Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The ebbing hegemon? An evolutionary perspective on the emergence of holistic governance and the efficient role of Institutional Investors in Environmental, Social and Governance issues (ESG)

This paper seeks to chronicle the roots of corporate governance form its narrow shareholder perspective to the current bourgeoning stakeholder approach while giving cognizance to institutional investors and their effective role in ESG in light of the King Report III of South Africa. It is aimed at a critical review of the extant literature from the shareholder Cadbury epoch to the present day King Report novelty. We aim to: (i) offer an analytical state of corporate governance in the Anglo-Saxon world, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Far East Asia and Africa; and (ii) illuminate the lead role the king Report of South Africa is playing as the bellwether of the stakeholder approach to corporate governance as well as guiding the role of institutional investors in ESG.
Present status of attenuated live virus poliomyelitis vaccine.

• Various studies, summarized here, have established beyond doubt that immunization of humans by the oral route of administration not only is possible but has been successfully accomplished. Since attenuated strains of poliovirus were found to vary greatly in the extent of their residual neurotropism for the most sensitive lower motor neurons as well as in the homogeneity of their populations, the crucial problem was to find strains that were so highly attenuated and homogeneous that one would be justifed in using them in increasingly larger numbers of humans in those stepwise tests that must precede any trial of such a vaccine on a large scale. The finding of such strains after tests on the progeny of large numbers of individual virus particles is here described.
Design of 11 T Twin-Aperture  ${\rm Nb}_{3}{\rm Sn}$ Dipole Demonstrator Magnet for LHC Upgrades

The LHC collimation upgrade foresees two additional collimators installed in the dispersion suppressor regions of points 2, 3 and 7. To obtain the necessary longitudinal space for the collimators, a solution based on an 11 T dipole as replacement of the 8.33 T LHC main dipoles is being considered. CERN and FNAL have started a joint development program to demonstrate the feasibility of technology for this purpose. The program started with the development and test of a 2-m-long single-aperture demonstrator magnet. The goal of the second phase is the design and construction of a series of 2-m-long twin-aperture demonstrator magnets with a nominal field of 11 T at 11.85 kA current. This paper describes the electromagnetic design and gives a forecast of the field quality including saturation of the iron yoke and persistent-current effects in the coils. The mechanical design concepts based on separate collared coils, assembled in a vertically split iron yoke are also discussed.
Advanced rule driven transaction management

A framework to specify and execute application-specific protocols is proposed starting from a transaction processing background. These services are intended to be used by tools such as programming languages, which provide the appropriate user abstractions. Components export generic specifications of their subcomputations in terms of coordination events. Protocols specified by dependencies among the events allow the coordination of subcomputations. <<ETX>>
Quaternary Structure of the Native GABAA Receptor Determined by Electron Microscopic Image Analysis

Abstract: In the transmitter‐gated ion channel class of receptors, the members of which are all believed to be heterooligomers, the number and arrangement of the subunits are only known with any certainty for the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo electric fish. That receptor has been shown to possess a pentameric rosette structure, with five homologous subunits (α2βγδ) arranged to enclose the central ion channel. The data were obtained by electron image analysis of two‐dimensional receptor arrays, which form as a consequence of that receptor's exceptionally high abundance in the Torpedo membranes and are therefore not attainable for other receptors. We have applied another direct approach to determine the quaternary structure of native ionotropic GABA receptors. We have purified those receptors from porcine brain cortex and analysed the rotational symmetry of isolated receptors visualized by electron microscopy. The results show the receptor to have a pentameric structure with a central water‐filled pore, which can now be said to be characteristic of the entire superfamily.
The intubating laryngeal mask airway in failed and difficult intubation

The editorial by Nicholl and Williatts (Anaesthesia 1998, 53, 1141–3) summarises again the Department of Health (DoH) document for the future of paediatric intensive care services in the United Kingdom [1]. As in the editorial in the British Medical Journal [2], the authors review the current proposals. No mention is made as to whether the proposed target of July 1998, after which children should no longer be looked after in the inappropriate location of general children’s wards, has been met. It is difficult to grasp, with the limited quality of the evidence for centralisation, how the DoH reached its conclusions. These studies have all used outcome as the criteria for good performance and quality of care. This is surely inappropriate in a speciality that has a less than 5% mortality. The studies have also used different scoring systems. The paediatric risk of mortality (PRISM) system was developed in the USA and scores the worst variable at 24 h whilst the paediatric index of mortality (PIM) is an Australian system that scores variables on admission. There is currently no consensus on which is the gold standard and neither has been fully validated in the British paediatric population. These issues, coupled with the fact that family and community opinions do not seem to have been taken into account, and the feeling that the Framework document is skewed towards infant and neonatal care [3], suggest that wastage of scarce resources is again taking place. What was needed, before recommendations, was good quality, properly funded long-term outcome data and research into the appropriate assessment of quality of paediatric intensive care. Once again, the gate has been shut long after the horse has bolted.
The Effects of Foreign Monitoring on Audit Quality: Evidence from Korea

This paper examines (1) whether the presence of foreign shareholders and foreign directors enhances audit quality using metrics such as auditor size and audit fees; and (2) whether the relationship between foreign monitors and audit quality is particularly greater when agency problems between shareholders and managers increase. Our dataset includes 1,574 non-financial companies listed on the Korea Stock Exchange from 2000 to 2003. Our study shows that the presence of foreign shareholders and foreign directors increases audit quality. Furthermore, the presence of foreign monitors improves the audit quality of firms controlled by professional management more than that of owner-controlled firms.
Predictive digital current mode controlled DC-DC converter with duty calibration technique

Predictive digital current mode control for DC-DC converter is implemented in this paper. Actually, system delay resulted from ADC conversion and compensator calculation would cause the current-loop response to become slower and thus have worse transient performance. In order to improve the current-loop response to reach one-cycle delay, this paper proposes a duty calibration technique for predictive digital average current mode controlled buck converter. Experimental results can prove that the technique for one-cycle delay is feasible and improve transient performance.
Gestão da manutenção em edifícios: modelos para uma abordagem LARG (Lean, Agile, Resilient e Green)

Given buildings’ complexity, technological dimension and functional requirements, it is necessary to equate models so as to ensure the performance of maintenance management of their physical assets. The LARG (Lean, Agile, Resilient and Green) concept provides an innovative and comprehensive insight in the response to current technical, economic and competitive needs. This study promotes the concepts of LARG paradigms in an approach of integration to maintenance management of physical assets in buildings. The model developed seeks to establish a vision of proactive maintenance that enables facilities’ maximum reliability, availability and comfort, ensuring the building’s efficiency and service quality throughout its life cycle, providing environmental safety of people and property, at optimised costs. The LARG model aims at contributing to a better performance of activities’ maintenance management, verifying aspects that are, currently, critical within the scope of its performance and in line with organisations’ business strategies. This dissertation proposes a model to assess maintenance management performance, integrating its various aspects within the scope of LARG paradigms. This model is based on the use of a harmonised system of key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The methodology encompasses the selection of KPIs that are relevant for maintenance, through the application of MCDA (Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding) methods, considering the decision maker’s preference. The model of assessment of maintenance management performance is established through the weighted aggregation of KPIs selected for LARG categories. The methodology was applied to a case study based on the maintenance management of activities of an airport. Relevant KPIs in the measurement of key aspects of maintenance integrated in LARG categories were identified and developed. The methodology allowed selecting the most relevant KPIs with the preference of the decision maker. Results of LARG assessment provided an overall analysis of maintenance performance that involved the interpretation of the goals attained and the perception of the most worrying deviations. It is up to maintenance managers to determine guidelines for the technical, functional and organisational adjustments of maintenance. The implementation of the proposed methodology enables organisations to optimise the maintenance management of their assets with better performance, at a lower cost, with a responsive technical and operational management, with reduced risks, resilient to adversity and, above all, with environmental responsibility.
Seller Search and Market Outcomes in Online Auctions

It has become widely accepted that information technology (IT) has had a profound influence on market transactions, with lower search costs for buyers often considered the key to lower prices and higher consumer welfare. However, sellers also use online channels to search for buyers whose product preferences and valuations match the sellers' offerings, and limited research has examined the impact of IT on sellers' search strategies or associated market outcomes. In this study, we investigate how market characteristics, the length of time the seller searches the auction marketplace for a buyer, and seller search in other websites influence the final sale price in online auctions. The online auction market for used vehicles provides a valuable opportunity to observe search processes of sellers, as the unique vehicle identification number associated with each vehicle enables the tracking of an individual item across both subsequent auctions and across other websites. We find that the market characteristics, duration of search, and search in other websites are each associated with a higher final sale price. Our findings highlight the importance of examining both buyer and seller search behaviors to further our understanding of the impacts of IT on market outcomes and efficiency.
An efficient Access Control Protocol for cloud data security using Hyper Elliptic Curve Cryptography

One of the popular area in Information Technology (IT) is Cloud computing. It provides services such as Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) in on-demand basis. Clouds are capable of servicing millions of user requests. Due to huge amount of sensitive information are stored in cloud there is a need to authorize and authenticate users to prevent attacks that can be performed over the cloud. The cloud era has brought various challenges to handle malicious insider and cyber-attacks. By setting access control for cloud users only authorized users can have access valid cloud-provide service. Cryptographic techniques is be used to enforce some form of access control. The proposed HECKBE system protocol which includes the additional feature of applying hyper elliptic cryptography to exhibit a higher and secured authentication method which are used to provide access control to the valid users to gain access from cloud. A protocol HECKBE is applied to obtain privacy and authenticity. It is used to secure highly sensitive information like Health records, Financial records and various societal applications in cloud.
Klimat organizacyjny jako czynnik rozwoju przedsiębiorstw usługowych

roblematyka rozwoju organizacji jest przedmiotem szczególnego zainteresowania badaczy organizacji i zarządzania. Pytania o to, dlaczego pewne przedsiębiorstwa rozwijają się szybciej od innych, dlaczego pewne przedsiębiorstwa odnoszą trwały sukces, pełniąc rolę liderów w swoich branżach przez długie lata, są ciągle ważne i aktualne. Badacze zastanawiają się, gdzie tkwią źródła ponadprzeciętnych możliwości niektórych przedsiębiorstw. Wśród różnych objaśnień i hipotez stawianych w tym zakresie należy podkreślić rolę kultury organizacyjnej jako czynnika sprzyjającego osiągnięciu trwałego sukcesu. W odniesieniu do działalności usługowej badacze wskazują na klimat organizacyjny, jako na tę część kultury organizacyjnej, która pozostaje w ścisłym związku z jakością usług świadczonych przez przedsiębiorstwa oraz z ich rozwojem. Zorientowanie bowiem całej organizacji na doskonałe świadczenie usług prowadzi do osiągnięcia wysokiej satysfakcji klientów oraz ich lojalności, a tym samym do trwałego sukcesu rynkowego. Dlatego też stawia się problem zbadania stanu klimatu organizacyjnego w polskich przedsiębiorstwach usługowych.
Adaptive PI Algorithm of SSSC Controller for Power Flow of Power Systems Based on Neural Networks

Power system installed with SSSC is a large-scale nonlinear, indeterminist, multivariable system, and the traditional PI controller has a limited application in some cases because of its non-adaptive parameters. In this paper, a new control strategy of a SSSC based on self-adaptive PI algorithm with neural network is proposed for power flow control of power systems. In the proposed controller, an identification network is modeled to analyze the dynamics of power systems, and PI self-tuning parameters network is employed to obtain the optimal control parameters using training algorithm presented in this paper. With perfectly dynamic characteristics of controller, the real power and reactive power of power systems is flexibly controlled using PI regulating parameters with neural networks. A studying example is carried out to estimate good robustness and adaptability of the proposed controller in the MATLAB dynamic simulation platform. The results verified the adaptability and feasibility of the proposed control strategy in power flow control of power systems.
Paraoxonase promoter and intronic variants modify risk of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Background: The paraoxonases, PON1–3, play a major protective role both against environmental toxins and as part of the antioxidant defence system. Recently, non-synonymous coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), known to lower serum PON activity, have been associated with sporadic ALS (SALS) in a Polish population. A separate trio based study described a detrimental allele at the PON3 intronic variant INS2+3651 (rs10487132). Association between PON gene cluster variants and SALS requires external validation in an independent dataset. Aims: To examine the association of the promoter SNPs PON1−162G>A and PON1−108T>C; the non-synonymous functional SNPs PON1Q192R and L55M and PON2C311S and A148G; and the intronic marker PON3INS2+3651A>G, with SALS in a genetically homogenous population. Methods: 221 Irish patients with SALS and 202 unrelated control subjects were genotyped using KASPar chemistries. Statistical analyses and haplotype estimations were conducted using Haploview and Unphased software. Multiple permutation testing, as implemented in Unphased, was applied to haplotype p values to correct for multiple hypotheses. Results: Two of the seven SNPs were associated with SALS in the Irish population: PON155M (OR 1.52, p = 0.006) and PON3INS2+3651 G (OR 1.36, p = 0.03). Two locus haplotype analysis showed association only when both of these risk alleles were present (OR 1.7, p = 0.005), suggesting a potential effect modification. Low functioning promoter variants were observed to influence this effect when compared with wild-type. Conclusions: These data provide additional evidence that genetic variation across the paroxanase loci may be common susceptibility factors for SALS.
Special issue on technology and neuropsychological rehabilitation: Overview and reflections on ways to conduct future studies and support clinical practice

ABSTRACT In this editorial, we wish to highlight and reflect on research advances presented in the articles comprising this special issue on technology and neuropsychological rehabilitation, which happens to be published more than a decade after the first special issue on the subject. In 2004, the journal recognised the great potential of information technology for increasing the support provided to people with cognitive deficits, and published emerging state-of-the art practices in the field. Since that time, research and technology have made tremendous progress, and the influence of information technology on research methods has transformed the field of neurorehabilitation. The aim of this editorial is thus to shed light on methodological and conceptual issues requiring further attention from researchers and clinicians in the fields of neuropsychological rehabilitation and technology, and to stimulate debate on promising avenues in clinical research.
Autoradiographic quantification of serotonin1A receptors in rat brain following antidepressant drug treatment

There is growing evidence that the serotonergic (5‐HT) system is involved in the pathogenesis and treatment of major depression. The 5‐HT receptor subtype involved in the enhancing effect of antidepressant treatments, however, has not been identified. The present study was undertaken to quantify 5‐HT1A sites in the rat brain by autoradiography and membrane binding, using the selective ligand [3H]8‐hydroxy‐N, N‐dipropyl‐2‐aminotetralin (8‐OH‐DPAT), following long‐term antidepressant treatment. Following a 21‐day treatment with amitriptyline (10 mg/kg/day), there was a significant increase of [3H]8‐OH‐DPAT binding measured by autoradiography in the dorsal hippocampus, but there was no change in the nucleus raphe dorsalis; whole brain membrane binding revealed an increase in the number of binding sites, with no change in the affinity for [3H]8‐OH‐DPAT. Conversely, fluoxetine (10 mg/kg/day), a selective blocker of 5‐HT reuptake, and gepirone (10 mg/kg/day), a 5‐HT1A agonist, both administered for 21 days, significantly reduced [3H]8‐OH‐DPAT binding measured by autoradiography in the nucleus raphe dorsalis without altering hippocampal binding sites. The control active treatment with diazepam (2 mg/kg/day) did not alter [3H]8‐OH‐DPAT binding in the hippocampus or in the nucleus raphe dorsalis. All groups were compared to a 21‐day vehicle‐treated control group. These results are fully consistent with previous electrophysiological and behavioral studies and suggest that alterations of 5‐HT1A receptors might underlie the enhancement of 5‐HT neurotransmission by antidepressant treatments.
Mechanism of Gene Regulation by a Staphylococcus aureus Toxin

ABSTRACT The virulence of many bacterial pathogens, including the important human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, depends on the secretion of frequently large amounts of toxins. Toxin production involves the need for the bacteria to make physiological adjustments for energy conservation. While toxins are primarily targets of gene regulation, such changes may be accomplished by regulatory functions of the toxins themselves. However, mechanisms by which toxins regulate gene expression have remained poorly understood. We show here that the staphylococcal phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) toxins have gene regulatory functions that, in particular, include inducing expression of their own transport system by direct interference with a GntR-type repressor protein. This capacity was most pronounced in PSMs with low cytolytic capacity, demonstrating functional specification among closely related members of that toxin family during evolution. Our study presents a molecular mechanism of gene regulation by a bacterial toxin that adapts bacterial physiology to enhanced toxin production. IMPORTANCE Toxins play a major role in many bacterial diseases. When toxins are produced during infection, the bacteria need to balance this energy-consuming task with other physiological processes. However, it has remained poorly understood how toxins can impact gene expression to trigger such adaptations. We found that specific members of a toxin family in the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus have evolved for gene regulatory purposes. These specific toxins interact with a DNA-binding regulator protein to enable production of the toxin export machinery and ascertain that the machinery is not expressed when toxins are not made and it is not needed. Our study gives mechanistic insight into how toxins may directly adjust bacterial physiology to times of toxin production during infection. Toxins play a major role in many bacterial diseases. When toxins are produced during infection, the bacteria need to balance this energy-consuming task with other physiological processes. However, it has remained poorly understood how toxins can impact gene expression to trigger such adaptations. We found that specific members of a toxin family in the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus have evolved for gene regulatory purposes. These specific toxins interact with a DNA-binding regulator protein to enable production of the toxin export machinery and ascertain that the machinery is not expressed when toxins are not made and it is not needed. Our study gives mechanistic insight into how toxins may directly adjust bacterial physiology to times of toxin production during infection.