Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial Exploitation of Older Adults in Rural Settings: A Family Perspective

Federal agencies responsible for funding protective services to older adults are increasingly concerned with the growing incidence of financial exploitation in rural areas. The Wall Street Journal recently has reported an increasing trend of unemployed adult children migrating from urban centers to smaller rural towns and countrysides to live with their parents since 2008. This current study explores the attitudes of family caregivers regarding management of financial matters for their elderly care recipients. The major findings of the study include that adult children often (1) overestimate their parents' ability to manage their finances; (2) prefer to manage their parents' finances informally, as opposed to using legal options like power of attorney; and (3) tend to think of their parents' assets as “almost theirs. ” The study concludes with recommendations on the critical need for information to help families make important decisions about helping elderly parents with their finances. This information would not only promote the use of safeguards against abuse, but could potentially provide caregivers with greater confidence and protection.
The Role of Interleukin-1 in Wound Biology. Part II: In Vivo and Human Translational Studies

BACKGROUND: In the accompanying paper, we demonstrate that genetic variation within Nalp1 could contribute to interstrain differences in wound chemokine production through altering the amount of interleukin (IL)-1 produced. We further investigate the role of IL-1 in incisional wound biology and its effect on wound chemokine production in vivo and whether this mechanism could be active in human subjects. METHODS: A well-characterized murine model of incisional wounding was used to assess the in vivo role of IL-1 in wound biology. The amount of 7 different cytokines/chemokines produced within an experimentally induced skin incision on a mouse paw and the nociceptive response was analyzed in mice treated with an IL-1 inhibitor. We also investigated whether human IL-1&bgr; or IL-1&agr; stimulated the production of chemokines by primary human keratinocytes in vitro, and whether there was a correlation between IL-1&bgr; and chemokine levels in 2 experimental human wound paradigms. RESULTS: Administration of an IL-1 receptor antagonist to mice decreased the nociceptive response to an incisional wound, and reduced the production of multiple inflammatory mediators, including keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) and macrophage inhibitory protein (MIP)-1&agr;, within the wounds. IL-1&agr; and IL-1&bgr; stimulated IL-8 and GRO-&agr; (human homologues of murine keratinocyte-derived chemokine) production by primary human keratinocytes in vitro. IL-1&bgr; levels were highly correlated with IL-8 in human surgical wounds, and at cutaneous sites of human ultraviolet B-induced sunburn injury. CONCLUSIONS: IL-1 plays a major role in regulating inflammatory mediator production in wounds through a novel mechanism; by stimulating the production of multiple cytokines and chemokines, it impacts clinically important aspects of wound biology. These data suggest that administration of an IL-1 receptor antagonist within the perioperative period could decrease postsurgical wound pain.
A modular and scalable simulation framework for agricultural vehicles

In the automotive area we have in our days a number of simulation environments that reproduce the dynamical characteristics of a vehicle in a very realistic way. These environments cannot be easily used in other domains or applied on complex, coupled machines for example ride-lawn mowers, for several reasons. On one hand the heterogeneous vegetation that has to be processed by the engine is influencing the dynamic driving characteristics of the vehicle and on the other hand the off-road terrain with inclinations are not normed and make the modelling process more difficult. This paper presents a concept of a simulation environment, where the agricultural environment is modelled as well as the driving dynamic characteristics of machines with coupled engines. The framework has real time capabilities and so enables Hardware in the Loop prototyping. We show this by validating a mowing process, where we explicitly model a hybrid ride-on lawn mower and the mowing environment.
PENGARUH CITRA, KUALITAS PELAYANAN, DAN KEPUASAN TERHADAP LOYALITAS NASABAH BANK

Regarding the growth of banking industry in Indonesia. As we all know, after the economic crisis in 1998 many banks bankrupt and the economic growth after that is not enough significant to return to the bank years in 1990-1995. The objective: How the customer reaction regarding the effort bank to maintain them such as prize, service quality, facility and others. Research design: This research applies non specific bank's customers. The questioner distributed to various places to get various opinion from customers. Data analysis uses in this research was using statistic LISREL 8.7 program. This program tested the customer option toward the hypotheses. The results: Image, services quality and satisfaction give direct impact to the customer loyalty. The bank should carefully take these three factors if they would like to maintain their customer. Keywords: Images, Service Quality, Satisfaction, Loyality.
Role of apoptotic regulators in human epithelial ovarian cancer

We assessed molecular markers such as BRCA1, K-ras, p53, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Survivin and telomerase activity in untreated ovarian cancer tissue samples, ascitic cells and normal ovarian tissues and gathered insights into their correlation with each other and also with apoptotic index. The expression of these proteins was analyzed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Apoptotic index was determined by TUNEL assay and telomerase activity was measured by PCR-ELISA kit. p53, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, K-ras and Survivin were found to be over expressed in tumors and ascitic cells as compared to normal controls whereas there was no significant difference in expression of BRCA1. A significantly higher telomerase activity and lower apoptotic index in tumors as compared to controls was observed. p53 positively correlated with Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, K-ras and Survivin expression and also clinical stage of the disease. A positive correlation between Survivin and Bcl-2, Bcl-XL was seen. Apoptotic Index, telomerase activity and BRCA1 expression showed no correlation with any of the parameters. Our study confirms the fact that multiple gene interactions govern the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer, and analyzing ascitic cells of ovarian cancer patients may help to delineate molecular profile of the primary tumor.
Acylamino Acid-releasing Enzyme from the Thermophilic ArchaeonPyrococcus horikoshii*

When the genome of the thermophilic archaeonPyrococcus horikoshii was sequenced, a gene homologous to the mammalian gene for an acylamino acid-releasing enzyme (EC 3.4.19.1) was found in which the enzyme’s proposed active residues were conserved. The P. horikoshii gene comprised an open reading frame of 1,896 base pairs with an ATG initiation codon and a TAG termination codon, encoding a 72,390-Da protein of 632 amino acid residues. This gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coliwith the pET vector system, and the resulting enzyme showed the anticipated amino-terminal sequence and high hydrolytic activity for acylpeptides. This enzyme was concluded to be the first acylamino acid-releasing enzyme from an organism other than a eukaryotic cell. The existence of the enzyme in archaea suggests that the mechanisms of protein degradation or initiation of protein synthesis or both in archaea may be similar to those in eukaryotes. The enzyme was stable at 90 °C, with its optimum temperature over 90 °C. The specific activity of the enzyme increased 7–14-fold with heat treatment, suggesting the modification of the enzyme’s structure for optimal hydrolytic activity by heating. This enzyme is expected to be useful for the removal of N α-acylated residues in short peptide sequence analysis at high temperatures.
Aiming for Strategic e-HRM: Motives and Consequences of e-HRM Implementation in an MNC

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore e-HRM in MNC setting from various stakeholder´s perspectives. The chapter aims to understand the motives behind the implementation of e-HRM in an MNC. Second, the chapter studies the impacts e-HRM has on various stakeholders and finally aims to deliver understanding of the concept of strategic e-HRM in an MNC. Methodology/approach The study follows a qualitative case study method and the interviewees represented three groups: top management, HR professionals, and line managers. Findings Main findings suggest that the implementation was motivated by issues related to standardization and overall introduction of a strategic way of working. As an impact of e-HRM implementation, the control of subsidiaries became easier; external and internal transparency and HR image improved; HR operations gained efficiency; and the possibility for “fact based decision making” enabled strategic e-HRM realization for some stakeholders, with the exception of line managers who were considerably more skeptical about issues related to strategic e-HRM. Practical implications The issues of change management and system training should be transparent. The strategic benefits could be realized for the line managers and operational HR by discussing how e-HRM impacts their work and roles and how they contribute to achieving the business targets. Social implications The chapter highlights the need for communication in all levels of MNC, and the needs to update e-HRM regularly and taking equally into account various stakeholder’s perspectives. Originality/value We pioneer a multilevel perspective of e-HRM implementation and impact in an MNC setting and improve the understanding of taking account various stakeholder’s views when aiming for strategic e-HRM partnerships.
Elucidating the scapulo-humeral rhythm calculation: 3D joint contribution method

The scapulo-humeral rhythm quantifies shoulder joint coordination during arm elevation. The common method calculates a ratio of gleno-humeral (GH) elevation to scapulo-thoracic upward rotation angles. However the other rotations also contribute to arm elevation. The objective is to propose a 3D dynamic scapulo-humeral rhythm calculation method including all rotations of the shoulder joints and compare with the common method. Twenty-nine skin markers were placed on the trunk and dominant arm of 14 healthy males to measure shoulder kinematics. Two-way repeated measures ANOVAs were applied to compare the two methods of calculation of joint contributions and scapulo-humeral rhythm during arm elevation. Significant main effects (p < 0.05) were observed between methods in joint contribution angles and scapulo-humeral rhythms. A systematic overestimation of the GH contribution was observed when only using the GH elevation angle because the scapula is moved outside a vertical plane. Hence, the proposed 3D method to calculate the scapulo-humeral rhythm allows an improved functional shoulder evaluation.
White matter microstructure in untreated first episode bipolar disorder with psychosis: comparison with schizophrenia

Lu LH, Zhou XJ, Keedy SK, Reilly JL, Sweeney JA. White matter microstructure in untreated first episode bipolar disorder with psychosis: comparison with schizophrenia. Bipolar Disord 2011: 13: 604–613. © 2011 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Human body pose recognition from a single-view depth camera

We propose a model-based approach for human body pose recognition from a single-view depth camera. The proposed algorithm applies an articulated cylinder model to detect human pose and track them based on a particle filter without numerous training data or heuristic detectors. To reduce high degrees of freedom, we adopt a hierarchical method that detects torso and limbs successively. Moreover, we take the advantage of a particle filter to track complex human motion and the results show that the proposed system is robust in human motion tracking. The qualitative evaluation shows that our method can deal with self-occlusion problem and ambiguous human motion effectively, and the quantitative evaluation shows that the average tracking error is 0.06 meters with a standard deviation of 0.04 meters. The proposed method tracks human poses successfully at the speed of 18 frames per second on a laptop with Intel Core i3-2100 CPU and without graphic processing unit.
Binge drug use among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting

Abstract Background: Binge drug use has been associated with increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and other serious health-related harms among adult drug user populations. This study sought to determine the prevalence and correlates of binge drug use among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting. Methods: From September 2005 to May 2012, data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort of street-involved youth aged 14–26 years who use illicit drugs. Multivariate generalized estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with binge drug use. Results: Of the 987 participants included in this analysis, 41.5% reported binge drug use at baseline and another 59.1% reported binge drug use at some point during the study. In multivariate GEE analyses, older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.11), homelessness (AOR = 1.67), drug injecting (AOR = 1.63), non-fatal overdose (AOR = 1.98), public injecting (AOR = 1.42), being a victim of violence (AOR = 1.38), sex work (AOR = 2.51) and participation in drug dealing (AOR = 2.04) were independently associated with binge drug use in the previous six months (all p < 0.05). Discussion: The prevalence of reporting binge drug use among the youth was high in this setting and was independently associated with a range of high-risk activities and markers of vulnerability. Querying high-risk youth about binge drug use may help prioritize those in greatest need of addiction treatment strategies and public health interventions.
The Schizosaccharomyces pombe mei4+ Gene Encodes a Meiosis-Specific Transcription Factor Containing a forkhead DNA-Binding Domain

ABSTRACT The mei4+ gene of the fission yeastSchizosaccharomyces pombe was cloned by functional complementation. The mei4 disruptant failed to complete meiosis-I but could proliferate normally. mei4 +was transcribed only in meiosis-proficient diploid cells after premeiotic DNA replication. The mei4 + open reading frame encodes a 57-kDa serine-rich protein comprised of 517 amino acids with a forkhead/HNF3 DNA-binding domain in the amino-terminal region. Transcription of spo6 +, a gene required for sporulation, was dependent on themei4 + function. Two copies of the GTAAAYA consensus sequence, proposed as the binding site for human forkhead proteins, were found in the promoter region ofspo6 +. A gel mobility shift assay demonstrated the sequence-dependent binding of the GST-Mei4 forkhead domain fusion protein to DNA fragments with one of the consensus elements. Deletion of this consensus element from the spo6 promoter abolished the transcription of spo6 + and resulted in a sporulation deficiency. One-hybrid assay of Mei4 which was fused to the Gal4 DNA-binding domain localized the transcriptional activation domain in the C-terminal 140 amino acids of Mei4. These results indicate that Mei4 functions as a meiosis-specific transcription factor of S. pombe.
RNA and Nucleocapsid Are Dispensable for Mature HIV-1 Capsid Assembly

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is released from infected cells in an immature, noninfectious form in which the structural polyprotein Gag is arranged in a hexameric lattice, forming an incomplete spherical shell. Maturation to the infectious form is mediated by the viral protease, which cleaves Gag at five sites, releasing the CA (capsid) protein, which forms a conical capsid encasing the condensed RNA genome. The pathway of this structural rearrangement is currently not understood, and it is unclear how cone assembly is initiated. RNA represents an integral structural component of retroviruses, and the viral nucleoprotein core has previously been proposed to nucleate mature capsid assembly. We addressed this hypothesis by replacing the RNA-binding NC (nucleocapsid) domain of HIV-1 Gag and the adjacent spacer peptide 2 (SP2) by a leucine zipper (LZ) protein-protein interaction domain [Gag(LZ)] in the viral context. We found that Gag(LZ)-carrying virus [HIV(LZ)] was efficiently released and viral polyproteins were proteolytically processed, though with reduced efficiency. Cryo-electron tomography revealed that the particles lacked a condensed nucleoprotein and contained an increased proportion of aberrant core morphologies caused either by the absence of RNA or by altered Gag processing. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of HIV(LZ) particles contained mature capsids with the wild-type morphology. These results clearly demonstrate that the nucleoprotein complex is dispensable as a nucleator for mature HIV-1 capsid assembly in the viral context. IMPORTANCE Formation of a closed conical capsid encasing the viral RNA genome is essential for HIV-1 infectivity. It is currently unclear what viral components initiate and regulate the formation of the capsid during virus morphogenesis, but it has been proposed that the ribonucleoprotein complex plays a role. To test this, we prepared virus-like particles lacking the viral nucleocapsid protein and RNA and analyzed their three-dimensional structure by cryo-electron tomography. While most virions displayed an abnormal morphology under these conditions, some particles showed a normal mature morphology with closed conical capsids. These data demonstrate that the presence of RNA and the nucleocapsid protein is not required for the formation of a mature, cone-shaped HIV-1 capsid.
The Effects of IFRS Adoption in the European Union on Banks’ Cost of Equity: Some Evidence from an Event Study

The effects of disclosure level on the cost of equity are a matter of considerable interest and importance to the financial reporting community. Economic theory indeed claims that commitment to increased level of disclosure reduces the cost of capital component that arises from information asymmetries. Accordingly, this paper investigates the effects of IFRS adoption in Europe on the cost of equity for the bank industry. In doing so, it performs an event study, which isolates the effects of accounting changes on the cost of capital from institutional and enforcement mechanisms. <br><br>This study shows that IFRS adoption has exerted, on average, a positive effect on the cost of capital for the bank industry at least in the very short run. Firms adopting IFRS seem to have experienced a lower cost of equity in the period immediately subsequent the release of financial reporting according to the new accounting standard set.
On the impact of acceleration on the performance of mobile cognitive radios

With cognitive radio networks, opportunistic dynamic access to underutilized frequency bands without harmful interferences to a licensed user can be achieved by several spectrum sensing approaches. Most of these approaches consider static spectrum sensors. Recent researches tend to consider mobile spectrum sensors. This paper extends available work to consider the impact of acceleration on the spectrum sensing performance. we show that changing acceleration drastically affects the spatiotemporal diversity in received signal strength. This results in improving the performance due to decreasing the probability of misdetection.
Eficiência financeira das distribuidoras de energia no período de 2011 a 2014 : uma análise comparativa usando DEA

Contribuindo para o debate acerca do aprimoramento da regulacao do setor eletrico e para o melhor monitoramento financeiro das empresas reguladas, este trabalho analisa a sustentabilidade financeira das distribuidoras brasileiras de energia eletrica, usando informacoes de contabilidade, regulacao e qualidade do servico no periodo compreendido entre 2011 e 2014. Relaciona os resultados encontrados com o perfil dessas empresas quanto a porte, gestor estatal ou privado e grupo controlador. A ferramenta utilizada e a metodologia conhecida como analise por envoltoria de dados (Data Envelopment Analysis – DEA). Os resultados mostraram que enquanto as empresas Elektro, Coelba, Mux Energia e CPFL Paulista sao referencias para as demais na maioria dos indicadores, a maior parte das distribuidoras apresentou um desempenho muito aquem. Verificou-se ainda que a escala de operacao nao e fator preponderante sobre o desempenho das empresas, e o resultado das empresas estaduais e do grupo Eletrobras em relacao a qualquer outra empresa ou grupo foi classificado como critico. This paper uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to evaluate the financial sustainability of the Brazilian electricity distributors taking into account financial statements, regulatory and quality information in the period between 2011 and 2014. It also analyzes characteristics of the companies such as size, private or state ownership and controlling group. The results show that while Elektro, Coelba, Mux Energia and CPFL Paulista are benchmarks in most indicators, the majority of the other firms presents poor performances when compared to them. The finds also indicate that whether scale is not an important financial performance determinant, state owned companies had critically worse indicators than their private peers.
Research on Green Manufacturing Innovation Based on Resource Environment Protection

Green manufacturing is a trend of manufacturing industry in the future, and is of great significance to resource protection and environmental protection. This paper first studies the green manufacturing innovation system, and then decomposes the green manufacturing innovation dimensions, and constructs the green manufacturing innovation dimension space. Finally, from the view of resource protection and environmental protection, this paper explores the path of green manufacturing innovation.
Fashion colour predicting research based on grey theory and rough set theory

This paper tried to introduce the outstanding forecasting researches based on grey theory and rough set theory. It explained the reasons why these two theories can be applied into the study of fashion colours prediction. It also described the outstanding relevant researches under these two theories. Then it discussed the problems existed in the current researches. Finally, this paper provided future investing suggestions on the collection of data and the analysed methodologies. This study could provide fundamental reference for the future study aiming to improve the accuracy of predicting.
The Links Between Social Motivational Engagements, Brand Community Commitment and Repurchase Intention Across Online Brand Communities

The study focuses on the relationships between social motivational engagements, brand community commitment and repurchase intentions across marketer-generated and customer-generated online brand communities. The current study demonstrates that online brand community commitment mediates the effects of all the six motivational engagements (self-expression, connecting, helping, like-minded discussions, seeking assistance, and validation) on repurchase intention. The type of online brand community does not moderate any relationships between social motivational engagements and brand community commitment as expected. However, the current study demonstrates that the moderator affects the link between brand community commitment and repurchase intention indicating moderated mediation. In other words, the relationship between the two constructs becomes stronger in the marketer-generated online brand community. Consequently, the type of online brand community affects the links between the six social motivations and repurchase intention. Specifically, the effects of the six motivations on repurchase intention become stronger in the marketer-generated online community.