Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drivers for Embedding Sustainability Initiatives within Selected UK Industrial Sectors

Sustainability concerns the management of an organisation‘s total business impact upon its immediate stakeholders, the society, and the environment within which it operates. For businesses, however, the very concept of sustainability is elusive. The issue is not whether businesses will engage economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially responsible activities, but why they should do so. There is, however, little empirical research on the key drivers for implementing sustainability initiatives in, particular, UK industrial sectors, which is the core driver of this paper. Given the relatively new and unexplored nature of the research problem, the qualitative research methodology was adopted. Four industry sectors: energy and utilities; transportation; construction; and not-for-profit organisations (NPOs) were considered based on the environmental, social and economic impact on the UK society. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect industry perception, which was then analysed at aggregate and sector levels using content analysis for inference and conclusion. The data analysis revealed five key drivers that have fuelled the need for implementing sustainability initiatives. They are: reducing operating costs; protecting or enhancing organisational reputation; stakeholders‘ pressure; government regulation/legislation; and top management commitment. The study also revealed that drivers for implementing sustainability initiatives varied across the four sectors. This could be due to the fact that sustainability issues are highly industry-specific. The paper concludes that identifying and understanding drivers for implementing sustainability initiatives is a complex process. A complex mix of political, economic, social, and environmental forces drive UK industrial sectors to implement sustainability initiatives. Therefore, understanding the drivers for implementing sustainability initiatives is important. However, selecting and implementing sustainability initiatives depends on the type of industry and the driving forces affecting sustainability in that industry.
Patent Strategies of Technology Startups: An Empirical Study

How does a patent strategy affect a tech startup company’s growth? This is a fundamental question for technology entrepreneurs, investors, lawyers and the innovation system as a whole. In this study, I shed light on this issue by conducting an empirical analysis of the patenting strategies of technology startups, examining the relationship between a company’s patent applications and different events over the company’s life: rounds of investment received, company acquisition and closure. I provide the first comprehensive cross-industry analysis of this question, by analyzing the patent portfolios of United States startups listed in CrunchBase, a crowd-sourced registry of tech companies used by the startup industry. By looking into these companies’ public patent applications from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database between 2008 and 2012, I examine the patenting patterns of startups as they progress through funding rounds.Through a quantitative analysis, I find that companies based in California tend to patent more than in other states, and that companies that are venture-backed patent more than those who are not. I also unveil that most start-ups that patent file their first application before even receiving any reported funding. Moreover, I find that there is a significant positive relationship between patent protection, and receiving investment and being acquired. I further find that the number of patents (and not merely the fact that a company has patents or not) contributes to higher total funding. I finally observe that patenting early is also associated to higher funding, and that early may be more important for start-ups than what some views in venture capital may predict. I also conclude that while more patents are associated with higher funding, patents account for a relevant but small portion of a company’s success.The study provides novel insights on startup patenting strategies. It lays empirical groundwork on key circumstances under which patents can contribute to a startup’s growth, to provide important guidance to the legal and entrepreneurial communities.
The effect of the PREMIER interventions on insulin sensitivity.

OBJECTIVE This ancillary study of PREMIER sought to determine the effects on insulin sensitivity of a comprehensive behavioral intervention for hypertension with and without the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants were assigned to one of three nonpharmacologic interventions for blood pressure (group A, advice only; group B, established; and group C, established plus DASH). The established intervention included weight loss, reduced sodium intake, increased physical activity, and moderate alcohol intake; the DASH dietary pattern was added to the established intervention for those in group C. The DASH dietary pattern is high in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products while being lower in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. It is abundant in nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, and protein, which have been associated with improved insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity was measured at baseline and at 6 months using the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test with minimal model analysis. RESULTS Both intervention groups decreased total calories, percentage of calories from fat, and sodium intake to similar levels, with similar amounts of energy expenditure and weight loss. Covariate differences seen only in group C included increased intake of protein, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Compared with control subjects, insulin sensitivity improved significantly only in group C, from 1.96 to 2.95 (P = 0.047). Group B did have a significant decrease in fasting insulin and glucose, but the changes in insulin sensitivity did not reach statistical significance when compared with control subjects. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that including the DASH dietary pattern as part of a comprehensive intervention for blood pressure control enhances insulin action beyond the effects of a comprehensive intervention that does not include DASH.
GREM1 germline mutation screening in Ashkenazi Jewish patients with familial colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND A 40 kb ancestral germline duplication upstream of the GREM1 gene was reported in Ashkenazi families with hereditary mixed polyposis syndrome (HMPS). OBJECTIVE Assess the contribution of the GREM1 mutation to familial colorectal cancer (CRC) in Ashkenazim. METHODS Jewish Ashkenazi individuals (n = 472 155 males, 317 females) were genotyped for the GREM1 duplication, 194 with CRC, 131 had other cancer types (endometrial, pancreatic and ovarian) that show a syndromic association with CRC, and 147 were cancer-free with a suggestive family history of CRC. RESULTS One mutation carrier was found who fulfills the Amsterdam criteria for Lynch Syndrome (LS). The prevalence of this mutation amongst LS Ashkenazim is 0·7%. CONCLUSION If validated in additional studies it seems rational to recommend to look for the GREM1 founder mutation in Ashkenazi individuals with multiple colorectal polyps and/or fulfill the criteria for LS.
Evaluation of SET--a new device for the measurement of pain perception in comparison to standard measures of diabetic neuropathy.

BACKGROUND Early detection of sensory impairment and loss of protective pain sensation is of major importance for the prevention of neuropathic foot ulceration. The aim of our study was to evaluate a new handheld device (SET, a prototype developed by Dr. W. Henniges, Zülpich, Germany) for measurement of pain perception, in comparison with established methods for diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy. METHODS Sixty-one patients with diabetes mellitus (13 type 1, 48 type 2; 42 men, 19 women; mean +/- SD age 61.6 +/- 11.6 years) received measurement of pain perception threshold using the new SET device and a measurement of light touch sensation, temperature sensation, and vibration sensation by the use of standard clinical devices. In addition, warm, cold, heat pain and vibration perception thresholds were determined by the use of a computer-based peltier thermode and a vibration stimulator (TSA 2001, Medoc, Ramat Yishai, Israel). RESULTS Using the new SET device, patients with sensory impairment showed significantly elevated pain perception thresholds at the dorsum of the foot (P < 0.001), while only a trend towards higher measurements could be observed at the plantar aspect of the foot. A significant correlation could be observed between plantar and dorsal measuring sites (r = 0.78, P < 0.0001) and between both feet (r = 0.85, P < 0.0001). Compared with other qualities of sensory dysfunction, pain perception measurement with the SET device provided the highest sensitivity (pain = 0.82; vibration = 0.61; temperature = 0.42; light touch = 0.11). CONCLUSIONS Measurement of pain perception threshold using the SET device is an easy and reliable method for identifying patients with impaired small nerve fiber function.
The effects of arabinosylcytosine on cultured human lymphoma cells.

Summary Asynchronous human lymphoma cells incubated with various concentrations of 1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) for 1 hr did not exhibit loss of viability. A similar situation existed when ara-C was presented for 1 hr to synchronized cells at various points of the cell cycle. However, when treatment was extended for 48 hr in asynchronous populations, a decrease in survivors to about 2% was elicited. Synchronized S-phase cells exposed to ara-C for 14 hr also showed a decrease in survival to 4%. Incubation with ara-C inhibited triatiated thymidine uptake irreversibly for at least 8 hr after the drug was removed from the external environment. The fact that the lymphoma cells possess low levels of ara-C kinase may explain the ineffectiveness of the drug with short exposures. After 24 hr incubation, about 30% of the total intracellular ara-C had been incorporated into nucleic acids.
Empirical investigations into stock market integration and risk monitoring of the emerging Chinese stock markets

The degree of stock market integration has important implication for cross-border portfolio diversification, for which the Mainland China has become an attractive destination, particularly following the gradual open-up of its A-share market to foreign institutional investors. The first part of this thesis explores the various aspects of stock market integration taking place in Mainland China, in an attempt to resolve the ambiguity between extant empirical and anecdotal evidence on the issue. The evidence drawn from different statistical perspectives collectively establishes that the Mainland Chinese stock market is in a process of further integrating with a selection of world’s developed stock markets. Nevertheless, such increased integration should not preclude foreign institutional investors from diversifying into the Chinese A-share market, as the current integration is far from being complete. Adopting appropriate risk monitoring technique for venturing into the volatile Chinese Ashare market is another imperative issue faced by foreign institutional investors, whose risk practices and economic capital are largely regulated by the Basel Accord. The second leg of this thesis addresses this problem through an evaluation of various volatility forecasting models for Value-at-Risk (VaR) reporting. Our results highlight the importance of adopting heterogeneous risk monitoring models in different investment environments for the purpose of regulatory compliance and optimal economic capital allocation. Overall, the studies contained in this thesis should add knowledge to the burgeoning literature on international financial integration at large, while serving the interests of institutional investors, and financial regulatory authorities alike.
On Mergers, Acquisitions and Liquidation Using Specified Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)

A Specified Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) is formed to purchase operating businesses within a priori determined time period. SPACs existed in U.S capital markets since the 1920s. Their corporate structure has recently become debated in the legal and financial literatures, especially their structural response to regulations by the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the late 1990s. SPACs were traded on American Stock Exchange and Overt the Counter Bulletin Board. Since 2008, SPACs are listed on New York Stock Exchange and National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. This paper examines the determinants of the execution of mergers by SPACs.
Rearrangement of extracellular matrix during cluster formation by human luteinising granulosa cells in culture

Human ovarian granulosa cells were cultured on a basement membrane preparation (Matrigel) to investigate the role of extracellular matrix components in granulosa cell cluster formation. Time‐lapse videomicroscopy of these cultures revealed a rapid aggregation of cells which was initiated during the first 2–4 h of culture so that by 8 h most of the granulosa cells were incorporated into clusters. Further amalgamation then occurred with the transfer of cells along ‘bridges’ between combining clusters. The clustering process, which was complete by about 24 h, was accompanied by reorganisation of matrix which was visualised by immunolabelling of laminin. Clustering cells appeared to gather matrix which became distributed around the clusters. Confocal microscopy showed matrix to be present over the surface of each cluster as well as around the base apparently anchoring the aggregate to the culture surface. Results suggest the potential for active rearrangement of matrix by granulosa‐derived cells during corpus luteum development.
On Using the Phonemic Script in Language Teaching

My aim in this article is to examine the issue of whether or not to use the phonemic script in the language classroom. I began looking at this question in the context of two language classes I had who were preparing for an entrance test to enter the Air Traffic Control training school in Madrid. The English component of this test comprises a listening and an interactive section. Of the listening section, a large proportion of the marks are accounted for by a set of minimal pair discrimination exercises, perhaps reflecting the degree of aural accuracy required of air traffic controllers. Consequently, I found myself having to investigate methodological issues at the level of segmental phonology at a time when the mainstream of thought in pronunciation teaching was moving towards supra-segmental phonology. While the needs of these classes with regard to pronunciation skills are clearly rather specialized, I hope to show in this paper that the issue it addresses is of more widespread importance in language teaching.
Dynamic effects of CYP3A5 polymorphism on dose requirement and trough concentration of tacrolimus in renal transplant recipients

Tacrolimus is a widely used immunosuppressive drug with marked pharmacokinetic variability partly due to CYP3A5 polymorphism. Our study aimed to investigate the dynamic effects of CYP3A5 genotypes on dose requirement and trough concentration (C0) of tacrolimus in renal transplant recipients.
Activated CD47 promotes pulmonary arterial hypertension through targeting caveolin-1.

AIMS Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive lung disease characterized by pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodelling, leading to increased pulmonary vascular resistance and right heart failure. Loss of nitric oxide (NO) signalling and increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-derived oxidative stress are central to the pathogenesis of PAH, yet the mechanisms involved remain incompletely determined. In this study, we investigated the role activated CD47 plays in promoting PAH. METHODS AND RESULTS We report high-level expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) and CD47 in the lungs of human subjects with PAH and increased expression of TSP1 and activated CD47 in experimental models of PAH, a finding matched in hypoxic human and murine pulmonary endothelial cells. In pulmonary endothelial cells CD47 constitutively associates with caveolin-1 (Cav-1). Conversely, in hypoxic animals and cell cultures activation of CD47 by TSP1 disrupts this constitutive interaction, promoting eNOS-dependent superoxide production, oxidative stress, and PAH. Hypoxic TSP1 null mice developed less right ventricular pressure and hypertrophy and markedly less arteriole muscularization compared with wild-type animals. Further, therapeutic blockade of CD47 activation in hypoxic pulmonary artery endothelial cells upregulated Cav-1, increased Cav-1CD47 co-association, decreased eNOS-derived superoxide, and protected animals from developing PAH. CONCLUSION Activated CD47 is upregulated in experimental and human PAH and promotes disease by limiting Cav-1 inhibition of dysregulated eNOS.
How Personality Makes a Difference

ABSTRACT This paper is one of 18 selected by the Editorial Review Board of The Journal of Advertising Research to be a ‘classic’ - an article that has withstood the test of time. First published in 1984, Plummer develops the theory that it is the brand personality (the part of a brand image that is not purely physical or functional) that determines its appeal - and that measuring and adjusting consumer perceptions of brand personality can really make a difference. He uses Dr Pepper as a case study.
Parietal and visceral endoderm differ in their expression of intermediate filaments.

Two layers of extra‐embryonic endoderm, viz. the parietal endoderm (PE) and the visceral endoderm (VE), arise in the mouse embryo shortly after implantation. Both cell populations apparently originate from the primitive endoderm of the blastocyst. While the endoderm differentiation has been studied both in the embryo and in the embryonal carcinoma model system, the investigation has been hampered by the paucity of unequivocal markers of differentiation, especially in the case of the PE. Here we show that the PE and VE of mouse conceptuses differ in their expression of intermediate filaments: while both cell types contain cytokeratin, expression of vimentin was only revealed in the cells of the PE. The association between the differentiation of PE and the appearance of vimentin filaments is discussed.
MAGE‐A4, a germ cell specific marker, is expressed differentially in testicular tumors

Testicular germ cell tumors are the most common malignancy in young males, and the frequency of these tumors has risen dramatically over the last century. Because it is known that the MAGE genes are expressed in a wide variety of tumors but are expressed only in the mitotic spermatogonia (germ cells) and in the primary spermatocytes in the normal testis, the authors screened the expression of MAGE‐A4 in a panel of testicular germ cell tumors.
Corporate Law and Practice of the Netherlands:Legal and Taxation

Selection of business organizational form types of corporations, formation, corporate purpose corporate finance, funding shares, share transfer distribution of powers, management of business affairs duties of members corporate litigation major corporate changes - amendments, statutory mergers, statutory split-ups, divisions and demergers, adoption of different legal form, dissolution, and transfer of corporate seat commercial register, public findings employee participation, Works Councils taxation.
Morning increase of whole blood viscosity in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVE Patients affected by obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and myocardial infarction. The pathophysiological mechanisms leading to increased vascular risk are still matter of debate. A relative morning hyperviscosity could be one of the leading mechanisms of cardiovascular morbidity which is actually known to be especially high in the morning hours. METHODS Whole blood viscosity (WBV) at seven shear rates, ranging from 0.47 to 118 sec(-1), haematocrit (Hct), and plasma fibrinogen (F) concentration, were measured on venous blood samples in 12 patients with OSAS and in 8 healthy controls at 8-9 p.m. and at 7-8 a.m. the morning after. WBV values were normalized on Hct by the computation of the standardised normal deviate z on the normal database of the laboratory. RESULTS No changes were observed in controls. Hct, F and normalized WBV (independently from Hct changes) significantly increased in the morning hours in OSAS patients. CONCLUSIONS Viscosity of whole blood increases in the morning in OSAS patients but not in healthy controls. This condition may be related to the increased susceptibility to cerebral ischemia in patients affected by OSAS, particularly evident in the early morning.
Oxidation of 14C‐labeled compounds perfused by microdialysis in the brains of free‐moving rats

The oxidative capacity of the brain for alternate substrates, glucose, lactate, pyruvate, acetate, glutamate, and glutamine was determined by using microdialysis to infuse 14C‐labeled compounds into the interstitial fluid of adult rat brain and by collecting the brain‐generated 14CO2 from the dialysis eluate. All compounds were readily oxidized. The recovery of 14CO2 was enhanced for those compounds metabolically close to entry into the TCA cycle or known to have a low interstitial concentration. Two compounds, pyruvate and lactate, demonstrated reciprocal competition when added as nonradioactive competitors. Oxidation of two amino acids, 14C‐glutamate and 14C‐glutamine, was stimulated by the addition of nonradioactive acetate and pyruvate. α‐Cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamate decreased 14C‐lactate and 14C‐pyruvate oxidation, consistent with the transport of both compounds via a monocarboxylate transporter. The results of this in vivo study support the results of previous in vitro studies that showed that a wide range of compounds formed from glucose in the brain are also oxidized in the brain for energy production. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The channel opening rate of adult‐ and fetal‐type mouse muscle nicotinic receptors activated by acetylcholine

1 expressing either the fetal (Q‐F18) or the adult (Q‐A33) complement of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits derived from mouse skeletal muscle. Pulses of ACh were applied to outside‐out patches of cell membrane by means of a fast perfusion system, at concentrations from 100 nM to 10 mM. We obtained current records with intracellular potentials of ‐60 and +40 mV. The goal of this study was to estimate the channel opening rate. 2 By fitting sums of exponentials to averaged responses, we estimated the rate of development of the current on the application of acetylcholine. The rate constant of the predominant exponential component (the on‐rate) ranges over 3 orders of magnitude, from around 100 s−1 (fetal) at low concentrations of ACh to over 100 000 s−1 (fetal and adult) at the highest concentrations. 3 We establish that our measurement of the on‐rate is not limited by technical constraints, and can therefore be related to the rate constants of a kinetic scheme. Our observations are consistent with a model having a rate‐limiting channel opening step with a forwards rate constant (β) of 80 000 s−1 on average for adult receptors and 60 000 s−1 for fetal receptors, and a minimum opening to closing ratio (β/α) of around 33 (adult) or 50 (fetal). The channel opening rate, β, varies from around 30 000 s−1 to well over 100 000 s−1 for different patches. The large variation cannot all be ascribed to errors of measurement, but indicates patch to patch variation.