Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk Disclosures in Bank’s Annual Report: Bangladesh Perspective

A risky business climate often results in a risky investment climate. To reduce this inherent risk investors demand the financial statements to include information that is relevant in helping to accurately assess the risks and uncertainties concerning a business enterprise’s future cash flows and operating results. A bank is a financial institution that creates credit by lending money to a borrower, thereby creating a corresponding deposit on the bank’s balance sheet. Hence, a bank always faces different types of risks. Thus, the investors look for the ways a bank deals with risk which can be explored from the risk disclosures (RDs) in annual reports. Thus, this study aims at evaluating the level of RDs in the annual reports of the listed banks along with the quality of such reporting in Bangladesh. The sample of the study consists of 15 banks chosen randomly from 31 banks with more than 20 branches during the study period from 2009 to 2013. The study is based on secondary data which are collected from annual reports of the sample banks. An un-weighted dichotomous disclosure index has been prepared by dividing the RD reporting items of the banks in seven categories under the heads of Accounting policies, derivatives hedging, financial and other risks, general risks information, financial instruments, reserves and segment information. From the paper, it is measured that the information disclosure in different areas of risk unsatisfactory. Most of the banks’ RD ranges from 11 to 25 out of total score of 43. The quality of risk reporting is also poor. Aus. Aca. Acc & Fin. Rev Vol 3(1), Jan 2017, P 11-20
TRACHOMA VACCINE STUDIES ON TAIWAN *

Trachoma is recognized as a chronic, long lasting infection. Although there is a tendency for the disease to heal spontaneously, in some persons the activity continues with the development of serious complications. The immunological aspect of the disease is poorly understood. There has been no secure evidence that antibodies play a role in the natural history of the trachoma. Clinically the disease is of superficial cells without evidence of any deep invasion. The etiological agent of trachoma has been recognized to be a virus of the psittacosis-lymphogranuloma venereum group, a group frequently associated with chronic infections and poor immune response. When trachoma viruses became available for study in the laboratory, the preparation of vaccines to carry out studies on the immunity of the disease was possible. Because we have been unable to grow the trachoma virus in quantity in any tissue other than the yolk sac of the embryonated egg, that material has been used for the preparation of vaccine. The vaccines have been prepared by the same method that we have described for purification of trachoma virus for use as complement-fixing (CF) antigen. ‘ This has consisted o€ trypsin digestion of blended yolk sacs, differential high speed centrifugation, and precipitation of non-viral material with polymyxin. These “purified” elementary bodies have been inactivated with formalin and for some vaccines attached to aluminum hydroxide particles.2
Stem cells combined with bone graft substitutes in skeletal tissue engineering

Introduction: Bone grafting is used to repair large bone defects and autograft is recognised as producing the best clinical outcome, which is partly due to its cellular component. When autograft is unavailable, allograft and bone graft substitutes can be used; however, they rely on the host bed to provide cellular osteogenic activity. Areas covered: Bone graft substitutes have the potential to benefit from the addition of stem cells aimed at enhancing the rate and quality of defect repair. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated from bone marrow or periosteum and culture expanded. Other sources of primary cells include muscle, adipose tissue, human umbilical cord and the pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Expert opinion: MSCs isolated from bone marrow have been the best characterised approach for osteogenic differentiation. Their use with synthetic scaffolds such as hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate has produced promising clinical results. MSCs derived from adipose tissue, muscle or human umbilical cord cells combined with various scaffolds are an attractive option. Further in vivo and clinical investigation of their potential is required. Pluripotent ESCs have a theoretical advantage over MSCs; however, purification, cell-specific differentiation, effective delivery vehicles–scaffolds and teratogenesis control are still under in vitro and in vivo evaluation.
The lack of association between adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and gastric surgery: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND The cause of the rapid increase in the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus since the 1970s is unknown. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that duodenogastroesophageal reflux causes adenocarcinoma of the esophagus by comparing the frequency of gastric surgery (a human model of duodenogastroesophageal reflux) and other potential risk factors between patients with adenocarcinoma and patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. METHODS Medical records of all patients with adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus seen at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation between 1987 and 1994 were reviewed. The following data were retrieved: age, gender, race, tumor location, history of gastric surgery and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, and use of tobacco, alcohol, histamine-2 receptor antagonists, and proton pump inhibitors. RESULTS The data of 325 patients with adenocarcinoma (73.5%) and 117 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (26.5%) were analyzed. No differences were found between the groups in age, proportion with gastric surgery (patients with adenocarcinoma: 1.2%, 95% confidence interval 0.3-3.1%; patients with squamous cell carcinoma: 0.9%, 95% confidence interval 0.0-4.7%), smoking (76.7 vs 81.6%), or alcohol use (71.8 vs 79.1%). Significant risk factors associated with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were male gender, white race, distal cancer location, and Barrett's esophagus. CONCLUSIONS Previous gastric surgery is rarely found in patients with esophageal cancer and is performed with equal frequency in patients with adenocarcinoma and those with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. This suggests that gastric surgery and its associated duodenogastroesophageal reflux do not play a role in the etiology and rising incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. White males in their mid-60s with Barrett's esophagus who smoke and drink alcohol are at highest risk for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
Functional organization of the murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase: characterization of a bacterially expressed AKR DNA polymerase deficient in RNase H activity

The functional organization of the murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase was investigated by expressing a molecular clone containing AKR MuLV reverse transcriptase-coding sequences in Escherichia coli. A purified preparation of the expressed enzyme (pRT250 reverse transcriptase) consisted primarily of a 69-kilodalton protein that has normal levels of murine leukemia virus polymerase activity but 10-fold-reduced levels of RNase H compared with the viral enzyme. The deficit in RNase H activity was correlated with the absence of 60 to 65 amino acids normally present at the carboxyl end of murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase. The results provide additional experimental evidence for the localization of polymerase and RNase H domains to the N- and C-terminal regions of reverse transcriptase, respectively.
The Research on Competitive Analysis Process

For the purposes of this paper, we will define competitive analysis as the gathering and interpretation of competitive information, with the objective of establishing marketing strategies and tactics to make use of that information. We advocate the ethical collection and usage of information. We specifically do not endorse unethical practices, such as industrial espionage, like the example described in the following brief case study. analysis can yield many benefits. Its power and versatility make it essential for virtually every organization
[Preliminary study on maturity of retinal vascularization in premature infants].

OBJECTIVE To study the extent of retinal vascular development and influencing factors at birth and the relation between retinal vascularization and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). METHODS From October, 2006 to December 2006, retinal vascularization was screened and evaluated in 84 neonates at different weeks of gestation and birth weights (BWs), had dilated fundus evaluation for zone of retinal vascularization by the 130 degrees lens of a digital fundus camera. The infants' pupils were dilated with 2.5% phenylephrine and 0.5% cyclopentolate eye drops. The study cohort was divided into subgroups depending on the weeks of gestation and birth weights. The control group consisted of healthy term infants. Maternal and neonatal factors were ascertained and analysed. RESULTS Vascularization up to zone I and II was considered to be immature retina; vascularization up to zone III or beyond was considered to be mature retina. In this study, 11 of 12 infants who were born at < 30 weeks of gestation, 12 of 26 infants who were born at < 31 approximately 33 weeks of gestation, 1 of 26 babies who were born at < 34 approximately 36 weeks of gestation and none of 20 babies who were born at < 37-40 weeks of gestation had immature retina; 12 of 15 babies at < 1500 g BW, 8 of 14 infants at 1500 g < BW < 1700 g, 4 of 11 infants at 1700 g < BW < 2000 g and of 44 infants at > 2000 g BW had immature retina. Those infants who were born at > 34 weeks of gestational age and at > 2000 g BW had mature retina. Infants who were born between 31 to 34 weeks of gestation and at 1501 to 2000 g BW had variable extent of retinal vascularization at birth. Vascularization was associated with postconceptional age (F = 31.9193, P = 0.000), birth weight (F = 32.4532, P = 0.000), anemia (F = 36.9391, P = 0.000), surfactant (F = 24.000, P = 0.0000), poor nutrition (F = 4.184, P = 0.041), RDS (F = 17.6191, P = 0.000), cesarean delivery (F = 10.972, P = 0.0022) and oxygen > 48 h (F = 22.076, P = 0.0000). Vascularization was affected mainly by the postconceptional age (95% CI = 1.57-261.728, P = 0.021). At last, 15/24 infants with immature retina developed ROP while none of the infants with mature retina developed ROP (chi2 = 45.1087, P = 0.000). CONCLUSION There is considerable variability in the extent of retinal vascularization in infants who we born between 31 to 34 weeks of gestation. Modifiable maternal and fetal factors could influence extent of vascularization at birth. Immature retina is the critical factor of ROP. Gestational age is the main factor of the immature retina in premature infants.
Safety and immunogenicity of a new hepatitis B vaccine for the protection of patients with renal insufficiency including pre-haemodialysis and haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND High susceptibility to infections including the hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes increased morbidity and mortality in patients with end stage renal disease. HBV vaccination is recommended for all patients undergoing dialysis; however, antibody response is much lower than in healthy individuals. OBJECTIVE This review discusses the clinical experience with HBV vaccine with a novel adjuvant system among dialysed patients. METHOD A new adjuvanted HBV vaccine (Fendrix(), GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium) contains as active substance 20 microg recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the novel adjuvant system composed of aluminum salt and 3-O-desacyl-4'-monophosphoryl lipid A (AS04). CONCLUSION HBV-AS04 vaccine has a good safety profile with clinically acceptable reactions similar to standard HBV vaccines and has elicited earlier antibody response and higher antibody titres in pre and haemodialysis patients as compared with four double doses of standard HBV vaccine.
Integrating Organizational, Resource-Based, and Practice-Based Views of Heterogeneous Performance

In this paper, we integrate organizational, resource-based, and practice- based explanations of heterogeneous performance. We submit that the performance-enhancing effect of organizational choices (such as decision rights and incentives) is mediated by management practices, which, in turn, are adopted differently by firms depending on the heterogeneous resource endowments they possess. We test our hypotheses in the context of private and public secondary schools, which not only exhibit distinct control and incentive structures, but also differ in their adoption of practices that increase the quality of delivery and ultimately improve student performance. Using a database of over 9,000 private and state-run schools in Brazil, we find that organizational choices, assessed as differences in private versus public ownership, affect the adherence to quality-enhancing management practices, while the latter partially mediates the effect of organizational choice on performance. We show that practice adoption is co.
Breeding, Rearing and Care of the South African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis)

SINCE the adoption of the South African clawed frog (Xenopms iaevis) as a routine laboratory test animal for the diagnosis of pregnancy, a deiancid for large numbers of them lhas arisen. To date, the only source of these amphibia has been their native habitat Soutlh Africa. An adequate, more convenient source of supply of these frogs is needed. To this end, numerous attempts have been made to breed and rear these frogs in captivity, thus providing a source of supply of them as readily available as for other types of laboratory animals. The first clear-cut progress toward this goal was achieved in 1936 when Shapiro (1936) described the production of amplexus (copulatory embrace) and fertile eggs by the administration of gonadotropic hormones to male and female frogs. Witl tlis teclmic it became possible to obtain tadpoles at any\time of the year without reference to the animals' matilln season or environment, since the felnale frog contains mature ova at all times, extruding them only upon aniplexus with the male or upon artificial stimulation by gonaclotopic hormones. Using these procedures Gasche (1943) and Aronson (1944) have reported the successful breeding of Xenopips Iaevis. To the best of our knowledge, however, no report has been made yet of the rearing of these frogs to full adult size, and considerable doubt has also been raised as to whether 1 Pathologist-ihi-chief, Mallory Institute of Pathology; associate professor of pathology, Harvard Medical School. 2 Assistant pathologist, Mallory Institute of Pathology; assistant professor of pathology, Bostonl University School of Medieine; illstructor ill pathology, Tufts College Medical School. 3 Curator of reptiles and amphibians. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.
Human Serum Facilitates Hepatitis C Virus Infection, and Neutralizing Responses Inversely Correlate with Viral Replication Kinetics at the Acute Phase of Hepatitis C Virus Infection

ABSTRACT The factors leading to spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) or to viral persistence are elusive. Understanding virus-host interactions that enable acute HCV clearance is key to the development of more effective therapeutic and prophylactic strategies. Here, using a sensitive neutralization assay based on infectious HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp), we have studied the kinetics of humoral responses in a cohort of acute-phase patients infected during a single nosocomial outbreak in a hemodialysis center. The 17 patients were monitored for the spontaneous outcome of HCV infection for 6 months before a treatment decision was made. Blood samples were taken frequently (15 ± 4 per patient). Phylogenetic analysis of the predominant virus(es) revealed infection by only one of two genotype 1b strains. While all patients seroconverted, their sera induced two opposing effects in HCVpp infection assays: inhibition and facilitation. Furthermore, the ability of sera to facilitate or inhibit infection correlated with the presence of either infecting HCV strain and divided the patients into two groups. In group 1, the progressive emergence of a relatively strong neutralizing response correlated with a fluctuating decrease in high initial viremia, leading to control of viral replication. Patients in group 2 failed to reduce viremia within the acute phase, and no neutralizing responses were detected despite seroconversion. Strikingly, sera of group 2, as well as naïve sera, facilitated infection by HCVpp displaying HCV glycoproteins from different genotypes and strains, including those retrieved from patients. These results provide new insights into the mechanisms of viral persistence and immune control of viremia.
European Vector Of Development Of Non-Insurance Intermediaries In Ukraine

Narrow and broad understanding of the activity of non-insurance intermediaries are suggested. The conсept of the activity of non-insurance intermediaries is disclosed, taking into account the division into main and ancillary activity and their ability to be as outsourcers. A comparison of the insurance and non-insurance intermediaries on the basis of EU legislation is presented. European vector of development of non-insurance intermediaries in Ukraine is defined. It means necessity of implementation of regulation of their ancillary activity related to the distribution of insurance services. Insurance companies and non-insurance intermediaries cooperation in countries of the European Union and Ukraine is characterized.
Machine Intelligence Techniques for Next-Generation Context-Aware Wireless Networks

The next generation wireless networks (i.e. 5G and beyond), which would be extremely dynamic and complex due to the ultra-dense deployment of heterogeneous networks (HetNets), poses many critical challenges for network planning, operation, management and troubleshooting. At the same time, generation and consumption of wireless data are becoming increasingly distributed with ongoing paradigm shift from people-centric to machine-oriented communications, making the operation of future wireless networks even more complex. In mitigating the complexity of future network operation, new approaches of intelligently utilizing distributed computational resources with improved context-awareness becomes extremely important. In this regard, the emerging fog (edge) computing architecture aiming to distribute computing, storage, control, communication, and networking functions closer to end users, have a great potential for enabling efficient operation of future wireless networks. These promising architectures make the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) principles which incorporate learning, reasoning and decision-making mechanism, as natural choices for designing a tightly integrated network. Towards this end, this article provides a comprehensive survey on the utilization of AI integrating machine learning, data analytics and natural language processing (NLP) techniques for enhancing the efficiency of wireless network operation. In particular, we provide comprehensive discussion on the utilization of these techniques for efficient data acquisition, knowledge discovery, network planning, operation and management of the next generation wireless networks. A brief case study utilizing the AI techniques for this network has also been provided.
Nerve fibre discharges, cerebral potentials and sensations induced by CO2 laser stimulation.

Short radiant heat pulses, emitted by a high power CO2 laser, were used to investigate single nociceptor activity, cerebral potentials and concomitant sensations. Stimuli of 20 and 50 ms duration with different intensities were randomly applied to the hairy skin of the hand. Microelectroneurography was performed from the radial nerve at the wrist; 26 stable recordings were evaluated. Pre- and post-stimulus EEG segments were recorded from vertex versus linked ear lobes. Sensation was assessed on an eight-step category scale, an adjective scale, and by reaction times. In some experiments an A-fibre block was applied in order to isolate C-fibre responses. The main results were: Short heat stimuli activate C-units. In addition one of two identified A delta-units responded. None of the 15 A beta-units investigated was activated by the heat pulses. Short heat stimuli evoked cerebral potentials having a main vertex positive component at about 400 ms. These potentials were ascribed to A delta-fibre input. Laser induced pain consisted of an immediate stinging component, followed by a burning pain which often lasted several seconds. Reaction time to first pain ranged from 400-500 ms. Weak laser stimuli induced non-painful sensations mostly of tactile character. High correlations were found between the number of spikes elicited by a given stimulus and the intensity of the evoked sensation. Intensity discrimination, as evaluated by measures of Signal Detection Theory, was better in the peripheral C-units than in the subjective ratings. If conduction of A-fibres was blocked by pressure, A delta-related cerebral potential components vanished. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Sales technology usage

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to model the key influencers or predictors for usage of technology by sales professionals in India. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the effect of individual, organizational and social factors on the use of technology. The method used for primary research is survey, and data have been collected from 556 sales professionals from across four industries in India. The empirical analysis consists of confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling. Findings Confirmatory factor analysis has been used to validate the constructs, namely, peer usage, support service, perceived usefulness, attitude, usage and performance. Based on the results, it has been concluded that attitude and peer usage have a direct effect on the use of technology. Support service affects peer usage and perceived usefulness affects attitude. This model helps us understand the direct and indirect predictors of use of sales technology (ST), and its effect on sales performance. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this study is that data pertain to India only. Practical implications The findings of this paper will help sales managers and organizations develop strategies to increase the acceptance and use of new technologies, and also strengthen their arguments for convincing the various stakeholders about the benefits and relevance of the ST. Originality/value The paper attempts to build and validate a parsimonious model taking into account peer usage (social factor) and support service (organizational factor) in addition to perceived usefulness and attitude.