Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of the Comprehensiveness of Corporate Internet Reporting by Romanian Listed Companies

Our paper examines the association between corporate characteristics and disclosure comprehensiveness (quality and quantity) measured by the level of corporate internet reporting (CIR). On the basis of previous literature we identify and use both company specific and corporate governance characteristics as determinants of CIR. We apply the disclosure index developed by Kelton and Yang (2008) to measure the extent of each sample firm’s CIR by presentation format, information content, and corporate governance disclosures.The findings suggest that corporate characteristics influence the CIR behavior of entities, presumably in response to the information asymmetry between management and investors and the resulting agency costs. Our results suggest that new regulatory guidance in corporate governance, more rigorous legislation and stronger enforcement of rules leads to improved disclosure transparency via CIR.
Exclusive breastfeeding: aligning the indicator with the goal

While the global objective is exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for a full 6 months duration, the standard indicator is a “prevalence” indicator, that is, the percentage of all children under age 6 months who are exclusively breastfed at a point in time. That yields a higher percentage than a more direct indicator of duration and can be easily misunderstood, exaggerating the amount of EBF. A measurement of actual percentage of children exclusively breastfeeding for a full 6 months can be easily calculated from standard DHS and MICS data. While the global objective is exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for a full 6 months duration, the standard indicator is a “prevalence” indicator, that is, the percentage of all children under age 6 months who are exclusively breastfed at a point in time. That yields a higher percentage than a more direct indicator of duration and can be easily misunderstood, exaggerating the amount of EBF. A measurement of actual percentage of children exclusively breastfeeding for a full 6 months can be easily calculated from standard DHS and MICS data.
Analysis of a low memory implementation of the Orthogonal Matching Pursuit greedy strategy

The convergence and numerical analysis of a low memory implementation of the Orthogonal Matching Pursuit greedy strategy, which is termed Self Projected Matching Pursuit, is presented. This approach provides an iterative way of solving the least squares problem with much less storage requirement than direct linear algebra techniques. Hence, it is appropriate for solving large linear systems. Furthermore, the low memory requirement of the method suits it for massive parallelization, via Graphics Processing Unit, to tackle systems which can be broken into a large number of subsystems of much smaller dimension.
3T MRI scanner magnetic gradient mapping using a 3D Hall probe

The unique relationship between Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner bore space coordinates and magnetic field gradients used in MRI allows building a location system based on the measurement of these gradients. For the first time, these magnetic gradients are accurately measured thanks to a miniature 3D Hall probe integrated in a low cost, low voltage 0. 35μm CMOS process. The magnetic gradient 3D map of a 3T MRI scanner has been measured and experimental results show that a sub-millimeter location of the probe is possible. It opens the way for the development of MRI compatible magnetic tracking systems integrable in a surgical tool.
The yeast Rad6 protein: A mediator of homologous recombination across the scaffold attached region at the replication origin ARS1

Here we show that the ubiquitin‐conjugating enzyme Rad6p plays a crucial role in locus‐specific replacement recombination in the TRP1‐ARS1 region. In rad6‐1 strains, where this ubiquitination activity is modified, homologous recombination across a 150 bp continuous region is completely abolished. Our results unambiguously identified the ARS1 scaffold attached region (SAR) as being the region where this impediment for replacement recombination is located, since a merging of the location of the recombination impediment and binding properties in a scaffold exchange assay with deletion mutations was observed. Our observations strongly support the notion of torsionally separated chromosomal domains being organized by SARs and scaffold proteins, and being dynamically realigned as a consequence of ubiquitination and proteolysis.
Three‐dimensional microanatomy of longitudinal lanceolate endings in rat vibrissae

The longitudinal lanceolate endings are ubiquitous sensory terminals in the sinus and nonsinus hairs of mammals that form a palisade around the hair follicle. To analyze how the nerve endings detect hair movements, the present study re‐examined their fine structure and relationships with surrounding connective tissue in rat vibrissae by using a combination of three methods: immunohistochemistry for S‐100 protein, scanning electron microscopy of NaOH‐macerated specimens, and transmission electron microscopy of serial sections. Observations showed the lanceolate endings to be represented by triplet units with a flattened axon terminal flanked on each side by a Schwann cell lamella, as reported previously. Two distinct parts were discriminated in the lanceolate ending: a principal portion in which the axon terminal protruded numerous fine fingers from between the Schwann cell coverings, and an apical cone that enclosed a large axon finger in an attenuated Schwann sheath. Long foot processes of Schwann cells fanned out distally from each apical cone. The principal portions of the lanceolate endings were firmly linked to the surrounding connective tissue by the narrow edges equipped with axon fingers, suggesting their continuous deformation by sustained hair deflections. In contrast, the apical cones were freely suspended in an amorphous matrix with only the end feet of the Schwann cell projections attached to rigid tissue elements. This part of the ending was proposed as a possible transducer site to generate rapidly adapting receptor potentials, both retreating and overshooting during the acceleration and deceleration phases of a given vibrissal movement. J. Comp. Neurol. 426:259–269, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Unilateral Limb Enlargement in a Dog with a Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor

A 3- to 4-month-old female Golden Retriever dog presented with right hind limb enlargement. Physical examination of the limb and radiographic findings initially included soft tissue swelling with elongation, bowing, and cortical irregularity of the femur and tibia. During a period of approximately 7 months, pathology in the limb progressed to include tarsal laxity, muscle atrophy, avulsion of the gastrocnemius muscle, and luxation of the patella. During surgical intervention to shorten the limb and repair the patellar luxation, a large soft tissue cyst was identified along the caudal aspect of the femur and stifle. The limb was later amputated, and a final diagnosis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath (PNS) tumor of the sciatic nerve and surrounding soft tissues was made. The unilateral limb enlargement in this dog appears to have been because of the development and progression of a malignant PNS tumor. The presentation and associated pathologic changes in the limb are unusual for canine PNS tumor but have similarities with neurofibromatosis in the limbs of humans.
Robust exponential consensus of multi-agent systems with switching topologies and communication delays

In this paper, robust exponential consensus problems of multi-agent systems with switching topologies and communication delays are investigated by using Lyapunov-Krasovskii functions. A neighbor-based protocol is introduced, based on which the closed-loop system is transformed into a reduced-order form. Sufficient conditions in terms of a matrix inequality are given which guarantee robust exponential consensus of the system with a desired stability degree. In addition, the result is extended to the case in the presence of actuator faults. Simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
Functional neural correlates of figure copy and recall task performances in cognitively impaired individuals: an 18F-FDG-PET study

Figure copy and recall tasks from the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) and the Consortium to Establish a Registry of Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) neuropsychological battery are used widely to assess visuospatial function in cognitively impaired (CI) individuals. We aimed to identify functional neural correlates of figure copy and recall task performances as measured by the BVRT and the CERAD constructional praxis (CP) and CP recall (CR) in CI individuals. Both tasks were administered to 64 CI individuals with early or prodromal stage Alzheimer’s disease and 36 cognitively normal individuals. Voxel-wise correlations between test scores and regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMglc) measured by fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET in CI participants were analyzed. BVRT figure copy task performance was associated with rCMglc of the bilateral posterior brain regions including the parieto-temporo-occipital regions, whereas the BVRT figure recall task performance was predominantly correlated with rCMglc of the left parietal and temporo-occipital regions. Meanwhile, CERAD CP performance was associated mainly with rCMglc of the left prefrontal and temporo-occipital areas as well as in the bilateral parietal regions, whereas CERAD CR performance was correlated with rCMglc of the right prefrontal, parietal, and temporal regions. In conclusion, the functional neural correlates of the two tasks were markedly different, suggesting that these tasks might measure different visuospatial functions. Our findings contribute toward understanding the functional neuroanatomical aspects of these tasks, which is useful for both interpreting the task results as well as for more sophisticated utilization of these tasks for probing specific neuroanatomical functions.
Efficient optimization of structural designs using methods of global sensitivity analysis with reduced meta-models

Methods of global sensitivity analysis are used to identify significant parameters in order to perform computationally less expensive optimization of structural designs. In most engineering problems, only a few number of design points are available to model structure response for sensitivity analysis. Usually, the initial meta-model is not a good predictor of the actual model response. The optimum solution from the initial meta-model might not lie in the region corresponding to the region where the optimal solution to the actual model response lies. In this paper, optimization of design structures is performed using methods of global sensitivity analysis on reduced meta-models, such as classification based global sensitivity methods. These methods identify significant parameters using only the approximation of the level sets of the model response. The optimization is then carried out on the initial meta-model but only on the domain of significant parameters, under the assumptions: (a) search for an optimum is effective on the domain on which the model response varies the most (b) variation of the model response at the level sets is relatively less prone to approximation errors as compared to the full approximation in very high dimensional models. The results of the optimization using global sensitivity methods with reduced meta-models are compared with already existing methods which use full approximation of the model response for their realization.
Is Total Trust Possible?

Abstract Customers are passionately loyal about doing business with sellers who can always be trusted to act in their best interest over time. This research tries to identify how to develop a total trust relationship. The core antecedents behind this total-trust relationship are reciprocal responsiveness, shared understanding, personal disclosure, customization and cooperative concern. We examine how these antecedents affect satisfaction and trust en route to affecting loyalty. Based on data from insurance services, we empirically test and substantiate the roles of these antecedents in building loyalty. A total-trust framework incorporating services effectiveness and functional efficiency is proposed. Managerial implications and directions for future research are also given.
Did Habermas Cede Nature to the Positivists?

Jurgen Habermas's "colonization of the lifeworld" thesis (1987, 332-73) posits that many of society's pathologies are due to the tendency of institutions to convert social issues that ought to be sorted out by a debating citizenry into technical problems ripe for resolution by expert bureaucracies, thus pre-empting important public discussion. Habermas has attempted to lay bare the pernicious effects of this colonization process in his analysis of public opinion polling, welfare policy, education, German reunification, immigration, and other social issues (see Habermas 1997, 1994, and 1970; Holub 1992). In each of these contexts, Habermas has publicly challenged the encroachment of scientistic modes of decision-making into spheres where joint communicative action by deliberating citizens would yield more appropriate and legitimate judgments. This critical impulse is also evident in Habermas's methodological reflections on the proper role of academic scholarship, where he has argued vigorously against attempts to graft "objectivating" methods of natural scientific inquiry onto research projects in the social sciences (1971, 304-17). From all of this, one might gather that Habermas's commitment to rolling back the influence of technical forms of reasoning is connected to some intrinsic quarrel he has with the natural sciences. Yet such a sweeping generalization is hard to sustain in light of the fact that Habermas does not oppose technical reasoning per se; he recognizes that the daunting complexity of social life in late capitalism requires that certain "steering" tasks be delegated to systems that utilize largely instrumental logics to co-ordinate action. Likewise, he acknowledges that the disciplines of the natural sciences necessarily play important supporting roles in such steering projects. One normative presupposition of Habermas's colonization thesis is that there exists some proper boundary demarcating where the sphere of technical reasoning ends and the realm of communicative rationality be-
Bipolar factors in mood adjective checklists.

Previous attempts, using adjective checklists, to demonstrate the existence of mood factors have found only monopolar factors where commonsense would lead us to expect bipolar factors. This surprising effect is attributed to deficiencies in the rating scale used. An improved rating scale is compared with one commonly employed. The results show that monopolarity is associated with the old scale, whilst bipolarity emerges with a new improved scale. A complete reappraisal of the current status of mood adjective checklist factors is recommended.
Dietary interventions to contrast the onset and progression of diabetic nephropathy: A critical survey of new data

ABSTRACT This article is a critical overview of recent contributions on the dietary corrections and the foods that have been claimed to delay or hinder the onset of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and its progression to end-stage renal disease. Innovative dietary and behavioral approaches to the prevention and therapy of DN appear to be the most captivating in consideration of the rather well-established protocols for glucose and blood pressure control in use. In addition to restricted caloric intake to contrast obesity and the metabolic syndrome, adjustments in the patient's macronutrients intake, and in particular some degree of reduction in protein, have been long considered in the prevention of DN progression. More recently, the focus has shifted to the source of proteins and the content of glycotoxins in the diet as well as to the role of specific micronutrients. Few clinical trials have specifically addressed the role of those micronutrients associated with diet proteins that show the most protective effect against DN. Research on clinical outcome and mechanisms of action of such micronutrients appears the most promising in order to develop both effective intervention on nutritional education of the patient and selection of functional foods capable of contrasting the onset and progression of DN.
Assessing organisational development in European primary care using a group-based method: a feasibility study of the Maturity Matrix.

PURPOSE The Maturity Matrix is a tool designed in the U.K. to assess family practice organisational development and to stimulate quality improvement. It is practice-led, formative and undertaken by a practice team with the help of trained facilitators. The aim of this study is to assess the Maturity Matrix as a tool and an organisational development measure in European family practice settings. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH Using a convenience sample of 153 practices and 11 facilitators based in the U.K., Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Slovenia, feasibility was assessed against six criteria: completion; coverage; distribution; scaling; translation; and missing data. Information sources were responses to evaluation questionnaires by facilitators and completed Maturity Matrix profiles. FINDINGS All practices taking part completed the Maturity Matrix sessions successfully. The Netherlands, the U.K. and Germany site staff suggested including additional dimensions: interface between primary and secondary care; access; and management of expendable materials. Maturity Matrix scores were normally distributed in each country. Scaling properties, translation and missing data suggested that the following dimensions are most robust across the participating countries: clinical performance audit; prescribing; meetings; and continuing professional development. Practice size did not make a significant difference to the Maturity Matrix profile scores. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The study suggests that the Maturity Matrix is a feasible and valuable tool, helping practices to review organisational development as it relates to healthcare quality. Future research should focus on developing dimensions that are generic across European primary care settings.
A Method for Minimizing Clock Skew Fluctuations Caused by Interconnect Process Variations

SUMMARY As the LSI process technology advances and the gate size becomes smaller, the signal delay on interconnect becomes a signiﬁcant factor in the signal path delay. Also, as the size of interconnect structure becomes smaller, the interconnect process variations have become one of the dominant factors which inﬂuence the signal delay and thus clock skew. Therefore, controlling the inﬂuence of interconnect process variations on clock skew is a crucial issue in the advanced process technologies. In this paper, we propose a method for minimizing clock skew ﬂuctuations caused by interconnect process variations. The proposed method identiﬁes the suitable balance of clock bu ﬀ er size and wire length in order to minimize the clock skew ﬂuctuations caused by the interconnect process variations. Experimental results on test circuits of 28nm process technology show that the proposed method reduces the clock skew ﬂuctuations by 30–92% compared to the conventional method.
Complete nucleotide sequence of a 16S ribosomal RNA gene from Escherichia coli.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the 16S RNA gene from the rrnB cistron of Escherichia coli has been determined by using three rapid DNA sequencing methods. Nearly all of the structure has been confirmed by two to six independent sequence determinations on both DNA strands. The length of the 16S rRNA chain inferred from the DNA sequence is 1541 nucleotides, in close agreement with previous estimates. We note discrepancies between this sequence and the most recent version of it reported from direct RNA sequencing [Ehresmann, C. , Stiegler, P., Carbon, P. & Ebel, J.P. (1977) FEBS Lett. 84, 337-341]. A few of these may be explained by heterogeneity among 16S rRNA sequences from different cistrons. No nucleotide sequences were found in the 16S rRNA gene that cannot be reconciled with RNase digestion products of mature 16S rRNA.
Currency management system: a distributed banking service for the grid

token representation: although the token has an associated value, it does not address to maintain the characteristics previously mentioned. They are designed to manage the resource consumption made by users and to avoid the free-riding problem. In these systems we can find PPay [11], CPay [20] or the work of Liebau et all [21]. As each token is the minimal unit of payment, there is an overhead associated with a transaction since each token must be digitally signed, maintain a history of the transactions, etc. This is due to some security issues, explained in Section 1.7, such as detect double-spending, the nonforgeability property, etc. In a market environment where the prices are not fixed and their variance is very high, the overhead generated by the transactions is not inestimable. 1.5 Currency storage There are different ways to classify the currency management depending on where the currencies are stored. This classification will depend on the use case scenario as well as which currency representation is used (previous section). It is important to note that not all the representations introduced in the previous section could be stored using whatever form of storage explained in this section. We can define the currency by the following way: local, remote centralized and remote distributed.
Inpatient and Day-Clinic Experience Scale (IDES) - a Psychometric Evaluation.

OBJECTIVES The Inpatient and Day-Clinic Experience Scale (IDES) was developed to assess common factors in a multimodal psychotherapy setting from the patients' perspective. The questionnaire measures different aspects of therapeutic relationships, a positive self-view and a critical attitude towards therapy. METHODS Three samples (total N = 821) were used to evaluate the psychometric properties and factor structure of the questionnaire. RESULTS Confirmatory analyses show a good model fit and support the proposed structure with 25 items and seven scales. In addition, reliability indices were stable throughout multiple assessments over time. Concerning validity, early IDES process measures were moderately associated with symptomatic improvement. CONCLUSIONS The IDES is a psychometrically reliable questionnaire for the evaluation of process factors in inpatient and day-clinic psychotherapy settings.
Correlations between MMP-2/MMP-9 promoter polymorphisms and ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE Ischemic stroke (IS) results from interrupted blood flow to the brain and can be caused by formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels. Previous studies have suggested a contribution of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) to plaque formation and stroke risk. Here, we explored associations between two MMPs, MMP-2 and MMP-9, and IS. METHODS There were 396 IS patients and 400 control individuals involved in this study. The MMP-2 -1306C/T and -735C/T polymorphisms and MMP-9 -1562C/T polymorphism were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) from patient blood samples, and the relationships to IS were analyzed by logistic regression. RESULTS Genotype and allele frequencies of MMP-2 -1306C/T did not differ statistically (P>0.05), but those of MMP-2 -735C/T and MMP-9 1562C/T did differ between IS and control samples (P<0.05). While MMP-2 -1306C/T polymorphism was not associated with increased risk of IS, MMP-2 -735C allele was associated with a 1.5-fold increase in IS incidence (OR=1.516, 95% CI=1.185-1.940, P=0.001), and MMP-9 -1562T allele was associated with a 1.5-fold increase in IS incidence (OR=1.543, 95% CI=1.144-2.080, P=0.004). CONCLUSION MMP-2 -735C and MMP-9 -1562T may act as IS susceptibility alleles.