Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Internal Governance Mechanisms and Pension Fund Performance

This study provides new empirical evidence on the impact of board structure, as an internal governance mechanism, on privately defined contribution pension fund performance. Using a hand-collected dataset, we find evidence that the chairman, as a motivated insider, plays an important role in determining fund performance. The results also suggest, although with weaker evidence, that outsiders may positively impact fund performance. One explanation for this result is the weaker motivation of the outsiders to monitor fund performance. Consequently, the results show that both the composition of the board and the motivation of the board members are important in explaining pension fund performance, while other governance factors have no impact on its performance. The results provide relevant insights into the current regulatory debate on the reforms of the pension fund industry, arguing that modifying the board structure and its members' motivations may improve its governance and, hence, its performance. Consequently, the overall policy conclusion of this study is that more focus should be put on the board structure of pension funds, taking into account the different interests of the beneficiaries and fund shareholders.
The effect of 'non-critical' (<50%) stenosis on vein graft longitudinal resistance and impedance.

OBJECTIVE vein graft stenoses <50% cause minimal flow impairment, velocity elevation, or symptomatology and are therefore usually assumed to be "non-critical". The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of <50% vein graft stenosis on vein graft longitudinal impedance, as elevated impedance has been found to correlate with clinical graft failure. METHODS eight segments of non-reversed cryopreserved vein (mean length 23+/-1 cm; mean outer diameter 4.7+/-0.2 mm) were saline-perfused in vitro utilising a variable pulsatile perfusion pump, Windkessel, and clamp resistor simulating the haemodynamic conditions of arterial bypass. Proximal (Pprox) and distal (Pdist) pressure were continuously measured by fluid-filled catheter transduction, and flow (Q) by ultrasonic transit-time flowmetry. Waveforms were digitally recorded at 200 Hz at pulse rates ranging from 60-180 b.p.m. with mean flow (Q) of 154 ml/min and mean proximal pressure (Pprox) of 100 mmHg (max/min 120/90). Graded mid-graft stenoses of <50% were created using an inflatable vascular occluder and measured by the corresponding changes in mean pressure gradient (DeltaP=Pprox-Pdist) and Q (%stenosis=1-{DeltaPbaselineQstenosis/Delta PstenosisQbaseline}1/4). Vein graft longitudinal resistance (RL) was calculated as DeltaP/Q. After Fourier transformation, vein graft longitudinal impedance (ZL) was calculated as DeltaP/Q at each harmonic, with ZL determined by integration over 0-4 Hz. Results are reported as mean+/-S.E. M. RESULTS the desired levels of pressure and flow were established in all vein segments. Graded inflation of the occluder resulted in vein graft stenosis of 23+/-3% and 39+/-3%. This was accompanied by a mild reduction in Q (12% and 30%) and considerable increases in both RL (180% and 710%) and ZL (140% and 430%). CONCLUSIONS "non-critical" vein graft stenosis (<50%) causes minimal change in mean flow, but substantial elevations in longitudinal resistance and impedance. The contribution of "non-critical" stenosis to vein graft failure may be under-appreciated.
Binding of Neomycin-Class Aminoglycoside Antibiotics to Mutant Ribosomes with Alterations in the A Site of 16S rRNA

ABSTRACT Aminoglycoside antibiotics that bind to the aminoacyl-tRNA site (A site) of the ribosome are composed of a common neamine core in which a glycopyranosyl ring is attached to position 4 of a 2-deoxystreptamine moiety. The core is further substituted by one (ribostamycin), two (neomycin and paromomycin), or three (lividomycin A) additional sugars attached to position 5 of the 2-deoxystreptamine. To study the role of rings III, IV, and V in aminoglycoside binding, we used isogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis ΔrrnB mutants carrying homogeneous populations of mutant ribosomes with alterations in the 16S rRNA A site. MICs were determined to investigate drug-ribosome interactions, and the results were compared with that of the previously published crystal structure of paromomycin bound to the ribosomal A site. Our analysis demonstrates that the stacking interaction between ring I and G1491 is largely sequence independent, that rings III and IV each increase the strength of drug binding to the ribosome, that ring IV of the 6′-NH3+ aminoglycosides compensates for loss of interactions between ring II and U1495 and between ring III and G1491, that the aminoglycosides rely on pseudo-base pairing between ring I and A1408 for binding independently of the number of sugar rings attached to the neamine core, that addition of ring V to the 6′-OH 4,5-aminoglycoside paromomycin does not alter the mode of binding, and that alteration of the U1406 · U1495 wobble base pair to the Watson-Crick interaction pair 1406C-1495G yields ribosomal drug susceptibilities to 4,5-aminoglycosides comparable to those seen with the wild-type A site.
The Subjective Quality of Life (SQOL) in Gastroenterological Patients

The aim of this study was to assess the subjective quality of life and to identify the psychosocial predictors of SQOL among patients with a variety of gastroenterological diseases. A convenience sample of 78 gastroenterological patients completed questionnaires measuring subjective quality of life, perceived social support, coping style, depression and anxiety. The mean level of SQOL was 73%. Participants with a low level of subjective well-being (< 50%) were more depressive (p < .001), had higher levels of both trait and state anxiety (p < .01), felt they received less social support from both friends and family (p < .01), and used avoidance as a coping strategy more often than patients with normal level of SQOL (p < .01). In three of the four domains measured by the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire – psychological, social and environmental - the subgroup of dissatisfied patients obtained significantly lower results, while in the domain of physical health the two subgroups did not differ. Multiple regression analysis showed the trait-anxiety to be the most important predictor for a subjective QOL. A group of patients remained within the normal range of subjective well-being expected by the homeostatic model, showing that gastroenterological disease alone does not result in homeostatic failure. Psychological variables, especially the anxiety level and perceived satisfaction with the environment, play a major role in maintaining a homeostatic balance. This finding demonstrates the importance and necessity of psychological support in treatment of physical illnesses.
A Reconfigurable Architecture with Sequential Logic-Based Stochastic Computing

Computations based on stochastic bit streams have several advantages compared to deterministic binary radix computations, including low power consumption, low hardware cost, high fault tolerance, and skew tolerance. To take advantage of this computing technique, previous work proposed a combinational logic-based reconfigurable architecture to perform complex arithmetic operations on stochastic streams of bits. The long execution time and the cost of converting between binary and stochastic representations, however, make the stochastic architectures less energy efficient than the deterministic binary implementations. This article introduces a methodology for synthesizing a given target function stochastically using finite-state machines (FSMs), and enhances and extends the reconfigurable architecture using sequential logic. Compared to the previous approach, the proposed reconfigurable architecture can save hardware area and energy consumption by up to 30% and 40%, respectively, while achieving a higher processing speed. Both stochastic reconfigurable architectures are much more tolerant of soft errors (bit flips) than the deterministic binary radix implementations, and their fault tolerance scales gracefully to very large numbers of errors.
Novel targeted agents for the treatment of lung cancer in China

Since the discovery of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations and epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, lung cancer treatment in China has entered the precision era. However, novel targeted agents based on novel biomarkers still need to be developed. In the current study, the authors review the biomarker features of lung cancer in the Chinese population and the novel agents that are aimed at novel targets. Furthermore, they discuss issues that require improvement for the production of novel drugs and provided future directions for development in China. Cancer 2015;121:3089‐96. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Comparing expression level‐dependent features in codon usage with protein abundance: An analysis of ‘predictive proteomics’

Synonymous codon usage is a commonly used means for estimating gene expression levels of Escherichia coli genes and has also been used for predicting highly expressed genes for a number of prokaryotic genomes. By comparison of expression level‐dependent features in codon usage with protein abundance data from two proteome studies of exponentially growing E. coli and Bacillus subtilis cells, we try to evaluate whether the implicit assumption of this approach can be confirmed with experimental data. Log‐odds ratio scores are used to model differences in codon usage between highly expressed genes and genomic average. Using these, the strength and significance of expression level‐dependent features in codon usage were determined for the genes of the Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Haemophilus influenzae genomes. The comparison of codon usage features with protein abundance data confirmed a relationship between these to be present, although exceptions to this, possibly related to functional context, were found. For species with expression level‐dependent features in their codon usage, the applied methodology could be used to improve in silico simulations of the outcome of two‐dimensional gel electrophoretic experiments.
Virtualized ANR to Manage Resources for Optimization of Neighbour Cell Lists in 5G Mobile Wireless Networks

In future, more devices such as wearable devices will be connected to the networks. This will increase simultaneous handovers. The coverage of a cell will be small because a superhigh frequency used in 5G wireless networks does not propagate very far. This trend will increase the number of neighbour cell lists and it will accelerate the change of neighbour cell lists since the coverage of cells can be altered by the environment. Meanwhile, the ANR technology will be essential in 5G networks. Since the network environment in the future is not similar to the present, the strategy of ANR should also be different from the present. First, since practical neighbour cell lists in each cell are changed frequently and individually, it is necessary to optimize them frequently and individually. Second, since the neighbour cell lists in each cell are not changed similarly, it is necessary to operate ANR flexibly. To respond to these issues, we propose to use network function virtualization (NFV) for ANR. To evaluate the proposed strategies, we measured additional resource consumption and the latency of handover if neighbour cell lists are not optimized when UEs perform handover simultaneously. These experiments are conducted using Amarisoft LTE-100 Platform.
ADVERTISING IN SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES - THE PRACTICAL EXAMPLES AND ADVICES

‘Advertising lever trade "- it is not possible to determine the author of these"winged words", but we know that this slogan reviewers whole truth about the role ofadvertising performance throughout the economy and how its effective use may contribute tothe development of every enterprise operating in the national, regional or local market.Nowadays, there is an enterprise that never would apply this tool to promote their services orproducts. Any, even the single company wanting to enter to the market and growing is forcedto use the tool which is advertising. The following article presents the essence of advertising,its characteristics and shows four different companies that use its various forms to promotetheir products and services.
Lung cancer, cancer of the trachea, and bronchial cancer: mortality trends in Brazil, 1980-2003.

OBJECTIVE To describe the mortality trends for lung cancer, cancer of the trachea, and bronchial cancer in relation to gender and age brackets in Brazil. METHODS Data related to mortality between 1980 and 2003 were collected from the Brazilian Mortality Database. A trend analysis of mortality was carried out, nationwide and in selected states, using the LOWESS technique for rate smoothing and model adjustments. RESULTS In Brazil, the standardized mortality rate for lung cancer, cancer of the trachea, and bronchial cancer increased from 7.21/100,000 inhabitants in 1980 to 9.36/100,000 inhabitants in 2003. Specific mortality rates decreased in males in the 30-49 and 50-59 age brackets. In the 60-69 age bracket, the rates for males increased from 1980 to 1995 and declined thereafter. There was a trend toward higher mortality rates in males over 70, as well as in females over 30, throughout the period evaluated. CONCLUSIONS The decrease in the mortality rates in younger males might have resulted from recent national interventions aimed at reducing the prevalence of smoking and reducing exposure in younger cohorts. High mortality rates in older populations remained constant due to prior tobacco use. Increased mortality rates in females are a worldwide trend and are attributable to the recent increase in smoking prevalence in females.
Influencing of e-Service Quality to e-Loyalty of Thai Consumers toward Online Hotel Booking

Internet has changed many business industry, also has significantly revolutionized travel industry in the last decade. The internet has also shifted the hotel industry’s distribution model from traditional service to online service provided through internet websites. However, the hotel service providers need to find new things to attract customers to their online service. Therefore, electronic service (e-service) possibly be the key to long-term advantages in the digital times. Meanwhile, In e-commerce, loyal customers have been considered extremely valuable. Loyalty was generally attributed to satisfaction with the quality of service. And despite many studies concerning traditional service quality, relatively few studies have been conducted in the Internet market, and even less on online travel service quality particularly in asian countries like Thailand. This paper as a result proposed to analyse the influeincing of the e-service quality factors to e-loyalty toward online booking hotel with the case study of thai consumers. The methodology used were survey method by questionnaire to thai consumers, and the data gained was analysed by linear regression with the significant value of . 05.
Inhibition of Immune Responses by ITAM-Bearing Receptors

Cells of the immune system possess many multisubunit receptors that are composed of a ligand-binding subunit associated with distinct signaling adaptors containing one or more immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs). These receptors include the T cell receptor, the B cell receptor, and many Fc receptors, as well as families of activating receptors on myeloid and natural killer cells. Receptors that associate with ITAM-containing adaptors classically have been viewed as transducing activating signals involving phosphorylation of the tyrosines within the ITAM and recruitment of Syk family tyrosine kinases. Receptors associated with ITAM-containing adaptors in myeloid cells have also been implicated in inhibition of cellular activation. Here, we discuss these new negative roles for signaling by receptors that associate with ITAM-bearing adaptors in myeloid and other cell types within the immune system. Cells of the immune system have many cell surface receptors that are composed of more than one transmembrane-anchored protein—one or more proteins binds the extracellular ligand and distinct proteins, named signaling adaptors, transmit a signal into the cell. These signaling adaptors have intracellular amino acid sequences designated immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs) containing tyrosine residues that are phosphorylated after the receptor binds ligand. These multisubunit receptors can transmit potent signals for cellular activation through ITAM phosphorylation and the recruitment of tyrosine kinases of the Syk and ZAP-70 family. More recently, it has been appreciated that some members of the multisubunit immune receptor family can also transmit signals that inhibit cellular activation. The focus of this Review, with four figures and 48 citations, is on the evidence for and mechanism of inhibition by ITAM-containing multisubunit receptors. This article would be useful in teaching or learning about regulatory mechanisms involved in controlling immune responses.
MtrB Is Required for Proper Incorporation of the Cytochromes OmcA and OmcB into the Outer Membrane of Shewanella putrefaciens MR-1

ABSTRACT When grown under anaerobic conditions, Shewanella putrefaciens MR-1 synthesizes multiple outer membrane (OM) cytochromes, some of which have a role in the use of insoluble electron acceptors (e.g., MnO2) for anaerobic respiration. The cytochromes OmcA and OmcB are localized to the OM and the OM-like intermediate-density membrane (IM) in MR-1. The components necessary for proper localization of these cytochromes to the OM have not been identified. A gene replacement mutant (strain MTRB1) lacking the putative OM protein MtrB was isolated and characterized. The specific cytochrome content of the OM of MTRB1 was only 36% that of MR-1. This was not the result of a general decline in cytochrome content, however, because the cytoplasmic membrane (CM) and soluble fractions were not cytochrome deficient. While OmcA and OmcB were detected in the OM and IM fractions of MTRB1, significant amounts were mislocalized to the CM. OmcA was also detected in the soluble fraction of MTRB1. While OmcA and OmcB in MR-1 fractions were resistant to solubilization with Triton X-100 in the presence of Mg2+, Triton X-100 readily solubilized these proteins from all subcellular fractions of MTRB1. Together, these data suggest that MtrB is required for the proper localization and insertion of OmcA and OmcB into the OM of MR-1. The inability of MTRB1 to properly insert these, and possibly other, proteins into its OM likely contributes to its marked deficiency in manganese(IV) and iron(III) reduction. While the localization of another putative OM cytochrome (MtrF) could not be directly determined, an mtrF gene replacement mutant exhibited wild-types rates of Mn(IV) and Fe(III) reduction. Therefore, even if MtrF were mislocalized in MTRB1, it would not contribute to the loss of metal reduction activity in this strain.
Turnover Index of Financial Services A Monthly Construct for India

The paper attempts to construct a monthly index of financial services for keeping an advance tab on the growing financial sector in India. It has settled for a turnover index of financial services as against a pure output or price index, given the transition of the Indian financial sector and the state of the information system. On the basis of principal component analysis and correlation, it has picked up the sectoral indicators: combined sum of depos- its, credit and investment each in respect of banks, co-operative credit societies and the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) banking department, deposits for post office savings bank, and sum of sanction and disbursement by all-India financial institutions for Non-Banking Financial Institutions. The sectoral indicators have been aggregated using their respective shares in gross value added from banking and insurance in the base year 1993-94 in line with the index of industrial production. The index performs well in terms of the reliability tests of sign accuracy and Theil's U. As such, the index has bridged one of the gaps in the Indian information system and may be made use of as one of the leading indicators of the state of financial services in the Indian economy.
Demonstration web-portal for tourism enterprises

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe multiple case studies based on free/open‐source software (F/OSS) web applications. F/OSS web applications were deployed to create a demo web‐portal for Swiss small‐ and medium‐sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs). The web‐portal will demonstrate web applications for the purpose of F/OSS awareness and their subsequent trials.Design/methodology/approach – Multiple case studies using rapid prototyping methods to deploy F/OSS web applications were used.Findings – It was found that a web‐portal for increasing awareness and enabling interactive trials in the context of web applications suited to service organisations such as the SMTEs would enable further investigation regarding F/OSS adoption in the SMTE community.Research limitations/implications – Major components deployed in developing a web‐portal provide a limited set of trials and do not represent the wide range of F/OSS applications which might be applicable to the SMTE community.Originality/value – F/OSS .
RECENT RESEARCH INTO LAMINITIS

Laminitis is a major disease of horses because of the associated pain and debilitating nature that make it a life-threatening condition. A complete understanding of laminitis and its complex pathophysiologic processes remains elusive despite substantial efforts and recent advances by many scientists over the last few decades. For this reason, preventative and therapeutic management strategies remain largely empirical and anecdotal with little information from evidence-based medicine. Laminitis may occur as a consequence of three broad categories of disorders: systemic disease, hormonal disturbances, or trauma. Laminitis research has been confounded by apparently disparate results and theories on pathogenesis. However, recent research has shown that many of these differences may in fact represent different stages of the disease, or different original underlying causes. Recent inflammatory, vascular, and enzymatic research in acute inflammatory or gastrointestinal illness has shown links between these mechanisms, and advances in techniques and early time-course studies have helped elucidate such links. A major trend in recent research on laminitis in the past few years has been the increasing interest in metabolic/endocrine events resulting in laminitis, and interestingly, despite the lack of systemic or gastrointestinal clinical illness in these animals, the laminitis may also involve many of the same mechanisms as those occurring in acute laminitis. This article will review recent research into the pathophysiology of laminitis as well as preventive strategies.
Detection of multiuser orthogonal space-time block coded signals via ordered successive interference cancellation

This paper investigates multiuser orthogonal space-time block coded signal detection within the ordered successive interference cancellation (OSIC) framework. Both the zero-forcing and minimum-mean-square-error ordering criteria are considered. When each user terminal is equipped with no more than four transmit antennas, it is shown that orthogonal transmit redundancy leads to an appealing signal ordering property: in each processing layer the transmitted symbols of an arbitrary user are associated with an identical ordering metric. This guarantees the feasibility of (user based) group-wise symbol recovery through the OSIC mechanism. Analytic bit-error-rate performance is given. Computer simulations and flop count evaluations are also provided for comparing the OSIC based solution with existing multiuser detection schemes reported for the considered system