Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do CSR Ratings Affect Loan Spreads? Evidence from European Syndicated Loan Market

We investigate whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) ratings affect the syndicated loan spreads paid by European listed firms. By performing ordinary least squares (OLS) pooled regressions on a sample of 1101 syndicated loans granted to European companies, we find evidence that borrowers’ CSR ratings have a significant impact on loan spreads. However, the relationship between CSR ratings and loan spreads is quite complex. Low CSR-rated firms pay higher loan spreads than better CSR-rated firms, but high CSR ratings are not always rewarded by lenders. The benefits of a high CSR rating level are significant only for firms located in countries that pay great attention to sustainability issues. Overall, our work provides a key to reconciling the mixed results obtained in the empirical literature, as we find evidence of a significant lack of homogeneity within the European Union countries regarding the relationship between CSR performance and the cost of debt financing.
Determinants of technology adaptation in the supply chains: The case of SMEs in the industrial zone in Vietnam

Article history: Received April 21, 2020 Received in revised format June 8, 2020 Accepted June 22 2020 Available online June 24 2020 This article aims to analyze the different impacts that some factors may exert on the probability that an industrial zone-located firm adapts. Recently, industry policy in developing countries tends to spur both SMEs and the industrial zone in terms of adaptation, considering them as the main driver of innovation and growth. However, not all industrial zone-located firms adapt. Departing from an extensive sample of the Vietnam Technology and Competitiveness Survey in combination with the Vietnam Enterprise Survey in 2011-2013, we try to determine those factors that cause firms to become industrial zone-located adaptation SMEs (IA-SMEs, firms fewer than 250 employees, being located in the industrial zone and adapting existing technologies). The analysis results highlight the importance of direct linkages, technology transfer between FDI firms and industrial zone-located adaptation SMEs, economic obstacles, and the interactions between them that cause industrial zone-located adaptation SMEs to adapt in the supply chain (obtained through direct transfer of technology between linked firms). 2020 by the authors; license Growing Science, Canada ©
Decomposition mechanisms in thermally-aged thin-film explosives

The isothermal decomposition of nitrocellulose (NC) has been examined using two substantially different experimental techniques, involving both confined and unconfined samples. The confined isothermal aging technique involved confined thin-film samples heated to temperatures of 150 to 170{degrees}C, for 1 to 72 hours. Condensed-phase chemistry was monitored real-time using FTIR. Results indicated that the first step in decomposition was scission of the O-NO{sub 2} bond and subsequent formation of carbonyl and hydroxyl products. Scission of the O-NO{sub 2} bond appeared to occur by a first-order reaction. The Arrhenius expression for the first-order reaction rate constant was evaluated from the experimental data. The unconfined rapid isothermal decomposition technique involved both high speed-photography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). Mass spectra obtained from experiments at 420{degrees}C indicated that NO{sub 2} formation and, therefore, scission of the O-NO{sub 2} bond occurred by a first order reaction, the rate constant for which was evaluated from the experimental data. The rate constant for global pseudo-first order decomposition of NC at 450{degrees}C was also estimated from high speed photography results. Rate constants at 420 and 450{degrees}C were predicted using the Arrhenius expression developed from the confined isothermal aging results and were in good agreement with the rate constantsmore » obtained at those temperatures in the unconfined rapid decomposition experiments using TOFMS and high-speed photography. Results from these substantially different measurements gave consistent results over a temperature range of about 300{degrees}C, in which reaction rates vary by nine orders of magnitude, and indicate that the two experimental techniques being developed have good potential for studying condensed-phase decomposition of energetic materials. « less
Molecular and functional characterization of the role of Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in the development of intestinal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in Europe and the fourth most common in the UK, being influenced by environmental factors, genetic mutations and interactions with the host immune system. The Wnt pathway plays a key role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Constitutive activation of Wnt occur in more than 80% of CRC, primarily due to the loss of the Apc gene. This mutation occurs in the intestinal stem cells (ISC), the cell of origin for CRC. ISCs are identified by Lgr5 expression. The immune microenvironment of these tumours plays a key role in their progression. The local recruitment of immunosuppressive Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells (Tregs) has been demonstrated in CRC patients, however it is unclear whether they limit or promote the anti-tumour immune responses. Importantly most of the studies were done in patients with advanced disease, highlighting the need to understand the role of these cells in the early stages of tumourigenesis. To understand the influence of Tregs on an ISC following an oncogenic mutation, genetically modified mice were used. Using the Lgr5 transgene, to conditionally delete Apc in the intestinal stem cell (ISC), it is possible to model the initial stages of CRC. This mouse was crossed with the Foxp3DTR mouse, which expresses the human diphtheria toxin receptor under the control of the Foxp3 promotor (Lgr5CreERT2Apcfl/flFoxp3DTR). Selective depletion of Tregs can be achieved by injection of diphtheria toxin, enabling the investigation of the role that Tregs and conventional T-cells play during malignant transformation. To identify the role of other immune cell populations in the anti-tumoral immune response, CD4+ and CD8+ cells were depleted and IFNγ was neutralized in the Lgr5CreERT2Apcfl/flFoxp3DTR mouse model. Here, it was shown that 15 days following Apc deletion, the number of Tregs increased in the small and large intestines, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). Treg depletion, in Apc deleted mice, resulted in a reduction of the intestinal tumour burden. The same was observed in mice where CD4+ and CD8+ cells were depleted. IFNγ neutralization had no effects. In this mouse model, data suggest that CD4+, CD8+ cells or IFNγ do not play a role in the anti-tumour immune responses. Overall these data indicate that Tregs inhibit the immune recognition of newly transformed ISCs suggesting that Tregs play a key role in the early stages of intestinal cancer by promoting tumourigenesis. This is particularly important as Tregs can be a possible target in the early stages of CRC and their modulation might prevent tumour progression, improving the outcome of CRC patients.
The Impact Population Growth on Disaggregate Energy Generation Source from (Hydro Power, Natural Gas, Oil and Coal Source) in Nigeria

This research tries to investigate the impact of population growth on energy generation in Nigeria using Auto Regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL). The study employed an econometric methodology involving the use of unit root test, cointegration test technique. The study use of different source of electricity production in Nigeria such as hydro power source (HPS), natural gas source (NGS), oil and coal sources (OCS) , as dependents variables which were regress against population and real gross domestic product (GDP) as explanatory variables which altogether serve as determinants of energy generation. The ARDL Bound test reveals that both the three equations under studies are cointegrated. Consequently, the study finds that the long run and short run dynamics of the variables involved. From the long run coefficients the study found that population growth has a positive and significant impact on energy generation from natural gas source, oil and coal source but negative impact on hydropower sources. Based on these findings some recommendations were made, Nigeria government should adequately project the growing rate of population in advance so as to generate volume of energy that will cater for the population so as to avoid the risk of energy shortage in Nigeria.
Effect of Fat Sources and Emulsifier Levels in Broiler Diets on Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Carcass Parameters

08/March/2019 Approved: 22/October/2019 ABSTRACT The objective of the current study was to check the effect of fat types and polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) levels in broiler diets on broilers performance. For this purpose, three sources of fat {soy oil (SO), poultry oil (PO), and oxidized oil (OO) (oxidized soy oil)} and four levels of PGPR were used in a 3×4 factorial arrangement. The trial had 12 different dietary treatments: (T1) basal ration (BR) containing SO without PGPR supplementation, (T2) BR containing PO without PGPR supplementation, (T3) BR containing OO without PGPR supplementation, (T4) BR containing SO with PGPR supplementation (0.025%), (T5) BR containing PO with PGPR supplementation (0.025%), (T6) BR containing OO with PGPR supplementation (0.025%), (T7) BR containing SO with PGPR supplementation (0.035%), (T8) BR containing PO with PGPR supplementation (0.035%), (T9) BR containing OO with PGPR supplementation (0.035%), (T10) BR containing SO with PGPR supplementation (0.045%), (T11) BR containing PO with PGPR supplementation (0.045%), (T12) BR containing OO with PGPR supplementation (0.045%). Results revealed that interaction was present for fat sources and PGPR levels in the current experiment ( p<0.05 ) for feed conversion ratio, body weight, dry matter (DM) and crude fat (CF) digestiblities ( p<0.05 ). In overall trial, interaction results of PGPR and fat sources showed that performance of birds and nutrient digestiblities of DM and CF was increased in birds received diet contained SO and PGPR @ 0.35%. It is concluded that PGPR @ 0.035% could be successfully used in broiler ration contained soy oil to
Galvanically Isolated DC-DC Converter Using a Single Isolation Transformer for Multi-Channel Communication

This paper presents a galvanically isolated dc-dc converter with multi-channel communication exploiting a single isolation transformer. The proposed architecture makes compliant both regulated output power and data transmission on the same isolation physical link by using ASK modulation of the power signal and data/control signal multiplexing. The dc-dc converter consists of two integrated chips fabricated in 0.18-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> BCD and 0.13-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> CMOS technologies, respectively, along with a thick polyimide transformer chip able to comply with reinforced isolation requirements. The dc-dc converter delivers an isolated output power up to 50 mW at 3.3-V output voltage, while providing three data channels with a data rate up to 10 Mb/s.
Diversification of competitive results of the food industry of the ʻoldʼ and ʻnewʼ EU countries

The purpose of this elaboration was to evaluate the diversity of competitive results of the food industry in the ‘old’ and ‘new’ EU countries in 2004, 2011 and 2018. The indicators of export market share, trade coverage and revealed comparative advantages of the food industry were used. Next the chosen descriptive statistics (arithmetic mean, coefficient of variation, lower and upper quartile, median, range, interquartile range), the box-plot figures and the Mann-Whitney U test, were applied. The conducted research proved the visible disparities between the ‘old’ and ‘new’ EU members in the range of all the evaluated indicators of competitive position, mainly in the case of export market share. The evaluation of the competitive results in the selected years demonstrate that there is a gradual process of reducing the gap within the competitive position of the food industry of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ countries of the EU.
Susceptibility of fruit of some plum and apricot cultivars to brown rot

In this three-year study, incidence of brown rot (Monilinia spp.) on fruit of plum and apricot cultivars were evaluated in Kecskemet, Hungary. Results showed that most plum and apricot cultivars expressed symptoms caused by Monilinia spp, graded between 2 and 4 (10–75%) by the end of the summer in 2008–2010. Assessments on plum showed that only cultivars ‘Besztercei’, ‘Silvia’ and ‘Tuleu gras’ were partly tolerant to Monilinia spp. , while the most susceptible cultivars were ‘Bluefre’ and ‘Stanley’. The most tolerant apricot cultivars were ‘Borsi-fele kesei rozsa’, ‘Piroska’, ‘Pannonia’ and ‘Magyar kajszi’ while the most susceptible ones were cvs. ‘Budapest’ and ‘Mandulakajszi’. Susceptibility classes showed that only one plum (’Silvia’) and one apricot cultivar (‘Borsi-fele kesei rozsa’) were available with low susceptibility.
The Influence of Capital Structure and Profitability on Firm Value on Property and Real Estate Sector in Indonesia Stock Exchange

The purpose of this study to determine the influence of capital structure and profitability on the firm value. This research is a quantitative descriptive research with ratio analysis based on company financial statement. The research on Property and Real Estate sector on IDX by downloading financial statement for the period 2012-2016 through IDX website (www.idx.co.id). The research population is 50 companies and based on the purposive sampling method, the number of selected samples is 28 companies. The analysis technique used is path analysis using software AMOS 21.0. The results showed that: First, simultaneously the capital structure and profitability have a positive and significant effect on firm value; Second, partially capital structure and profitability have a positive and significant effect on firm value; Third, there is a negative correlation between capital structure and profitability in its effect on firm value.
Adapted dandelions increase seed dispersal when they are attacked by root herbivores

Plants allow their offspring to escape unfavourable local conditions through seed dispersal. Whether plants use this strategy to escape herbivores is not well understood. Here, we explore how different Taraxacum officinale populations modify seed dispersal in response to root herbivore attack by Melolontha melolontha in the field. Root herbivore attack increases seed dispersal potential through a reduction in seed weight in populations that have evolved under high root herbivore pressure, but not in populations that have evolved under low pressure. This increase in dispersal potential is associated with reduced germination, suggesting that adapted plants trade dispersal for establishment. Analysis of vegetative growth parameters suggests that increased dispersal is not the result of stress flowering. These results suggest that root herbivory selects for genotypes that increase their dispersal ability in response to herbivore attack.
De novo aging-related meganeurites: alteration of NADPH diaphorase positivity in the sacral spinal cord of the aged dog

The aging-related changes of NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) in the spinal cord were studied in aged dogs. At all levels of the spinal cord examined, NADPH-d activities were present in neurons and fibers in the superficial dorsal horn, dorsal commissure and in neurons around the central canal. In addition, the sympathetic autonomic nucleus in the thoracic and rostral lumbar segments exhibited prominent NADPH-d cellular staining whereas the sacral parasympathetic nucleus (SPN) in the sacral segments was not well stained. Interestingly, we found abundant NADPH-d positive enlarged-diameter fibers termed meganeurite, which characteristically occurred in the aged sacral segments, distributed in the dorsal gray commissure (DGC), lateral collateral pathway (LCP) the lateral fasciculi and the central canal compared with the cervical, thoracic and lumbar segments. The dense, abnormal NADPH-d meganeurites occurred in extending from dorsal entry zone through lamina I along with the lateral boundary of the dorsal horn to the region of the SPN. These fibers were prominent in the S1–S3 segments but not in adjacent segments L5-L7 and Cx1 or in thoracolumbar segments and cervical segments. Double staining with GFAP, NeuN, CGRP, MAP2 and Iba1, NADPH-d meganeurite colocalized with vasoactive intestinal peptide. Presumably, the meganeurites may represent, in part, visceral afferent projections to the SPN and/or DGC. The NADPH-d meganeurites in the aged sacral spinal cord indicated some anomalous changes in the neurites, which might account for a disturbance in the aging pathway of the autonomic and sensory nerve in the pelvic visceral organs.
Measurement of Instantaneous Power Quality Parameters Using UWPT and Hilbert Transform and Its FPGA Implementation

This article presents a measurement technique based on the undecimated wavelet packet transform (UWPT) and Hilbert transform (HT) to estimate power quality parameters at every sample. Thus, it results in improved time resolution and allows us to track the variation of power quality parameters with respect to time. The proposed technique consists of three stages. In the first stage, harmonics and fundamental components are separated from the distorted signal using UWPT. In the second stage, the HT is used to extract the envelope of fundamental and harmonic components. In the last stage, power quality parameters are calculated at each instant according to the IEEE Standard 1459–2010. The proposed scheme has been successfully implemented on the Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGA ML-605 evaluation kit. The simulation and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in terms of estimation accuracy, timing requirements, and resource utilization.
Caractérisation physico-chimique des interactions métaux-diatomées

Cette etude experimentale a consiste en la caracterisation de l'interaction entre les metaux et les parois cellulaire des diatomees. Une approche combinant des mesures spectroscopiques, IR et XPS, avec des titrages acido-basiques et des determinations de mobilite electrophoretiques, ont permis l'elaboration d'un modele thermodynamique de surface des diatomees. La complexation des cations metalliques, Zn2+, Cd2+, et Pb2+ sur les parois cellulaires a ete determinee par des experiences d'adsorption en fonction du pH et de la concentration en metal et a permis de developper un modele de complexation surfacique. Il indique que i) le frustule siliceux intervient tres peu dans les processus d'adsorption ii) la complexation des metaux s'effectue principalement sur les groupes carboxyliques de la surface en accord avec les mesures XAFS effectuees pour l'adsorption du zinc. Des mesures d'isotopie du zinc ont mis en evidence un fractionnement induit par les diatomees.
A New Quadratic Spacing Policy and Adaptive Fault-Tolerant Platooning With Actuator Saturation

This article investigates a fault-tolerant control problem for heterogeneous vehicular platoons with actuator faults and saturation. The occurrence of actuator faults may yield large control signals to avoid performance loss, which can potentially lead to saturation of the actuator that may cause further performance deterioration or even instability. To compensate for the effects of actuator faults and saturation, an adaptive fault-tolerant control method is proposed based on nonlinear vehicle dynamics and a new quadratic spacing policy. The improved quadratic spacing policy is introduced to remove the assumption of zero initial spacing errors. The nonlinear vehicle dynamics is approximated by a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN). The adaptive fault-tolerant platoon control method is developed in the context of PID-type sliding mode control technique, and proved to be capable of guaranteeing individual vehicle stability, string stability and traffic flow stability. The effectiveness of the method is verified through comparison simulation studies.
Synthesis of recombinant antibacterial proteins in the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast

The rise of antibiotic resistance and the decline in antibiotic discovery have been well publicised. These issues, in combination with a growing global reliance upon antibiotics for everyday modern life, urgently require the discovery of novel antibacterial drugs. Endolysins are one potential candidate to support, or replace, conventional antibiotics. Endolysins are lytic enzymes produced by bacteriophage in natura to enable the release of viral progeny from inside the host bacterium. When applied exogenously, endolysins can lyse Gram-positive bacteria, and thus could be used as a novel antibacterial for this group of pathogens. Biologically active endolysins have been successfully expressed as recombinants in the chloroplast of the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. C. reinhardtii, and in particular the chloroplast, has several features as a cell factory which make it an attractive alternative to the traditional recombinant protein production platforms. C. reinhardtii is free of endotoxins, can be cultivated at low cost in photobioreactors, has GRAS status, and is genetically tractable. This study initially focuses upon improving the accumulation and activity of one endolysin, Cpl-1, targeting Streptococcus pneumoniae. Recombinant Cpl-1 has been shown previously in the Purton lab to accumulate to moderate levels in the C. reinhardtii chloroplast. Here we present two transgenic lines of C. reinhardtii that appear to accumulate recombinant Cpl-1 to higher levels – one through the incorporation of multiple expression cassettes, and one through codon pair optimization. To improve the activity of Cpl-1 as an enzyme, Cpl-1 binding site mutagenesis, Cpl-1 dimerization, and the production of a potentially synergistic holin protein were all attempted. Finally, an endolysin against Clostridium difficile, CD27L, was successfully produced in the C. reinhardtii chloroplast and shown to be active in vitro. Another endolysin, this time targeting Propionibacterium acnes, failed to express in C. reinhardtii, but was expressed in E. coli, albeit without obvious lytic activity.
Feeding level and diet type during the wean-to-estrus interval on the reproductive performance of sows

ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to evaluate how the amount and type of diet consumed during the wean-to-estrus interval (WEI) affects reproductive performance and WEI duration in sows. A total of 542 sows were distributed into the following treatment groups based on a 2 × 2 factorial design: feed amount during WEI (2.75 or 3.75 kg/day) and diet (gestation [G] or lactation [L]) groups. Dietary treatments were as follows: high supply of G diet (GH), low supply of G diet (GL), high supply of L diet (LH), and low supply of L diet (LL). Sows were randomly allocated to groups according to their body score Caliper and birth order. There was an interaction (P < 0.05) between the factors for WEI duration, which was 0.2 days shorter in the GH and LL groups than in the other groups. No difference was observed between treatments (P>0.05) for the birth rate, total births, stillbirths, or total litter weight. There was a trend (P<0.10) toward a higher rate of live births in sows fed with G diet and sows receiving a low diet supply, with an average of 91.95% for both groups. In addition, there was a positive trend (P < 0.10) for live weight of the litter, where GH and LL treatments resulted in higher birth weight (17.9 and 17.7 kg, respectively) than other treatments. In conclusion, a supply of 3.75 kg/day or the use of a more energetic feed (lactation) during the WEI did not improve the reproductive performance of the subsequent cycle of sows in good body condition.