Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ESG Integration in Investment Management: Myths and Realities

The number of public companies reporting ESG information grew from fewer than 20 in the early 1990s to 8,500 by 2014. Moreover, by the end of 2014, over 1,400 institutional investors that manage some $60 trillion in assets had signed the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). Nevertheless, companies with high ESG “scores” have continued to be viewed by mainstream investors as unlikely to produce competitive shareholder returns, in part because of the findings of older studies showing low returns from the social responsibility investing of the 1990s. But studies of more recent periods suggest that companies with significant ESG programs have actually outperformed their competitors in a number of important ways.The authors’ aim in this article is to set the record straight on the financial performance of sustainable investing while also correcting a number of other widespread misconceptions about this rapidly growing set of principles and methods:Myth Number 1: ESG programs reduce returns on capital and long‐run shareholder value.Reality: Companies committed to ESG are finding competitive advantages in product, labor, and capital markets; and portfolios that have integrated “material” ESG metrics have provided average returns to their investors that are superior to those of conventional portfolios, while exhibiting lower risk.Myth Number 2: ESG is already well integrated into mainstream investment management.Reality: The UNPRI signatories have committed themselves only to adhering to a set of principles for responsible investment, a standard that falls well short of integrating ESG considerations into their investment decisions.Myth Number 3: Companies cannot influence the kind of shareholders who buy their shares, and corporate managers must often sacrifice sustainability goals to meet the quarterly earnings targets of increasingly short‐term‐oriented investors.Reality: Companies that pursue major sustainability initiatives, and publicize them in integrated reports and other communications with investors, have also generally succeeded in attracting disproportionate numbers of longer‐term shareholders.Myth Number 4: ESG data for fundamental analysis is scarce and unreliable.Reality: Thanks to the efforts of reporting and investor organizations such as SASB and Ceres, and of CDP data providers like Bloomberg and MSCI, much more “value‐relevant” ESG data on companies has become available in the past ten years.Myth Number 5: ESG adds value almost entirely by limiting risks.Reality: Along with lower risk and a lower cost of capital, companies with high ESG scores have also experienced increases in operating efficiency and expansions into new markets.Myth Number 6: Consideration of ESG factors might create a conflict with fiduciary duty for some investors.Reality: Many ESG factors have been shown to have positive correlations with corporate financial performance and value, prompting ERISA in 2015 to reverse its earlier instructions to pension funds about the legitimacy of taking account of “non‐financial” considerations when investing in companies.
Effect of Usnic Acid on Candida orthopsilosis and C. parapsilosis

ABSTRACT The activity of usnic acid against Candida orthopsilosis and Candida parapsilosis on planktonic and biofilm conditions was investigated by using a broth microdilution and microplate methods. Potent in vitro activities against different Candida species were obtained. The metabolic activity of sessile cells of C. parapsilosis complex was reduced by 80% at four times the 80% inhibitory concentration. The in vitro studies support further efforts to determine whether usnic acid can be used clinically to cure patients with Candida infections.
Chromosome studies in mycosis fungoides

G‐banded chromosome analysis was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes after phytohaemagglutinin stimulation from sixteen patients with mycosis fungoides. A number of chromosome abnormalities were observed in a low proportion of blood lymphocytes in seven patients in later stages of the disease. In four patients similar marker chromosomes in multiple copies were present, some of them without a clearly visible centromere.
Erwerbseintritt in Europa

The transition from school to work is an important step in a young person's life, carrying significant ramifications for one's ensuing career. This transition has witnessed substantial changes in the past decade, now taking place substantially later in life in all European countries. This article aims at describing cross-national differences in the process of entry to work in Europe, differences which are still noticeable despite existing commonalities. High unemployment rates in some countries reflect problems young people experience when entering working life. The differences in youth unemployment chances that exist across Europe can be traced back to specific institutional structures in these countries. Among these, the system of education plays a central role, as it determines the qualification structure, the level of education and the age at leaving school. After a wide descriptive overview of educational structures across Europe we focus on three countries: (western) Germany, Italy and Great Britain. A detailed analysis of the early careers of recent school leavers points to the existence of distinct national patterns of employment entry. Empirical analyses draw on the European Labour Force Surveys and national panel data sets.
A New Standardized Emotional Film Database for Asian Culture

Researchers interested in emotions have endeavored to elicit emotional responses in the laboratory and have determined that films were one of the most effective ways to elicit emotions. The present study presented the development of a new standardized emotional film database for Asian culture. There were eight kinds of emotion: fear, disgust, anger, sadness, neutrality, surprise, amusement, and pleasure. Each kind included eight film clips, and a total of 64 emotional films were viewed by 110 participants. We analyzed both the subjective experience (valence, arousal, motivation, and dominance) and physiological response (heart rate and respiration rate) to the presentation of each film. The results of the subjective ratings indicated that our set of 64 films successfully elicited the target emotions. Heart rate declined while watching high-arousal films compared to neutral ones. Films that expressed amusement elicited the lowest respiration rate, whereas fear elicited the highest. The amount and category of emotional films in this database were considerable. This database may help researchers choose applicable emotional films for study according to their own purposes and help in studies of cultural differences in emotion.
Impact of Product Characteristics and Market Conditions on Contract Type: Use of Fixed-Price Versus Cost-Reimbursement Contracts in the U.S. Department of Defense

ABSTRACT: Transaction cost economics is used to produce a conceptual framework that helps explain public-sector contract decisions. When a product is easy to specify, easy to produce, and there is a thick market of buyers and sellers, fixed-price contracts are more likely; when a product is difficult to produce, difficult to specify, and the market has few buyers and sellers, cost-reimbursement contracts are more likely. These arguments were tested with five years of data (FY 2004–2008) drawn from the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS), the most comprehensive and largely untapped database on federal contracting practices. Over 2,000 Defense Department contracts were examined, charting contract type (i.e., fixed-price vs. cost-reimbursement) across simple and complex products. The results confirm conventional wisdom about public sector procurement practice, at least within the Defense Department: product characteristics and market conditions drive the use of fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contracts. This research lays the foundation for research on contract outcomes by identifying factors that drive the use of different contract types and producing unique measures of product characteristics that are not currently available in the literature.
The C‐terminal domain of βIV‐spectrin is crucial for KCNQ2 aggregation and excitability at nodes of Ranvier

The spectrin cytoskeleton has an important function in the targeting of proteins to excitable membrane domains. In axons, βIV‐spectrin stabilizes voltage‐gated sodium (Nav) channel clusters at nodes of Ranvier and axon initial segments, two regions crucial for the generation and conduction of action potentials. Here, I investigated the physiology of the neuromuscular junction and peripheral nerves in quivering‐3J mice, which show a frame‐shift base insertion in the Spnb4 gene and lack the C‐terminus of βIV‐spectrin. The quivering‐3J mice show prominent spontaneous and evoked hyperactivities at diaphragm neuromuscular junctions. These neuromyotonic and myokymic discharges were more prominent in adult animals when tremors and ataxia were pronounced. Recordings of sciatic and phrenic nerves showed that the hyperactivities originate in myelinated axons distally from nerve terminals. Axon and myelin structure in the PNS were unaffected in quivering‐3J mice. Of interest, KCNQ2 subunit aggregates were undetectable at PNS and CNS nodes, whereas Nav and Kv1.1/Kv1.2 channels were properly concentrated at nodal and juxtaparanodal regions, respectively. The protein level of KCNQ2 subunits was normal in mutant animals, suggesting that KCNQ2 subunit absence stems from clustering or trafficking defects in axons. The quivering‐3J nodes also presented high densities of ankyrin‐G and CK2α, two cytosolic molecules involved with aggregating Nav and KCNQ2/3 channels in axons. Because βIV‐spectrin does not interact with KCNQ2/3 subunits, it is suspected that βIV‐spectrin regulates the distribution of KCNQ2/3 subunits in axonal subdomains via regulatory partners. Retigabine, an activator of KCNQ2/3 channels, attenuated the repetitive activities in quivering‐3J mice, suggesting that depletion of KCNQ2 subunits at nodes initiates neuromyotonic/myokymic discharges. These findings demonstrate that spectrin cytoskeleton finely regulates ion channel distribution and implicates KCNQ2/3 subunits in axonal excitability and in myokymia aetiology.
Optical monitoring of activated sludge flocs in bulking and non-bulking conditions

This study introduces a novel optical monitoring method to image and characterize activated sludge flocs and to study the dependency of sludge settling properties on the floc structure. The novel method can easily analyse thousands of particles in a short timeframe using the developed image analysis program. The main advantage of this method is its applicability for in situ use because the only required pre-treatment is sample dilution. This study tested real process samples from activated sludge plants treating wastewater from a pulp mill. The sludge samples were collected in bulking and non-bulking situations, and the image analysis results were compared to the settling speed of the samples. The structure of the activated sludge flocs was clearly different in bulking sludge situations as characterized by more fragile and elongated flocs. Additionally, excessive amounts of filamentous bacteria hold the flocs apart, hindering sludge settling. These results show that this method is suitable for studying and optimizing activated sludge processes.
The White House Social & Behavioral Sciences Team: Lessons learned from year one

On September 15, 2015, President Obama signed Executive Order 13707 titled “Using Behavioral Science Insights to Better Serve the American People. ” The order directs federal agencies to integrate behavioral insights into their policies and programs and formally establishes the Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST). Originally launched in 2014, SBST translates insights from behavioral science research into improvements in federal policies and programs. In its first annual report, SBST detailed results from projects that drew on behavioral insights to promote retirement security, expand college access and affordability, connect workers and small businesses with economic opportunities, improve health outcomes, and increase program integrity and government efficiency. The results of SBST projects offer important lessons for bringing a behavioral perspective to federal policy. The executive order provides a framework for future policy applications.
Brachyspira intermedia and Brachyspira pilosicoli Are Commonly Found in Older Laying Flocks in Pennsylvania

Abstract Anaerobic intestinal spirochetes (genus Brachyspira) include several species that are recognized as pathogens of poultry. Surveys undertaken in Europe and Australia have shown that layer and breeder flocks are often colonized by the pathogenic species Brachyspira intermedia and Brachyspira pilosicoli, but similar surveys have not been conducted in the United States. In the current study, DNA was extracted from fecal samples (n = 50) collected from each of 21 flocks of laying hens >40 wk of age in Pennsylvania, and this material was tested for B. intermedia and B. pilosicoli using a duplex PCR. Negative samples also were tested using a Brachyspira genus-specific PCR. The consistency of the feces was observed, and manure handling systems and medication histories were recorded. Brachyspira intermedia was detected in 662 (63.1%) samples from 17 (81%) flocks, with a within-flock prevalence of 10%–100%. Brachyspira pilosicoli was detected in 112 (10.7%) samples from 5 flocks (23.8%), with a within-flock prevalence of 8%–82%. Four of the flocks had both pathogenic species present, three had no pathogenic species detected, and two had no Brachyspira species detected. Nine flocks had many fecal samples with a wet appearance and/or a caramel color, and all of these were colonized with one or the other of the two pathogenic species. Nine of 12 flocks with manure that was mainly dry also were colonized. Differences in colonization rates between flocks with or without wet manure were not significant. Colonization with pathogenic Brachyspira species, and particularly B. intermedia, occurs very commonly in layer flocks >40 wk of age in Pennsylvania. The significance of this high rate of colonization requires further investigation.
Neurobiology of Comorbid Substance Use Disorders and Psychiatric Disorders: Current State of Evidence

Background “Dual disorder” or “dual diagnosis” refers to the co-occurrence of substance use disorder and psychiatric disorders. Prospective studies have shown that treatment outcomes, such as symptom levels, hospitalization rates, housing stability, and functional status, are worse among the patients with dual disorders as compared with those who have either of these disorders. Objectives The current article is aimed at reviewing the current state of evidence on neurobiology of dual disorders. Given the high prevalence of co-occurrence of substance use disorder and psychiatric disorders, it is important to explore the various facets of this association. The current review assimilates the information on neurobiological research on dual disorders and helps the readers gain insights into the current understanding on this theme. Methods The electronic database of PubMed was searched for relevant publications. Results The studies included in the review belonged to various domains of neurobiology including neuropathology, structural neuroimaging, functional neuroimaging, genetics, neurochemicals/neuroreceptors, and neuroendocrinology. Forty studies were included in the review. Conclusions Most of the issues related to the neurobiology of dual disorders remain inadequately studied. However, the current evidence suggests that the individuals with co-occurring disorders are likely to differ from those with either substance use disorders or psychiatric disorders alone on various neurobiological aspects. Hence, it is imperative to systematically study the various neurobiological aspects of dual disorders in the future.
Covariance Matrix Extrapolation for Energy Forward Prices

We consider the situation where forward power and gas prices are modeled as correlated lognormal processes and the covariance matrix of their price returns is only partially available for the short end of the curve. Such models are frequently used in the pricing and risk management of long-dated energy derivatives. Given all the correlations for adjacent forwards within each commodity (temporal) and for gas and electricity forwards of the same maturity (cross-commodity), we developed a methodology to fill the rest of the correlation matrix in a way that is superior to many of the known procedures in practice. We also discuss ways of efficiently simulating forward curves and spot prices.
EVIDENCE OF T CELL CLONALITY IN THE INFECTIOUS TOLERANCE PATHWAY: IMPLICATIONS TOWARD IDENTIFICATION OF REGULATORY T CELLS1

We have shown that a rare population of regulatory CD4+ T cells plays a key role in the acquisition of infectious tolerance in rat sensitized recipients of cardiac allografts pretreated with nondepleting anti-CD4 mAb. This study was designed to analyze the TCR V&bgr; expression patterns in this transplantation model. First, we used V&bgr;-specific RT-PCR to show that there was no differential usage of TCR V&bgr; genes by T cells mediating rejection or tolerance. Indeed, graft-infiltrating lymphocytes expressed most of the 22 known rat TCR V&bgr; genes in both recipient groups, suggesting unrestricted TCR V&bgr; repertoire in alloreactive T cells. Then, we applied CDR3 spectrotyping of TCR &bgr;-chain to assess the clonality of T cells at different anatomic sites. CDR3 size restriction, indicative of the presence of T cell clones, was observed in graft-infiltrating lymphocytes but not in draining lymph nodes or spleen of tolerant hosts. Consisent with the clonal expansion, T cells in tolerated grafts exhibited the memory phenotype at a much higher percentage as compared with peripheral lymphoid organs. Moreover, in tolerated graft-infiltrating lymphocytes, the CD3 size restriction occurred in limited V&bgr; gene families, with V&bgr;8.1 and V&bgr;18 most frequently detected. Hence, T cells at the graft site of tolerant recipients contain T cell clones expressing selective V&bgr; genes. This phenotypic characteristics of the tolerogenic GILs may potentially be used as a novel marker to identify operational regulatory T cells in organ allograft recipients.
mioC transcription, initiation of replication, and the eclipse in Escherichia coli

The potential role of mioC transcription as a negative regulator of initiation of chromosome replication in Escherichia coli was evaluated. When initiation was aligned by a shift of dnaC2(Ts) mutants to nonpermissive temperature (40 degrees C), mioC transcript levels measured at the 5' end or reading through oriC disappeared within one mass doubling. Upon return to permissive temperature (30 degrees C), the transcripts reappeared coordinately about 15 min after the first synchronized initiation and then declined sharply again 10 min later, just before the second initiation. Although these observations were consistent with the idea that mioC transcription might have to be terminated prior to initiation, it was found that the interval between initiations at permissive temperature, i.e., the eclipse period, was not influenced by the time required to shut down mioC transcription, since the eclipse was the same for chromosomes and minichromosomes which lacked mioC transcription. This finding did not, in itself, rule out the possibility that mioC transcription must be terminated prior to initiation of replication, since it might normally be shut off before initiation, and never be limiting, even during the eclipse. Therefore, experiments were performed to determine whether the continued presence of mioC transcription during the process of initiation altered the timing of initiation. It was found that minichromosomes possessing a deletion in the DnaA box upstream of the promoter transcribed mioC continuously and replicated with the same timing as those that either shut down expression prior to initiation or lacked expression entirely. It was further shown that mioC transcription was present throughout the induction of initiation by addition of chloramphenicol to a dnaA5(Ts) mutant growing at a semipermissive temperature. Thus, transcription through oriC emanating from the mioC gene promoter is normally inhibited prior to initiation of replication by the binding of DnaA protein, but replication can initiate with the proper timing even when transcription is not shut down; i.e., mioC does not serve as a negative regulator of initiation. It is proposed, however, that the reappearance and subsequent disappearance of mioC transcription during a 10-min interval at the end of the eclipse serves as an index of the minimum time required for the establishment of active protein-DNA complexes at the DnaA boxes in the fully methylated origin region of the chromosome. On this basis, the eclipse constitutes the time for methylation of the newly formed DNA strands (15 to 20 min at 30 degrees C) followed by the time for DnaA protein to bind and activate oriC for replication (10 min).
Potentiation by tetraethylammonium of the response of the cat spleen to postganglionic sympathetic nerve stimulation.

In the isolated perfused spleen of the cat the contractile response and the norepinephrine output resulting from sympathetic nerve stimulation were greatly increased by tetraethylammonium (TEA). The increased norepinephrine output does not seem to result from interference with norepinephrine uptake into sympathetic nerve endings as in the case of cocaine, but it is most probably due to the increased liberation of norepinephrine by sympathetic nerve impulses as suggested by the findings that a) TEA did not inhibit the removal of norepinephrine infused into the arterial inflow of the spleen, and b) TEA—in contrast to cocaine—increased the amount of norepinephrine predominantly in the first fraction of the venous effluent collected during and after sympathetic stimulation. The increased contractile response results mainly from augmented transmitter liberation, but in addition a postjunctional effect of TEA has to be postulated, since TEA increased the changes in splenic vascular resistance to injected norepinephrine 2 to 4 times in spite of the absence of any effect on norepinephrine inactivation. Studies of the electrical activity of splenic nerves support the assumption that TEA increases the amount of norepinephrine liberated as the result of sympathetic nerve stimulation by lengthening the duration of the action potential.
TOWARDS HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING (HPC) THROUGH PARALLEL PROGRAMMING PARADIGMS

Nowadays, we are to find out solutions to huge computing problems very rapidly. It brings the idea of parallel computing in which several machines or processors work cooperatively for computational tasks. In the past decades, there are a lot of variations in perceiving the importance of parallelism in computing machines. And it is observed that the parallel computing is a superior solution to many of the computing limitations like speed and density; non-recurring and high cost; and power consumption and heat dissipation etc. The commercial multiprocessors have emerged with lower prices than the mainframe machines and supercomputers machines. In this article the high performance computing (HPC) through parallel programming paradigms (PPPs) are discussed with their constructs and design approaches.