions, supporting illegal actions, making insults, lacking transparency, and providing false information. This chapter provides guidance to practitioners on how to handle an interactive crisis caused by deviant behaviors. When Multiple Actors’ Online Interactions Lead to Value Co-Destruction: An Explorative Case Study
An ecological intervention with adolescents in low-income families.

From an ecological perspective, problems of youth in low-income families are conceptualized as disruptions in the social system, rather than as attributes of the adolescents or their families. The Outreach Counseling Program is presented as a model for implementation of an ecological framework. It focuses intervention on the relationships of the youth and family with each other and with the network of resources and service delivery systems in the community.
Eurasian Rail Freight in the One Belt One Road Era

This paper presents an overview of the recent development of Eurasian rail freight in the One Belt, One Road Era and further evaluates its service quality in terms of transit times and transport costs compared to other transport modes in containerised supply chains between Europe and China. A trade-off model of transit time and transport costs based on quantitative data from primary as well as secondary sources is developed to demonstrate the market niche for Eurasian rail freight vis-a-vis the more established modes of transport of sea, air, and sea/air. In a scenario analysis, further goods attributes influencing modal choice are employed to show for which cargo type Eurasian rail freight service is favourable. According to our calculations, Eurasian rail freight is about 80% less expensive than air freight with only half of the transit time of conventional sea freight. Our scenario analysis further suggests that for shipping time sensitive goods with value ranging from 1.23 USD/kg to 10.89 USD/kg as well as goods with lower time sensitivity and value in a range of 2.46 USD/kg to 21.78 USD/kg, total logistics costs of Eurasian rail freight service beat all other modes of transport. Hence, Eurasian rail freight seems to be an option beneficial in terms of transport cost, transit time, reliability and service availability, which enables shippers to build up agile and sustainable supply chains between China and Europe.
Designing drugs that encourage spinal cord injury healing

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs within seconds, but host responses may take years. Although life expectancy has increased, half of the survivors end up as paraplegics, with many indeed as quadriplegics. Host responses may have multiple effects ranging from inhibiting inflammation to preventing repair and regeneration. Efforts seek to translate exciting results from unsatisfactory animal models to humans. Areas covered: The author reviews the current basic and translational research for SCI treatment that: i) limits secondary injury; and ii) enhances endogenous repair and regeneration. The article provides an emphasis on pro-inflammatory factors (TNF-α, high-mobility group B protein 1) that are targeted to encourage healing. Expert opinion: Research in the coming years needs to be directed at therapeutic agents – whether drugs, biologics or biomaterials – that encourage repair and regeneration and, at the same time, limit cell death and axonal lesions. The author believes that the process of harnessing the power of these innate responses will remain the challenge for the future in the quest for effective therapeutic options.
Foreign Aid and Sustainable Inclusive Human Development in Africa

Motivated by evidence that extreme poverty has been decreasing in all regions of the world with the exception of Africa, the study contributes to the literature on reinventing foreign aid by assessing if development assistance can sustain inclusive human development. The empirical evidence is based on 53 African countries with data for the period 2005-2012 and Generalised Method of Moments. The adopted foreign aid variables include: aid for social infrastructure, aid for economic infrastructure, aid to the productive sector, aid to the multi sector, programme assistance, action on debt and humanitarian assistance. The results reveal that whereas foreign aid improves inclusive human development in the short-run, it decreases it in the long term. Policy implications are discussed with particular emphasis on reinventing foreign aid for sustainable development in the post-2015 development agenda.
Occlusal bite force changes during 6 months of orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances

Abstract Background: Occlusal bite force (OBF) is reported to change during fixed appliance orthodontic treatment. Aims: The aim of the present study was to determine bite force changes during the first 6 months of fixed appliance orthodontic treatment and to investigate the relationship between patients’ subjective pain levels and recorded changes in OBF. Methods: Forty-seven subjects (34 females, 13 males) were recruited from the Dental Teaching Centre at the Jordan University of Science and Technology. The subject’s ages ranged between 18 and 26 years (average 19.0 ± 3.36 years). Bite force was measured using a portable OBF gauge at nine time intervals (T0 - T8). At each OBF recording, subjects were asked to describe their subjective pain level using a visual analogue scale (VAS). A repeated-measures analysis of variance and a Bonferroni post-hoc comparison test were applied to determine differences at the various time intervals. Results: Bite force significantly reduced during the first month of orthodontic treatment and approximately 50% of pretreatment OBF was lost by the end of the first week. However, bite force recovered to pretreatment levels by the end of the sixth month. Visual analogue pain scores were higher during the first 2 weeks of treatment and were positively correlated with the OBF loss. Conclusion: OBF reduced during the first month of orthodontic treatment but, with time, recovered to pretreatment levels.
Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour Model for Examining Customers’ Intentions towards Islamic Hire Purchase Financing

The paper deals with issues relevant to behavioural economics studies. The object of the research paper is to investigate the factors that are significant for using the Islamic hire purchase (IHP) (automobile financing) in Pakistan. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model was applied to examine the intention of customers for buying automobiles through Islamic hire purchase financing. 730 respondents were selected availed the automobile financing (IHP) or intent to use this facility from major Islamic banks of Pakistan. The structural equation modelling (SEM) based multivariate approach was applied. Results of the study demonstrated that basic items of TPB instrument, for instance, subject norm (SN), attitude, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) have a significant influence on the intention of customers to avail the Islamic hire purchase (IHP) financing. At the same, researchers have assimilated three factors such as religious belief (RB), pricing of Islamic banking products (PIP), and knowledge of Islamic banking products (KIP) as moderating variables that verified their moderation on the TPB model, and exhibiting a cogent impact between items of TPB model and intention to buy the Islamic hire purchase (IHP). DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.5755/j01.ee. 30.2. 21589
Blood transfusion, alcohol use, and anthropometric risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis in older women.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether blood transfusion, alcohol use, or anthropometric characteristics are risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in older women. METHODS These factors were evaluated in a prospective cohort study that was initiated in 1986, and included 31,336 women aged 55-69 years without a history of RA. Risk factor data were self-reported using a mailed questionnaire. Through 1997, 158 cases of RA meeting at least 4 of 7 American College of Rheumatology criteria were identified and validated by medical record review. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as the measure of association, and were adjusted for the potential confounding effects of age, marital status, smoking history, age at menopause, and use of estrogen replacement therapy. RESULTS History of blood transfusion was inversely associated with RA (multivariate RR = 0.72; 95% CI 0.48-1.08), and this association was stronger for rheumatoid factor (RF) positive disease (RR = 0.59; 95% CI 0.35-1.00). There were no associations for use of medications for hyper- or hypothyroidism or adult onset diabetes. Anthropometric factors (height, weight, body mass index, body fat distribution), leisure time physical activity, and alcohol use were not associated with risk of RA. CONCLUSION A history of blood transfusion was inversely associated with RA, particularly RF positive RA. Anthropometric factors, physical activity, and alcohol use did not influence the risk of RA in this cohort of older women.
Experiments on Arrays of Globally Coupled Periodic Electrochemical Oscillators

Experiments on periodically oscillating arrays consisting of from one to 64 nickel electrodes in sulfuric acid are carried out. Harmonic and relaxation oscillations that occur respectively in two regions of parameter space are considered. External resistors in parallel and series are added to vary the extent of global coupling among the oscillators. The array is heterogeneous due to small variations in the properties of the electrodes, and there is also a small amount of noise. With no added global coupling there is a narrow distribution in frequency of the oscillators. As global coupling is added to the arrays of harmonic oscillators the distribution of frequencies become narrower until synchronization is attained; further increase brings the phases together. There is no qualitative change in the dynamics of an individual element. Coupling of the relaxation oscillators leads to more complicated behavior. As the global coupling strength is increased from zero there is a tendency for the system to synchron.