Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Introduction to Sustainable Supply Chain Management and Business Implications

The chapter will explain the concept of sustainability in supply chain management. Sustainability in business operations is fast becoming a vital element to successful global acceptance. It is also one of the major marketing strategies for Points-of-Difference (POD) product positioning. It is necessary to have a basic knowledge of how sustainability is brought about in supply chains in order to truly comprehension the opportunities from it. An understanding of the basic elements to sustainability in supply chain management and global models adopted for implementation of sustainability by corporations is essential. The chapter further focuses on introducing the concept of reverse logistics as sustainability supply chain process and the strategic advantage for industries from adoption of reverse logistics across the supply chain. An insight into United Nations Global Compact program for sustainability across businesses and sustainability governance has been provided.
Proposed Specification of a Distributed XML-Query Network

W3C's XML-Query language offers a powerful instrument for information retrieval on XML repositories. This article describes an implementation of this retrieval in a real world's scenario. Distributed XML-Query processing reduces load on every single attending node to an acceptable level. The network allows every participant to control their computing load themselves. Furthermore XML-repositories may stay at the rights holder, so every Data-Provider can decide, whether to process critical queries or not. If Data-Providers keep redundant information, this distributed network improves reliability of information with duplicates removed.
Rola Internetu w realizacji działań marketingowych firmy i zdobywaniu nowych segmentów klientów

In the information society, which is developing dynamically and which accepts virtual communication and consumption, the effectiveness of e-marketing in business should be studied. The problem of online business activity is particularly important in the SME sector. This article attempts to analyse and evaluate the activities of companies in terms of the creation of their e-image, taking into account their size. Only 20% of companies in 2014 use social media to communicate with their clients. Electronic marketing tools are used by SMEs to a small extent and are not sufficient to gain new customer segments.
Online Video as a Social Activity

Online video is one of the Internet’s most popular services. In addition to entertainment, it can provide a social experience. This chapter describes several design decisions related to incorporating a live chat feature alongside online video, and how these decisions could influence the entertainment and social dimensions of the viewing experience. Two laboratory studies explore issues of distraction, entertainment and sociability when integrating live chat with online video. Surprisingly, these studies show that despite being distracting, chat with video can be enjoyable and sociable. Researchers and practitioners need to explore the generality of this finding both for different genres of content and interaction media and for small and large viewing audiences. The chapter concludes by looking at new models for online video and chat and the implications of those models on sociability. DESIGNING SOCIAL ONLINE VIDEO ExpERIENCES The Internet is a highly engaging medium. People from all over the world use the Internet not only to have fun but also to get information about DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-656-3.ch017
Firm Characteristics and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure in Saudi Arabia

This study evaluates the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) information disclosed by the Saudi listed firms and investigates the influence of six firm characteristics (firm size, industry type, government ownership, firm age, capital raised and audit firm size) on the CSR disclosure. We used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) on a cross-sectional data to examine listed firms in the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul). We constructed an index to measure the CSR disclosure level and found that Saudi firms have a low CSR disclosure level. We also found that large, government-owned and old firms disclose more CSR information. This study provides a significant contribution to evaluate the CSR reporting in Saudi Arabia which is a developing country that produces a large proportion of the world's oil. Results provide signals of the low seriousness of gathered efforts to face the challenges of climate change which should not only be a concern for developed countries.
Analysis of serum levels and cutaneous expression of lipoprotein (a) in 38 patients with livedoid vasculopathy

Coagulation disorders contribute to the development of livedoid vasculopathy (LV). Elevated plasma levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and associated with hypercoagulable states. Increased serum Lp(a) levels have been reported in patients with LV and may have an important role in the pathogenesis of LV.
Risk Measures for Risk-less Investments: A Verification

This paper verifies that the standard definition of risk measures value-at-risk (VaR), expected shortfall (ES) and spectral risk measure (SRM) are intuitively informative even when the underlying is a risk free asset. It then follows that in case of risk less asset, coherent and noncoherent risk measures do not distinguish themselves.
Intimal thickness of the coronary arteries in low‐birthweight infants

Background: Intimal thickening is considered to be an early manifestation of developing atherosclerosis in healthy young adults and children. Low birthweight correlates with increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Aim: To test the hypothesis that low birthweight is associated with relatively thickened intima at birth. Methods: The coronary arteries of 175 children were screened from serial cross‐sections for maximal intimal thickening and measured morphometrically. The area of intima and media and the length of internal elastic lamina were measured. The intimal to medial area ratio and calculated thicknesses of intima were used in statistical comparisons. Only children who died within 30 d after birth (n=111) were included. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between intimal thickness and birthweight in low‐birthweight children (p <0.006). Neither the relative thickness of the intima nor the ratio of intimal to medial area increased with increasing growth restriction. The sum of the thicknesses of arterial media and intima had a significant positive correlation with birthweight in these infants.
Connecting to Clients and Employees

Performance issues for companies is a very important issue. In the absence of good performance, unlikely companies could produce a competitive product. Performance improvements have positive implications for the company itself, meaning that the company can produce the quantity and quality of the product that is optimal with competitive price. It also has enormous implications, positive to the quality of life of employees, due to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of employees. Employee performance will be increased if supported by the application of a system of performance management and career development system is good and effective as well as the application of teamwork and participation of employees.
Proposed Carrier Lipid-binding Site of Undecaprenyl Pyrophosphate Phosphatase from Escherichia coli*

Background: UppP, an integral membrane protein involved in the bacterial cell wall synthesis, catalyzes the dephosphorylation of undecaprenyl pyrophosphate. Results: The enzyme active site is proposed by modeling, molecular dynamics, and mutagenesis. Conclusion: The enzyme active-site, composed of (E/Q)XXXE and PGXSRSXXT motifs and a histidine, is proposed to be in the periplasm. Significance: This study provides a first insight into structure-function relationships of E. coli UppP. Undecaprenyl pyrophosphate phosphatase (UppP), an integral membrane protein, catalyzes the dephosphorylation of undecaprenyl pyrophosphate to undecaprenyl phosphate, which is an essential carrier lipid in the bacterial cell wall synthesis. Sequence alignment reveals two consensus regions, containing glutamate-rich (E/Q)XXXE plus PGXSRSXXT motifs and a histidine residue, specific to the bacterial UppP enzymes. The predicted topological model suggests that both of these regions are localized near the aqueous interface of UppP and face the periplasm, implicating that its enzymatic function is on the outer side of the plasma membrane. The mutagenesis analysis demonstrates that most of the mutations (E17A/E21A, H30A, S173A, R174A, and T178A) within the consensus regions are completely inactive, indicating that the catalytic site of UppP is constituted by these two regions. Enzymatic analysis also shows an absolute requirement of magnesium or calcium ions in enzyme activity. The three-dimensional structural model and molecular dynamics simulation studies have shown a plausible structure of the catalytic site of UppP and thus provides insights into the molecular basis of the enzyme-substrate interaction in membrane bilayers.
A plastid segregation defect in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii

Apicomplexan parasites—including the causative agents of malaria (Plasmodium sp.) and toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii)—harbor a secondary endosymbiotic plastid, acquired by lateral genetic transfer from a eukaryotic alga. The apicoplast has attracted considerable attention, both as an evolutionary novelty and as a potential target for chemotherapy. We report a recombinant fusion (between a nuclear‐encoded apicoplast protein, the green fluorescent protein and a rhoptry protein) that targets to the apicoplast but grossly alters its morphology, preventing organellar segregation during parasite division. Apicoplast‐deficient parasites replicate normally in the first infectious cycle and can be isolated by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting, but die in the subsequent host cell, confirming the ‘delayed death’ phenotype previously described pharmacologically, and validating the apicoplast as essential for parasite viability.
Evidence for eomesodermin‐expressing innate‐like CD8+ KIR/NKG2A+ T cells in human adults and cord blood samples

Polyclonal CD8+ T cells, with a marked innate/memory phenotype, high eomesodermin (Eomes) expression, and the capacity to generate IFN‐γ rapidly without prior exposure to antigen, have been described in mice. However, even though a pool of human CD8+ T cells expressing killer Ig‐like receptors (KIRs) was recently documented, the existence of a human equivalent of murine innate/memory CD8+ T cells remains to be established. Here, we provide evidence for a population of KIR/NKG2A+CD8+ T cells in healthy human adults sharing the same features, namely increased Eomes expression, prompt IFN‐γ production in response to innate‐like stimulation by IL‐12+IL‐18, and a potent antigen‐independent cytotoxic activity along with a preferential terminally differentiated effector memory phenotype. None of the above functional characteristics applied to the KIR/NKG2A− fraction of the Eomes+CD8+ T‐cell population, thereby underlining the ability of KIR/NKG2A to distinguish between “innate/memory‐like” and “conventional/memory” pools of CD8+ T cells. Remarkably, KIR/NKG2A+Eomes+CD8+ T cells with innate‐like functions and a memory/terminally differentiated effector memory phenotype were also identified in human cord blood, suggesting that their development did not depend on cognate antigens. Taken together, our results support the conclusion that CD8+ T cells co‐expressing Eomes and KIR/NKG2A may represent a new, functionally distinct “innate/memory‐like” subset in humans.
Highly linear TIA for SAW-less FDD receivers

A highly linear trans-impedance amplifier TIA is proposed to meet stringent linearity requirements of SAW-less frequency-division duplexing (FDD) LTE receivers with 20MHz channel bandwidth. In the proposed solution the operational amplifier is compensated exploiting the passive feedback network in order to achieve wide bandwidth and low power dissipation. The prototype in 28nm CMOS achieves 14dB of gain with 20MHz bandwidth and features 46 dBm IIP3 and 12μV in-band noise, with 5.4mW power dissipation and a filter FOM of 183 dB.
Nosocomial Infections with Methicillin and Tobramycin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus—Implication of Physiotherapy in Hospital‐Wide Dissemination

From January 1979 to July 1980, methicillin and tobramycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 45 patients at a Veteran's Administration hospital. Of these 45, 36 (80%) had clinical infections involving non-surgical wounds (16), urinary tract (10), blood (8), surgical wounds (7), and sputum (5). The epidemic strain had a single phage type (47/54/75/77/83A), a single, 16.4 Md plasmid, and produced an amino-glycoside inactivating enzyme (AAD[4‘]). Compared to a control group of patients with nosocomial antibiotic susceptible S. aureus infections, patients with the epidemic strain had more hospital days before a positive culture (p=.004), more severe underlying disease (p=.006), received antibiotics more often (p=.0018), and underwent physiotherapy more often (p = .00007). Although selected environmental and personnel cultures were negative for the epidemic strain, epidemiologic investigation suggested that hospital-wide dissemination of S. aureus may have occurred through patient contacts in the physiotherapy department with subsequent clusters of cases occurring on several wards.
Value of intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring in papillary thyroid cancer surgery: can it be used to guide the choice of operation methods?

BACKGROUND To assess the diagnostic value of decreased parathyroid hormone (PTH) in hypoparathyroidism after unilateral operation. METHODS A study was conducted on patients with PTC undergoing total or near-total thyroidectomy plus central neck dissection (CND). RESULTS Postoperative hypocalcemia was found in 42 patients (51.2%). For patients undergoing bilateral CND, those whose tumor invasion proceeded beyond the thyroid capsule have a higher rate of postoperative hypoparathyroidism (P<0.05). PTH level of hypoparathyroidism patients was lower than that of non-hypoparathyroidism patients from surgery to 6 months later (P<0.05). When unilateral thyroidectomy and central region dissection were completed, PTH level decreased by 47.06% in hypoparathyroidism patients, which was significantly higher than non-hypoparathyroidism patients (28.35%) (P<0.001). PTH level (AUC 0.806) and its decreasing degree (AUC 0.736) played predicting roles in assessing postoperative hypoparathyroidism (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS For PTC surgery, PTH level and its decreasing degree played predicting roles in assessing postoperative hypoparathyroidism.
Regional air transport of burn patients: a case for telemedicine?

BACKGROUND Air transport of burn patients is plagued by frequent "overtriage. " We examined the use of air transport and the feasibility of using alternative methods such as telemedicine to assist in evaluation and treatment of burn patients within our region. METHODS We reviewed all burn patients transported by air during 2000 to 2001. Each patient was classified as being most appropriate for air, ground, or family transport. In addition, a decision was made regarding whether telemedicine evaluation of the patient before transport could have significantly altered initial treatment decisions. RESULTS Two hundred twenty-five acutely burned patients were transferred from referring hospitals in nine states, at a mean distance of 246 air miles. Mean burn size calculated by burn center physicians was 19.7% total body surface area, whereas referring physicians' mean estimate was 29% total body surface area. In 92 cases, over- or underestimation of burn size by referring physicians of as much as 560% or decisions regarding performance of endotracheal intubation suggested that telemedicine evaluation before transport might have significantly altered transport decisions or care. Air transport charges exceeded hospital charges in 21 cases. CONCLUSION Frequent discrepancies in burn assessment contribute to overuse of air transport. The ability to evaluate burn patients by telemedicine may have the potential to assist decisions regarding transfer, avoid errors in initial care, and reduce costs. We are currently attempting to develop and test such a system.
Dextrous Hands: Human, Prosthetic, and Robotic

The sensory and motor capacities of the human hand are reviewed in the context of providing a set of performance characteristics against which prosthetic and dextrous robot hands can be evaluated. The sensors involved in processing tactile, thermal, and proprioceptive (force and movement) information are described, together with details on their spatial densities, sensitivity, and resolution. The wealth of data on the human hand's sensory capacities is not matched by an equivalent database on motor performance. Attempts at quantifying manual dexterity have met with formidable technological difficulties due to the conditions under which many highly trained manual skills are performed. Limitations in technology have affected not only the quantifying of human manual performance but also the development of prosthetic and robotic hands. Most prosthetic hands in use at present are simple grasping devices, and imparting a natural sense of touch to these hands remains a challenge. Several dextrous robot hands exist as research tools and even though some of these systems can outperform their human counterparts in the motor domain, they are still very limited as sensory processing systems. It is in this latter area that information from studies of human grasping and processing of object information may make the greatest contribution.
Pneumatically actuated elastomeric device for simultaneous mechanobiological studies and live-cell fluorescent microscopy

In this study, we demonstrate the functionality and usability of a compact, pneumatically actuated, elastomeric stimulation device for mechanobiological studies. The soft mechatronic device enables high-resolution live-cell confocal fluorescent imaging during equiaxial stretching. Several single cells can be tracked and imaged repeatedly after stretching periods. For demonstration, we provide image based analysis of dynamic change of the cell body and the nucleus area and actin fiber orientation during mechanical stimulation of mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells. Additionally, we present the characteristics of the device utilizing computational simulations and experimental validation using a particle tracking method for strain field analysis.
The Top Ten Nutritional Mistakes Made by Elite Athletes

© UKSCA | Issue 19 | Autumn 2010 w: www.uksca.org.uk e: info@uksca.org.uk 15 Dr James Morton is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Metabolism and Sports Nutrition at Liverpool John Moores University. His research interests focus on the exercise-induced cellular and molecular responses of human skeletal muscle and the influence of diet and nutrition on modulating these responses. As an early stage researcher, James has been awarded with Young Investigator Awards from the British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences and the European College of Sport Sciences. Outside of teaching and research commitments, James also provides nutritional support to professional soccer players and both professional and amateur boxers.
Different mechanisms for Arabidopsis thaliana hybrid necrosis cases inferred from temperature responses.

Temperature is a major determinant of plant growth, development and success. Understanding how plants respond to temperature is particularly relevant in a warming climate. Plant immune responses are often suppressed above species-specific critical temperatures. This is also true for intraspecific hybrids of Arabidopsis thaliana that express hybrid necrosis due to inappropriate activation of the immune system caused by epistatic interactions between alleles from different genomes. The relationship between temperature and defence is unclear, largely due to a lack of studies that assess immune activation over a wide range of temperatures. To test whether the temperature-based suppression of ectopic immune activation in hybrids exhibits a linear or non-linear relationship, we characterised the molecular and morphological phenotypes of two different necrotic A. thaliana hybrids over a range of ecologically relevant temperatures. We found both linear and non-linear responses for expression of immunity markers and for morphological defects depending on the underlying genetic cause. This suggests that the influence of temperature on the trade-off between immunity and growth depends on the specific defence components involved.
Small Energy Markets, Scattered Networks and Regulatory Reforms: The Australian Experience

The global experience with regulatory reforms that promote competition in small electricity markets, especially characterized by scattered networks serving low-density load, is limited. We contribute to this knowledge and policy gap by analyzing the reform experience and policy options in Australiaâ€™s Northern Territory (NT) market. This market underwent vertical separation and it is now regulated under the national regulatory framework. A virtual wholesale market was created as a stepping stone towards a fuller wholesale market. We find that the new regulatory reforms have improved wholesale market transparency and accountability. However, the anticipated prospect of lower energy prices to consumers will not materialize in the absence of effective regulation and more ambitious changes in the sector. More private participation in electricity generation and retail in the short-term and intra-regional market integration in the medium term may be appropriate policy options as the demand for electricity grows. Market integration can facilitate and not hinder the development of renewable energy. However, we conclude that reforms in smaller electricity markets such a NT should be geared towards meeting the environmental and decarbonization objectives from the early stages given the potential for tropical leadership in off-grid supply of renewable energy.
[A new sesqui-norlignan from Herpetospermum pedunculosum].

AIM To study the chemical components from the bioactive extract of Herpetospermum pedunculosum, a Tibetan medicinal herb for liver diseases. METHODS The isolation and purification of this extract were conducted by means of silica gels column chromatography and preparative HPLC. The structures of the compounds were elucidated based on their physical and chemical features, and spectral data. RESULTS Two lignans were isolated from this extract. They were elucidated as herpetone (I), dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol (II). CONCLUSION Compound I is a new compound with the rare structure of sesqui-norlignan. Compound II is isolated from the genus of Herpetospermum for the first time.
Association of ADHD and Celiac Disease: What Is the Evidence? A Systematic Review of the Literature

Objective: This article tries to answer the question whether or not there is evidence for a relationship between celiac disease (CD) and ADHD. A review of the current literature on this topic is provided. Method: PUBMED/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google scholar were searched to include all published trials on ADHD and CD (no date limitation, both noncontrolled and controlled trials). In addition, the reference list of included studies was screened to find other relevant articles. Results: Eight studies report a possible association between CD and ADHD; however, the results are inconsistent. Only three out of eight studies report a positive correlation between ADHD and CD. Conclusion: Up till now, there is no conclusive evidence for a relationship between ADHD and CD. Therefore, it is not advised to perform routine screening of CD when assessing ADHD (and vice versa) or to implement gluten-free diet as a standard treatment in ADHD.