Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An exploratory study to understand the challenges encountered by Irish charities with implementing good governance standards

While there is a significant amount of literature available in the area of governance and regulation for commercial entities, this is a relatively new topic in terms of charities, not for profits or the ‘third sector’. This thesis has identified some of the key themes that have emerged within the literature as a result of enhanced regulatory obligations or a change in public expectations. The factors leading to variations in governance practices are discussed within the context of the identified governance frameworks and a view is formed on what the key governance challenges are for Irish charities following the introduction of formal regulation. The researcher engaged a qualitative approach to gather information through semi-structured interviews with nine participants. All participants have current senior roles in the charity sector as senior management of incorporated charities, consultants or advocates/regulators. A focus group was then conducted with seven Regional Managers (CEO equivalent) who are the most senior employees within their respective incorporated charities. Each are leading an individual charitable entity (CLG) with the same objects, but in different areas of Ireland. The purpose of the interviews was to elicit information from senior professionals within the ‘third sector’ regarding their experience of governance issues, while the purpose of the focus group was to facilitate a discussion between senior professionals from within the same network of charitable companies on the findings from the individual interviews. The results of the research showed a clear willingness to comply with the new regulatory obligations that charities have. There is no indication that organisations are not willing to comply or operate to the highest governance standards but there are clearly challenges facing the sector. The challenges facing organisations are outlined along with a commentary regarding how better management and the creation of a balanced agenda of compliance with the expected governance standards, and service delivery will result in well-run organisations and lead to better services for the end user. This thesis discusses considerations for charities when deciding on their governance model and highlights how a hybrid of existing theoretical frameworks may be appropriate for implementation within the sector. This thesis excludes any consideration of public service health and education organisations that are registered as charities by virtue of the fact that they held Revenue CHY numbers prior to the establishment of the Charities Regulatory Authority.
A Study on Challenges for Adoption of Reverse Vending Machine: A Case of North Bengaluru, India

: India will be producing 80-85 MT of Solid waste by 2030. Given the alarming quantity it is imperative to bring in methods which will alleviate the problem especially the plastic waste. One of the products which helps in effective disposal of plastics is the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM). An RVM is a device which accepts bar coded plastic bottles and returns digital cash or redeemable coupons. The field study and literature show that reverse vending machine is not used extensively. This study attempts to explore the challenges for adoption of eco-friendly products like RVM. A conceptual model was built using the variables identified through literature review. The variables identified included awareness, willingness, incentives, convenience and involvement. A survey was designed and data was collected from 246 citizens to understand their views. Structural Equation Modelling was used to test conceptual model. The results emphatically show that willingness to adopt RVM was influenced by factors of involvement, convenience, awareness and incentives in that order. It is also intuitive that when involvement is high then there is an attempt to become aware and adopt eco-friendly methods which is reiterated by the results. Hence citizens have to get involved either by their own interest or by enforcing through legislation and policies to use RVM. The study concludes by recommending more policies and strategies like “bottle bill”, “European Union Plastic Strategy” and Recycle Refund Systems to be mandated across the world to encou rage citizens to use methods which will keep our environment plastic free.
Services for Users with Disabilities in Joint Libraries in China

China has a large population with disabilities. In China, there may be varieties of barriers for disabled users to access library resources and services. Joint libraries are a new type of libraries constructed by local government and one or more colleges (universities), playing a dual role as both academic library and public library. Therefore, the users of joint libraries include not only college students and teachers, but also other people from all walks of life. Undoubtedly, the resources and services of these joint libraries must be provided for all kinds of users. Since 1997, more than ten joint libraries have been constructed and opened in China. In this article, we first briefly discussed the causes for the barriers to users with disabilities in libraries. Second, taking joint libraries as a case, we focused on the services to remove barriers and to ensure information equity for disabled people. Provision of equal services for disadvantaged groups is an essential indicator of joint libraries. The present article may provide recommendations for the future sustainable development of joint libraries in China and other developing counties.
Laparoscopic Adhesiolysis in Acute Small Bowel Obstruction: A Preliminary Experience

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate laparoscopy as another tool for management of cases of adhesive acute small bowel obstruction. Methods: Fourteen patients suffering from suspected adhesive small bowel obstruction were explored laparoscopically over a period of 24 months. The Veress needle was inserted either in a virgin part of the abdomen away from previous scars or under direct vision using an open technique. Careful inspection of the entire abdomen was done, and the small bowel was “run” in a retrograde fashion starting at the cecum. The point of obstruction was localized and adhesiolysis was performed, thus resolving the problem. Results: Laparoscopic exploration was able to determine the site and cause of obstruction precisely in all 14 cases, with resolution of the problem laparoscopically in 12 patients (85.7%). Two cases were converted to open surgery (14.3%). There were no mortalities and low morbidity (7.1%). The mean hospital stay was 3.7 days. Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery can be an advantageous alternative to open surgery in acute small bowel obstruction, thus providing a new technique for its diagnosis and treatment with all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery.
DETERMINANTS OF THE PERFORMANCE OF CONTAINER TERMINALS IN BRAZIL

: The determinants of port performance in a region are crucial to understand how these companies compete on market share to survive. The purpose of this article is to analyse and identify the main determinants of the performance of container terminals in Brazil in relation to their traffic. Different from previous works, which focus on the efficiency of the ports, this paper contributes by focusing on performance in regard to the competition between ports. Container ports were analysed in Brazil from 2011 to 2016. Tests were performed by using linear regression with panel data. Evidence indicates that from the five main variables, three are related to the internal infrastructure, one related to external infrastructure and one related to the institutional aspect. The results found in this research can help answer the question about why there was a drastic cargo migration between the main container ports in Brazil.
Developing the Resilience of Pressure Index on Islamic Banking in Indonesia

Islamic banking is a component of financial institutions and the global financial system. Although the size of Islamic banking with conventional banking is smaller, the vulnerability in Islamic banking always within it. This is due to the presence of various financial risks that follow the credit cycle. Besides that, there is no one who concludes clearly that Islamic banking is more resilient than conventional banking. Therefore, some regulations need to be issued to maintain the balance and adaptive aspects of Islamic banking resilience. So that this research aims to measure the optimal level of pressure because of financing activities. This research uses an early warning system approach to estimate optimal pressure levels in Islamic banking caused by funding activities using monthly data from 2010 to 2018. The findings of this research indicate that the optimal level of pressure in Islamic banking is basically to maintain a certain financing risk and provide an optimal level caused by external shocks. This research found that the optimal level of pressure is between - 0.41 to 0.08. Finally, this research concludes that the resilience of Islamic banking in Indonesia requires a balanced asset-financing allocation by lowering non-performing financing, increasing liquid assets, and sound capital adequacy.
Prevalence of venous leg ulcer : the importance of the data collection method

Many epidemiological studies have been performed to assess leg ulcer prevalence, but not all have given reliable results due to weaknesses in the methodology. A proper prevalence assessment is not easily done and requires time and effort. Most studies have just focused on prevalence of leg ulcers of all causes and only a few have really validated the leg ulcer diagnosis objectively by use of hand-held Doppler, color Doppler ultrasound, or plethysmography. There are many pitfalls in performing a prevalence study of venous leg ulcers which introduce a risk of misinterpretation of the true prevalence. Some of these pitfalls and their likely effects are presented. Based on the available and most qualitative studies the overall prevalence of venous ulcers (healed + open) is, astonishingly stable between different countries and over time, around 1% in most populations. The point prevalence of open ulcers is more variable and is likely to be in the region of 0.1-0.3% depending on whether or not people who self-treat are included.
Spoiled for Choice: Does the Selection of Sustainability Datasets Matter?

In this paper, we analyze the qualitative and quantitative differences and similarities between two prominent sustainability datasets, namely, the sustainability ratings developed by MSCI ESG KLD STATS (formerly known as KLD) and Thomson Reuters ESG (formerly known as ASSET4). We find substantial qualitative differences between the two sources’ sustainability measures, which are also reflected quantitatively through weak correlations between their scores. Our analysis of individual sustainability pillars reveals substantial differences, especially in social and governmental topics. Additionally, we examine the impact of dataset selection on empirical results by analyzing the effect of corporate sustainability performance on the cost of equity. Following the methodology of El Ghoul et al. (2011), we find that corporate sustainability has a significantly negative effect when using MSCI ESG KLD STATS’s and the original ASSET4 measurements but not when using Thomson Reuters ESG’s measurements. Further analysis indicates that dissimilarities in the consideration of economic aspects can explain the results. The results of this paper suggest that researchers should choose sustainability ratings carefully, adjust differences between and within datasets, and conduct robustness checks to substantiate their theoretical justifications.
The Influence of Total Quality Management and Export Market Orientation on company export performance of Furniture Industry in Pakistan: A moderating role of Business Network

This study analyzed the moderating role of business network (BN) on the relationship between export market orientation (EMO), total quality management (TQM) and company export performance (CEP). The present study used the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique on sample size 119 furniture manufacturing exporting companies. The results of this study shown the positive significance relationship between EMO, TQM and CEP. Additionally, the study found the moderating role of BN between the relationship of EMO, TQM and CEP. Thus, this revealed that BN is considered the influential variable to enhancing the effectiveness of EMO and TQM which leads to higher CEP. This study contributes to the literature and to the practice of companies by helping them to understand how the process of EMO, TQM and BN produces better export performance through export market orientation.
Methods to learn human anatomy: perceptions of medical students in paraclinical and clinical phases regarding cadaver dissection and other learning methods

Background: Though the medical students learn human anatomy during their first year of curriculum, the application of the anatomy knowledge truly starts when they enter the preclinical and clinical phases. Therefore, it is more important and worth knowing from paraclinical and clinical students that which methods of learning gross anatomy during their first year curriculum were useful to them. Methods: The present study was based on the feedback through a 16-item questionnaire inquiring into the role of cadaveric dissection and other methods in learning human anatomy from the medical students in paraclinical and clinical phases (2 nd year, 3 rd year and interns), who have undergone the process of cadaveric dissection as a part of anatomy course in their first year of medical education. Results: Most of the respondents gave positive feedback about the cadaveric dissection as learning methodology, however around 20% students also gave a feedback about the limitation of this method as time consuming when the course duration is less while around 85% felt the need of less crowded dissection tables for better understanding. About 25% students also said that they understood anatomy better with other methods than dissection. More than 70% students expressed that more importance to living and radiological anatomy was needed in the curriculum to benefit them in the future clinical practice. About one fourth of the students felt that complete replacement of cadaveric dissection by combination of other methods to learn anatomy is possible, especially when the newer technologies can be used to understand the subject. Conclusions: Perception of knowledge by an individual student is different based on the individual primary mental abilities. Therefore, some individuals may show better learning by particular methods. Hence a blend of different methodologies to teach a subject is helpful for majority of the students. In the teaching of human gross anatomy too, a combination of different methods has been in use. However, in the era of decrease in course duration, high “student:cadaver ratio”, and easy availability of newer technologies, there is a need to review the priorities and preferences of the methods or to find out different ways to use the existing methods to increase their effectiveness.
Comparison of 3DVH Software with Two-dimensional Array Systems onPretreatment Verification for Volumetric-modulated Arc Therapy

Abstract Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the comparison of 3DVH software and two-dimensional array systems (MatriXX, ArcCHECK, and portal dosimetry system) on pretreatment verification for volumetricmodulated arc therapy. Methods: Dosimetric measurements were performed using the verification for 20 treatment plans. Measured dosimetric differences were evaluated by gamma pass rate and percentage dose difference. Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) calculated by the treatment planning system were also compared with those predicted by the 3DVH software. Results: The mean gamma pass rates were more than 95% for the 3%/3 mm criterion, except for 3D evaluation using the 3DVH (3DVH (3D)) software in prostate cancer cases. In the cases of head-and-neck (HN) cancer, the mean gamma pass rates by ArcCHECK and 3DVH 2D evaluation (3DVH (2D)) were estimated to be lower than those of MatriXX, EPID, and 3DVH (3D) for the 2%/2 mm and 1%/1 mm criteria. The percentage dose differences were within 4% for all structures, and correlated with the mean gamma pass rate for the planning target volume (PTV) and the Dmean of the spinal cord (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the mean gamma pass rates of prostate cases presented similar results for all criteria. The percentage dose differences for structure volumes in the cases of prostate cancer (from 2.76% to 12.58%) were larger than those in the cases of HN cancer, and there was no statistical significance except for the Dmax of the bladder. Conclusion: Judging from our results, the three dosimetric devices showed similar results for pretreatment verification and portal dosimetry can be replaced as the verification system. However, the use of 3DVH software remains to be a matter for further discussion.
Dynamic Linkages between Brics and Other Emerging Equity Markets

In this paper, we analyze dynamic interactions between stock markets of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and other select emerging economies as classified by IMF [1] from January 2001 to June 2017. We employ ADCC-EGARCH model as well as block aggregation technique as suggested by Diebold-Yilmaz [2] framework and order-invariance of GVDs (Generalized Variance Decompositions) as developed by Greenwood-Nimmo, Nguyen, & Rafferty [3] to examine return and risk spillovers within as well as across the BRICS and other sample Emerging Market Economies (EMEs). The results suggest the cohesiveness within BRICS equity markets is moderate. Our results also show increased integration amongst BRICS economies during the global financial crisis period, implying the presence of Contagion effect. Furthermore, Mexico, Chile, Hungary, Turkey and Poland seem to be good candidates to be included along with BRICS for forming a larger Emerging market economic block. This expanded block will not only ensure strengthening trade and financial ties among the participating countries, but also provide a better balance between the emerging and the developed world. This paper contributes immensely to the literature on international finance dealing with financial integration, particularly for emerging markets. The study provides important implications for global policy makers, international economic agencies, investors and the academic community.
Systematic and Discretionary Hedge Funds: Classification and Performance Comparison

In this paper, we introduce an approach to building classifiers that bifurcate hedge funds into systematic and discretionary funds and evaluate their performance. This approach makes use of textual analysis and statistical learning methods that are free from the subjective judgment of investment strategies. In our empirical study, we find that a random forest classifier yields the highest accuracy ratio and that the funds classified as systematic, on average, result in higher excess returns than their discretionary counterparts. After controlling for the false discovery rate, we find that systematic funds are preferred to their discretionary ones because a higher portion of positive alpha~(skilled) funds are systematic funds. The skilled funds' alpha average is larger for systematic funds than for discretionary funds across all categories and variant observable and unobservable factor models we considered.
Technology supporting health services for rural areas based on image processing

Limited health facilities, both medical equipment and health workers in developing countries and other rural areas in the world, bring significant problems for public health services. In order to make a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to support accurate data from health equipment that should be available at the health care centre. On the other hand, the development of technology, especially in the field of digital image processing is quite rapid. This paper discusses the application of digital image processing in solving problems concerning the limitations of health care facilities. In this paper, we will discuss the application of digital image processing in cataract screening, image quality improvement of ultrasonography, identification of leukocyte cells, and identification of ventricular areas and the hippocampus of magnetic resonance imaging images. The results show that the implementation of digital image processing techniques can help overcome some of the problems that arise due to the limitations of these health facilities.
Improving Patient Safety – One Standard at a Time

Learning from the experiences of others is one of our most effective tools for improving patient safety. This column will inform readers about how various health care organizations have effectively implemented the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ (JCAHO) Medication Management Standards. Practical information on what worked and how organizations have been surveyed regarding the Medication Management Standards will be provided along with updates on standard revisions and recommendations being established by JCAHO.
DIRECT ORAL ANTICOAGULANTS

Several direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), namely, apixaban, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran etexilate, are currently licensed in Europe and the United States for various thromboembolic indications. They provide alternatives to low molecular weight heparin in a peri-operative setting for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis and therapy and to vitamin K antagonists for longer term therapy. Routine coagulation monitoring is not required with DOACs but is recommended in patients with renal impairment, acute bleeding, overdoses, or emergency surgery. If bleeding is life-threatening, the offlabel therapeutic use of PCC or activated PCC may be considered in an attempt to reverse the anticoagulant effect of DOACs. DOACs provide important advantages in the short-term prophylaxis of VTE in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery and in the longer term treatment of VTE and prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation compared with traditional agents, including reductions in dangerous bleeding types.
Shareholder Ledger Using Distributed Ledger Technology: The Estonian Perspective

The article focuses on whether it is possible to use new technologies such as distributed ledger technology (DLT) in shareholder ledger maintenance systems. The article uses Estonia as an example to describe the shortcomings of shareholder ledger maintenance regulation and possible suggestions for reform and applies the principle of technology-neutrality to the subject matter to assess whether the regulation allows the adoption of new technologies, such as DLT, in ledger maintenance. The aim of the principle of technology-neutrality is to secure that the regulator does not create regulation that prefers any particular technology and discriminates against other technologies. Any regulation that is built around a pre-existing technology could suffer from preferring the use of that particular technology and consequently hinder innovation. In the article it is examined whether the ledger maintenance models used in Estonia are benefitting or suffering from the non-existence of technology-neutral technical standards for ledger maintenance and whether the differentiation of treatment of shareholder ledger administrators is justified on the basis of the principle of technology-neutrality.