Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Organisational culture and quality improvement

This article has two main sections. The first section presents the theoretical underpinnings for the development of a cultural analysis model that companies should undertake prior to embarking on a TQM programme. The PCOC model (Personal, Customer orientation, Organisational and Cultural issues) which is derived from the Hofstede approach to cultural analysis, was used to determine whether the development of a questionnaire to measure the culture and the organisational environment could be achieved. The model also provides an organisational climate analysis which can then be compared with results from the cultural analysis. Describes a seven step approach whereby companies can operationalise the PCOC model to their organisation. The second section of the article presents the findings from the use of an organisational culture assessment model, PCOC, within four financial services organisations (FSOs). The returns for each of the FSOs were analysed against the returns for the four organisations as a whole. The results for each FSO are presented separately. The major issues for each FSO are drawn out using a “t” test to analyse the differences for the FSOs as a whole.
Transcriptional Analysis of the grlRA Virulence Operon from Citrobacter rodentium

ABSTRACT The locus for enterocyte effacement (LEE) is the virulence hallmark of the attaching-and-effacing (A/E) intestinal pathogens, namely, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, enterohemorrhagic E. coli, and Citrobacter rodentium. The LEE carries more than 40 genes that are arranged in several operons, e.g., LEE1 to LEE5. Expression of the various transcriptional units is subject to xenogeneic silencing by the histone-like protein H-NS. The LEE1-encoded regulator, Ler, plays a key role in relieving this repression at several major LEE promoters, including LEE2 to LEE5. To achieve appropriate intracellular concentrations of Ler in different environments, A/E pathogens have evolved a sophisticated regulatory network to control ler expression. For example, the LEE-encoded GrlA and GrlR proteins work as activator and antiactivator, respectively, of ler transcription. Thus, control of the transcriptional activities of the LEE1 (ler) promoter and the grlRA operon determines the rate of transcription of all of the LEE-encoded virulence factors. To date, only a single promoter has been identified for the grlRA operon. In this study, we showed that the non-LEE-encoded AraC-like regulatory protein RegA of C. rodentium directly stimulates transcription of the grlRA promoter by binding to an upstream region in the presence of bicarbonate ions. In addition, in vivo and in vitro transcription assays revealed a σ70 promoter that is specifically responsible for transcription of grlA. Expression from this promoter was strongly repressed by H-NS and its paralog StpA but was activated by Ler. DNase I footprinting demonstrated that Ler binds to a region upstream of the grlA promoter, whereas H-NS interacts specifically with a region extending from the grlA core promoter into its coding sequence. Together, these findings provide new insights into the environmental regulation and differential expressions of the grlR and grlA genes of C. rodentium.
A True and Fair View of the Principles/Rules Debate

The nature of ‘reality’ in the context of financial reporting is, at best, a generally agreed, inter-subjective human construction. This article considers the nature, and alternative perceptions, of the notions of principles and rules, exploring the idea of true and fair view presentation as a meaningful requirement in its own right, and as an override. An overview of the standard setting process in the United States from the historical perspective identifies factors fostering the rules-based accounting system. We then analyse recent developments in the United States regarding the adoption of a principles-based accounting system, and in the U.K. arising from the introduction of IAS in Europe. Both support the conclusions that: The purpose of financial reporting is to give an understanding, which is not misleading, of the underlying economics of an enterprise; the ‘underlying economics’ represents an inherently subjective construct; rules, by themselves, are inadequate, whether or not they are based on principles; major and fundamental differences exist between various players on the world regulatory scene; much of the debate at the regulatory and policy level is at best vague and confused, more likely disingenuous, possibly intellectually dishonest; interested parties will interpret words, concepts and agreements differently; significant limitations for international standardization are implied by the above points. Further, no one player, construct or culture can impose its will at a global level. In 1942 the U.S. SEC aptly captured the appropriate sentiment: ‘The basic question [is] whether the financial statements performed the function of enlightenment, which is their only reason for existence’.
Development of the technique for spacecraft equipment examination on secondary arcing hazard

The problem of secondary arcing is actual if spacecraft power equipment operates at voltages of 70 V and higher that exceeds essentially the vacuum arc voltage drop. Such voltages are insufficient to ignite discharge unless the situation when protecting dielectric coating above populated circuit boards contains defects opening triple junction. To find defects and to recognize their parameters, we immerse equipment into the plasma environment and use power buses as a Langmuir probes. The technique is sensitive to find defects as small as 10-4 cm2 in area with accuracy of coordinate measurement ±1 mm.
Pharmacokinetics of diltiazem and its metabolites in relation to CYP2D6 genotype

Recently, it was shown in vitro that the polymorphic enzyme cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 mediates O‐demethylation of diltiazem. The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics of diltiazem and its major metabolites in healthy human volunteers representing different CYP2D6 genotypes.
Design of a fast number theoretical transform engine for fully homomorphic encryption

The high cost of large integer multiplication has become a major restrictive factor of fully homomorphic encryption. In this paper, a radix-32 ping-pong number theoretical transform (NTT) algorithm is applied to accelerate large integer multiplication. Based on the algorithm, we accomplish the design of a fast 32k-point NTT Engine for FHE. Implementation results on FPGA show that our work is able to compute 32k-point NTT in 0.056 milliseconds at the cost of 211k ALUTs and 132k registers, which outperforms the current competitors.
Respondents To Contingent Valuation Surveys: Consumers Or Citizens? - Reply

The fundamental assumption of the contingent valuation method (CYM) is that responses to CY questionnaires may be interpreted as expressions of consumer preferences. The consumer preference interpretation has been challenged in recent papers arguing that willingness to pay for wildlife preservation is generated, at least in part, by ethical concerns, rather than by a view that wildlife preservation will yield any benefit to individual respondents. Some further evidence bearing upon these questions is derived from a study of forest management in Australia undertaken by the Resource Assessment Commission (RAC). The evidence supports the interpretation that respondents are acting primarily as citizens.
LiaS Regulates Virulence Factor Expression in Streptococcus mutans

ABSTRACT Streptococcus mutans, a major oral pathogen responsible for dental caries formation, possesses a variety of mechanisms for survival in the human oral cavity, where the conditions of the external environment are diverse and in a constant state of flux. The formation of biofilms, survival under conditions of acidic pH, and production of mutacins are considered to be important virulence determinants displayed by this organism. Biofilm formation is facilitated by the production of GbpC, an important cell surface-associated protein that binds to glucan, an adhesive polysaccharide produced by the organism itself. To better understand the nature of the environmental cues that induce GbpC production, we examined the roles of 14 sensor kinases in the expression of gbpC in S. mutans strain UA159. We found that only the LiaS sensor kinase regulates gbpC expression, while the other sensor kinases had little or no effect on gbpC expression. We also found that while LiaS negatively regulates gbpC expression, the inactivation of its cognate response regulator, LiaR, does not appear to affect the expression of gbpC. Since both gbpC expression and mutacin IV production are regulated by a common regulatory network, we also tested the effect of the liaS mutation on mutacin production and found that LiaS positively regulates mutacin IV production. Furthermore, reverse transcription-PCR analysis suggests that LiaS does so by regulating the expression of nlmA, which encodes a peptide component of mutacin IV, and nlmT, which encodes an ABC transporter. As with the expression of gbpC, LiaR did not have any apparent effect on mutacin IV production. Based on the results of our study, we speculate that LiaS is engaged in cross talk with one or more response regulators belonging to the same family as LiaR, enabling LiaS to regulate the expression of several genes coding for virulence factors.
Overview of supercapacitor voltage equalisation circuits for an electric vehicle charging application

The ability to rapidly charge an electric vehicle is limited by the power available at the charging location. In a domestic charging application the power available is limited by the utility supply to the household. One method of increasing the available power without substantial alteration of the domestic wiring scheme is to use a bank of supercapacitors - ‘trickle charged’ whilst the vehicle is not charging - to provide a power boost at the time of charging. Boosting the available power reduces the charge time for the vehicle. Supercapacitor technology requires that series connected banks of supercapacitors be coupled with a voltage equalisation scheme to avoid cell over-voltage and increase storage efficiency. Presented is an evaluation of relevant existing cell voltage balancing solutions from literature with analytical and simulation analysis. This work is the first time these converters have been evaluated against each other using cell models derived from actual supercapacitor cells.
Nucleo‐cytoplasmic transport of U snRNPs: definition of a nuclear location signal in the Sm core domain that binds a transport receptor independently of the m3G cap.

We have investigated the nuclear transport of U1 and U5 snRNPs by microinjection studies in oocytes from Xenopus laevis using snRNP particles prepared by reconstitution in vitro. Competition studies with snRNPs showed that the Sm core domain of U1 snRNPs contains a nuclear location signal that acts independently of the m3G cap. The transport of U1 snRNP can be blocked by saturation with competitor U1 snRNPs or by U5 snRNPs, which indicates that the signals on the respective Sm core domains interact with the same transport receptors. Further, by using a minimal U1 snRNP particle reconstituted in vitro and containing only the Sm core RNP domain and lacking stem‐loops I to III of U1 RNA, we show that this is targeted actively to the nucleus, in spite of the absence of the m3G cap. This indicates that under certain conditions the NLS in the Sm core domain not only is an essential, but may also be a sufficient condition for nuclear targeting. We propose that the RNA structure of a given snRNP particle determines at least in part whether the particle's m3G cap is required for nuclear transport or can be dispensed with.
Feasibility, Stability, and Multiple Research Joint Ventures

We study multiple research joint ventures (RJVs) using a repeated game with imperfect monitoring. Compared with the single joint venture case, we show that cooperation in multiple joint ventures creates two advantages for participating firms. First, by linking decisions together across all joint ventures firms can mitigate the likelihood of cooperation breakdowns following bad R&D outcomes. Second, as the incentive cost to sustain cooperation is independent of the number of joint ventures, the economy of scale effect reduces the efficiency loss due to imperfect monitoring.
A rare case of myxoid liposarcoma of the adult foot diagnosed using fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC)

License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress. com/permissions.php Pathology and Laboratory Medicine International 2015:7 1–5 Pathology and Laboratory Medicine International Dovepress
The Association Between Household Consumer Durable Assets and Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior in Ghana

This article examined the association between household consumer durable assets and maternal health-seeking behavior. Several studies have suggested a relationship between households’ socioeconomic status (SES) and health outcomes. However, SES is a multidimensional concept that encompasses variables, such as wealth, education, and income. By grouping these variables together as one construct, prior studies have not provided enough insight into possible independent associations with health outcomes. This study used data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey of 2,065 women aged between 15 and 49 years to examine the association between household consumer durables (a component of SES) and maternal health-seeking behavior in Ghana. Results from a set of generalized linear models indicated that household consumer durable assets were positively associated with four measures of maternal health-seeking behaviors, namely, seeking prenatal care from skilled health personnel, delivery by skilled birth attendant, place of delivery, and the number of antenatal visits. Also, households with more assets whose residents lived in urban areas were more likely to use skilled health personnel before and during delivery, and at an approved health facility, compared those who lived in rural areas. Implications for health interventions and policies that focus on the most vulnerable households are discussed.
Accurate Hybrid Global Self-Localization Algorithm for Indoor Mobile Robots With Two-Dimensional Isotropic Ultrasonic Receivers

A novel accurate hybrid global self-localization algorithm is proposed for determining the posture (or the position and the orientation) of indoor mobile robots. Our ultrasonic localization system can be constructed economically, with several ultrasonic transmitters fixed at reference positions and a 2-D isotropic ultrasonic receiver array mounted on the mobile robots. Our algorithm is a hybrid type utilizing selective direct and indirect methods to obtain the best possible accuracy on positions and orientations, which minimizes a new performance index with significant points. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the proposed algorithm.
Development and optimization of transferrin-conjugated nanostructured lipid carriers for brain delivery of paclitaxel using Box–Behnken design

Abstract The treatment of brain cancer remains one of the most difficult challenges in oncology. The purpose of this study was to develop transferrin-conjugated nanostructured lipid carriers (Tf-NLCs) for brain delivery of paclitaxel (PTX). PTX-loaded NLCs (PTX-NLCs) were prepared using solvent evaporation method and the impact of various formulation variables were assessed using Box–Behnken design. Optimized PTX-NLC was coupled with transferrin as targeting ligand and in vitro cytotoxicity of it was investigated against U-87 brain cancer cell line. As a result, 14.1 mg of cholesterol, 18.5 mg of triolein, and 0.5% poloxamer were used to prepare the optimal formulation. Mean particle size (PS), zeta potential (ZP), entrapment efficiency (EE), drug loading (DL), mean release time (MRT) of adopted formulation were confirmed to be 205.4 ± 11 nm, 25.7 ± 6.22 mV, 91.8 ± 0.5%, 5.38 ± 0.03% and 29.3 h, respectively. Following conjugation of optimized PTX-NLCs with transferrin, coupling efficiency was 21.3 mg transferrin per mmol of stearylamine; PS and MRT were increased while ZP, EE and DL decreased non-significantly. Tf-PTX-NLCs showed higher cytotoxic activity compared to non-targeted NLCs and free drug. These results indicated that the Tf-PTX-NLCs could potentially be exploited as a delivery system in brain cancer cells.
Optical camera communication for smart cities

Nowadays, the study of viable applications for smart cities has the direct interest of the research community. The generalized use of LED-based devices with larger dimensions and affordable costs, and the insertion of cameras with better characteristics in devices such as tablets and smart-phones, impulse the use of Optical Camera Communication (OCC) as a practical solution for future Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities implementations. A real long distance OCC system for relatively slow data rate applications in smart cities is described along with its advantages and possible difficulties. A real scenario experiment has been held showing the viability of the proposed system.
Empirical Research on the Relation Between Shares Reduction of Senior Executives and Earnings Management

Using listed companies with a presence of shares reduction of senior executives after the split share structure reform as research objects, we systematically study whether there are changes in earnings management behavior of senior executives’ shares reduction, as well as the relationship between the shares reduction degree and earnings management degree. Our analysis reveals that companies with a presence of shares reduction of senior executives have significantly positive controls over accounting earnings in the years of 2008 and 2009. However, there is no significant correlation between the level of earnings management of listed companies in China and the scale of shares reduction of senior executives.
Chronic fatigue syndrome.

AbstractA literature search identified all papers published on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) in the British Medical Journal between 1995 and 2000. Analysis of the findings revealed a bias towards the views of one school of thought and a lack of papers on the immunological or virological aspects of CFS. This contrasts with the mainstream American journals, which generally covered a much wider range of subjects and views. We examine the arguments for and against covert editorial policies, and summarise the results of discussions with the relevant individuals and organisations.
Government Programs, Job Search Requirements, and the Duration of Unemployment

This paper presents an empirical analysis of how job search requirements under various government programs influence job search behavior. The analysis indicates that job search requirements exert a significant impact on certain aspects of the job search process, but not those that generally lead to a higher probability of employment. It is also found that persons who utilize intensively search activities that result in direct employer contact have much shorter durations of unemployment than persons who do not utilize such activities intensively. It is speculated that altering job search requirements to include more direct employer contact could lead to a significant reduction in unemployment.
Subdivisions of hymenopteran mushroom body calyces by their afferent supply

The mushroom bodies are regions in the insect brain involved in processing complex multimodal information. They are composed of many parallel sets of intrinsic neurons that receive input from and transfer output to extrinsic neurons that connect the mushroom bodies with the surrounding neuropils. Mushroom bodies are particularly large in social Hymenoptera and are thought to be involved in the control of conspicuous orientation, learning, and memory capabilities of these insects. The present account compares the organization of sensory input to the mushroom body's calyx in different Hymenoptera. Tracer and conventional neuronal staining procedures reveal the following anatomic characteristics: The calyx comprises three subdivisions, the lip, collar, and basal ring. The lip receives antennal lobe afferents, and these olfactory input neurons can terminate in two or more segregated zones within the lip. The collar receives visual afferents that are bilateral with equal representation of both eyes in each calyx. Visual inputs provide two to three layers of processes in the collar subdivision. The basal ring is subdivided into two modality‐specific zones, one receiving visual, the other antennal lobe input. Some overlap of modality exists between calycal subdivisions and within the basal ring, and the degree of segregation of sensory input within the calyx is species‐specific. The data suggest that the many parallel channels of intrinsic neurons may each process different aspects of sensory input information. J. Comp. Neurol. 435:474–489, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Structural Characteristics of the Economy of Mozambique: A Sam‐Based Analysis

Key features of the Mozambican economy are synthesized in this paper based on a new 1995 social accounting matrix. Particular attention is paid to the critical role of home consumption and large marketing margins. The fundamental importance of agricultural development emerges clearly from the analysis in which the multiplier for value added by capital is re-examined. Agriculture has large sectoral multipliers and is generally more effective in the use of scarce capital than industry and services. Commodities with attractive features for the promotion of agriculture in the short to medium term include maize, rice, as well as small-scale livestock and forestry. Copyright 2000 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Asset Market Dynamics of Heterogeneous Agent Models with Learning

The standard Lucas asset pricing model makes two common assumptions of homogeneous agents and rational expectations equilibrium. However, these assumptions are unrealistic for real financial markets. In this work, we relax these assumptions and establish a Lucas type agent-based asset pricing model. We create an artificial economy with a single risky asset and populate it with heterogeneous, boundedly rational, utility maximizing, infinitely lived and forward looking agents. We restrict agents’ information by allowing them to use only available information when they make optimal choices. With independent, identically distributed market returns, agents are able to compute their policy functions and the equilibrium pricing function with Duffie’s method (Duffie, 1988 [9]) without perfect information about the market. When agents are out of equilibrium, they simultaneously compute their policy functions with predictive pricing functions and use adaptive learning schemes to learn the motion of the correct pricing function. Agents are able to learn the correct equilibrium pricing function with certain risk and learning parameters. In some other cases, the market price has excess volatility and the trading volume is very high. Simulations of the market behavior show rich dynamics, including a whole cascade from period doubling bifurcations to chaos. We apply the full families theory (De Melo and Van Strien, 1993 [8]) to prove that the rich dynamics do not come from numerical errors but are embedded in the structure of our dynamical system.