Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Safety Assessment of Polyaminopropyl Biguanide (Polyhexamethylene Biguanide Hydrochloride) as Used in Cosmetics

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) reviewed the safety of Polyaminopropyl Biguanide (polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride), which functions as a preservative in cosmetic products. The Panel reviewed relevant data relating to the safety of this ingredient and concluded that Polyaminopropyl Biguanide is safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in the safety assessment, when formulated to be nonirritating and nonsensitizing, which may be based on a quantitative risk assessment or other accepted methodologies. The Panel also concluded that the data are insufficient to determine the safety of Polyaminopropyl Biguanide in products that may be incidentally inhaled.
Darwin's and Wallace's Fascinations With Oversized Morphology and the Question of Developmental Plasticity

Abstract Darwin in his book, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, described his fascination with a male Chiasognathus grantii Stephens (Coreptera, Lucanidae), a stag beetle species with enormous mandibles. Wallace in his book, The Malay Archipelago, recorded his enchantment with a male Euchirus longimanus L. (Coreptera, Scarabaeoidae), a ‘chafer’ species with ‘immense fore-arms’ (tibia or femora). These oversized traits have been interpreted as the results of allometry through sexual selection. Both Darwin and Wallace were aware that there was a large variation in these oversized traits intraspecifically, leading to the question of the role of variability in species-level evolution. To answer this question, I studied the variation in developmental plasticity (DP; the individual ability to react to external environment) of the stag beetles, which shows a great variation in external morphology. These observations indicated that 1) DP (measured in body length) is independent of allometry of the mandibles, 2) allometry of the mandibles had been ingrained in most members of the Family before the differentiation of DP took place, 3) DP is indirectly related to sexual selection through elongated mandibles that are used for fighting or securing the mate, as evidenced by the close correlation of DP with the mandible length, and 4) the enormous mandibles of stag beetles are the product of enlarged DP through allometry and sexual selection. From these results, I add enhanced DP as an independent element in the evolution of seemingly oversized traits seen in many beetle species.
From Pests to Keystone Species: Ecosystem Influences and Human Perceptions of Harvester Ants (Pogonomyrmex, Veromessor, and Messor spp.)

Abstract Harvester ants (Latreille) (Formicidae: Hymenoptera) have traditionally been labeled as pests within their native ranges from perceived effects on crop production and rangeland productivity.Yet, modern research casts doubt on many of these perceived detrimental effects and instead suggests that harvester ants act as keystone species that largely benefit both ecosystems and human activities.Through nest engineering and trophic interactions (such as seed harvesting and predation), harvester ants have considerable direct and indirect effects on community structure and ecosystem functioning. Here we summarize the ecological roles of harvester ants and review their services and disservices to ecosystems and human activities. In doing so, we help clarify perceived keystone and pest roles of harvester ants and their implications for rangeland management. We find the numerous keystone roles of harvester ants to be well-supported compared to perceived pest roles.We also highlight areas where further research into their roles in natural and managed systems is needed.
Early pregnancy Early pregnancy maternal and fetal angiogenic factors and fetal and childhood growth : the Generation R Study

N.E. Bergen1,2,*, M.I. Bouwland-Both1,2, R.P.M. Steegers-Theunissen2,3, A. Hofman4, H. Russcher5, J. Lindemans5, V.W. V. Jaddoe1,4,6, and E.A. P. Steegers2 The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, PO Box 2040, 3000 Rotterdam, CA, The Netherlands Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, PO Box 2040, 3000 Rotterdam, CA, The Netherlands Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, PO Box 2040, 3000 Rotterdam, CA, The Netherlands Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, PO Box 2040, 3000 Rotterdam, CA, The Netherlands Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, PO Box 2040, 3000 Rotterdam, CA, The Netherlands Department of Paediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, PO Box 2040, 3000 Rotterdam, CA, The Netherlands
Explicit expression of Cartan’s connection for Levi-nondegenerate 3-manifolds in complex surfaces, and identification of the Heisenberg sphere

We study effectively the Cartan geometry of Levi-nondegenerate C6-smooth hypersurfaces M3 in ℂ2. Notably, we present the so-called curvature function of a related Tanaka-type normal connection explicitly in terms of a graphing function for M, which is the initial, single available datum. Vanishing of this curvature function then characterizes explicitly the local biholomorphic equivalence of such M3 ⊂ ℂ2 to the Heisenberg sphere ℍ3, such M’s being necessarily real analytic.
Psychometric Validation of Exercise Motivation for Health Scale (EMHS)

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to create a Japanese version of the exercise motivation for health scale (EMHS) and examine its psychometric validation. Methods: In study 1, participants were 532 Japanese residents (M = 42.82 ± 13.29, 275 males 257 females). A questionnaire (29 items) modified from the motivation for regulation of eating behavior scale (REBS) was completed. In study 2, participants were 679 (M = 42.82 ± 13.29, 296 males and 383 females aged between 20 - 85) Japanese residents. Well-being, social support, and stage of change in transtheoretical model (TTM) were used as criterion to test the validity of EMHS. Results: Study 1 reported that the principal component analysis (PCA) of the EMHS revealed good construct validity. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the 6 subscales ranged from 0.77 to 0.89. Study 2 indicated convergent and discriminant validity on relationship between well-being and stage of change. A relatively high compatibility (GFI = 0.91, AGFI = 0.87, CFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.08) was observed. Two significant differences between gender groups were found in the sample, a higher autonomous regulation on women, and a higher amotivation on men. Conclusion: The results suggested that the Japanese version of EMHS is reliable and valid, and can be used as a tool for measuring the motivation to exercise for health.
Effect of Working Capital Management on Corporate Performance : Cross-Sectional Evidence from Nigeria

The study evaluates the effect of working capital management (WCM) on corporate performance of selected listed firms in Nigeria. The period under review spans from 2001-2010. The two models built specifies Return on Assets (ROA) and Gross Working Capital (GWC) as being explained by the following measures of WCM: Inventory Turnover in Days (ITD), Average Collection Period (ACP), Average Payment Period (APP) and Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC). Following the panel data approach, the findings reveal that WCM have predictive ability on both ROA and GWC; however, none of the measures of WCM has significant influence on GWC while APP and CCC exert significance on ROA. The study identifies that WCM significantly and positively impact on corporate performance through its effect on profitability which represents a standard criterion to appraise the performance of a firm.
The Identification of Novel CYP2D6 Variants in US Hmong: Results From Genome Sequencing and Clinical Genotyping

Objective: Hmong individuals represent a unique East Asian subpopulation in whom limited information concerning pharmacogenetic variation exists. The objectives of this study were to comprehensively characterize the highly polymorphic CYP2D6 gene in Hmong, estimate allele and phenotype frequencies and to compare results between two testing platforms. Methods: DNA from 48 self-identified Hmong participants were sequenced using a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel. Star allele calls were made using Astrolabe, manual inspection of NGS variant calls and confirmatory Sanger sequencing. Structural variation was determined by long-range (XL)-PCR and digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). The consensus diplotypes were subsequently translated into phenotype utilizing the activity score system. Clinical grade pharmacogenetic testing was obtained for 12 of the 48 samples enabling an assessment of concordance between the consensus calls and those determined by clinical testing platforms. Results: A total of 13 CYP2D6 alleles were identified. The most common alleles were CYP2D6*10 and its structural arrangements (37.5%, 36/96) and the *5 gene deletion (13.5%, 13/96). Three novel suballeles (*10.007, *36.004, and *75.002) were also identified. Phenotype frequencies were as follows: ultrarapid metabolizers (4.2%, 2/48), normal metabolizers (41.7%, 20/48) and intermediate metabolizers (52.1%, 25/48); none of the 48 participants were predicted to be poor metabolizers. Concordance of diplotype and phenotype calls between the consensus and clinical testing were 66.7 and 50%, respectively. Conclusion: Our study to explore CYP2D6 genotypes in the Hmong population suggests that this subpopulation is unique regarding CYP2D6 allelic variants; also, a higher portion of Hmong participants (50%) are predicted to have an intermediate metabolizer phenotype for CYP2D6 compared to other East Asians which range between 27 and 44%. Results from different testing methods varied considerably. These preliminary findings underscore the importance of thoroughly interrogating unique subpopulations to accurately predict a patient’s CYP2D6 metabolizer status.
Number of Firms, Rationing, Matching, and Knowledge: A Comprehensive Study of Variations in Experimental Kreps–Scheinkman Markets

Abstract This study provides a comprehensive picture of experimental Kreps–Scheinkman markets with capacity choice in the first stage and subsequent price competition in the second. We conduct seven different treatments of such markets, varying the number of firms, demand rationing, subject matching, and subjects’ knowledge about the market mechanism. We find that only the number of firms has a persistent effect on capacity choices, whereas price choices are affected by both the number of firms and the rationing scheme. From the outset, subjects in the high-knowledge condition behave in the same way as subjects with low knowledge do in later periods after gaining experience. In all treatments, conduct is more competitive than the Cournot outcome, irrespective of the Nash equilibrium prediction. Nevertheless, the Cournot model does pack some predictive power. Under efficient demand rationing where the Cournot outcome is predicted, exact Cournot choices are more likely for both capacities and prices.
Why Shareholders Sue: The Evidence from Japan

This article explores the dynamics of shareholder litigation in a heretofore overlooked context: Japan. Following a 1993 reduction of filing fees, the number of shareholder derivative suits filed in Japan has increased dramatically, creating a database from which to study litigation incentives. This article shows that most plaintiffs in Japan lose, few suits settle, settlement amounts are low, and shareholders do not receive direct stock price benefits from suits. Most derivative suits in Japan, as in the United States, can be explained not by direct benefits to plaintiffs but by attorney incentives. Still, derivative litigation has more than one cause. The residuum of suits not wholly explained by attorney incentives is best explained by a combination of (1) nonmonetary factors, (2) corporate troublemakers, (3) insurance, and (4) “piggyback” enforcement. These findings suggest that the difficult and messy issues of derivative suits are not unique to the United States.
Eemian to Early Weichselian regional and local vegetation development and sedimentary and geomorphological controls, Amersfoort Basin, The Netherlands

Abstract Two new records from the Amersfoort glacial basin are investigated by means of pollen analysis. The cores are situated in the deeper part, close to the original Eemian stratotype Amersfoort 1 (Zagwijn, 1961) and at the margin of the basin. The aim is to reconstruct the Eemian and Early Weichselian vegetation development and to explore the impact of accommodation space, influx of allochthonous pollen and geomorphology on the vegetation composition. The results of the Amersfoort Basin are compared to the current Eemian stratotype in the Amsterdam Basin and other Eemian sites in the Netherlands. An almost complete Eemian to Early Weichselian sequence (E2-EWII) was retrieved from the deeper part of the Amersfoort basin. The late Saalian (LS) to early Eemian transition is not recorded in the Amersfoort basin, in contrast to the deeper Amsterdam Basin. The basin marginal core Den Treek reveals a condensed late Eemian (E5-6) and Early Weichselian (EW I-II) succession showing the importance of accommodation space. The first impact of the Eemian transgression is registered at the E3 to E4a boundary in the Amersfoort and Amsterdam basins, and highest sea level is proposed at the end of pollen zone E5. Upstream in the Eemian delta, in the palaeo-Vecht valley and IJssel Basin, the transgression is recorded later. The influx of reworked (allochthonous) pollen in clastic sediment units hampers vegetation and climatic reconstructions during the LS and Eemian. The early appearance of Picea in zone E4 and Abies in zone E5 in clastic sediment intervals can be related to long-distance transport by the river Rhine and redistribution in the Eemian delta. Local vegetation development can complicate regional biostratigraphic correlations. Alnus, considered characteristic for the late Eemian (E5-6), shows large differences over short distances in the Amersfoort Basin, related to local alder growth since Eemian E3. Carpinus, diagnostic for pollen zone E5, shows high values in the basins adjacent to higher, well-drained ice-pushed ridges, but low values in low-relief environments. Salt- to brackish-water marshes were present during high sea level in zone E5 in the Amsterdam and Amersfoort basins, while further upstream in the Rhine delta brackish to fresh-water tidal conditions dominated. In line with Zagwijn (1961), the E6 to EWI boundary is defined at the first opening of the vegetation cover with Calluna, Poaceae and Artemisia increase, often coinciding with a lithological change from organic to clastic deposition, reflecting increased landscape instability. The cores from the Amersfoort basin reveal a complete Eemian to Early Weichselian record. It is suggested to define the boundary stratotype for the base of the Weichselian Stage in the Amersfoort Basin. The current stratotype Amsterdam-Terminal reveals a fully developed LS to Eemian transition and contains the boundary stratotype for the base of the Eemian Stage.
Locating the Dark Triad in a Multidimensional Personality Space

Abstract The Dark Triad traits of Psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and Narcissism should be clearly recognizable within a multidimensional personality space. Two such personality spaces were investigated in this study: HEXACO (Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience); and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ) space (Extraversion, Neuroticism, Activity, Sensation Seeking, and Aggressiveness). Our sample comprised 289 participants (137 males, 145 females, 7 unspecified) who completed these three questionnaires: HEXACO–60, ZKA-PQ/SF, and the SD3, assessing the Dark Triad. We reduced the dimensionality of each space to that of a 2D representation using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA). Three research questions guided the data analysis: (a) Do the HEXACO and ZKA-PQ SSA spaces conform to the structure of a radex? (b) Will these spaces remain invariant following the entry of the Dark Triad traits into the analyses? (c) Where will the Dark Triad traits be located in each SSA space? For ZKA-PQ space, the structure was clearly indicative of a radex, both prior to entering the Dark Triad traits into the analysis, and subsequent to this. Psychopathy and Machiavellianism were in close proximity in the Aggressiveness region; Narcissism was positioned at the common origin. In contrast, HEXACO space did not conform to a radex; furthermore, the presence of the Dark Triad traits distorts this 2D SSA space.
The North Pacific as a Regulator of Summertime Climate over Eurasia and North America

Abstract The role of the North Pacific as a regulator of boreal summer climate over Eurasia and North America is investigated using observational data. Two summertime interannual climate modes associated with sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the North Pacific are identified. The first mode shows an elongated zone of warm (cold) SST anomalies in the central North Pacific along 40°N, with temporal variability significantly correlated with El Nino during the preceding spring, but its subsequent evolution is quite different from El Nino. The second mode exhibits a seesaw SST variation between the northern and southern North Pacific and is independent of El Nino. Both modes are linked to coherent SST anomalies over the North Atlantic, suggesting the presence of an “atmospheric bridge” linking the two extratropical oceans. Using the principal component of the most dominant mode as the North Pacific index (NPI), composite analyses show that the positive (negative) phase of NPI features a warm (cold) .
Predictors of online buying behavior in social commerce

Social commerce has two basic components, namely commercial and social. However, as a social component, it is a relatively new phenomenon in marketing research and is rarely discussed. Meanwhile, social commerce mediated by social media and social networking platforms has led to the development of new business models for e-commerce and digitized the consumer decision making process. Using social learning theory and social support theory, this study investigates the factors influencing consumers' purchase intention and decision from two aspects: social sharing and social shopping, and uses the five-stage decision making model to analyze consumers' purchase decision process and proposes an online purchase decision model. Data were collected in the form of social questionnaires and interviews; structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze purchase intention and consumer behavior to validate the proposed research model. The experimental results of this study support the decision making process of consumers in the SC environment and are more evident than before. All the proposed hypotheses were significantly supported, thus positively influencing the prediction of consumers' purchase intentions on social networks.
How much do young professionals know about the Ecuadorian capital market?

The main research objective is to know the level of stock market literacy as a subsection of financial literacy of young Ecuadorian professionals to understand the Ecuadorian capital market development on the demand side. This study specifically aims to analyze the stock market literacy scores by the sociodemographic variables (educational level, gender, marital status, area, and age). Four hundred twenty-one master's degree graduates and students, young professionals, were surveyed and evaluated with a tailor-made scale of forty-six items under two dimensions of stock market literacy (SML): financial knowledge (FK) and financial attitude (FA). The statistical analysis reveals master's graduates and people with housing in urban areas have higher literacy levels, and the stock market literacy on average in Ecuador is (0.57). The study's results filling the research gap in the field, confirm the lack of knowledge about the stock market in Ecuador, and point out an issue to address in public policies for economic development.
A stakeholder approach to corporate social responsibility, reputation and business performance

Purpose - – This paper aims to investigate business managers’ assessment of stakeholders’ influence on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The key stakeholders included “employees” and “unions” as internal and “public”, the “media” and the “government” as external stakeholders. The purpose was to estimate the influence of stakeholders that managers perceive as important. Moreover, the study sought to identify association between the CSR construct and corporate reputation and in turn whether this influences business performance. Design/methodology/approach - – This study uses a mail survey with a random sampling of senior managers sourced from Dun & Bradstreet’s Australian business database, focusing on large organizations (i.e. minimum $10 million p.a. reported sales and minimum 100 employees) as the selection criteria. A conceptual model was developed and tested using structural equation modeling. Findings - – The results identified that “employees” and the “public” are perceived to be the influential stakeholder groups in CSR decision-making. There was evidence of a positive relationship between the CSR construct and reputation, which in turn influenced market share, but not profitability. Research limitations/implications - – This study examined a cross-section of organizations using Dun & Bradstreet’s database of Australian businesses and may not fully represent the Australian business mix. The effective response rate of 7.2 per cent appears to be low, even though it is comparable with other research in the CSR area. There may have been some self-selection by the respondents, although there were no statistically significant differences identified in the corporate characteristics of those invited to participate and those responding with usable questionnaires. Practical implications - – Managers can adopt a stakeholder-influenced CSR strategy to generate strong corporate reputation to improve business performance. It is important to ensure that the interests of “employees” and “public” stakeholders are addressed within organizational strategy. Respondents were less concerned about government stakeholders and thus government involvement in organizational CSR may need to be revisited. Social implications - – The major concern that emerges from these findings is the absence of the perceived importance of regulatory stakeholders on firms’ CSR activities. Regulatory controls of CSR messages could reduce or eliminate inaccurate and misleading information to the public. Originality/value - – The analysis explains the perceived relative influence of stakeholders on CSR decisions. It also provides an understanding of the link between organizational CSR reputation and organization’s performance.