Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Reference Model of Sustainability Disclosure based on four Sustainability Stock Indexes

The study proposes to develop a reference model of sustainability disclosure based on the models and requirements of four sustainability indexes - Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Corporate Sustainability Index ISE, Frankfurt STOXX and Financial Times FTSE ESG. The approach employed to develop the model is a qualitative analysis of the complementarity among the Stock indexes above mentioned alongside a literature review on sustainability disclosure frameworks. There is no consensus around what should be measured and how. Yet, there is no study in the literature that has ever discussed the models of the sustainability stock indexes and the respective data required in each one of them or compared these models and their requirements. The present study attempts to fulfill this gap by examining the initiatives and requirements of four prominent sustainability indexes. This study contributes to the sustainability responsible investment literature. The inclusion of a firm in a sustainability index can be perceived as a positive signal by investors and this can be explained by signaling theory. This analysis can help investors and/or socially responsible fund managers to screen the stocks against this reference model and determine those firms that are more adherent to it.
Role of early region 3 (E3) in pathogenesis of adenovirus disease.

The cotton rat Sigmodon hispidus has provided an animal model of adenovirus pneumonia that permits investigation of the viral gene products required to produce the disease and the molecular mechanisms effecting the damage. This study was carried out to test the hypothesis that early region 3 (E3) of the adenovirus genome plays a critical role in pathogenesis of the virus's disease process even though none of its gene products are essential for its replication. Mutants whose E3 region is largely deleted (i.e., H2dl801 and H5dl327) replicated like wild-type virus in the cotton rats' lungs, but the lymphocyte and macrophage/monocyte inflammatory response was markedly increased. Viruses containing mutations that ablated production of the 19-kDa glycoprotein had the same effect as H2dl801 and H5dl327. However, mutants with deletions in the other E3 open reading frames, some of which encode known proteins, did not differ from wild-type virus in their pathogenic properties. The 19-kDa glycoprotein markedly reduces expression of the class I major histocompatibility complex antigens on the surface of infected cells. A complete correlation was found between those mutants that had increased pathogenic effects and those that lost the ability to reduce transport of the class I major histocompatibility complex antigens to surface of infected cells (i.e., all mutants unable to express the 19-kDa glycoprotein). H5sub304, which has a deletion between 83.2 and 85.1 map units in the E3B region and expresses the 19-kDa glycoprotein, did not increase the extent of pneumonia but qualitatively changed the inflammatory response in that increased numbers of polymorphonuclear leukocytes accumulated, often in small foci.
CtCdc55p and CtHal3p: Two putative regulatory proteins from Candida tropicalis with long acidic domains

The salt‐tolerance gene HAL3 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a novel regulatory protein (Hal3p) which modulates the expression of the ENA1 sodium‐extrusion ATPase (Ferrando et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. vol.15, 1995, pp.5470–5481). Hal3p contains an essential acidic domain rich in aspartates at its carboxyl terminus. We have isolated two cross‐hybridizing genes from a genomic library of Candida tropicalis. One of the genes (CtHAL3) is a true homolog of HAL3 and it partially complements the salt sensitivity of a S. cerevisiae hal3 mutant. The activity of CtHAL3 was equivalent to that of an open reading frame (YKL088w) identified by genome sequencing of S. cerevisiae and with homology to HAL3. The other cross‐hybridizing gene (CtCDC55) is a CDC55 homolog, encoding a protein with an internal acidic domain not present in the S. cerevisiae CDC55 product. Cdc55p is a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A and CtCDC55 complements the cold sensitivity of a S. cerevisiae cdc55 mutant. The presence of acidic domains in different putative regulatory proteins may suggest a role for this type of domain in molecular interactions. Sequences have been deposited in the EMBL data library under Accession Numbers X88899 (CtCDC55) and X88900 (CtHAL3).
Interferential and horizontal therapies in chronic low back pain: a randomized, double blind, clinical study.

OBJECTIVE Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) is one of the most frequent medical problems. Electrical nerve stimulation is frequently used but its efficacy remains controversial. METHODS Twenty-six men and 94 women with CLBP associated with either degenerative disk disease or previous multiple vertebral osteoporotic fractures were randomly assigned to either interferential currents (IFT), horizontal therapy (HT) or sham HT administered for 10, 40 and 40 minutes, respectively, daily for 5 days per week for two weeks together with a standard flexion-extension stretching exercise program, Blind efficacy assessment were obtained at baseline and at week 2, 6 and 14 and included a functional questionnaire (Backill), the standard visual analog scale (VAS) and the mean analgesic consumption. RESULTS At week 2 a significant and similar improvement in both the VAS and Backill score was observed in all three groups. The Backill score continued to improve only in the two active groups with changes significantly greater than those observed in control patients at week 14. The pain VAS score returned to baseline values at week 6 and 14 in the control group while in the IFT and HT groups it continued to improve (p< 0.01 vs controls). The use of analgesic medications significantly improved at week 14 versus pretreatment assessment and over control patients only in the HT group. CONCLUSION This randomized double-blind controlled study provides the first evidence that IFT and HT therapy are significantly effective in alleviating both pain and disability in patients with CLBP. The placebo effect is remarkable at the beginning of the treatment but it tends to vanish within a couple of weeks.
A Co-Twin Control Study of Physical Function in Elderly African American Women

Objective: This study investigated variables associated with physical functioning limitations among elderly African American women, controlling for genetics and common family environment. Method: Activities of daily living limitations (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living limitations (IADL) are examined in 180 pairs of African American elderly twins using a co-twin control design. The association of chronic disease, other physical problems, lifestyle, and demographic factors with both measures are investigated. Results: Arthritis, hypertension, and more than 1 chronic disease are associated with ADL limitations and arthritis; diabetes, heart attack, and more than 1 chronic disease are associated with IADL limitations in univariate analyses. In multivariate analyses, a different set of additional variables is associated with the two measures. Discussion: Among elderly African American women, physical functioning limitations are influenced by the presence of chronic diseases, other physical problems, lifestyle, and demographics. These associations are not due to genetics or common family environment effects.
Automated assessment of the neutrophil and platelet activation status in patients with essential thrombocythemia

Neutrophil and platelet activation are consistently found in essential thrombocythemia (ET), but the techniques employed to demonstrate such abnormalities are complex. To ascertain whether the ADVIA 120 analyzer can be employed to assess neutrophil and platelet activation status in ET, 55 such patients and the same number of matched healthy individuals were studied and the results correlated with neutrophil CD11b and platelet P-selectin expressions measured by flow cytometry. Compared with controls, ET patients had significantly higher values of neutrophil myeloperoxidase index (MPXI), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and platelet component distribution width, and significantly lower values of neutrophil lobularity index and mean platelet component (MPC). Patients with the JAK2 mutation had significantly lower values of MPC and higher values of MPV and PDW than those with wild-type allele. A positive correlation was observed between MPXI and neutrophil CD11b expression and a negative correlation between MPC and platelet P-selectin expression. The intensity of the agreement between the variables obtained by the two methods was moderate. These results support the possible value of MPC as surrogate parameter of platelet activation in ET.
An efficient error concealment implementation for MPEG-4 video streams

This paper presents some error concealment results regarding damaged MPEG-4 bistreams. The chosen concealment algorithms are designed to fit in real-time decoders and provide a better PSNR and visually more plausible pictures than basic concealment techniques. In addition, the encoder impact on the visual quality of the reconstruction in presence of channel errors is highlighted.
Novel Oxidative Modifications in Redox-Active Cysteine Residues*

Redox-active cysteine, a highly reactive sulfhydryl, is one of the major targets of ROS. Formation of disulfide bonds and other oxidative derivatives of cysteine including sulfenic, sulfinic, and sulfonic acids, regulates the biological function of various proteins. We identified novel low-abundant cysteine modifications in cellular GAPDH purified on 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) by employing selectively excluded mass screening analysis for nano ultraperformance liquid chromatography-electrospray-quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry, in conjunction with MODi and MODmap algorithm. We observed unexpected mass shifts (Δm = −16, −34, +64, +87, and +103 Da) at redox-active cysteine residue in cellular GAPDH purified on 2D-PAGE, in oxidized NDP kinase A, peroxiredoxin 6, and in various mitochondrial proteins. Mass differences of −16, −34, and +64 Da are presumed to reflect the conversion of cysteine to serine, dehydroalanine (DHA), and Cys-SO2-SH respectively. To determine the plausible pathways to the formation of these products, we prepared model compounds and examined the hydrolysis and hydration of thiosulfonate (Cys-S-SO2-Cys) either to DHA (Δm = −34 Da) or serine along with Cys-SO2-SH (Δm = +64 Da). We also detected acrylamide adducts of sulfenic and sulfinic acids (+87 and +103 Da). These findings suggest that oxidations take place at redox-active cysteine residues in cellular proteins, with the formation of thiosulfonate, Cys-SO2-SH, and DHA, and conversion of cysteine to serine, in addition to sulfenic, sulfinic and sulfonic acids of reactive cysteine.
Genetic Interactions between the Escherichia coli umuDC Gene Products and the β Processivity Clamp of the Replicative DNA Polymerase

ABSTRACT The Escherichia coli umuDC gene products encode DNA polymerase V, which participates in both translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) and a DNA damage checkpoint control. These two temporally distinct roles of the umuDC gene products are regulated by RecA–single-stranded DNA-facilitated self-cleavage of UmuD (which participates in the checkpoint control) to yield UmuD′ (which enables TLS). In addition, even modest overexpression of theumuDC gene products leads to a cold-sensitive growth phenotype, apparently due to the inappropriate expression of the DNA damage checkpoint control activity of UmuD2C. We have previously reported that overexpression of the ɛ proofreading subunit of DNA polymerase III suppresses umuDC-mediated cold sensitivity, suggesting that interaction of ɛ with UmuD2C is important for the DNA damage checkpoint control function of theumuDC gene products. Here, we report that overexpression of the β processivity clamp of the E. coli replicative DNA polymerase (encoded by the dnaN gene) not only exacerbates the cold sensitivity conferred by elevated levels of theumuDC gene products but, in addition, confers a severe cold-sensitive phenotype upon a strain expressing moderately elevated levels of the umuD′C gene products. Such a strain is not otherwise normally cold sensitive. To identify mutant β proteins possibly deficient for physical interactions with theumuDC gene products, we selected for noveldnaN alleles unable to confer a cold-sensitive growth phenotype upon a umuD′C-overexpressing strain. In all, we identified 75 dnaN alleles, 62 of which either reduced the expression of β or prematurely truncated its synthesis, while the remaining alleles defined eight unique missense mutations of dnaN. Each of the dnaNmissense mutations retained at least a partial ability to function in chromosomal DNA replication in vivo. In addition, these eightdnaN alleles were also unable to exacerbate the cold sensitivity conferred by modestly elevated levels of theumuDC gene products, suggesting that the interactions between UmuD′ and β are a subset of those between UmuD and β. Taken together, these findings suggest that interaction of β with UmuD2C is important for the DNA damage checkpoint function of the umuDC gene products. Four possible models for how interactions of UmuD2C with the ɛ and the β subunits of DNA polymerase III might help to regulate DNA replication in response to DNA damage are discussed.
Going-Concern Audit Report: The Role of Audit Committee

The objective of the study is to discuss the roles of audit committee (AC) towards the going-concern audit report issued by the external auditor. Based on the International Standard on Auditing that governing the auditors’ works and findings from previous studies, clearly the auditor has the responsibility on the company’s going-concern issues. The existence of AC as the board committee together with its strong composition seen to be a good measure to monitor the issues of going-concern that pertaining to the company’s viability in future. The responsibility on this issue to AC is parallel with the guidelines in corporate governance codes as practised by most countries in the world. Keywords: Going-Concern Audit Report; Audit Committee; Auditor JEL Classification: M442
Preferences, entry, and market structure

We provide a unified approach to imperfect (monopolistic, Bertrand, and Cournot) competition when preferences are symmetric over a finite but endogenous number of goods. Markups depend on the Morishima elasticity of substitution and on the number of varieties. The comparative statics of free-entry equilibria is examined, establishing the conditions for markup neutrality with respect to income, market size, and productivity. We compare endogenous and optimal market structures for several non-CES examples. With a generalized linear direct utility, the markup can be constant and optimal under monopolistic competition, and nonmonotonic in the number of firms under Bertrand or Cournot competition.
Economic Theories of (De-) Regulation: Lessons for the Power Industry

The power industry is traditionally organized as a public utility. While the United States relies on investor owned utilities combined with public regulation. Europe and many other countries use public ownership as a means to control and regulate this important industry. This paper reviews economic theories which justify and/or explain public ownership, or more generally the regulation of (private or public) firms. The aim is to use recent (economic) approaches and criteria of deregulation in order to arrive at a proposal of a — presumably more efficient — organization of the power industry.
The Effectiveness and Safety of Transurethral (Bipolar) Plasmakinetic Resection of Prostate Combined with Thulium Laser for Large Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (>80ml).

PURPOSE To evaluate the clinical curative effect and safety of transurethral (bipolar) plasmakinetic resection of theprostate (PKRP) combined with thulium laser in the treatment of large prostates (> 80mL). MATERIALS AND METHODS From January 2014 to December 2015, 61 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia(BPH) were treated with PKRP combined with thulium laser (n = 25) or PKRP only (n = 36). We retrospectivelyanalyzed the perioperative status of patients status during 3-month follow-up. RESULTS There was no significant difference between the two groups before treatment (P > .05). PKRP combinedwith thulium laser was significantly superior to PKRP in terms of surgical duration, intraoperative blood loss,postoperative bladder washing time, postoperative complications and time of hospital stay (P < .05). There were nosignificant improvements at international prostatic symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL), maximum flowrate (Qmax), and post-void residual (PVR) urine between two groups after 3 months (P > .05). CONCLUSION PKRP combined with thulium laser is superior than PKRP only for better surgical duration, lessbleeding, higher efficiency and much quicker recovery. It may be a better choice for the treatment of BPH withlarge prostate (> 80mL).
Issues and Challenges of Drug Addiction among Students in Malaysia

The drug addiction problem is a global problem faced by all nations, and Malaysia was not exempted from this phenomenon. According to the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), Malaysia, among Southeast Asian nations, ranks fifth in the number of drug addicts. Almost 1.2 million Malaysians are drug addicts, a considerable number considering Malaysia’s population of 28.3 million. This paper discusses issues and challenges of drug addiction among students in Malaysia. In this context, there are many factors contributing to drug abuse among students, such as individual inclination to partake in drugs, family situation and their surroundings. The role of parents, teachers, schools, and law enforcement authorities in ensuring the reduction of drug addiction is important, as drug addicts needed support from their surroundings. In fact, the success or failure of a student to quit drug use is dependent on the strong support of his environment. Previous studies and theories discusses in this paper shows that all parties play an important role in resolving this problem.
The effect of inflation and interest rates on forward-looking effective tax rates

Every year ZEW Mannheim computes measures of corporate effective taxation in Europe based on the Devereux/Griffith methodology. The measures aim at comprehensively reflecting and consistently comparing the effective corporate tax levels in the different member states. For the computation of the effective tax rates, assumptions on economic parameters have to be made - in particular on the values of the inflation and interest rate. Common assumptions on these variables are strictly necessary in order to compare effective levels of taxation across countries in a meaningful way. In some cases these assumptions could interact with the effects of specific tax parameters on the effective tax burdens. For example, capital allowances become less effective in reducing tax burdens in inflationary environments. As a consequence, countries with high capital allowances appear more attractive when inflation is low. This study aims at analysing and quantifying the effect of the real interest and inflation rate on effective tax measures.
Role of Phospholipomannan in Candida albicans Escape from Macrophages and Induction of Cell Apoptosis through Regulation of Bad Phosphorylation

Abstract: Candida albicans, the most common opportunistic fungal pathogen of humans is a part of the normal microbial flora. To investigate host‐parasite interaction related to the commensal‐pathogen switch of this yeast we compared the response of macrophages to C. albicans and to the non‐pathogenic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In contrast to S. cerevisiae, C. albicans survived within macrophages. This escape from macrophages was associated with qualitative differences in the sequential phosphorylation of MEK, ERK1/2, and p90RSK during phagocytosis. Decreased activation of this pathway was observed with C. albicans and was associated with a species‐specific overexpression of the MEK phosphatase, MKP‐1. Dysregulation of the ERK1/2/p90RSK signal transduction pathway by C. albicans was associated downstream with reduction in Bad phosphorylation, specifically at Ser‐112, and disappearance of free Bcl‐2. This ended at apoptosis of cells that have ingested C. albicans, as revealed by staining of phosphatidylserine exposure in the macrophage outer membrane. The role of phospholipomannan (PLM), a phylogenetically unique glycolipid with a phytoceramide moiety expressed at the surface of and shed by C. albicans, was examined. Addition of PLM to macrophages led to dysregulation similar to that observed with live C. albicans and promoted the survival of the sensitive S. cerevisiae within the cells. Evidence of externalization of membranous phosphatidylserine, loss of mitochondrial integrity, and DNA fragmentation after incubation of macrophages with PLM suggest that this molecule supported the activities observed with C. albicans yeast cells.
The effect of intravenous iron on the reticulocyte response to recombinant human erythropoietin

We studied the effect of intravenous (i.v.) adminisration of 200 mg of iron sucrose following an i.v. bolus injection of recombinant human erythropoietin (r‐HuEPO; 300 U/kg body weight) in seven subjects and compared it with seven subjects treated with r‐HuEPO alone. Reticulocytes, serum erythropoietin (EPO) and ferritin levels were studied at baseline and daily for the following 8 d. Use of i.v. iron abolished the marked reduction in serum ferritin observed with r‐HuEPO administration. Although the total number of reticulocytes was not affected by i.v. iron administration, the reticulocyte Hb content and retHb (a measure in g/l of the Hb contained in all reticulocytes) were increased in the i.v. iron/r‐HuEPO group compared with the group who received r‐HuEPO alone. Therefore i.v. iron significantly potentiates the haemopoietic response to r‐HuEPO in normal subjects.
Vascularized Bone Marrow‐Based Immunosuppression Inhibits Rejection of Vascularized Composite Allografts in Nonhuman Primates

Vascularized composite allograft (VCA) transplantation (also referred to as composite tissue allotransplantation) has demonstrated clinical success in cases of hand, arm and face transplantation despite prior belief that skin provides an insurmountable barrier to allograft rejection. These overall good outcomes are facilitated by substantial immunosuppressive requirements in otherwise healthy patients, yet still demonstrate frequent rejection episodes. We developed a nonhuman primate model of facial segment allotransplantation to elucidate the unique pathophysiology and immunosuppressive requirements of VCA with addition of concomitant vascularized bone marrow (VBM). Heterotopically transplanted facial segment VCA with VBM treated only with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) demonstrated prolonged rejection‐free survival, compared to VCA without VBM that demonstrated early rejection episodes and graft loss. While VCA with VBM demonstrated sporadic macrochimerism, acute and chronic rejection and graft loss occurred after discontinuation of immunosuppression. These data support an immunomodulatory role of VBM in VCA that reduces immunosuppressive requirements while providing improved outcomes.