Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Scoring Sustainability Reports using GRI indicators: A Study based on ISE and FTSE4Good Price Indexes

The objective of this research is to verify the level of adherence to the GRI indicators that Brazilian companies listed in ISE and those listed in FTSE4Good are using in their 2011 sustainability reports and what are the differences between these two groups. The research design combines both quantitative and qualitative methods. The target population consists of 70 companies, 35 from ISE and 35 from FTSE4Good. Content analysis was used to analyze the indicators disclosed in the reports and the information presented was classified in three categories of scoring according to its level of disclosure. On average, ISE companies scored 0,5867 and FTSE4Good scored 0,4451. The best company scored 0,924 and the worst of 70 companies scored 0,105. Overall, our statistical results show that ISE companies are more adherent to the GRI indicators than FTSE4Good companies, mainly in the economic and social dimensions. Yet, the companies spay similar attention in all 3 dimensions, regardless of economic sector and index. We can say that good sustainability reports showing deeper sustainability concerns and business practices related are acting accordingly to the Stakeholder and Legitimacy theories, regardless of their level of adherence to GRI
Induction of Epstein-Barr virus lytic cycle by tumor-promoting and non-tumor-promoting phorbol esters requires active protein kinase C

Exposure to the tiglian 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) represents one of the most efficient and widely used protocols for inducing Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected cells from latent into lytic cycle. Since TPA is both a potent tumor promoter and a potent activator of the cellular protein kinase C (PKC), we sought to determine whether either of these activities was closely linked to EBV lytic cycle induction. A panel of TPA structural analogs, encompassing tiglians with different spectra of biological activities, was assayed on a number of EBV-positive B-lymphoid cell lines. Lytic cycle induction correlated with the capacity to activate PKC, not with tumor promoter status; some nonpromoting tiglians were as efficient as TPA in inducing lytic cycle antigen expression. We then sought more direct evidence for an involvement of PKC in the induction process. In initial experiments, 1-(5-isoquinolinyl sulphonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), the best available pharmacological inhibitor of PKC, completely blocked the induction of the lytic cycle by TPA and its active analogs. This is consistent with, but does not prove, a requirement for active PKC in the induction process, since H-7 targets PKC preferentially but also has some effects on other kinases. We therefore turned to the synthetic pseudosubstrate peptide PKC(19-36) as a means of specific PKC inhibition and to the closely related but inactive peptide PKC(19-Ser-25-36) as a control. Using the technique of scrape loading to deliver the peptides into cells of an adherent EBV-positive target line, we found that the pseudosubstrate peptide PKC(19-36) completely and specifically blocked tiglian-induced entry of the cells into the lytic cycle. The evidence both from TPA analogs and from enzyme inhibition studies therefore indicates that the pathway linking TPA treatment to lytic cycle induction involves active PKC. Interestingly, inhibition of PKC had no effect upon the spontaneous entry into lytic cycle which occurs in naturally productive cell lines, suggesting that spontaneous entry is signalled by another route.
Effects of Foreign Banks Entry on Bank Performance in the CEE Countries

The purpose of this paper is to estimate empirically the short-term effects of foreign banks entry on bank performance in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries. A sample of 219 banks from ten CEE countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia) is used in the analysis. The research results show that foreign banks entry affects negatively domestic banks’ revenues from interest-earning assets, non-interest income, and profitability. Foreign banks entry can also raise the overhead costs of the local banks in short term. The general conclusion is that foreign banks entry is likely to increase competition in the host country.
Folate distribution in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum durum Desf.) pearled fractions.

BACKGROUND Wholegrain cereals are an important source of folates. In this study, total folate was analysed in pearled fractions of barley and wheat cultivars employing AOAC Official Method 2004.05. In particular, the distribution of folate in the kernels was evaluated in three barley cultivars (two hulled types and a hulless one as well as two- and six-row types) and in a common and a durum wheat cultivar. RESULTS A noticeable variation in the folate content was observed between the barley [653-1033 ng g(-1) dry matter (DM)] and wheat cultivars (1024-1119 ng g(-1) DM). The highest folate content was detected in the hulless barley cultivar (1033 ng g(-1) DM). A significant reduction in total folate, from 63% to 86%, was observed in all cultivars from the outermost to the innermost pearled fractions. CONCLUSION Results proved that folates are mainly present in the germ and in the outer layers of the kernel. This is the first study reporting the folate distribution in kernels of both common and durum wheat and in a hulless barley cultivar. Results suggest that the pearling process could be useful for the selection of intermediate fractions that could be used in order to develop folate-enhanced ingredients and products.
Applying State-of-the-Art Techniques for Embedded Software Adaptation

Embedded software systems affect critical functions of our daily lives (e.g., software used in automobiles, aircraft control systems), and represent a significant investment by government, scientific and corporate institutions. Modern research approaches for software engineering and programming language design, such as aspect-oriented software development and model-driven engineering have been investigated as effective means for improving modularization and reuse of software. However, one research trend for embedded system development has focused primarily on the underlying hardware, neglecting the need of applying advanced software engineering techniques for the several million lines of code existing in the embedded domain. In this paper, we evaluate the above mentioned state-of-the-art techniques as a viable solution for the development, analysis and evolution of embedded software systems.
Employee worktime control and health

The potential health effects of employee control over working times are poorly known in the field of work stress research. In this study, worktime control was hypothesized to buffer against stress by promoting successful combination of a full-time job with non-work demands and by enabling the work to be done at times of optimal resources. The participants were from the 10-Town Study, an ongoing longitudinal cohort study exploring employee health in ten Finnish towns. The survey responses on worktime control and health (baseline survey in 1997: n = 6442, 67%; follow-up survey in 2000–01: n = 32299, 67%) were linked to registered sickness absences from the employers' records. Employee worktime control covered the perceived possibilities to influence the starting and ending times of a workday, the breaks, handling private matters during the workday, the scheduling of shifts, vacations and days off, and the taking of unpaid leaves, each of which was rated on a 1–5 scale. In the follow-up survey, influence on the length of the workday was also assessed. After a factor analysis, the subdimensions of control over daily working hours and control over days off were focused. It turned out that low worktime control predicted poor subjective health, psychological distress, and medically certified sickness absences for women. For men, low worktime control was not associated with subjective health, but predicted medically certified sickness absences for those with dependent children or employed in manual occupations. With respect to work stress, the men and women suffering from job strain or effort-reward imbalance had less medically certified sickness absences if they at least had control over their working times. The men and women with long domestic and total working hours and long commuting hours gained most from high worktime control in that their medically certified sickness absences were reduced. Vulnerability to long domestic and total working hours in terms of such absences was seen among both men and women, but there were few men working long domestic hours. Long paid working hours as such were not associated with sickness absences. In sum, high worktime control appeared to buffer against health problems and to promote a successful integration of domestic responsibilities with a full-time job. The findings expand the focus of work stress research and emphasize the importance of taking conditions at home into account when analysing employee health.
COLLABORATIVE MIND MAP TOOL TO FACILITATE REQUIREMENT ELICITATION

Requirements elicitation is a crucial task in any software development process. It is notable as a major contributor to the project failure. To minimize and subsequently improve the process, folding Mind Map concept in the elicitation process and implementing it collaboratively is being proposed in this study. The aim of the study is to study the impact of the Mind Map and groupware in facilitating requirements elicitation. A prototype based on PowerMeeting is developed to illustrate the idea of mind map groupware called Collaborative Mind Map Tool (CMMT) which to be analyzed its impact towards requirement elicitation process.
The estimated temperature error using an infrared thermal imaging camera

The calculation of energy efficiency of buildings has carried out based of the measurements (external and internal building temperature, emissivity of the outer and inner surfaces of the wall) and the appropriate construction parameters. The aim of this paper is to show the impact of changes of emissivity on the accuracy of the temperature of building materials and heat flux construction. The experiment has been performed using Infrared Thermal Imaging Camera FLIR T 420. The samples have been building materials- brick, tin, a type of marble and piece of fir. The analysis of the generated images has been done in FLIR Tools+ software package. We have obtained that the temperature error is different for the given buildings materials. The maximum absolute temperature error is approximately 0.4°C.
Military Service and Civilian Labor Market Outcomes: Comparing Employment of Post-9/11 Veterans and Nonveterans

Veterans struggle to enter the civilian labor market following military service. Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, over 3.2 million Americans have served in the military. Upon returning home, these veterans are twenty percent more likely to be unemployed than nonveterans (7.2% vs 6%, respectively). This study investigates the association between military service and employment outcomes (employment status and weekly earnings) for post-9/11 veterans, a heretofore understudied group. Data was obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS) Veteran Supplement. Linear probability models and OLS regressions were utilized to compare employment outcomes between veterans and nonveterans of similar age, education and race/ethnicity (“veteran effect”). Findings suggest that the veteran effect on employment is negative while the veteran effect on earnings, given employment, is positive. This is likely because of selection bias; the most productive veterans find employment and therefore command higher wages. Veteran effects differ by race and ethnicity, length of military service and time since service. Policymakers should tailor transition programs to the most vulnerable veterans, such as long-term military personnel.
The Banks that Said No: Banking Relationships, Credit Supply and Productivity in the United Kingdom

This paper uses a large firm-level data set of UK companies and information on their pre-crisis lending relationships to identify the causal links from changes in credit supply to the real economy following the 2008 financial crisis. Controlling for demand in the product market, we find that the contraction in credit supply reduced labour productivity, wages and the capital intensity of production at the firm level. Firms experiencing adverse credit shocks were also more likely to fail, other things equal. We find that these effects are robust, statistically significant and economically large, but only when instruments based on pre-crisis banking relationships are used. We show that banking relationships were conditionally randomly assigned and were strong predictors of credit supply, such that any bias in our estimates is likely to be small.
Increased soluble CD14 levels in BAL fluid in pulmonary tuberculosis.

INTRODUCTION CD14 is a cell surface glycoprotein expressed mainly on mature monocytes and macrophages. Soluble CD14 (sCD14) is present in normal plasma and is found increased in serum of patients with septicemia, polytrauma, and sarcoidosis. In active sarcoidosis, increased levels of sCD14 in BAL supernatant have been demonstrated. STUDY OBJECTIVE To investigate sCD14 levels in BAL of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), another inflammatory disease characterized by granuloma formation. METHODS BAL was performed in 12 patients with active but untreated PTB and 12 healthy persons. Cytologic and immunocytologic characteristics were determined. sCD14 was measured by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS The level of sCD14 in patients with PTB was increased compared with controls (mean +/- SEM: 34.4 +/- 9.6 ng/mL vs 11.5 +/- 2.2 ng/mL; p = 0.02). No correlation was found between sCD14 levels and BAL cell differentials or lymphocyte surface markers. CONCLUSION Similar to sarcoidosis, increased levels of sCD14 are found in BAL supernatant of PTB patients.
Role of cerebral amyloid angiopathy in intracerebral hemorrhage in hypertensive patients

Objective: To assess the interaction of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and arterial hypertension as cofactors for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods: The authors investigated 129 postmortem brains of hypertensive patients with and without ICH. Sixty-four patients had had deep (n = 40) or lobar (n = 24) ICH. Sixty-five patients without ICH served as controls. Established risk factors for ICH (age, gender, severity of hypertension, bleeding disorders, intake of anticoagulants, and chronic alcoholism) were identified from medical records. Four specimens per brain were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Congo red. The entire ICH cohort and subgroups were compared with controls using single-factor and multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: CAA was found in 15 of 64 subjects (23%) with ICH and in five of 65 controls (8%; p = 0.026). In single-factor analysis, CAA was more prevalent in lobar ICH compared with controls (p = 0.007) but not in deep ICH. Poor control of hypertension was more prevalent in the entire ICH group (p = 0.01) and in deep ICH (p = 0.016) but not in lobar ICH. ICH was predictive of the presence of CAA (odds ratio: 5.6, 95% CI: 1.8 to 19.5, p = 0.003), and CAA was more likely to be found in lobar ICH in multivariable-adjusted analysis. After adjustment for conventional risk factors, there was a weak association between CAA and deep ICH. Conclusion: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy plays a major role in the pathogenesis of intracerebral hemorrhage even in patients with more evident risk factors.
R&D Agency as a Support to Regional Innovative System

RD agency is a kind of typical knowledge intensive business services(KIBS) , which becomes a very important media of developing innovative network, of promoting international and regional competitiveness , and of completing the increasing scale returns. In China, the lagged development of service and the government's control over agency have restricted the formation and development of innovative network. Therefore, we should construct our innovative networks by deepening the institutional reform, improving agency service of RD, reinforcing the study of innovative networks, and developing knowledge - intensive business service.
Empirical Study on the Efficiency of Chinese Banks

Efficiency is the key indication of the competitive strength of banks. In China today, the technical efficiency of joint-stock banks is evidently higher than that of state-owned commercial banks. The technical efficiency loss of the state-owned commercial banks almost resulted entirely from scale efficiency loss, but the ratio is over 50 percent in joint-stock banks. The scale-yield ratio of the state-owned commercial banks decreases by degrees, while that of the joint-stock banks mainly remains the same or increases by degrees. Therefore, state-owned commercial banks should recall or spit-down their unprofitable branches, reduce managerial and administrative cost, so as to bring scale efficiency into full play. The joint-stock banks should pay much attention to the control of their scale expansion, so as to fully enjoy the benefit resulted from the economy of scale.
Robot kinematics made easy using RoboAnalyzer software

RoboAnalyzer is a software based on 3D model of robots. It was developed primarily for teaching and learning of robot mechanics, although it is robust enough for the use by researchers as well. The motive behind the development of RoboAnalyzer was mainly to help teachers and students get started with teaching/learning of robotics using template‐based skeleton models or CAD models of serial robots. This minimizes the time otherwise spent on modeling, programming, and simulating the robots from scratch. In this article, we focus on the visualization of the Denavit Hartenberg (DH) parameters used to define a robot's architecture, and the modeling of the robot's input‐output motion characteristics, that is, robot kinematics, using them. The advantages of using RoboAnalyzer to overcome several challenges of learning robotics in a classroom environment are also discussed.
Generalized Unequal Error Protection Rateless Codes for Distributed Wireless Relay Networks

A generalization of unequal error protection (UEP) rateless codes and distributed rateless codes for distributed relay networks is proposed. We consider a two-hop relaying network where a single source transmits UEP rateless coded data to a destination via multiple relays. At the relays, the UEP rateless coded symbols are re-encoded by distributed rateless codes (DRC) to minimize the redundancy at the second hop. Previously introduced UEP rateless codes (URC) have supported a limited number of importance classes, mostly two classes, and targeted importance levels suited to a specific application. In this paper, however, we formulate an optimization problem to provide optimal URC in terms of the symbol error rate (SER) given any specific number and strengths of importance levels. Next, another optimization is proposed to obtain DRC with the minimum SER at a given overhead, which utilizes information of common symbols among the relays. The optimization methods are based on the AND-OR tree analysis and sequential quadratic programming. In addition, we evaluate the minimum achievable end-to-end symbol error rates over the wireless relay networks.
A Theory of Multiscale, Curvature-Based Shape Representation for Planar Curves

A shape representation technique suitable for tasks that call for recognition of a noisy curve of arbitrary shape at an arbitrary scale or orientation is presented. The method rests on the describing a curve at varying levels of detail using features that are invariant with respect to transformations that do not change the shape of the curve. Three different ways of computing the representation are described. They result in three different representations: the curvature scale space image, the renormalized curvature scale space image, and the resampled curvature scale space image. The process of describing a curve at increasing levels of abstraction is referred to as the evolution or arc length evolution of that curve. Several evolution and arc length evolution properties of planar curves are discussed. >
The Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with a Plant-Based Diet

Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Abbreviations: APOA1: Apolipoprotein A1; APOB: Apolipoprotein B; ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate; BMI: Body Mass Index; CRP: Cardio-Reactive Protein; DAG: Diacylglycerol or Diglyceride; FACoA: Fatty Acyl CoA; HbA1C: Hemoglobin A1c; HOMA-IR: Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance; HDL: High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol; HSCRP: Highly Sensitive Cardio Reactive Protein; IL6: Interleukin 6; INSIG-1: Insulin Induced Gene-1; IRS-1: Insulin Receptor Substrate 1; LDL: Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol; PCBs: Polychlorinated Biphenyls; PCDDs: Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins; PCDF: Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans; PGC1α: Peroxisome ProliferatorActivated Receptor Gamma-Coactivator-1 Alpha; POPs: Persistent Organic Pollutants; ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species; SDHA: Succinate Dehydrogenase; SFRP5: Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 5; T2DM: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; TC: Total Cholesterol; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor
The schizophrenic mind.

Page 1 of 3 The first time Chris Coles heard the voice, it spoke to him after midnight. In a gentle tone, it instructed him to meet his friend at a beach cove, right then, and apologize: Chris, the voice told him, had been planning to date the friend's girlfriend. Although Coles was planning no such thing, he did as instructed, arriving at the cove at 2 a.m. It was deserted. He dismissed the incident; imagination, after all, can play tricks in the twilight between waking and dreaming. But the voices kept intruding. Coles saw visions, too. At the beach near his California home, he often saw a profusion of whales and dolphins swimming onto the beach, and a golden Buddha glowing from the bushes by the dunes. "I also had delusions of grandeur," says Coles, now 47. "I felt that I had power over things in nature, influence over the whales and dolphins and waves. I thought I could make things happen magically in the water. "
Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and body weight

In animal studies, n-3 PUFA have been shown to influence body composition and to reduce the accumulation of body fat, thereby affecting body weight homeostasis. In addition, it has been suggested that an additional supply of n-3 PUFA during pregnancy or lactation, or both, would have a beneficial effect on birth weight and infant growth and development. The purpose of the present study was to systematically review interventional clinical trials on the effects of dietary n-3 PUFA supplementation on body weight in adult subjects and in infants whose mothers were supplemented with these fatty acids during pregnancy and/or lactation. A systematic search, focused on n-3 PUFA and body weight, and limited to controlled clinical trials, was performed in different databases. The quality of all included studies was assessed against set criteria, and results of eligible trials were compared. There were few studies targeting this topic. In adults, all of the five studies included, except for one, show no change in body weight by dietary supplementation with n-3 PUFA. Within those trials conducted in pregnant and/or lactating women in which a main outcome was birth weight or growth in infancy, two showed a modest increase in birth weight and the rest showed no effect. None of the trials showed an effect of maternal n-3 PUFA supplementation on infant's weight at the short term. However, it should be noted that a number of limitations, including a variety of experimental designs, type and doses of n-3 PUFA, and high attrition rates, among others, make impossible to draw robust conclusions from this review.