Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Energy Metabolism in Cutaneous Sulfur Mustard Injury

Abstract : Over the past 17 years, our research efforts have focused on systematic studies of the effects of sulfur mustard (2,2'-dichlorodiethyl sulfide, HD) on energy metabolism in human epidermal keratinocytes (KEK). Our objectives are to define mechanisms of HD-induced metabolic injury, determine their role in the cutaneous pathology observed and provide mechanistic information that can be used in development of vesicant agent medical countermeasures. We have characterized effects of HD on the major pathways of cellular energy metabolism in HEK. Our research has shown that inhibition of energy metabolism and depletion of energy stores are a significant consequence of HD exposure and that this inhibition is severe enough to be a determining factor in both cell survival and repair of HD-induced damage. In this paper we present an overview of our results and conclusions to date and briefly discuss their implications.
Molecular Architecture of Botulinum Neurotoxin E Revealed by Single Particle Electron Microscopy*

Clostridial botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) causes a neuroparalytic condition recognized as botulism by arresting synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Although the crystal structures of full-length BoNT/A and BoNT/B holotoxins are known, the molecular architecture of the five other serotypes remains elusive. Here, we present the structures of BoNT/A and BoNT/E using single particle electron microscopy. Labeling of the particles with three different monoclonal antibodies raised against BoNT/E revealed the positions of their epitopes in the electron microscopy structure, thereby identifying the three hallmark domains of BoNT (protease, translocation, and receptor binding). Correspondingly, these antibodies selectively inhibit BoNT translocation activity as detected using a single molecule assay. The global structure of BoNT/E is strikingly different from that of BoNT/A despite strong sequence similarity. We postulate that the unique architecture of functionally conserved modules underlies the distinguishing attributes of BoNT/E and contributes to differences with BoNT/A.
A predictive leverage statistic for quantile regression with measurement errors

ABSTRACT Application of quantile regression models with measurement errors in predictors is becoming increasingly popular. High leverage points in predictors can have substantial impacts on these models. Here, we propose a predictive leverage statistic for these models, assuming that the measurement errors follow a multivariate normal distribution, and derive its exact distribution. We compare its performance versus known predictive leverage statistics using simulation and a real dataset. The proposed statistic is shown to have desirable features. It is also the first predictive leverage statistic having its distribution derived in a closed form.
Software Engineering in the Netherlands: The State of the Practice

In order to determine whether there is a gap between the current state-of-the-practice and state-of-the-art in software engineering, we performed a broad survey among Dutch software producing organizations. Our survey covers aspects of the software engineering cycle ranging from requirements engineering, over design and implementation to testing. From our analysis of the data that we have obtained from our 99 respondents, we extracted 22 interesting observations, some representing unexpected insights from an academic point of view. From these observations, we have identified a number of avenues for future research.
Organizational Factors Influencing the Adoption of EBL Practices

Evidence-based librarianship (EBL) refers to librarian approach to encourage and practice evidence-based activities in library, employs the best available evidence in decision making. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between organizational factors with EBL adoption in Malaysian academic libraries from academic librarian perspective. The paper utilizes quantitative methodology and use survey form as the instrument; 234 survey forms were distributed to all Malaysian Public Institution of Higher Education. Finding of the study highlight that the organizational factor is significantly predicted EBL adoption of academic libraries in Malaysia and the results demonstrated that organizational factor was found to be a significant of EBL adoption. The paper employs statistical method to administrate the relationship between organizational factor and evidence based librarianship. It only covers Malaysian academic librarian from public university, however, and as such the outcomes are merely represents only to this group. This paper portrays librarian standpoint in regards the connection between organizational factor with evidence based librarianship and it may benefits to evidence based practitioners and library community, or other researcher with interest in the subject matter.
Log-DenseNet: How to Sparsify a DenseNet

Skip connections are increasingly utilized by deep neural networks to improve accuracy and cost-efficiency. In particular, the recent DenseNet is efficient in computation and parameters, and achieves state-of-the-art predictions by directly connecting each feature layer to all previous ones. However, DenseNet's extreme connectivity pattern may hinder its scalability to high depths, and in applications like fully convolutional networks, full DenseNet connections are prohibitively expensive. This work first experimentally shows that one key advantage of skip connections is to have short distances among feature layers during backpropagation. Specifically, using a fixed number of skip connections, the connection patterns with shorter backpropagation distance among layers have more accurate predictions. Following this insight, we propose a connection template, Log-DenseNet, which, in comparison to DenseNet, only slightly increases the backpropagation distances among layers from 1 to ($1 + \log_2 L$), but uses only $L\log_2 L$ total connections instead of $O(L^2)$. Hence, Log-DenseNets are easier than DenseNets to implement and to scale. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our design principle by showing better performance than DenseNets on tabula rasa semantic segmentation, and competitive results on visual recognition.
Current immunogenetic predisposition to tuberculosis in the Moroccan population

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease that kills approximately two million people per year, particularly in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Numerous genetic epidemiology studies have been conducted of many ethnic groups worldwide and have highlighted the critical impact of the genetic environment on TB distribution. Many candidate genes associated with resistance or susceptibility to TB have been identified. In Morocco, where TB is still a major public health problem, various observations of clinical, microbiological and incidence distribution are heavily affected by genetic background and external environment. Morocco has almost the same clinical profile as do other North African countries, mainly the increase in more extrapulmonary than pulmonary forms of the diseases, when compared to European, Asian or American populations. In addition, a linkage analysis study that examined Moroccan TB patients identified a unique chromosome region that had a strong association with the risk of contracting TB. Other genes in the Moroccan population that were found to be associated seem to be involved predominantly in modulating the innate immunity. In this review, we appraise the major candidate genes that have been reported in Moroccan immunogenetic studies and discuss their updated role in TB, particularly during the first phase of the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection.
Decreased capillary density in juvenile dermatomyositis and in mixed connective tissue disease.

OBJECTIVE To assess whether quantitative capillary microscopy is a useful tool to evaluate capillary abnormalities in children with connective tissue diseases. METHODS Eight children with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), 6 with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and 23 healthy children were investigated with computer based quantitative capillary microscopy. Median disease duration was 1 year among JDM (1-4) and 3 years (1-7) among MCTD. RESULTS Capillary density was decreased in JDM [median 2.5 (1.4-4.3) loops/mm (p < 0.001)] and in MCTD [median 5.0 (4.1-7.0) loops/mm (p < 0.05)] compared to healthy controls [median 6.8 (5.3-8.0) loops/mm]. Median capillary loop area was increased in JDM [median 8.5 (3.0-15.8) 10(-3) mm2 (p < 0.001)] and in MCTD [median 4.5 (3.0-6.0) 10(-3) mm2 (p < 0.02)] compared to controls [median 2.5 (1.0-4.0) 10(-3) mm2]. CONCLUSION Quantitative nailfold capillary microscopy is a sensitive indicator of JDM. In MCTD this technique is less discriminative.
Theoretical Linkage between Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Reputation

In today’s corporate world, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming a significant field of study for all businesses as its notion has increased attention of both academics and practitioners. Secondary sources of data are utilized using document analysis method to understand the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and corporate reputation (CR). Five papers are selected from Science Direct which covers the time frame of 2012 until 2017. Evidence indicates that there is a positive, direct and significant relationship between CSR and CR. This paper contributes to the understanding of interrelations between CSR and CR. Practitioners can use the result of this study as a foothold to strengthen the integration of CSR and take advantage of synergies between CSR and CR. The value of paper resides in making this rather under-researched literature on the relationship between CSR and CR be more accessible for both scholars and practitioners.
Inter-cultural Working Relationships between Expatriates and Local Employees in MNCs Cases from the Automotive Industry in China

One fact multinational companies must face is working with employees who come from different cultures and countries. Due different working principle and approaches, problems related to cultural differences occur. One of the most obvious forms of cultural conflict is in the relationships between expatriates and local employees. The purpose of this study is to increase knowledge about inter-cultural relationships between western expatriates and local employees, and to explore how trust exists between them inside MNCs. The paper is based on qualitative studies in one German-Chinese joint venture and one Swedish subsidiary in China. 19 semi-structured interviews have been done through both face-to-face interviews and telephone interviews in China and Sweden. Results show that expatriates and local employees are learning from each others’ different working approach over time, but however, challenges happened quite often because of those differences. There are differences between expatriates and local employees in how they work as an individual or as a group; the way they solve problems; how much a plan means to them; and how much responsibility one can take during work. Language is still a critical barrier for international companies in China, not only with understanding each other’s words but also the possible interpretation due to cultural differences. Different types of trust have also been explored through empirical data, and it shows a clear influence between cultural differences and trust inside organization. A positive attitude about how to treat those differences, sufficient communication and adequate length of working time with each other could lead to a more efficient workplace, as well as an increase in trust between employees who have different culture values.
REGULATION OF GLYCOLYSIS IN MUSCLE. II. EFFECT OF STIMULATION AND EPINEPHRINE IN ISOLATED FROG SARTORIUS MUSCLE.

In principle, the over-all rate could be accelerated by a “push” mechanism, such that Reaction Sequence 1 > 2 initially or by a “pull” mechanism, such that Reaction Sequence 2 > 1 initially, provided that the enzymes are not saturated with substrate. In the first case, the phosphorylase system would be involved; in the second case, the phosphofructokinase reaction. The latter reaction is practically irreversible, so that enzymatic steps beyond it (Reaction Sequence 3) would not be effective in exercising a pull. A third possibility would be a simultaneous activation of at least Reaction Sequences 1 and 2, if not of the entire glycolytic chain. Glucose 6-phosphate, orthophosphate, intracellular lactate, and lactate in the medium were determined in experiments with muscles stimulated with single shocks or with muscles incubated with epinephrine. Rates of glycolysis could be increased from 10. to loo-fold over the resting rate by stimulation at different frequencies. Lactate formation was proportional to the frequency of stimulation. The glucose g-phosphate level and the concentration of orthophosphate showed little change up to 18 contractions per minute, although this rate of contraction pro-
Essays on Secondary Buyouts

This dissertation shows that secondary buyouts, where private equity firms are both on the sell-side and buy-side of a leverage buyout transaction, have important implications for both parties. First, the equity return potential and the value creation profile are analyzed from the perspective of the buyer. Second, the equity returns and the determinants of secondary buyouts as exit channel are investigated. The findings show that secondary buyouts are not an exit of last resort for the seller. Furthermore, a buyer can create attractive equity returns on the basis of continued operational improvements, even if the company has already been in private equity ownership. The results suggest that private equity is not merely a shock therapy, but long-term value creation can be achieved in this governance model.
Exploring E-governance Service Delivery Dimensions: A Study of Registrar of Companies

E-governance is becoming a phenomenon that is catching the attention of government as well as the citizens across the world. Lately, the governments of almost all the countries of the world made huge investments in implementation of e-government projects including India. There have been a number of centre- and state-level projects launched in the recent years. Hence, it becomes all the more important to assess the impact and viability of such projects. A number of studies have been undertaken in this area. It is observed that most of the studies in this field have focused on exploring e-governance service delivery dimensions in government-to-citizen (G2C) context; however, a few studies are carried out in government-to-business (G2B) context. Hence, the present study is an attempt to bridge this gap. The study aims to explore e-governance service delivery dimensions as perceived by the employees of Registrar of Companies (ROC), North Region. Ninety employees of ROCs were surveyed to know about their perception about the pioneer e-government project named Ministry of Corporate Affairs of 21st Century (MCA21) launched in 2006. Results of the study identified four dimensions as perceived important by the employees. To improve the services provided by the employees to the users, it would be useful to be aware of these dimensions in the future.
The Relationship between Job Stress and Front-liners’ Job Performance in a Shared Service Center in Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between job stress and job performance of front-liners in a shared service center, Malaysia. The conceptual framework of this study is based on the model of Job Stress (role ambiguity, role conflict, inadequate resources, and workload) and the concept of job performance. A total of 113 front-liners from various departments in a shared service center were selected as respondents through convenience sampling technique. Findings indicated that job stress was significantly related to job performance.
The Role of the Salesperson in Building Trust and Collaboration in Buyer-Seller Relationships

In this article, the impact of the antecedents of trust including the buyer’s perception of equity with the salesperson and salesperson’s benevolence on development of trust in a buyer-salesperson relationship is examined. The moderating roles of supply risks on this association are also examined in the context of established business-to-business buyer-salesperson relationships. Further, a positive relationship between the buying firm’s trust in a supplier’s salesperson and the development of trust in that supplier is hypothesized. Also, it is hypothesized that this development of trust within the supply chain relationship will ultimately lead to collaboration within the supply chain. The theoretical and practical ramifications of these findings and future avenues of research are also discussed.
An Analysis of the Influences of Individual Optimism, Risk Taking and Self-Confidence on Professional Accounting Judgment

Chaotic dynamics of today’s global business environment exert a tremendous pressure on professionals accounting judgment performance. A survey was mailed to Romanian professional accountants to examine their perception on accounting judgments and decisions. The results based on 531 valid responses indicate that professionals considered that a judgment in accounting is influenced by the responsibility of the accountant in preparing the financial statements according to the regulatory financial reporting framework. Also, they think that an adequate accounting judgment is best characterized by: "logical, consistent and substantiated", characteristics. Exploring statistical differences between accountants, grouped by age, gender, as well as years of practice, we found that younger investigated accountants are more optimistic that the ones over 45. We have used Chi-Square test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient and showed that there is a correlation between accountants’ propensity towards optimism and their perception regarding the need of a theoretical framework of JDM, and between accountants’ propensity towards risk and their choice regarding the aspects that influence accounting judgment. Also, accountants’ self-confidence is in direct correlation with their opinion regarding the aspects that influence JDM in accounting, but there is no statistical correlation between accountants’ propensity towards optimism and their choice regarding the aspects that influence accounting judgment. Our results showed that is on interest to further investigate these correlations to identify new ways to improve JDM in accounting. The role of professional accountant is shaped by the pressure of several external factors that also mark their behavior, hence, accountants are not robots, are humans.
Frontier Justice: Legal Aid and UNHCR Refugee Status Determination in Egypt

Where UNHCR conducts refugee status determination (RSD), its reactions to legal aid for asylum-seekers have been mixed. Statistical evidence collected from Egypt in 2002 indicates a correlation between receiving some form of legal aid service and an asylum-seeker's increased chances of gaining refugee protection from UNHCR. Unconventional forms of legal aid, including limited services by supervised nonlawyers (including volunteers from the refugee community) showed a positive impact on first instance cases, while traditional legal aid models showed an impact at the appeal stage. Legal aid should form an essential part of UNHCR's RSD procedures, and NGOs should work to expand both traditional and innovative forms of legal aid for asylum-seekers.
Child and adolescent problems predict DSM-IV disorders in adulthood: a 14-year follow-up of a Dutch epidemiological sample.

OBJECTIVE Few studies exist that examine continuities between child and adult psychopathology in unselected samples. This study prospectively examined the adult outcomes of psychopathology in an epidemiological sample of children and adolescents across a 14-year period. METHOD In 1983, parent ratings of behavioral and emotional problems were obtained for 1,578 children and adolescents aged 4 through 16 years from the Dutch general population. At follow-up, 14 years later, subjects were reassessed with a standardized DSM-IV interview. RESULTS High levels of childhood problems predicted an approximate 2- to 6-fold increased risk for adulthood DSM-IV diagnoses. The associations between specific childhood problems and adulthood diagnoses were complex. Social Problems in girls predicted later DSM-IV disorder. Rule-breaking behavior in boys predicted both mood disorders and disruptive disorders in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS High levels of childhood behavioral and emotional problems are related to DSM-IV diagnoses in adulthood. The strongest predictor of disorders in adulthood was childhood rule-breaking behavior. Attention Problems did not predict any of the DSM-IV categories when adjusted for the associations with other Child Behavior Checklist scales.
The effect of Maasai cultural practices on the welfare of domestic animals: a case of Kajiado central district, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to investigate how Maasai cultural practices have a bearing on animal welfare. The objectives of the study were; to establish the effect of keeping large number of animals on the welfare of animals; to determine the effect of blood extraction on livestock; to establish the effect of traditional castration methods on the welfare of animals; to establish the effect of traditional animal restraining methods on the welfare of animals and to investigate the effect of animal identification methods on the welfare of animals. The descriptive survey research design was employed and data was collected by means of questionnaires administered to a sample of 64 respondents (households) drawn from a population of 625 livestock households using simple sampling. Data was analysed by use of qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings revealed that the residents had a high attachment to their livestock with a respondent owning an average of 28 heads of cattle and a flock of 114 goats/sheep while an average family owned 86 cows and 225 goat/sheep. This posed some difficulties as expressed by 54 (84.4%) of respondents among them foliage and water. There was a strong correlation of 0.932 between largest number of animal ownership and the loss through drought. The cultural practise of extracting blood from live animals was being exercised by 22 (34.4%) of the respondents. Arrow and spear were the tools used to pierce the jugular vein of the cow to get blood to use as food and for circumcision and child birth ceremonies. The practise was reported as painful by 60 (93.8%) of respondents. Traditional castration of animals was being exercised by all 64 (100%) respondents. The practise carried by men used burdizzo, rubber ring and open cut to castrate cow, goats/sheep and donkeys for behaviour control, fattening and quality bleeding control. These method were found to be painful a fact agreed by 58 (90.6%) of respondents. 63 (98.4%) of the respondents employed traditional animal restrains method of nose peg, nose ring and ear pegs. The restraining methods were said to be painful to animals by 49 (76.6%) respondents for nose ring, 40 (62.5%) for nose peg and 38 (59.4%) for ear peg in addition to being injurious to animals. All the 64 (100%) respondents also employed the tradition animal identification methods of branding, ear notching or skin lacerations . Branding was anonymously agreed to be painful to animals, ear notching by 63 (98.4%) and skin laceration by 55 (85.9%) of respondents. The study concluded that all the five cultural practises identified had an effect on animal welfare. There is therefore need to replace these traditional practise with more modern animal friendly practises. Need for making affordable services like veterinary available will go ahead in improving welfare of animals without comprising the needs of animal owners.