Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
From Knowledge to Wisdom: The Case of Corporate Governance in Islamic Banking

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to define and explore the concepts and relationships between intellectual capital, knowledge, wisdom and corporate responsibility in the context of the corporate governance of Islamic financial institutions.Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents an adaptation of the Nicholson and Kiel intellectual capital model of the board of directors including the role of the Shari'a Supervisory Board (SSB). It is driven by the following research questions: how does the SSB add value to the corporate governance model of IFIs through their intellectual capital? Is there any value in replicating the IFIs structure in western conventional banks and, if yes, how could it be done without the religious and cultural impacts? Findings – It was only recently that one entered the knowledge economic era and organizations are slowly realizing the need and the benefits not only of managing knowledge better, but also of managing it in a wiser way. The concepts and values carried by Is.
Caveolin Isoforms Differ in Their N-terminal Protein Sequence and Subcellular Distribution. IDENTIFICATION AND EPITOPE MAPPING OF AN ISOFORM-SPECIFIC MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY PROBE (*)

Caveolin, an integral membrane protein, is a principal component of caveolae membranes in vivo. Two isoforms of caveolin have been identified: a slower migrating 24-kDa species (α-isoform) and a faster migrating 21-kDa species (β-isoform). Little is known about how these isoforms differ, either structurally or functionally. Here we have begun to study the differences between these two isoforms. Microsequencing of caveolin reveals that both isoforms contain internal caveolin residues 47-77. In a second independent approach, we recombinantly expressed caveolin in a caveolin-negative cell line (FRT cells). Stable transfection of FRT cells with the full-length caveolin cDNA resulted in the expression of both caveolin isoforms, indicating that they can be derived from a single cDNA. Using extracts from caveolin-expressing FRT cells, we fortuitously identified a monoclonal antibody that recognizes only the α-isoform of caveolin. Epitope mapping of this monoclonal antibody reveals that it recognizes an epitope within the extreme N terminus of caveolin, specifically residues 1-21. These results suggest that α- and β-isoforms of caveolin differ in their N-terminal protein sequences. To independently evaluate this possibility, we placed an epitope tag at either the extreme N or C terminus of full-length caveolin. Results of these “tagging” experiments clearly demonstrate that (i) both isoforms of caveolin contain a complete C terminus and (ii) that the α-isoform contains a complete N terminus while the β-isoform lacks N-terminal-specific protein sequences. Mutational analysis reveals that these two isoforms apparently derive from the use of two alternate start sites: methionine at position 1 and an internal methionine at position 32. This would explain the 3-kDa difference in their apparent migration in SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels. In addition, using isoform-specific antibody probes we show that caveolin isoforms may assume a distinct but overlapping subcellular distribution by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. We discuss the possible implications of these differences between α- and β-caveolin.
Effectiveness of the Indiana 4-H Tractor Program: Alumni Perceptions.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Indiana 4-H Tractor Program by assessing the impact the program has had on alumni of the program. Past contestants of the state 4-H tractor-driving contest from the years 1982-1997 (N=233) were surveyed using a 30-item mailed questionnaire. A response rate of 72.4% was obtained for this census study. Respondents reported that the program was effective at teaching them to be safe tractor operators. They also believed that the program benefited them in other aspects of their life including general safety awareness. Respondents reported that they were involved in farming on a full or part-time basis (74%) or employed full-time in a mechanical or technology-related career (21%). The respondents self-reported involvement in a number of risky tractor operating behaviors including not wearing seat belts with ROPS-equipped tractors and allowing extra riders. Recommendations for improving the program include: (1) strengthening approaches for reducing risky behaviors, (2) developing up-to-date teaching materials, (3) conduct a future, more comprehensive study of past participants of the program, and (4) conduct a thorough evaluation of all of the program’s components.
Governance mechanisms and buyer supplier relationship in Tunisian exporting SMEs

This study seeks to understand the effect of transactional and relational governance mechanisms on opportunism induced by the buyer supplier exchange’s ties. Using panel data of 386 Tunisian export companies between 2003 and 2008, the analysis shows that transactional as well as relational governance mechanisms are negatively related to the opportunistic behaviour of the customer. In order to focus on internal corporate characteristics, the level of debt and the size of the buyer are controlled. The findings support the role of contracts as formal governance tool in reducing inter-firm opportunism which corroborates transaction cost economics. They also confirm some main notions in social exchange theory. The role of trust as relational mechanism in governing the buyer-supplier relationship has been verified. Finally, the results of this paper sustain the complementarity view toward relational and transactional governance mechanisms.
Does displayed enthusiasm favour recall, intrinsic motivation and time estimation?

ABSTRACT Displayed enthusiasm has been shown to relate to intrinsic motivation, vitality, and positive affect, but its effects on recall performance and time estimation have not yet been explored. This research aimed at studying the effects of a delivery style characterised by High Enthusiasm (HE) on recall, time estimation, and intrinsic motivation. In line with previous studies, effects on intrinsic motivation were expected. In addition, higher recall and lower time estimations were hypothesised. In two experiments, participants assigned to a HE condition or to a normal reading control condition listened to a narrative and to a descriptive passage. Then, they were asked to rate perceived time, enthusiasm, pleasure, interest, enjoyment and curiosity, before writing a free recall. Experiment 1 showed that in the HE condition, participants recalled more, were more intrinsically motivated, and expressed lower time estimations compared to the control condition. Experiment 2 confirmed the positive effects of HE reading compared to normal reading, using different passages and a larger sample.
Communication in the creation of corporate values

Four distinct stages can be recognised in a company’s operation. These “stages of development” in the life cycle of a company presage a turnaround situation for that company over the course of time. The quality of communicative interaction in these stages determines the effectiveness of the modus operandi of a company, resulting in its market position within any given stage. The internal and external communication integrates a company in the process of utilising its internal resources to the optimum through the recognition and transfer of values from the environment and by strengthening a company through the integration of the new values into its attitude, either consolidating or changing the corporate culture. The value‐creating functions of appropriate corporate communication in each of the stages is discussed.
Specific role of dietary fat in modifying cardiovascular and locomotor activity 24-h rhythms

Meal-fed conscious rabbits normally exhibit postprandial elevation in blood pressure, heart rate (HR) and locomotor activity, which is abolished by consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD). Here, we assessed whether the cardiovascular changes are attributable to the increased caloric intake due to greater fat content or to hyperphagia. Rabbits were meal-fed during the baseline period then maintained on either an ad libitum normal fat diet (NFD) or ad libitum HFD for 2 weeks. Blood pressure, HR and locomotor activity were measured daily by radio-telemetry alongside food intake and body weight. Caloric intake in rabbits given a NFD ad libitum rose 50% from baseline but there were no changes in cardiovascular parameters. By contrast, HR increased by 10% on the first day of the ad libitum HFD (p < 0.001) prior to any change in body weight while blood pressure increased 7% after 4 d (p < 0.01) and remained elevated. Baseline 24-h patterns of blood pressure and HR were closely associated with mealtime, characterised by afternoon peaks and morning troughs. When the NFD was changed from meal-fed to ad libitum, blood pressure and HR did not change but afternoon activity levels decreased (p < 0.05). By contrast, after 13 d ad libitum HFD, morning HR, blood pressure and activity increased by 20%, 8% and 71%, respectively. Increased caloric intake specifically from fat, but not as a result of hyperphagia, appears to directly modulate cardiovascular homeostasis and circadian patterns, independent of white adipose tissue accumulation.
Induction of IL-8 Release in Lung Cells via Activator Protein-1 by Recombinant Baculovirus Displaying Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus Spike Proteins: Identification of Two Functional Regions1

The inflammatory response and the intracellular signaling pathway induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus (CoV) were studied in lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts. SARS-CoV spike (S) protein-encoding plasmid induced activations of IL-8 promoter and AP-1, but not NF-κB in these cells. Mutation of the AP-1, not the κB site, abolished the SARS-CoV S protein-induced IL-8 promoter activity. IL-8 release was effectively induced by vAtEpGS688, a baculovirus exhibiting the aa 17–688 fragment of S protein, and this induction was attenuated by the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 Ab. Recombinant baculovirus expressing different deletion and insertion fragments identified the functional region of S protein from aa 324–688 (particularly the N-terminal aa 324–488 and the C-terminal aa 609–688), which is responsible for IL-8 production. Activations of AP-1 DNA-protein binding and MAPKs after vAtEpGS688 transduction were demonstrated, and SARS-CoV S protein-induced IL-8 promoter activity was inhibited by the specific inhibitors of MAPK cascades. These results suggested that the S protein of SARS-CoV could induce release of IL-8 in the lung cells via activations of MAPKs and AP-1. The identification of the functional domain for IL-8 release will provide for the drug design on targeting specific sequence domains of S protein responsible for initiating the inflammatory response.
Electrically Silent Neurons in Substantia Gelatinosa of the Rat Spinal Cord

Substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons are usually categorized on three main types: tonic, adapting and delayed firing (DFNs), based on characteristic firing response evoked by sustained stimulation. Here, the existence of electrically silent neurons (ESNs, 9.3 %) is reported by using patch-clamp recording and confocal microscopy in spinal cord slices from 3-5 weeks-old rats. Those neurons does not generate spikes at their resting membrane potential (~ -69 mV) but only at preliminary depolarization to > -60 mV. In the latter case, spikes appeared starting from the end of stimulation, which is characteristic feature of DFNs. With the exception of APs block, all other passive and active electrophysiological properties of ESNs and DFNs were similar. Their main morphological properties (vertical orientation of dendritic tree and axonal trajectory) were close too. A distinctive feature of ESNs was larger amplitude of outward A-type K + current (K A ). The results suggest that the latter might cause a block of APs in ESNs, while these cells likely are a functional (i.e., non-firing) subtype of DFNs. The role of DFNs in descending control of pain transmission via modulation of its K A is hypothesized.Key
Management and outcomes of tumor recurrence after focal ablation renal therapy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cryoablation (CA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) have emerged as viable treatment options for patients with small renal masses. Although the intermediate oncologic outcomes are comparable to those of surgery, the management of a recurrence is still controversial. This review intends to provide a comprehensive overview of management options and outcomes after failed focal ablation renal therapy. In addition, it presents how patients in whom CA and RFA fail are treated at our institution. METHODS A systematic review of the Pub-Med database was performed to identify articles on renal CA and RFA. The keywords used were "small renal mass," "enhancing renal mass," "cryoablation," "radiofrequency ablation," "tumor recurrence," "postablation," "management," "salvage nephrectomy," "partial nephrectomy," "laparoscopy," and "active surveillance. " English-language articles between 1995 and 2009 were reviewed. RESULTS A total of 30 articles were included in this review; however, only 6 original articles were found that dealt specifically with the theme of this review. In the case of tumor recurrence after failed CA or RFA, viable management options include active surveillance, repeated ablation, and salvage partial/radical nephrectomy. Active surveillance up to 1 year appears to be a safe option in patients with early enhancement after CA or RFA, because the majority of the enhancements may be from postoperative inflammation. Repeated CA and RFA remain the most commonly performed procedures after a failed ablation with excellent oncologic outcomes. When significant tumor progression is present on postoperative follow-up, however, surgery is necessary. Although a partial nephrectomy would be advisable to preserve renal function, intraoperative and postoperative complications are a concern because of scarring and fibrosis from the initial ablation. For this reason, a radical nephrectomy is most commonly preferred. This could be performed through an open or a laparoscopic approach. CONCLUSIONS When a recurrence is suspected after CA or RFA, different options are available. This review has highlighted that active surveillance, reablation, and surgery (usually radical nephrectomy) are all viable options for the management of a failed ablative procedure.
Towards a New Trade Policy between the USA and Middle-East Countries: Estimating Trade Resistance and Export Potential

At the time of the conclusion of free trade areas (FTAs) between the USA and Middle-East and North African (MENA) countries, there is a lack of literature concerning the measurement of the current US export position with regards to these countries, and the US export potential in this area. From recent developments of gravity models, this paper derives an estimable equation which includes various trade resistance variables, notably border effects, multilateral resistance as well as specific bilateral effects. The model is tested in order to scrutinise the impact of these variables on US exports to MENA countries, as well as the US export potential in this area. To that end, a selection of panel data specifications is proposed, mainly Hausman and Taylor models as well as Arellano and Bond dynamic models. Results unambiguously indicate that as compared to the other OECD countries, the USA suffers from a substantial trade integration deficit with MENA countries. This is reflected by the strongly negative values of the US-MENA bilateral fixed effects, as well as the high bilateral border effects. In addition, the estimated actual/potential US export ratio to these countries is only 0.76. Therefore, implementing an FTA between the USA and MENA countries may allow the former to progressively improve its export position in this area. This would also help MENA countries diversify their supplying sources.
Nye relationer mellem kendte aktører

The present paper analyzes the case of a triple helix initiative within life science, focusing on how a consensus evolves among the core actors at the steering committee of the initiative. Inspired by the concept of an Innovation Organizer as an organizational role which can enhance the efficiency of a triple helix initiative (Etzkowitz & Ranga, 2010), the paper discusses the type of potentials for conflict and challenges faced by the steering committee, and analyze how they are resolved. The main focus is on processes of rationalization in the form of suppressing, opposing and adjusting responses (Jarzab-kowski et al., 2013) leading to an arresting moment (Greig et al., 2012) that reconfigures the paradigmatic foundation of the initiative. Finally, the paper summarizes the findings and makes recommendations for triple helix initiatives, emphasizing the need for effective organizational set-up, conscious group development, and awareness of power differentials among core actors.
Who's Going to Provide the Funding for High Tech Start-Ups? A Model for the Analysis of Determinants with a Fuzzy Approach

The aim of this paper is to understand which factors influence the financial structure of Italian young, high-tech, innovative firms, and to attempt to formulate a predictive model to determine the ideal financial strategy for a given entrepreneurial project. Venture capital is the most relevant form of financing for high-technology start-ups in the United States and is frequently cited as crucial in the technological leadership of the US economy. However, banks are also moving toward establishing a role in capital provision, making innovative offers to meet the financial needs of start-ups, especially in bank-centric countries such as Italy. Is it possible to build a robust and ordered set of determinants of the financial strategy of new technology-based firms? Is it possible to gather them in a model that allows a rigorous analysis? Is it possible to summarize the analysis in a synthetic value of orientation to one or other form of financing? Through a systematic review of the literature and comparison between investors, we have taken the first step toward answering these questions. This work develops a methodology to solve the problem and builds a provisional fuzzy-set based tool to permit the rationalization of the relevant information and effectively support the reduction of qualitative evaluation of complex phenomena into simple and measurable dimensions. The structure of the model is hierarchical but simple. We consider, as the first level of main determinants (sub-dimensions), the figure of the entrepreneur, the nature of the project, the financial scenario, and the market characteristics. For each of these, we provide deep insights about their relation with finance. We have verified the value of this approach in the context of ten business cases, by matching the financial strategies undertaken by entrepreneurs and the obtainable conclusions with the fuzzy tool. However, the definition of a robust, predictive model requires more consistent empirical validation, which we intend to develop from this work.
The Fight Within: Experiences of School District Employees Who Advocate for the Rights of Their Own Children with Disabilities Inside the Districts Where They Work, a Heuristic Case Study

viii Chapter One: Introduction 1 Background of the Problem 5 Theoretical Framework 10 Parental development theory 11 Theory of responsible advocacy 12 Social cognitive theory of parental efficacy 13 Social and cultural capital theory 14 Purpose of the Study 15 Research Questions 16 Definition of Key Terms 16 Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 19 Parental Advocacy in Special Education 21 Types of parental advocacy 23 Development of parental advocacy 26 Teachers as Advocates 28 Parenting Children with Disabilities 30 Parent Perceptions of Special Education Outcomes 33 Parent-School Relationships 36 Multiple Roles of the Researcher 39 Summary of the Chapter 42 Chapter Three: Methods 46 Heuristic Case Study Design 47 Rationale of Case Study 48 Rationale of Heuristics 50 Initial engagement 53 Immersion 54 Incubation 54 Illumination 55
Resource Allocation Under Delay-Guarantee Constraints for Visible-Light Communication

Visible light communications (VLCs) relying on commercially available light-emitting diode (LED) transmitters offer a huge data rate potential in this license-free spectral domain, while simultaneously satisfying energy-efficient conventional illumination demands. In an LED-based VLC system, the achievable data rate may be severely degraded owing to the interference, when the VLC system employs the unity frequency reuse (FR) approach. In order to mitigate the effects of interference, we propose a pair of interference avoidance approaches, namely, FR-based transmission and vectored transmission (VT). Furthermore, the resource allocation (RA) problems of indoor mobile terminals (MTs) are investigated based on different transmission strategies. Inspired by the concept of effective capacity (EC), we formulate our RA optimization problems applying proportional fairness, while satisfying specific statistical delay constraints. Our optimization procedure solves the RA problem of indoor MTs with the aid of a decentralized algorithm. Simulation results are also presented for quantifying the performance of the proposed algorithm. It is shown that both of our interference avoidance approaches are capable of reducing the interference, hence improving the overall performance. Furthermore, it is also observed that our VT transmission is capable of achieving a higher EC than the FR approach, when the statistical delay requirements are loose. By contrast, the FR-based transmission attains the best performance, when we tighten the delay requirements.
Employee Perception Concerning Relative Significance of Various Human Resource Functions: A Statistical Analysis

Human Resource Management occupies a prominent place in overall working of an organization. Theoretically speaking, all HR Functions, like Recruitment, Selection, Training, Promotion, Wage Administration, Performance Appraisal, Job Satisfaction and Social Security, to name a few, occupy important places in management of employee affairs at large. In practice, it is observed that employees differ drastically in their perceptions about importance and priorities about individual HR functions. Productivity of employees depends tremendously on their views regarding, „which HR activity is most significant to their survival & growth and failure of which individual activities can hamper their performance‟. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of employee perception regarding relative importance of various HR functions. As an outcome of this study, a rational classification has been provided to various HR functions. The results of this study can become the foundational basis for future research involving approaches like application of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) in Human Resource Management functions which may develop into an innovative concept.