Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wal‐Mart's nontraditional banking business and corporate social responsibility

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to highlight how a multinational corporation can fulfill its corporate social responsibility while seeking profit by using Wal-Mart's recent nontraditional banking services as an example. Design/methodology/approach - A wide gamut of document reviews about migrant workers in the USA and global remittance businesses was used. Remittance cost changes were also tracked among major US remittance operators over the past two years. Findings - Wal-Mart's competitive business platform has lowered remittance costs in the USA since it launched the new remittance business two years ago. Research limitations/implications - In spite of anecdotal evidence, this paper suggests how well-established multinational business operations can be tools for economic justice across the globe. Originality/value - This is one of the first reports on the impact of the retailer's nonbanking business on remittance cost and potential for promotion of economic justice for Hispanic/Latino migrants.
Balancing Accountable Care With Risk Aversion: Transplantation as a Model

The public discourse surrounding healthcare reform is replete with references to “accountable care” and “population health” (1). It is widely asserted that shifting the focus of the US healthcare delivery system from services rendered to health outcomes achieved will result in reduced spending and improved patient outcomes. At the core of this argument is the belief that better public reporting of the health status of populations cared for by specific providers will lead to better decision making at the bedside. Unfortunately, the act of measurement itself is not neutral and systems of care will evolve to maximize the prioritized outcomes, potentially at the expense other considerations.
Application of Chemometrics Methods with Kinetic Constraints for Estimation of Rate Constants of Second Order Consecutive Reactions

To determine the rate constants for the second order consecutive reactions of the form $$\text{U}+\text{V}^{\underrightarrow{k_{1}}}\text{W}^{\underrightarrow{k_{2}}}\text{P}$$ , a number of chemometrics and hard modeling-based methods are described. The absorption spectroscopic data from the reaction were utilized for performing the analysis. Concentrations and extinctions of components were comparable, and all of them were absorbing species. The number of steps in the reaction was less than the number of absorbing species, which resulted in a rank-deficient response matrix. This can cause difficulties for some of the methods described in the literature. The standard MATLAB^® functions were used for determining the solutions of the differential equations as well as for finding the optimal rate constants to describe the kinetic profiles. The available knowledge about the system determines the approaches described in this paper. The knowledge includes the spectra of reactants and products, the initial concentrations, and the exact kinetics. Some of this information is sometimes not available or is hard to estimate. Multiple linear regression for fitting the kinetic parameters to the obtained concentration profiles, rank augmentation using multiple batch runs, a mixed spectral approach which treats the reaction using a pseudo species concept, and principal components regression are the four groups of methods discussed in this study. In one of the simulated datasets the spectra are quite different, and in the other one the spectra of one reactant and of the product share a high degree of overlap. Instrumental noise, sampling error are the sources of error considered. Our aim was the investigation of the relative merits of each method.
Longitudinal comparison of anorexia nervosa subtypes.

OBJECTIVE To compare patients with restricting anorexia nervosa (ANR) and binge/purge anorexia nervosa (ANBP) on measures of impulsivity, course, and outcome. METHODS One hundred thirty-six treatment-seeking women with AN followed prospectively for 8-12 years were reclassified at intake as 51 ANRs and 85 ANBPs according to the DSM-IV subtyping classification. Lifetime Axis I and Axis II disorders were assessed using structured interviews; follow-up interviews were conducted at 6-12-month intervals to collect weekly data on eating disorder symptomatology. RESULTS Women with ANR and ANBP did not differ on history of substance abuse, kleptomania, suicidality, or borderline personality diagnosis at intake, or on rates of recovery, relapse, or mortality. By 8 years of follow-up, 62% of women with ANR crossed over to ANBP prospectively and only 12% of women with AN never reported regular binge/purge behaviors. CONCLUSIONS The findings on impulsivity, course, and outcome do not support the current subtyping system. The high crossover rate in our sample from ANR to ANBP suggests that ANR represents a phase in the course of AN rather than a distinct subtype.
Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis is a group of disorders characterized by over expression and extracellular deposition of amyloid with resultant organ dysfunction. The disease produces significant morbidity and mortality and its prevalence is increasing. Amyloidosis becomes clinically significant when organ function is impaired either due to loss of normal cell structure or mass effect from accumulating amyloid. The current classification of amyloidosis is based on the different types of fibrillar proteins which define organ involvement and disease manifestations. The heart is the most commonly involved organ in the chest, and progressive systolic dysfunction in a patient with ventricular hypertrophy is common. Pulmonary involvement is relatively rare and is more common in the localized form of the disease. There are systemic and localized forms of the disease, with systemic disease being more common. High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is the modality of choice to evaluate patients with suspected tracheopulmonary amyloidosis. Cardiac MRI is the imaging modality of choice for evaluating patients with suspected amyloid cardiomyopathy.
Discordant antigenic drift of neuraminidase and hemagglutinin in H1N1 and H3N2 influenza viruses

Seasonal epidemics caused by influenza virus are driven by antigenic changes (drift) in viral surface glycoproteins that allow evasion from preexisting humoral immunity. Antigenic drift is a feature of not only the hemagglutinin (HA), but also of neuraminidase (NA). We have evaluated the antigenic evolution of each protein in H1N1 and H3N2 viruses used in vaccine formulations during the last 15 y by analysis of HA and NA inhibition titers and antigenic cartography. As previously shown for HA, genetic changes in NA did not always lead to an antigenic change. The noncontinuous pattern of NA drift did not correspond closely with HA drift in either subtype. Although NA drift was demonstrated using ferret sera, we show that these changes also impact recognition by NA-inhibiting antibodies in human sera. Remarkably, a single point mutation in the NA of A/Brisbane/59/2007 was primarily responsible for the lack of inhibition by polyclonal antibodies specific for earlier strains. These data underscore the importance of NA inhibition testing to define antigenic drift when there are sequence changes in NA.
A Novel Benzodiazepine Compound Inhibits Yellow Fever Virus Infection by Specifically Targeting NS4B Protein

ABSTRACT Although a highly effective vaccine is available, the number of yellow fever cases has increased over the past 2 decades, which highlights the pressing need for antiviral therapeutics. In a high-throughput screening campaign, we identified an acetic acid benzodiazepine (BDAA) compound which potently inhibits yellow fever virus (YFV). Interestingly, while treatment of YFV-infected cultures with 2 μM BDAA reduced the virion production by greater than 2 logs, the compound was not active against 21 other viruses from 14 different viral families. Selection and genetic analysis of drug-resistant viruses revealed that replacement of the proline at amino acid 219 (P219) of the nonstructural protein 4B (NS4B) with serine, threonine, or alanine conferred YFV with resistance to BDAA without apparent loss of replication fitness in cultured mammalian cells. However, replacement of P219 with glycine conferred BDAA resistance with significant loss of replication ability. Bioinformatics analysis predicts that the P219 amino acid is localized at the endoplasmic reticulum lumen side of the fifth putative transmembrane domain of NS4B, and the mutation may render the viral protein incapable of interacting with BDAA. Our studies thus revealed an important role and the structural basis for the NS4B protein in supporting YFV replication. Moreover, in YFV-infected hamsters, oral administration of BDAA protected 90% of the animals from death, significantly reduced viral load by greater than 2 logs, and attenuated virus infection-induced liver injury and body weight loss. The encouraging preclinical results thus warrant further development of BDAA or its derivatives as antiviral agents to treat yellow fever. IMPORTANCE Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease which threatens approximately 1 billion people living in tropical areas of Africa and Latin America. Although a highly effective yellow fever vaccine has been available for more than 7 decades, the low vaccination rate fails to prevent outbreaks in at-risk regions. It has been estimated that up to 1.7 million YFV infections occur in Africa each year, resulting in 29,000 to 60,000 deaths. Thus far, there is no specific antiviral treatment for yellow fever. To cope with this medical challenge, we identified a benzodiazepine compound that selectively inhibits YFV by targeting the viral NS4B protein. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating in vivo safety and antiviral efficacy of a YFV NS4B inhibitor in an animal model. We have thus reached a critical milestone toward the development of specific antiviral therapeutics for clinical management of yellow fever.
Technological revolutions and the role of government in unleashing golden ages

The world is currently at a crucial turning point. As in each of the five previous technological revolutions, the major bubble collapse and the ensuing recession mark the swing of the pendulum, from finance-led to productionguided capitalism. The first decades of installation of a new set of enabling technologies and infrastructures create an enormous potential for innovation across all sectors, at the same time as they lead to a strong polarization between the richer rich and the poorer poor, among people, industries, countries and regions. Reversing those processes and successfully taking advantage of the new wealth creating potential cannot be achieved by markets alone but with the help of intelligent government action. The opportunities are there in the new technologies, in the modernization of traditional industries and in preparing for the next technological revolution. It is a question of well informed industrial policy rooted in a consensus vision, shared by government, business and society.
Ultrastructural and Cytochemical Aspects of Metamorphosis in the Midgut of Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apinae)

Abstract The midgut of Apis mellifera is remodeled during metamorphosis. The epithelium and, to a lesser extent, the muscular sheath degenerate between the end of the last larval instar and the onset of pupation (prepupa). The larval epithelium is shed to the midgut lumen and digested, while a new epithelium is reconstructed from larval regenerative cells. During pupation, some reorganization still occurs, mainly in brown-eyed pupae. In pharate adult, the midgut wall shows the characteristics of adult, although some cells have pycnotic nuclei. The localization of alkaline and acid phosphatases showed that these enzymes were not involved in the reabsorption of the midgut wall.
Barriers to implementing TQM in Indonesian manufacturing organizations

This study examines the barriers faced by Indonesian manufacturing organizations in the implementation of TQM. Out of a total sample size of 364 selected organizations identified for a multi‐response survey, 78 organizations responded. The analysis identified 11 pertinent factors acting as barriers that are most frequently faced by the local organizations. These are issues related to human resource, management, attitude towards quality, organizational culture, interdepartmental relations, raw materials, machines and equipment, information, method and training. A qualitative comparison with ISO 9001:2000 is made which is believed to be close to the TQM concepts discussed at the end of this article.
Non-linear dynamics of stable carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures based on a biological kinetic model of aerobic enzymatic methane oxidation

The non-linear dynamics of stable carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures during methane oxidation by the methanotrophic bacteria Methylosinus sporium strain 5 (NCIMB 11126) and Methylocaldum gracile strain 14 L (NCIMB 11912) under copper-rich (8.9 µM Cu2+), copper-limited (0.3 µM Cu2+) or copper-regular (1.1 µM Cu2+) conditions has been described mathematically. The model was calibrated by experimental data of methane quantities and carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures of methane measured previously in laboratory microcosms reported by Feisthauer et al. [1] M. gracile initially oxidizes methane by a particulate methane monooxygenase and assimilates formaldehyde via the ribulose monophosphate pathway, whereas M. sporium expresses a soluble methane monooxygenase under copper-limited conditions and uses the serine pathway for carbon assimilation. The model shows that during methane solubilization dominant carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation occurs. An increase of biomass due to growth of methanotrophs causes an increase of particulate or soluble monooxygenase that, in turn, decreases soluble methane concentration intensifying methane solubilization. The specific maximum rate of methane oxidation υm was proved to be equal to 4.0 and 1.3 mM mM−1 h−1 for M. sporium under copper-rich and copper-limited conditions, respectively, and 0.5 mM mM−1 h−1 for M. gracile. The model shows that methane oxidation cannot be described by traditional first-order kinetics. The kinetic isotope fractionation ceases when methane concentrations decrease close to the threshold value. Applicability of the non-linear model was confirmed by dynamics of carbon isotope signature for carbon dioxide that was depleted and later enriched in 13C. Contrasting to the common Rayleigh linear graph, the dynamic curves allow identifying inappropriate isotope data due to inaccurate substrate concentration analyses. The non-linear model pretty adequately described experimental data presented in the two-dimensional plot of hydrogen versus carbon stable isotope signatures.
Reliability enhancement of the system with large amount of wind power integration

The power output from wind farms is highly volatile, uncertain and hard to be predicted accurately. Then sometimes positive short-run correlation between variations of wind power output and load could bring more and larger disturbances in the system operation, bringing reliability and economic concerns. The integration of wind power generators in power systems poses some challenges, and besides installing extra reserve capacities, transmission reinforcement or other advanced controls may be required to avoid transmission overloads or voltage problem induced by wind power variation. Moreover, a well-developed transmission network may need less reserve capacity for a given reliability level, providing incentives for the research of this paper. In this paper, an optimization & sensitivity method is proposed to identify the vulnerable area of the transmission system with large amount of wind integration. IEEE-57 bus system is used as the test system. Test cases with various objective functions and allocation of reserve capacity are designed and therefore different upgrade schemes are obtained by the method. Monte Carlo simulation is used for the reliability & economic evaluation of the test system with a group of indices, including a new index — entropy. Test results and comparison show the effective of the method, and also the potential of entropy for assessing the robust of the transmission network.
Laboratory assessment of the antimycotic drug clotrimazole

Laboratory studies on clotrimazole showed that it had marked activity in vitro against all the Candida spp. and Cryptococcus spp. tested, against almost all strains of dermatophytes, and against Aspergillus spp and other fungal genera responsible for systemic mycoses; it had limited activity towards Gram-positive bacteria. The majority of Candida strains required MICs below 1 μg/ml and MCCs below 2 μg/ml. Serum, urine, and faecal assays of clotrimazole were made by microbiological methods on five children who received 100 mg/kg/day clotrimazole for several weeks. In-vitro sensitivity tests and biological fluid drug assays are also reported on specimens from 18 patients in other hospitals receiving clotrimazole for severe candidosis; several were renal transplant cases. Similar investigations are reported on specimens from 18 patients with pulmonary aspergilloses. The significance of low levels of the drug in body fluids, even after prolonged therapy, is discussed, and it is suggested that clotrimazole may be the first of a long series of imidazole derivatives with varying pharmacological and therapeutic properties.
Empirical and theoretical studies in EU lobbying

Abstract The volume offers an analysis of large N empirical studies of interest groups in Europe. It calls for a shift from exploratory or descriptive interest studies to more confirmatory theory testing. Recognizing the continued European economic integration, globalization and the changing role of the state, we observed significant adaptations in interest mobilization and strategic behaviour. The various papers assess the logic of collective and direct action, the logic of access and influence, the logic of venue shopping and alliance building. Specifically, the volume notes the emergence of élite pluralism in EU institutions, the pump priming of political action by EU institutions, and the growing political sophistication of private and public interests in a complex multi-level venue environment.
Treatment of hot flushes in breast and prostate cancer

Hot flushes, the most common health problem reported by menopausal-age women, can lead to significant morbidity and affect the social life, ability to work and sleep pattern of the sufferer. Women treated for breast cancer and men receiving androgen ablation for prostate cancer experience hot flushes that are more frequent, severe and longer lasting than those experienced by the general menopausal population. In women with breast cancer, hot flushes can result from chemotherapy-induced menopause, hormonal therapy, or ovarian suppression. In men with prostate cancer, hot flushes occur after surgical or medical castration. Hormone replacement therapy with oestrogen-based compounds has been a mainstay of treatment for hot flushes during the perimenopausal period. However, recent studies have shown that, in healthy menopausal women, hormone replacement therapy is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, myocardial infarction, thrombo-embolic events and stroke. Thus, identifying nonhormonal agents that can control hot-flush symptoms is essential to the quality of life of a growing population of cancer survivors. The most promising agents act on the CNS and include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, as well as venlafaxine and gabapentin.
Analysis of the Behavior of the New Zealand Dollar Exchange Rate: Comparison of Four Major Models

The purpose of this paper is to compare four major exchange rate models. Based on the value of adjusted R2, the uncovered interest parity model performs best, followed by the purchasing power parity model using the relative PPI, the Mundell-Fleming model, and the monetary model. The unexpected negative sign of the relative money supply in the monetary model and the unexpected negative sign of real money supply and the domestic interest rate in the Mundell-Fleming model suggest that more study is needed to examine the behavior of exchange rate fluctuations for the New Zealand dollar.
Probabilistic Multilocus Haplotype Reconstruction in Outcrossing Tetraploids

For both plant (e.g., potato) and animal (e.g., salmon) species, unveiling the genetic architecture of complex traits is key to the genetic improvement of polyploids in agriculture. F1 progenies of a biparental cross are often used for quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping in outcrossing polyploids, where haplotype reconstruction by identifying the parental origins of marker alleles is necessary. In this paper, we build a novel and integrated statistical framework for multilocus haplotype reconstruction in a full-sib tetraploid family from biallelic marker dosage data collected from single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays or next-generation sequencing technology given a genetic linkage map. Compared to diploids, in tetraploids, additional complexity needs to be addressed, including double reduction and possible preferential pairing of chromosomes. We divide haplotype reconstruction into two stages: parental linkage phasing for reconstructing the most probable parental haplotypes and ancestral inference for probabilistically reconstructing the offspring haplotypes conditional on the reconstructed parental haplotypes. The simulation studies and the application to real data from potato show that the parental linkage phasing is robust to, and that the subsequent ancestral inference is accurate for, complex chromosome pairing behaviors during meiosis, various marker segregation types, erroneous genetic maps except for long-range disturbances of marker ordering, various amounts of offspring dosage errors (up to ∼20%), and various fractions of missing data in parents and offspring dosages.