Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate Social Responsibility in Romania: A Brief Survey

In October 2011, the European Commission proposed a new definition of CSR as being the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society (European Commission, 2011). As a European Union (EU) member state, Romanian organizations are expected to use henceforth this definition as the main framework. According to Mandl & Dorr (2007), Romanian organizations became familiar with the modern concept of CSR during the 1990s. An important step ahead for CSR evolution in Romania was the issuance of the National Strategy to Promote Social Responsibility 2011 and 2016. The present paper presents a brief survey of CSR in Romania based on the three recent studies published by Ernst & Young (2013, 2014, 2015) on CSR trends and realities in Romania and relate their results with some of the existing results published within the Romanian academic research. The results show that the CSR meaning remains blurry at the level of Romanian companies, in general. The results of this brief study are in accordance with the previous studies that showed the followings: a) CSR in Romania is a concept initially introduced (or rather imposed to their respective branches) by MNCs, (Iamandi, 2011); and in the cases of Romanian owned companies might be rather an imitation of the foreign practices (Obrad et al.2011); b) social responsibility programs are perceived as not important and irrelevant for the business, mainly by the Romanian owned companies (Cristache, 2011; c) the CSR in Romania is still at an early stage of development, despite the increase number of CSR initiatives; as Baleanu et al. (2011) showed, CSR is still punctual and targets relatively disparate activities with reputational aim; Zait et al. (2015) complete the image by highlighting that the CSR activities are based on wishes and circumstantial influences, subjective preferences and cultural inclinations of important managers of the respective companies; d)CSR seems to be developed rather due to the fact that it is perceived as 'politically correct' within the European Union, and fashionable. Still considered a frontier market economy, Romania lacks the investors' sophistication that might determine CSR to become a strategic tool for sustainable development. While the models of MNCs subsidiaries are good, they have to be adapted and transformed into Romanian companies 'own brand' of CSR activities. The numerous CSR initiatives at country level still lack coordination with the real social needs (maybe except for the natural environment). Thus, as Iamandi (2011) suggested, CSR development in Romania is expected to follow a path similar to other European countries. The pace of this development however is influenced by the specific domestic problems and perceptions.
Agronomic and physiological performances of different species of Miscanthus, a major energy crop. A review

The European Union recommends the use of lignocellulosic biomass to produce biofuels in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Miscanthus × giganteus, a C4 perennial and rhizomatous plant, has been identified as a good candidate for biomass production because of its high potential yield, of up to 49 t DM.ha−1 for autumn harvest and 26 t DM.ha−1 for winter harvest, under low input levels. Here, we review current knowledge on the biomass production in Europe of M × giganteus and its two parental species, M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus, under different stress conditions. This review identifies two key areas where M. giganteus crops could be improved: (i) tolerance to frost during winter or early spring is essential, mainly in Northern Europe, in order to ensure overwintering and protect young shoots following early emergence. Susceptibility to winter frost at temperatures below −3.5 °C for rhizomes and −8 °C for young shoots of M. × giganteus can lead to significant plant losses and lower yields, and (ii) a good water supply is necessary to ensure good establishment rates and satisfactory biomass production. Reductions of up to 84% in above-ground dry matter production because of a lack of water for the autumn harvest, and up to 26% for the winter harvest have been observed. M. sinensis, which displays greater genetic variability than M. giganteus, will provide the necessary genetic resources for frost and water stress tolerance. It is also necessary to either identify genotypes among M. sinensis species that are able to produce an above-ground biomass yield close to the biomass production of M. giganteus under limited water supplies and/or low temperatures, or to generate new interspecific hybrids of M. giganteus with greater tolerance. Particular attention should be paid to nitrogen response; although no response to nitrogen supply has been observed in M. giganteus, M. sinensis produces higher levels of biomass with nitrogen inputs.
Cost Benefits: Injury Prevention Shoulder Program and Insurance Premiums

3 Introduction.4-9 . Literature Review.9-22 Purpose.22-25 Methods.26 Results.26-28 Discussion.28-30 Conclusion.30-31 Limitations.31 Bowling Green State University Plan of Action.31-32 References.33-35 Appendix A.36-37 Appendix B.38-39 Appendix C.40 Appendix D.41
A system for evaluation.

In this chapter, I evaluate the overall handoff system where many of the optimization techniques that I have developed in Chapter 5 function together to build the complete hand-off system. I first illustrate the experimental results from few of these systems for both inter-technology and intra-technology handoff and then validate some of the optimization techniques using Petri net modeling. I demonstrate how Petri net can model some of the behavioral properties of the handoff system such as deadlocks. I also compare the performance of a few scheduling techniques that could be applied to handoff. 9.1 Summary of key contribution and indicative results Currently, optimization techniques for each of the handoff components at different layers are implemented independently. These optimized components have not been used in an integrated fashion to build a complete optimized handoff system. Existing experimental results from the optimization techniques are derived for each of the individual handoff component only (e.g., discovery, authentication, configuration). There is also no work that compares the model based results with experimental results to verify the prediction of systems performance. There is no existing system evaluation technique that can verify the correctness of the handoff system or detect the system 383
Expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 and Embryonic Lethal Abnormal Vision- Like Protein HuR in Gallbladder Carcinoma

Background : Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme that promotes proliferation of tumor cells. HuR is a member of the family of embryonic lethal abnormal vision-like proteins. Recent studies show that cytoplasmic HuR stabilizes the mRNA of COX-2 and regulates the expression of COX-2. Moreover, cytoplasmic HuR expression is associated with a poorer prognosis for patients with some cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression patterns of and the relationship between COX-2 and HuR in gallbladder carcinoma. Methods : We analyzed COX-2 and HuR expression by immunohistochemical staining of 108 gallbladder carcinomas. Results : COX-2 expression and nuclear and cytoplasmic HuR expression were seen in, respectively, 61 (56.5%), 77 (71.3%), and 4 (3.7%) cases. COX-2 and nuclear HuR were simultaneously expressed in 44 of the 108 samples without any quantitative association between the levels of each. COX-2 expression correlated with tumor stage, differentiation (based on histology), lymph node metastasis, perineural invasion, and survival. Nuclear and cytological expression of HuR did not correlate with any clinical parameters. Conclusions : COX-2 expression but not HuR may play an important role in the prognosis of patients with gallbladder carcinoma.
An in vitro comparison of irrigation using photon-initiated photoacoustic streaming, ultrasonic, sonic and needle techniques in removing calcium hydroxide.

AIM To evaluate the effect of various techniques including photon-initiated photoacoustic streaming (PIPS), ultrasonic, sonic and needle irrigation on the removal of calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2 ] from artificial grooves created in root canals. METHODS The root canals of 48 extracted single-rooted teeth with straight canals were prepared using ProTaper rotary instruments up to size 40. After the specimens had been split longitudinally, a standardized groove was prepared in the apical part of one segment that was filled with Ca(OH)2 powder mixed with distilled water. Each tooth was reassembled and the apices closed with wax. The specimens were irrigated for 60 s with one of the following techniques: needle irrigation using 17% EDTA, PIPS with 17% EDTA, ultrasonic irrigation using 17% EDTA and sonic irrigation (EndoActivator) using 17% EDTA. The root segments were then disassembled, and the amount of remaining Ca(OH)2 evaluated under a stereomicroscope at 25× magnification. A pixel count of Ca(OH)2 remaining on the artificially created grooves was recorded as a percentage of the overall groove surface. The data were evaluated statistically using one-way analysis of variance and the least significant difference post hoc tests at 95% confidence level (P = 0.05). RESULTS Photon-initiated photoacoustic streaming was superior in removing Ca(OH)2 as compared to needle irrigation (P < 0.001), sonic irrigation (P < 0.001) and ultrasonic irrigation (P = 0.046). CONCLUSION Photon-initiated photoacoustic streaming provided complete removal of Ca(OH)2 from artificial grooves in straight root canals. Ultrasonic irrigation enhanced the Ca(OH)2 removal capacity of irrigating solution but did not provide complete removal from artificial grooves.
The speech behaviour of infants without families.

The research-on infant speech has until recentlybeen mainly concerned with technical problems of measurement and with the establishment of normative sequences of speech development for the young child. As a clinical instrument these norms look extremely promising; they offer standardizations obtained from a large number of cases on the basis of which one may measure deviations in a manner similar to that used in intelligence testing (1). Interest in this research area has gradually been shifting, however, in another direction. While these norms undoubtedly will offer a basis on which one may objectively determine the speech status of any individual child with respect to the sampled population, they tell us little by themselves about the relevant variables which have contributed to the status. Nor do they, therefore, tell us anything about the possibility or desirability of changing a specific individual's status. If such variables could be isolated we might achieve theoretical knowledge, as well as a diagnostic measure, of language acquisition during the earliest stages of the life history and its relation to the later acquisition of more complex symbolic habits. If we started with children who diverged markedly from the speech norms established by recent investigators, it is quite possible that common causal factors in their environment con-
Stress as a cause of chronic recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis and the effectiveness of the conventional antimycotic therapy

Chronic Candida vulvovaginitis cannot, at present, be treated effectively with local or oral antimycotic medication. Göttlicher & Meyer [Vulvovaginalmykose. Klinische Ergebnisse einer epidemiologischen Langzeitstudie, Thieme, Stuttgart (1998); Mycoses41 (1998) 49] formulated a hypothesis to explain this fact. They say that stress is the main cause of vulvovaginal mycosis, and that frequently cited predisposing somatic risk factors are not causing the illness. Two research projects were carried out to test this hypothesis. The first project was conceived to provide direct evidence for two empirical statements derived from the Göttlicher–Meyer hypothesis: (i) stress as a predictor of vulvovaginitis is least valid as the commonly assumed somatic factors and (ii) combinations of factors that reliably discriminate index women from symptom‐free women point to aspects of psychosocial development, particularly stress, and not to somatic factors. Between March and November 1999, 309 successive patients were randomly chosen from those successively treated in one in‐patient and two out‐patient settings. Of those chosen, 117 had had at least one episode of vaginal candidosis within the 2 years prior to enlistment in the study. The remaining 192 patients had experienced no such illness. For the 117 index patients both of the above empirical statements were confirmed by statistical analyses. The second project was designed to test predictions concerning the ineffectiveness of traditional antimycotic treatment derived from the Göttlicher–Meyer hypothesis. Three different empirical statements were derived from the hypothesis – each based on the assumption of a Poisson distribution of relapses that remains uninfluenced by treatment attempts. Each of the statements was tested and confirmed in independent samples – the first in the sample used in project one, the second in a sample of 206 women insured by public Healths Management Organizations (HMOs) and the third in a sample of 179 women insured by private HMOs. Each patient had evidenced Candida albicans vulvovaginitis at least once in the time interval between 1996 and 2000. Statistical analyses confirmed each of the empirical statements, thereby substantiating the Göttlicher–Meyer hypothesis. The authors conclude that (i) psychosocial factors, particularly stress, are the primary causes of Candida albicans vulvovaginitis. Accompanying somatic factors are of little statistical significance in explaining occurrence and relapse. (ii) Traditional antimycotic treatment influences only the symptoms of the illness, not its causes, and has no effect on the probability of a relapse. Increased treatment effectiveness can be achieved only at the cost of a complete re‐orientation concerning the causes of vaginal mycosis. Interventions designed to strengthen the patients’ immune response are among the most promising.
pproaching a Consensus Cognitive Battery for linical Trials in Schizophrenia : The NIMH-MATRICS onference to Select Cognitive Domains and Test riteria

o stimulate the development of new drugs for the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) stablished the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) initiative. This article resents an overview of decisions from the first MATRICS consensus conference. The goals of the meeting were to 1) identify the ognitive domains that should be represented in a consensus cognitive battery and 2) prioritize key criteria for selection of tests for the attery. Seven cognitive domains were selected based on a review of the literature and input from experts: working memory, ttention/vigilance, verbal learning and memory, visual learning and memory, reasoning and problem solving, speed of processing, nd social cognition. Based on discussions at this meeting, five criteria were considered essential for test selection: good test–retest eliability, high utility as a repeated measure, relationship to functional outcome, potential response to pharmacologic agents, and racticality/tolerability. The results from this meeting constitute the initial steps for reaching a consensus cognitive battery for clinical rials in schizophrenia.
International trade and firm productivity : evidence from Vietnam.

This thesis examines the link between trade liberalization and firm productivity in Vietnam. In the thesis, the relationship between exporting activity and firm productivity in Vietnam is also examined. Chapter 2 gives an overview of Vietnam’s economy from the pre-reform period to the reform process that was introduced in 1986. Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 introduce the related theoretical and empirical literature. Chapter 5 examines the relationship between trade liberalization and firm productivity in Vietnam, using micro-level data of the Vietnamese manufacturing firms from 2000 to 2003. The results given in the study show that a decrease in output tariffs and input tariffs increases firm productivity in Vietnam, implying that trade liberalization has a positive impact on firm productivity levels and economic growth in Vietnam. The results given in the study are confirmed in both fixed-effects and first-differences models. The study also employs the instrumental variable method to control for the possible endogeneity between productivity and trade liberalization. Chapter 6 examines the relationship between the firm’s decision to export and firm-specific characteristics in Vietnam by using the Vietnamese manufacturing and services firm data. The study also examines the country-of-origin effects of foreign x investment on a firm’s export decision. The empirical results given in this study support the evidence of the positive effects of firm productivity on a firm’s export decision, implying that the most productive firms self-select into export markets. Interestingly, the results show the negative effect of capital intensity on a firm’s export decision, consistent with the situation in Vietnam owing to Vietnam’s comparative advantage in labour-intensive sectors. Sunk entry costs are also an important determinant of the export decision for firms in Vietnam. In addition, foreign ownership status could have a positive effect on a firm’s decision to export, but the magnitude of the effect is different across countries of origin of foreign investment such as Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong (China), the top five sources of FDI in Vietnam. In Chapter 7, the study examines the effect of learning by exporting in both manufacturing and services sectors in Vietnam, allowing for the self-selection effects. To identify the learning effect, the study uses the propensity score matching techniques and differences-in-differences method. This methodology has the advantage of reducing heterogeneity between exporters and non-exporters and therefore allows the study to identify the learning effects from exporting. The findings given in the study indicate that the entry into export markets increases productivity growth and this expands as the firm continues to export. The effect of exporting on employment growth and profit growth, however, is less evident. Once the matching technique is used separately for each subsector, the effects of exporting on productivity growth are
The Use of Ultrasonography to Assess Patients with Right Lower Quadrant Pain in the Emergency Department

Acute appendicitis is always a clinical challenge to emergency physicians. Clinical examination or blood tests are notoriously unreliable in making the diagnosis, especially in the early phase of the disease. Computed tomogram can facilitate the diagnosis, however it is usually not easily accessible to emergency physicians. Bedside ultrasonography is now frequently used by emergency physicians in various situations for the assessment of patients. This study aimed at exploring the potential use of bedside ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in patients presenting with right lower quadrant abdominal pain.
An Overview of Legitimacy Theory on the Influence of Company Size and Industry Sensitivity towards CSR Disclosure

The issue about CSR disclosure increases rapidly, while the research related to CSR disclosure found dissimilar results. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of industry sensitivity and company’s size on CSR disclosure based on legitimacy theory. The 117 manufacturing companies listed in Indonesian Stock Exchange were used as the sample. CSR disclosure was measured by using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) index 4.0 version, which has not been widely used in previous studies. The methods used in this study were descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results support legitimacy theory that states there is a social contract between the company and the society. More specifically, high profile industry (oil and gas, agriculture, mining, fisheries, chemical, automotive, consumer goods, food and beverage, paper, pharmaceuticals, plastics and construction) disclose CSR broader than low profile industry. The larger companies will encourage them to expand their disclosure of social responsibility. Further research can use more varied measurement for CSR Disclosure because this paper uses only a score of 0 and 1. Weighting scale which can be used for each item of criteria such as 0 (undisclosed), 1 (otherwise disclosed in this narrative), 2 (if expressed in narrative and numbers).
The impact of Financial Advisors on Individual Investor Portfolio Performance

This paper examines the influence of financial advisors on the portfolio performance of individual investors. We use an unique dataset of of 233,693 monthly equity returns of 6,758 Dutch investors during a 52 month time span. By using panel estimation techniques, we find that advisors have a significant negative effect on gross and net equity returns of individual investors. Results from the Glesjer’s (1969) test support the notion that this outcome can (at least partly) be explained by lower return variability in advised portfolios.
Equilibrium Wage and Dismissal Processes

The author develops and estimates an equilibrium model of the labor market in which inefficient employees are systematically eliminated from the sector of the market characterized by asymmetric information and moral hazard. Systematic selection on the distribution of productivity characteristics produces wage sequences which are increasing in tenure for employees never previously terminated even in the absence of long-term contracting between employees and individual firms. The author provides sufficient conditions for there to exist an unique termination-contract type equilibrium and he estimates the equilibrium model using micro-level data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth panel.
Altered distributions of Ultrabithorax transcripts in extra sex combs mutant embryos of Drosophila.

The product of the extra sex combs (esc) gene is required early in embryogenesis to ensure the correct spatial expression of the bithorax and Antennapedia gene complexes during subsequent development. Here we describe the spatial and temporal patterns of transcription of the Ultrabithorax (Ubx) gene in mutant esc embryos. In wild‐type embryos, Ubx transcripts are first detected in the blastoderm primorida of particular thoracic and abdominal segments, predominately in a band of cells constituting the progenitor cells of parasegment 6: after gastrulation, high levels of transcript accumulate in a sharply restricted region of the germ band comprising parasegments 6‐12. In esc‐ embryos, the initial pattern of Ubx transcripts appears indistinguishable from that of wild‐type embryos. However, following gastrulation and germ band extension, Ubx transcripts accumulate in most of the ectodermal and mesodermal derivatives of the body, including those of all 14 parasegments. Then, the abundance of the transcripts declines so that after germ band shortening (12 h after fertilization), only low levels are detected in each parasegment. These results show that the esc gene product is not involved in choosing where the Ubx gene is to be expressed, but rather, that it acts subsequently to ensure that the gene remains off in those primordia in which it is not initially activated. In addition, they suggest the possibility that other homeotic genes may regulate Ubx expression ‐‐in this case, the accumulating products of other indiscriminately expressed homeotic genes serving to down‐regulate Ubx transcription throughout the body.