Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sharia disclosures: An exploratory study from the perspective of Sharia-compliant companies and professional users

Purpose This paper aims to examine the reasons behind the low level of Sharia-related disclosures, particularly Sharia-compliant companies, to gain an understanding on how these companies disclose Sharia-related information in their annual reports, and how professional users of these reports search for such disclosures. Design/methodology/approach The study is an exploratory research based on structured interviews with individuals involved in the preparation of annual reports of Sharia-compliant companies and professional users of annual reports. Findings Most Sharia-compliant companies and professional users interviewed agree that the most relevant Sharia-related information is most commonly understood as the information found in the financial statement and its notes (accounting-related disclosures). Their responses indicate that there is a disjoint between the conventional disclosure practices on corporate social responsibility items and the Sharia-related information. Research limitations/implications The idea of full disclosure needs to be further understood from the perspectives of Sharia. This study provides insights into the types of Sharia-related information that are important for disclosure. Future research should focus on examining a larger number of companies and interviewing more professional users from different jurisdictions to generate more knowledge about the nature of Sharia information and its disclosure. Practical implications Users of the Sharia screening methods, especially regulators, such as the Securities Commission Malaysia should encourage the disclosure of the required aspects of Sharia in the annual reports of Sharia-compliant companies, as professional users are interested in this type of information. Originality/value This study offers insights into the reasons behind low Sharia disclosures in annual reports of Sharia-compliant companies.
PRECLINICAL STUDY: Age‐dependent differences in sensitivity and sensitization to cannabinoids and ‘club drugs’ in male adolescent and adult rats

Lifelong substance abuse is often initiated during adolescence; yet, most pre‐clinical research in this area has been conducted in adult animals. Substantial evidence exists that the brain development that continues throughout adolescence may result in pharmacological responses that differ in a crucial manner from those of adults. The goal of this study was to evaluate age differences in motor activity following acute and repeated administration of drugs that are commonly abused by adolescents, including cocaine, Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9‐THC), and the club drugs, ketamine and 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Adolescent and adult male rats were injected once daily with saline or with a dose of one of the test drugs for two 5‐day dosing periods, separated by a 2‐day drug holiday during which they remained in their home cages. Following each injection, rats were placed in a locomotor chamber for a 20‐minute session. The potencies of cocaine, ketamine and MDMA for producing motor stimulation were less in male adolescents than in male adults. Furthermore, sensitization to the club drug, ketamine, developed after repeated dosing in adults, but not adolescents. In contrast, adolescents were initially more sensitive to the stimulatory effects of low doses of Δ9‐THC than were adults, although rapid tolerance occurred. These results suggest that adolescents are less sensitive to the acute and repeated stimulant effects of some, but not all, of the drugs that are preferentially abused by this age group. This differential sensitivity may contribute to the different patterns of use that have been noted in adolescent versus adult drug abusers.
Extending evolutionary Fuzzy Quantile Inference to classify partially occluded human motions

This work presents a framework that combines the concept of Fuzzy Quantile Inference(FQI) with Genetic Programming (GP) in order to accurately classify real natural 3d human Motion Capture data. FQI is a generalization of Fuzzy Gaussian Inference. It builds Fuzzy Membership Functions that map to hidden Probability Distributions underlying human motions, providing a suitable modelling paradigm for such noisy data. Genetic Programming (GP) is used to make a time dependent and context aware filter that improves the qualitative output of the classifier. Results show that FQI outperforms a GMM-based classifier when recognizing six different boxing stances simultaneously, and that the addition of the GP based filter improves the accuracy of the FQI classifier significantly. A mechanism allowing the FQI extended framework to deal with occluded data reasonably well is also integrated.
Is the income difference affecting off-farm employment decision? Evidence from Chinese households

China is experiencing a rapid economic transformation, which witnesses a vast number of labourers moving out of agricultural sectors. In such a transformation, the effect of spatial income variance on labour’s off-farm work decision is still unclear. Based on the cross-sectional data from the national survey conducted in 2012, this study finds the effect on two kinds of off-farm employment, wage employment and self-employment. The empirical result shows that local income will significantly influence both types of off-farm employment, while it positively affects the decision towards wage employment and negatively affects those in self-employment.
Age at First Introduction of Cow Milk Products and Other Food Products in Relation to Infant Atopic Manifestations in the First 2 Years of Life: The KOALA Birth Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES. Scientific evidence is scarce about timing of solid-food introduction and its association with the development of atopy. We aimed to evaluate any associations between the introduction of cow milk products/other solid food products and infant atopic manifestations in the second year of life, taking into account reverse causation. METHODS. Data from 2558 infants in an ongoing prospective birth cohort study in the Netherlands were analyzed. Data on the main determinants (introduction of cow milk products and other food products), outcomes (eczema; atopic dermatitis [United Kingdom Working Party criteria]; recurrent wheeze; any sensitization; sensitization against cow milk, hen egg, peanut, and at least 1 inhalant allergen), and confounders were collected by repeated questionnaires at 34 weeks of gestation and 3, 7, 12, and 24 months postpartum. Information on sensitization was gathered by venous blood collections performed during home visits at age 2. Analyses were performed by multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS. More delay in introduction of cow milk products was associated with a higher risk for eczema. In addition, a delayed introduction of other food products was associated with an increased risk for atopy development at the age of 2 years. Exclusion of infants with early symptoms of eczema and recurrent wheeze (to avoid reverse causation) did not essentially change our results. DISCUSSION. Delaying the introduction of cow milk or other food products may not be favorable in preventing the development of atopy.
The female athlete triad exists in both elite athletes and controls.

PURPOSE To examine the prevalence of the female athlete triad (the Triad) in Norwegian elite athletes and controls. METHODS This study was conducted in three phases: (part I) screening by means of a detailed questionnaire, (part II) measurement of bone mineral density (BMD), and (part III) clinical interview. In part I, all female elite athletes representing the national teams at junior or senior level, aged 13-39 yr (N = 938) and an age group-matched randomly selected population-based control group (N = 900) were invited to participate. The questionnaire was completed by 88% of the athletes and 70% of the controls. Based on data from part I, a stratified random sample of athletes (N = 300) and controls (N = 300) was selected and invited to participate in parts II and III of the study. 186 athletes (62%) and 145 controls (48%) participated in all parts of the study. RESULTS Eight athletes (4.3%) and five controls (3.4%) met all the criteria for the Triad (disordered eating/eating disorder, menstrual dysfunction, and low BMD). Six of the athletes who met all the Triad criteria competed in leanness sports, and two in nonleanness sports. When evaluating the presence of two of the components of the Triad, prevalence ranged from 5.4 to 26.9% in the athletes and from 12.4 to 15.2% in the controls. CONCLUSION Our results support the assumption that a significant proportion of female athletes suffer from the components of the Triad. In addition, we found that the Triad is also present in normal active females. Therefore, prevention of one or more of the Triad components should be geared towards all physically active girls and young women.
Cytokines related to three major types of cell-mediated immunity in short- and long-term exposures to lead compounds

Abstract Many investigators have posited on the significant influence of lead on the immune system function. However, available data on this topic are not conclusive. Therefore, a study was undertaken to examine associations between lead exposure and levels of cytokines related to the T-helper (TH)-1, TH2, and TH17 types of immune response in humans. For these analyses, three population groups were examined: the first consisted of male workers exposed to lead for a short period of time (36–44 days); the second included male workers chronically exposed to lead (13 ± 10 years); and a control group that was composed of male administrative workers with blood lead levels (BLL) < 10 μg/dl. BLL were determined for all study subjects. Thereafter, serum samples were analyzed for the levels of interleukin (IL)-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-5, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17A, and interferon (IFN)-γ using a multi-analyte system. The results indicated that the levels of IFNγ IL-2, IL-12 (related to TH1 cells), IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 (related to TH2 cells), and IL-17A (related to TH17 cells) did not change after a short-term exposure to lead (compared to baseline). However, the levels of all of these cytokines were significantly higher in workers chronically exposed to lead than in the controls by 82%, 32%, 81%, 22%, 70%, 42%, and 17% (IFNγ, IL-2, IL-12, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-17A, respectively). From these studies, we conclude that in humans, a short-term exposure to lead does not affect levels of cytokines related to the TH1-, TH2-, and TH17-mediated immune responses, while chronic exposure modifies their levels. Taken together, these modifications do not evidence an ability of lead to promote specifically one type of immune response in an exposed host.
Development of precipitation radar onboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite

The precipitation radar (PR) onboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite is the first spaceborne radar to measure precipitation from space. The PR, operating at 13.8 GHz, is a 128-element active phased array that allows a fast and sophisticated cross-track scanning over a swath width of 215 km with a cross-range spatial resolution of about 4.3 km. The PR has a minimum detectable rain rate of 0.5 mm/h with range resolution of 250 m. In order to achieve a reliable and accurate rain echo data for three years mission life, functions for internal and external calibrations are implemented. Through a series of PR flight-model tests on the ground and an initial checkout just after the TRMM launch, it is confirmed that the PR functions properly and meets the performance requirements to quantitatively measure three-dimensional (3D) precipitation distribution from space.
Lack of thrombospondin 1 and exacerbation of choroidal neovascularization.

OBJECTIVES To assess the impact of thrombospondin 1(TSP1) deficiency on choroidal neovascularization (CNV)and to determine whether administration of a TSP1 antiangiogenic mimetic peptide attenuates CNV. METHODS The impact of TSP1 deficiency on laser induced CNV was assessed using wild-type (TSP1 +/+) and TSP1-deficient (TSP1 −/−) mice. Three laser burns were placed in each eye of TSP1 +/+ and TSP1 −/− mice to induce CNV. Intravitreal injection of the TSP1 mimetic peptide was performed on days 1 and 7 postlaser in the mice.For quantitative measurements of neovascularization, intercellular adhesion molecule 2 staining was performed at 14 days postlaser of the choroidal-sclera flat mounts. The recruitment of macrophages to the sites of damage was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The CNV area was measured by intercellular adhesion molecule 2 staining and use of ImageJ software. RESULTS The TSP1 −/− mice exhibited significantly larger areas of neovascularization on choroidal flat mounts compared with TSP1 +/ mice. This was consistent with enhanced recruitment of macrophages in TSP1 −/− mice compared with TSP1 +/+ mice 3 days postlaser. The development of CNV was significantly attenuated in mice receiving the TSP1 antiangiogenic mimetic peptide compared with those receiving vehicle alone. CONCLUSIONS Deficiency of TSP1 contributes to enhanced choroidal neovascularization. This is consistent with the anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic activity of TSP1. The TSP1 antiangiogenic peptide was effective in attenuation of CNV. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Intravitreal injection of TSP1 antiangiogenic mimetic peptides may provide alternative treatment for CNV.
Bibliometric Overview of Business & Economics Research

Bibliometrics is the quantitative study of bibliographic information. It classifies the information according to different criteria including authors, journals, institutions and countries. This paper presents a general bibliometric overview of the most influential research in business & economics according to the information found in the Web of Science. It includes research from different subcategories including business, business finance, economics and management. For doing so, four general lists are presented: the 50 most cited papers in business & economics of all time, the 40 most influential journals, the 40 most relevant institutions and the most influential countries. The results permit to obtain a general picture of the most significant research in business & economics. This information is very useful in order to identify the leading trends in this area.
Adoptive transfer of immunity to hepatitis B virus in mice by bone marrow transplantation from immune donors

Recipients of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation are immunosuppressed as a result of their primary disease and by myeloablative therapy. Such patients are dependent on multiple blood products and are at risk for hepatitis B virus infection. Active immunization against hepatitis B in the immediate pre‐ and post‐transplant periods is ineffective, pre‐ sumably because of decreased T cell–dependent B‐cell responses. This study was designed to evaluate, in a mouse model system, the transfer of immunity against hepatitis B to bone marrow transplant recipients through immunization of bone marrow donors against hepatitis B before transplantation. Bone marrow donor BALB/c mice were immunized with a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. Seroconversion to HBs antibody occurred within 4 wk of primary immunization, and antibody levels in treated donor mice rose above 300 mIU/ml after a single booster injection. Bone marrow recipient mice, conditioned by sublethal irradiation, were injected intravenously with bone marrow cells obtained from syngeneic HBs antibody–positive immune donors. Antibody was detected in 10% of bone marrow recipients within 30 days of transplantation and in 56% 1 mo after a booster injection that led to a secondary rise in HBs antibody. Adoptive transfer of immunity to hepatitis B also occurred after transplantation of T cell–depleted bone marrow cells from hepatitis B–immune donors, albeit at a lower HBs antibody level. These results indicate that immunity to hepatitis B can be transferred in mice by bone marrow transplantation from hepatitis B–immune donors to immunosuppressed recipients. Furthermore, such bone marrow transplant recipients were able to respond to a booster immunization, suggesting secondary immune response in bone marrow recipients after primary response in donors. These data support the rationale for active vaccination of potential human bone marrow donors against hepatitis B, followed by booster vaccination to bone marrow recipients. (HEPATOLOGY 1993;17:955–959.)
Penetration of Endogenous Steroid Hormones Corticosterone, Cortisol, Aldosterone and Progesterone into the Brain is Enhanced in Mice Deficient for Both mdr1a and mdr1b P‐Glycoproteins

Numerous investigations have confirmed an important role for multidrug‐resistance gene 1‐type P‐glycoproteins (MDR1‐type P‐gps) in the blood–brain barrier, protecting the brain against the accumulation of a wide range of toxic xenobiotics and drugs. Several studies have provided evidence in vitro that certain steroid hormones are transported by MDR1‐type P‐gps; however, the question of whether this might also apply to the situation in vivo still remained to be determined. We used mice deficient for both murine mdr1a and mdr1b P‐gps [mdr1a/1b(−/−)] to determine the uptake of [3H]‐cortisol, [3H]‐corticosterone, [3H]‐aldosterone and [3H]‐progesterone into the plasma, brain, testes, liver, spleen, pituitary and adrenal glands. We provide evidence that the access of the endogenous steroid hormones corticosterone, cortisol and aldosterone is regulated by MDR1‐type P‐gps in vivo. As peripherally administered steroid hormones accumulate in the brain of mice deficient for MDR1‐type P‐gps, mdr1a/1b proteins are likely to transport these hormones out of the brain, providing a kinetic barrier to their entry. Intracerebral progesterone concentrations are influenced by MDR1‐type P‐gp function as well; however, the effects are only small. In addition, all four endogenous glucocorticoid hormones accumulated in the testes of mdr1a/1b(−/−) mice. Our findings underline the importance of MDR1‐type P‐gps as an endogenous barrier system controlling the access of endogenous steroid hormones at the blood–brain barrier to maintain homeostatic control and to protect central nervous system neurones.
Exploring the Preferences of Female Teenagers when Seeking Sexual Health Information using Websites and Apps

Mobile technology has become an increasingly popular source for female teenagers to seek sexual health information. However, it is not known what design features teenagers want in sexual health apps. Therefore, this research aimed to explore whether internet-based sexual health resources via websites and mobiles apps are meeting teenagers' sexual health needs and to explore for the first time teenagers' perceptions of the design features of sexual health mobile apps. Twenty-three female participants aged 13-16 years (M = 14.3, SD = 0.91) viewed either six existing sexual health websites or three existing sexual health mobile apps chosen to be representative of the range and variety currently available. Participants then took part in focus groups evaluating each of the websites and mobile apps. The findings indicate that teenagers currently use their phones to access sexual health information due to ease of access and privacy. However, teenagers were not aware of sexual health apps. Participants believed that apps should have similar design features to websites but apps should contain an interactive element paired with accurate sexual health information. At present, female teenagers are not using sexual health mobile apps, yet they believe they are more convenient and private compared to websites. Professionals' designing mobile apps should consider how best to market this resource appropriately to teenagers whilst ensuring that they contain both interactive features and accurate information.
Comparison of 18F-FDG and PiB PET in Cognitive Impairment

The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of glucose metabolism and amyloid deposition as demonstrated by 18F-FDG and Pittsburg Compound B (PiB) PET to evaluate subjects with cognitive impairment. Methods: Subjects were selected from existing participants in the Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center or Alzheimer's Disease Patient Registry programs. A total of 20 healthy controls and 17 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), 6 nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment (naMCI), and 13 Alzheimer disease (AD) subjects were imaged with both PiB and 18F-FDG PET between March 2006 and August 2007. Global measures for PiB and 18F-FDG PET uptake, normalized to cerebellum for PiB and pons for 18F-FDG, were compared. Partial-volume correction, standardized uptake value (SUV), and cortical ratio methods of image analysis were also evaluated in an attempt to optimize the analysis for each test. Results: Significant discrimination (P < 0.05) between controls and AD, naMCI and aMCI, naMCI and AD, and aMCI and AD by PiB PET measurements was observed. The paired groupwise comparisons of the global measures demonstrated that PiB PET versus 18F-FDG PET showed similar significant group separation, with only PiB showing significant separation of naMCI and aMCI subjects. Conclusion: PiB PET and 18F-FDG PET have similar diagnostic accuracy in early cognitive impairment. However, significantly better group discrimination in naMCI and aMCI subjects by PiB, compared with 18F-FDG, was seen and may suggest early amyloid deposition before cerebral metabolic disruption in this group.
Phosphorylation of Trask by Src Kinases Inhibits Integrin Clustering and Functions in Exclusion with Focal Adhesion Signaling

ABSTRACT Trask is a recently described transmembrane substrate of Src kinases whose expression and phosphorylation has been correlated with the biology of some cancers. Little is known about the molecular functions of Trask, although its phosphorylation has been associated with cell adhesion. We have studied the effects of Trask phosphorylation on cell adhesion, integrin activation, clustering, and focal adhesion signaling. The small hairpin RNA (shRNA) knockdown of Trask results in increased cell adhesiveness and a failure to properly inactivate focal adhesion signaling, even in the unanchored state. On the contrary, the experimentally induced phosphorylation of Trask results in the inhibition of cell adhesion and inhibition of focal adhesion signaling. This is mediated through the inhibition of integrin clustering without affecting integrin affinity state or ligand binding activity. Furthermore, Trask signaling and focal adhesion signaling inactivate each other and signal in exclusion with each other, constituting a switch that underlies cell anchorage state. These data provide considerable insight into how Trask functions to regulate cell adhesion and reveal a novel pathway through which Src kinases can oppose integrin-mediated cell adhesion.