Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research on Physiological Reactions to Bath Salts Aroma

The bath salts is high-profile as its distinctive aroma makes people relaxed with fresh and energetic feelings. EEG is analyzed with the lavipeditum bath method in this study and the physiological reactions (relaxation effects) are discussed and investigated in order to provide basic data for developing the practical products that can make life more comfortable and affluent by quantification for its effect. The experiment demonstrates that the physiological reaction generated by bath salts aroma is composed of the factor of energy difference value of the mid-alpha wave of the frontal lobe in the emotion field. The analysis on energy difference value of the mid-alpha wave that can cause physiological reaction in this experiment. In general, the aroma that induces a higher physiological reaction is the pomelo, green apple, sakura, rose, chamomile, peppermint for both sexes.
One Health Approach to Prevent Emergence and Spread of Emerging Zoonoses

We are now with an increased global trade, expanding agricultural systems, deforestation and urbanization which are predisposing factors to the emergence of many zoonoses. The concept of one health approach is broad and has much a potential to prevent emergence and spread of emerging zoonoses. The review was gird with the objectives: to raise awareness of the rationale about One Health and indicate the ways in which we veterinarians can participate in improving animal, public, and environmental health; and to indicate the power of One Health approach in tackling the emergence and spread of emerging zoonoses. Many emerging zoonoses have animal origins before their appearance in humans. Traditionally, approaches to health have focused on interventions such as human-based clinical treatment, emergency response, or vaccines. Most of health concerned sectors had been and are working fragmentally which would not be effective in prevention and control of the disease battles of the 21 st century. Even though there are many countries and organizations that are trying to implement and operationalize the concept of one health approach, in different parts of the world; still there are lack of awareness about one health and mistrust between the responsible bodies in animal, human, and environmental health sectors. In this era, there are increasing risks of zoonoses emergence and spread globally which need collaborative efforts to be taken into action. Continuous awareness creations and educations focused on the integrative approach should be given for the responsible bodies in; animal, human, and environmental health sectors; and notable emphasis should be given to risks of emerging zoonoses have on developing countries like our country, Ethiopia and one health should be implemented in different localities of these countries. Keywords : One health, emerging zoonoses, disease emergence
Predatory lending characteristics and mortgage default

In the wake of the housing bubble and subsequent crisis in mortgage foreclosures, exotic mortgages made to subprime borrowers, often labeled as “predatory” in nature, have taken a significant amount of blame for the large number of foreclosures. Mortgage loan characteristics which are often considered predatory include pre-payment penalties, negative amortization, balloon payments, interest-only mortgages, piggy-back loans, and no/low documentation loans. Subprime and Alt-A borrowers are most likely to have mortgages containing these characteristics since these borrowers represent a higher degree of default risk. Using discriminant analysis, this study will measure the association between predatory loan characteristics and subsequent default. The data comes from CoreLogic Information Solutions, Inc. (CoreLogic), who accumulate mortgage loan data for forecasting and analytical purposes. The study will also include an independent variable measuring housing price change. The results indicate that predatory loan characteristics and the risk of default were related to each other in a statistically significant manner, but the relative magnitude of the relationship was weak. In contrast, the research findings indicate that the impact of housing price changes in explaining mortgage defaults was substantially larger. The study will also develop a multivariate logistic regression model which confirms these results.
Predictors of the Response to Tolvaptan Therapy and Its Effect on Prognosis in Cirrhotic Patients with Ascites

Aims : The vasopressin V2 receptor antagonist, tolvaptan, has been reported to be effec tive in cirrhotic patients with ascites. Here, we evaluated predictors of the response to tolvaptan. Methods : A total of 97 patients with cirrhosis (60 males; median age, 63 years) who had been treated for ascites with oral tolvaptan were enrolled. Tolvaptan efficacy was defined as urine volume increase of ≥500 mL or a urine volume ≥2000 mL/day on the day following treatment. Normalization of the serum sodium (Na) level after 1 week of treatment and the posttreatment survival rate was analyzed. Results : Tolvaptan therapy resulted in effective urination in 67% of patients. A multivariate analysis revealed that the blood urea nitrogen/creatinine (BUN/Cr) ratio and urinary Na/potassium (Na/K) ratio were predictive of the tolvaptan response (p <0.05). The serum Na level was 135 (121–145) mEq/L, and normal levels were recovered in 50.0% of the patients with an initial Na level of <135 mEq/L. The posttreatment survival rate was significantly higher in patients who responded to tolvaptan therapy (p <0.05). Conclusions : The combination of the initial BUN/Cr and urine Na/K ratios and a normalized serum Na level after 1 week was predictive of a favorable outcome to tolvaptan therapy.
Inhibition of MDM2 by a Rhein-Derived Compound AQ-101 Suppresses Cancer Development in SCID Mice

A novel small-molecule anthraquinone (AQ) analogue, AQ-101, which was synthesized through chemical modification of the core structures of rhein, exhibited potent anticancer activity. In the present study, we evaluated the cancer-inhibiting mechanism of AQ-101 and tested the therapeutic potential of this compound for treating cancer in mice. We found that AQ-101 was able to induce MDM2 protein degradation through a self-ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated mechanism. This AQ-101–induced MDM2 downregulation led to activation of p53, which contributed to apoptosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), especially those with a wild-type p53 phenotype and MDM2 expression in vitro and in vivo. When given for a period of 2 weeks (20 mg/kg/day, 3×/week), AQ-101 inhibited development of ALL in nude or SCID mice with a human ALL xenograft and achieved cure by the end of the 5-month experiment. Importantly, AQ-101 showed minimal or no inhibitory effect on normal human hematopoiesis in vitro and was well tolerated in vivo in animal models. Given that MDM2-overexpressing cancers are commonly refractory to current treatment options, our study results suggest that further development of AQ-101 is warranted, as it represents a potentially new, safe anticancer drug with a novel strategy for targeting MDM2. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(2); 497–507. ©2017 AACR.
Adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility: Board Competencies and Roles

This study aims to discover non-executive directors’ competencies that important to improve their roles towards the adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). To begin with, the review of the existing body of literature on the topic of Corporate Governance (CG) codes and the survey of numerous postulations offered is conducted. A qualitative interpretive approach is adopted, based on in-depth interviews conducted with board and management levels of the two companies operate in Saudi Arabia. The key outcomes of the study suggest that (i) NEDs’ independence represents a typical practice in CG and; (ii) NEDs’ competencies and roles represent a governance issue which needs to be addressed via CG code to protect the stakeholder groups. The findings imply a shift in the recent focus on developing and reforming CG Codes towards CSR orientation and the growing role of NEDs in stakeholder’s protection. The key contribution of the study can be found in the enhancement of the current level of understanding of non-executive directors’ competencies and role and the improvement of CG codes to address the issue of stakeholder engagement. The multiple-theoretical framework including aspects of resources dependence, stakeholder and resource-based view of the firm theories allows for the interpretation of the link between NEDs competencies and roles in the CSR context. Board members and managers can find this study useful in improving the election criteria of NEDs’ appointing mechanisms. Additional implications relate to policy makers as the need for increasing the regulatory capacity and legal systems in the area of CG reform is highlighted. Stakeholder’s pressures and forced and normative variety in particular have the potential to enhance the level of CSR adoption.
INVESTIGATION OF INHIBITIVE ACTION OF UREA- ZN 2+ SYSTEM IN THE CORROSION CONTROL OF CARBON STEEL IN SEA WATER

The inhibition efficiency (IE) of Urea in controlling corrosion of carbon steel in sea water in the absence and presence of Zn 2+ has been evaluated by weight loss method. The formulation consisting of 250 ppm urea and 50 ppm Zn 2+ has 94% IE. It is found that the inhibition efficiency (IE) of urea increases by the addition of Zn 2+
The Challenges of Financing a Share Issue: An Empirical Investigation for Tunisian and French Companies

The aim of this paper is to study the impact of funding by issuing shares on the performance of the company. First, this work focuses on the conceptual framework of the interests of the financing package of debt and issuance of the shares. Second, it checks the implications of this issue on the performance of French and Tunisian companies.
On Gated Gaussian Impulsive Noise in M-QAM with Optimum Receivers

This paper presents an approach for the analysis of gated Gaussian impulsive noise and its effects in M-ary Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (M-QAM) schemes. In the approach, both amplitude variation and noisy pulse duration can be characterized as an amplitude modulation of the impulsive component by a discrete (binary or m-ary) random process. New exact expressions are obtained for the probability density function, autocorrelation function and power spectral density of the noise as well as for the bit error probability of M-QAM considering the maximum {\em a posteriori} probability optimum receiver. An important aspect of the proposed approach is the fact that the discrete random process incorporates the main parameters of the impulsive noise, such as amplitude, duration, instants in which the noise is added and time intervals between instants in which the noise is added.
Americas Conference on Information Systems ( AMCIS ) 2005 Information Quality in the Banking Industries

Poor information quality is very costly and may cause serious financial problems for industries. Customers, suppliers, stakeholders, and employees through the supply chain are negatively impacted as the result of poor information quality. Data quality problems are exacerbated in large organizational databases and distributed through the multiple data sources. Any decision making based on poor information quality can lead to a poor service, error in the statement, and ultimately loss of the customers. The objective of this research was to identify underlying dimensions of information quality and to assess the importance of each of these dimensions. Two different large banks were selected, with five branches among them. The IQ (Information Quality) questionnaires were sent to 278 employees of the banks that use information to serve internal or external customers. The result of the information quality analysis showed that all of the information quality dimensions except accessibility were significantly different between banks, but they were the same for branches within each bank. Reputation, believability, valueadded, and relevancy had the highest score; completeness, access, and security had the lowest score for all the banks.
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS AND RELIABILITY STUDY OF MULTI-PIECE RIMS

OF THESIS FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS AND RELIABILITY STUDY OF MULTI-PIECE RIMS Multi-piece wheels or rims used on large vehicles such as trucks, tractors, trailers, buses and off-road machines have often been known for their dangerous properties because of the large number of catastrophic accidents involving them. The main causes for these accidents range from dislocation of the rim components in the assembly, mismatch of the components, manufacturing tolerances, corrosion of components to tires. A finite element analysis of a two-piece rim design similar to one manufactured by some of the prominent rim manufacturers in the USA is undertaken. A linear static deformation analysis is performed with the appropriate loading and boundary conditions. The dislocation of the side ring with respect to the rim base and its original designer intent position is established using simulation results from ANSYS and actual rim failure cases. Reliability of the multi-piece rims is analyzed using the failure data provided by the rim manufacturers in connection with a lawsuit (Civil Action No. 88-C-1374). The data was analyzed using MINITAB. The effect of an OSHA standard (1910.177) on servicing multipiece rims was studied for change in failure patterns of different rims. The hazard functions were plotted and failure rates were calculated for each type of rim. The failure rates were found to be increasing suggesting that the standard had minimal effect on the accidents and failures. The lack of proper service personnel training and design defects were suggested as the probable reasons for the increasing failure rates.
Catering for the Needs of Gifted and Talented Students by Defining an Appropriate Curriculum

INTRODUCTION Gifted education is a universal issue that raises public attention in recent decade. The mission of education is to ensure that the educational needs of all students are met so that their potential can be fully developed. It follows that gifted and talented (G&T) students require ‘special’ education because of their extraordinary abilities and intelligence. When the development of gifted education in Hong Kong is still in its early stage, the Education Department and other related institutions have taken positive steps in planning and expanding the future development. Particularly, some literature studies assert the development of curriculum on gifted education is of great importance for accommodating the educational needs of G&T students. In this essay, I would like to discuss the issues about catering for the needs of gifted and talented students by designing an appropriate curriculum. A case study about a pilot school that undertakes the ‘school-based programme for academically gifted students’ highlights the implications for the school as a whole. In order to nurture high potential students with appropriate learning opportunities and challenges, the development of curriculum on gifted education is a critical aspect that requires considerable attention.
Modeling the optical constants of HgxCd1−xTe alloys in the 1.5–6.0 eV range

The optical constants of HgxCd1−xTe as a function of energy and composition x are modeled over a wide spectral range from 1.5 to 6 eV. The model employed represents an extension of Adachi’s model and incorporates the adjustable broadening function rather than the conventional Lorentzian one. In this way, greater flexibility of the model is achieved, enabling us to obtain an excellent agreement with the experimental data. The relative rms errors obtained for all compositions are below 2.5% for the real part and below 6% for the imaginary part of the index of refraction. The lowest rms errors are obtained for x=0 (0.6% for the real part and 0.7% for the imaginary part of the index of refraction), and the highest for the x=0.91 (2.4% for the real part and 5.8% for the imaginary part).
Female Counsellors in the Spanish Multinational Listed Companies (2012-2014)

One of the most important corporate governance controls widely studies the role performed by the board of directors and its consequences on the financial performance of companies. Different approaches analyse how a firm can improve its financial future and today parity on boards of directors represents a new research line. The presence of female counsellors may depend on legal and cultural approaches. As the institutional theory establishes, firms must be adapted to the countries where they operate in order to success when accessing financial markets. In this respect, this paper ads a new line of research based on whether a listed company operates in multiple countries or not and analyses the linkage between the multinational character of a company, the gender diversity of the board and the financial performance of the firm. This paper focuses on Spain, which could be ground-breaking on female presence on boards, as Norway is, but only follow light recommendations. The method used is regression analysis. The results show that the multinational characteristic of listed companies has no effect on gender diversity but that gender has a negative relation with the financial performance of these firms. Our study also opens various lines of future research.
A Case Study Based Analysis of the Extent to Which Organisations Plan for Human Resources in the Contemporary Business Environment

Human Resource Planning (HRP) is a complex subject, particularly at the time of increasingly turbulent business environments delivering far more discontinuities, which increases the tensions between the greater need for planning and the greater difficulties of prediction. Although a complex subject, the underlying purpose is straightforward, HRP is concerned with having the right people, with the right skills in the right places at the right time. The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature of, and to what extent companies are able to manage this complexity. For this study, eight case study companies from different industries have been used in order to identify if there are any industry-specific differences or trends regarding HRP aspects. One of the results from our investigation of the studied companies shows that the degree of stability in their respective industries, in terms of employee turnover and economic fluctuations, clearly influences the way in which they approach HRP. Key-words: Human Resource Management, Strategic Planning, Human Resource Planning, Turbulent Business Environment.
Pricing and Upgrade Strategies for Software Vendors in the SoftwareasaService Market Research$in$Progress

This study examines the competition between an independent software vendor (ISV) who offers a standard fixed$price software product and a cloud software vendor (CSV) who adopts a usage$based linear pricing scheme for its cloud$based software. Using a game theoretic approach, we set up a duopoly model to derive the optimal pricing and product feature choice decisions for both the ISV and the CSV in a market characterized with heterogeneous consumer preferences for software features, and different risk structures. Next, we plan to extend the duopoly model into a two$stage game and examine how the equilibrium outcomes change when we allow both vendors to exercise their software upgrade strategies. The results of our study will provide important implications to vendors and consumers in software markets where the Software$as$a$ Service (SaaS) business model began to prevail and contribute to the growing literature on economics of cloud computing.
Conditional expectations, traces, angles between spaces and representations of the Hecke algebras

In this paper we extend the results in [Ra] on the representation of the Hecke algebra, determined by the matrix coefficients of a discrete series, projective, unitary representation, of the ambient group to a more general, vector valued case. This method could be used to analyze the traces of the Hecke operators. We construct representations the Hecke algebra of a group G relative to an almost normal subgroup Γ in the ring (von Neumann) algebra of the group G tensor matrices. These representations are a lifting of Hecke operators to this larger algebra. By summing up the coefficients of the terms in the representation one obtains the classical Hecke operators. These representations were used in the scalar case in [Ra], to find an alternative representation of the Hecke operators on Maass forms, and hence to reformulate the Ramanujan Petersson conjectures as a problem on the angle (see e.g. A. Connes's paper [Co] on the generalization of CKM matrix) between two subalgebras of the von Neumann algebra of the group G: the image of the representation of the Hecke algebra and the algebra of the almost normal subgroup.
Primary care in England: coping with financial austerity.

General practices in England are currently facing possibly their most challenging financial circumstances since the NHS was founded in 1948.1 GPs and their primary care teams have traditionally been patients’ point of first contact with the NHS. Primary care teams are responsible for providing access to health services for all residents of England and dealing with most of the acute medical problems patients present with, as well as providing long-term care for people with chronic diseases. They also provide a wide range of systematic and opportunistic preventive and health promotion activities, such as smoking cessation services, NHS Health Checks, and screening for alcohol misuse. A strong primary care sector has allowed the NHS to make efficient use of resources, through the gatekeeping role that GPs have in controlling access to specialist services, and through the wide range of medical, social, and psychological problems that GPs and their teams manage through a mix of person-based and population-centred care. In the past decade, GPs have benefited from increased health spending on the NHS, leading to improved access and shorter waiting times for specialist services; and access to a wider range of services within primary care that are closer to patients’ homes. General practices also benefited from the implementation of a new contract and the introduction of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) in 2004 that led to an increase in the resources that the NHS allocated to primary care, and a greater focus on health targets. Additional flexibility in the provision of primary care services came from the introduction of personal medical services (PMS) contracts and local enhanced …
Linking Data Across Universities: An Integrated Video Lectures Dataset

This paper presents our work and experience interlinking educational information across universities through the use of Linked Data principles and technologies. More specifically this paper is focused on selecting, extracting, structuring and interlinking information of video lectures produced by 27 different educational institutions. For this purpose, selected information from several websites and YouTube channels have been scraped and structured according to well-known vocabularies, like FOAF, or the W3C Ontology for Media Resources. To integrate this information, the extracted videos have been categorized under a common classification space, the taxonomy defined by the Open Directory Project. An evaluation of this categorization process has been conducted obtaining a 98% degree of coverage and 89% degree of correctness. As a result of this process a new Linked Data dataset has been released containing more than 14,000 video lectures from 27 different institutions and categorized under a common classification scheme.