Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Designing model predictive control with one free control move for linear systems over networks with bounded packet loss

This paper considers stabilization of discrete-time linear systems, where network exists for transmitting the sensor and controller information, and arbitrary bounded packet loss occurs between the sensor and controller, and between the controller and actuator. The stabilization of this system is transformed into the robust stabilization of a set of systems. The packet-loss dependent Lyapunov method is applied for the possibility of achieving closed-loop stability. A design approach of MPC, parameterizing the infinite horizon control moves into one free control move followed by a single state feedback law, is proposed. A simulation example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed MPC.
MANAGING DELPHI SURVEYS USING NONPARAMETRIC STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES

Information systems researchers have often turned to a variant of the Delphi survey technique to support their research of key issues in their field. Two particular weaknesses of past studies using this approach have been a lack of a definitive method for conducting the research and a lack of statistical support for the conclusions drawn by the researchers. In this paper, the author presents a method, based on nonparametric statistical techniques, to conduct ranking-type Delphi surveys, perform analysis, and report results. The author takes this one step further by illustrating an actual analysis of a Delphi survey. The analysis is compared to results that were presented without the benefit of the author's approach. This paper shows that use of the advocated approach can streamline and strengthen studies, improve the validity of results, and thus better serve the consumers of the research findings. Since the ranking-type Delphi is so popular among information systems researchers, a consistent method is needed to apply to their data collection, analysis, and reporting of results. This paper provides such a method in concise form and illustrates the use of the method in a manner affording comparison between it and previous practice.
Auger Electron-Induced Double-Strand Breaks Depend on DNA Topology

Abstract Balagurumoorthy, P., Chen, K. , Adelstein, S. J. and Kassis, A. I. Auger Electron-Induced Double-Strand Breaks Depend on DNA Topology. Radiat. Res. 170, 70–82 (2008). From a structural perspective, the factors controlling and the mechanisms underlying the toxic effects of ionizing radiation remain elusive. We have studied the consequences of superhelical/torsional stress on the magnitude and mechanism of DSBs induced by low-energy, short-range, high-LET Auger electrons emitted by 125I, targeted to plasmid DNA by m-[125I]iodo-p-ethoxyHoechst 33342 (125IEH). DSB yields per 125I decay for torsionally relaxed nicked (relaxed circular) and linear DNA (1.74 ± 0.11 and 1.62 ± 0.07, respectively) are approximately threefold higher than that for torsionally strained supercoiled DNA (0.52 ± 0.02), despite the same affinity of all forms for 125IEH. In the presence of DMSO, the DSB yield for the supercoiled form remains unchanged, whereas that for nicked and linear forms decreases to 1.05 ± 0.07 and 0.76 ± 0.03 per 125I decay, respectively. DSBs in supercoiled DNA therefore result exclusively from direct mechanisms, and those in nicked and linear DNA, additionally, from hydroxyl radical-mediated indirect effects. Iodine-125 decays produce hydroxyl radicals along the tracks of Auger electrons in small isolated pockets around the decay site. We propose that relaxation of superhelical stress after radical attack could move a single-strand break lesion away from these pockets, thereby preventing further breaks in the complementary strand that could lead to DSBs.
Choice at Sixteen

The proportion of sixteen-year olds in Britain who stay on at school is low by OECD standards. This paper examines the probability of completing education at the minimum legal age using micro data on individuals. Parameter estimates of a reduced-form logit model of the leaving probability are obtained for both boys and girls. The rich data set used allows the separate effects of family, school, and ability to be assessed. Family background, in the form of class and parental education, is shown to have a large effect even when ability and school type are controlled for. Copyright 1989 by The London School of Economics and Political Science.
Target costing in New Zealand manufacturing firms

Purpose – As there is scant research outside Japan on the implementation of target costing, the purpose of this research is to examine target costing practices in New Zealand.Design/methodology/approach – A mail questionnaire survey was sent to 80 New Zealand manufacturers, with a response rate of 31 (39 per cent). Findings – A total of 12 of the 31 respondents use target costing. Findings on the use of target costing that contrast with or add to prior studies include the following: target costing is being applied to existing products; the manufacturing department is highly involved in target costing; the involvement of suppliers in target costing is relatively low; considerable adjustments are made to the calculated allowable costs, especially in order to assist sales of future products and to ensure the achievement of target costs; and higher achievement of target costs is associated with higher firm performance. The goals of target costing and the departments involved in the practice were similar to tho.
An assemble-to-order system with product and components demand with lost sales

This paper studies a single end product assemble-to-order system serving both the demand of the end product and the individual components. Demands are assumed to form independent Poisson streams with different rates. Unsatisfied demand, both for the end product and for components, is assumed lost and thus incurs a per unit lost sale penalty. The end product is assembled from K distinct components each produced on a different production facility (or procured from independent suppliers). Production lead times are non-identical and are assumed to be independent and exponentially distributed. Produced components are held in stock in anticipation of future demands. The goal is to determine the optimal component production and inventory allocation policy. The optimal policy is characterised using a Markov Decision Process model. It is shown that, in addition to the state-dependent threshold type, the optimal policy exhibits counter-intuitive features which have not been observed in systems without components demand. In particular, for certain combinations of system parameters, the optimal inventory allocation policy switches priority as the inventory level of components changes. Furthermore, for a particular component k, as the inventory level of other components increases, the desirability of satisfying Component k demand decreases. Finally, because in general the optimal policy is fairly complicated and is difficult to obtain numerically, due to the curse of dimensionality of dynamic programming, three heuristic policies are proposed. Extensive numerical experiments indicate that the three heuristics perform very well compared to the optimal policy.
Radiologic Evaluation of the Insertion Sites of the 2 Functional Bundles of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Using 3-dimensional Computed Tomography

Background Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with a double-bundle technique requires exact tunnel positioning. Reference values for the anatomic insertions are necessary for radiographic intra- and postoperative control and fluoroscopy-based navigation. Hypothesis The femoral and tibial insertions of the anteromedial bundle (AMB) and posterolateral bundle (PLB) of the anterior cruciate ligament can be described using standardized computed tomography scans. Study Design Descriptive laboratory study. Methods The insertion sites of the AMB and PLB were macroscopically identified and tagged by copper wire in 12 specimens. Computed tomography scans with predefined reconstructions were performed. Femorally, the geometric center of the insertions were determined in the sagittal view and described in a deep-high 10 × 10 grid. Tibially, the insertions were described as the ratio between the geometric center of the insertion sites with respect to the mediolateral and sagittal diameter of the tibia in frontal and sagittal reconstruction, respectively. The tibial insertions were described using a 10 × 10 grid in axial orientation. Results The geometric midpoints of the insertion areas at the femur of the AMB and PLB were located on the reticule at x = 21% ± 3% and y = 22% ± 2% for the AMB and x = 27% ± 3% and y = 45% ± 3% for the PLB. In the sagittal plane, the center of the tibial insertion was located at 41% ± 3% and 52% ± 3% of the tibial diameter from the anterior border for the AMB and PLB, respectively. The geometric centers of the tibial insertions in axial view were x = 52% ± 2% and y = 37% ± 3% for the AMB and x = 50% ± 2% and y = 48% ± 3% for the PLB. Conclusion The insertion site characteristics of the AMB and PLB can be evaluated by predefined reconstructions of computed tomography scans. Clinical relevance These results can serve as orientation landmarks for intra- and postoperative radiographic control and fluoroscopic-based navigation.
Parties on the Chain of Federalism: Position-Taking and Multi-level Party Competition in Germany

Germany’s federalism imposes significant constraints on sub-national parties. They cannot enact their ambitious policy agenda as most legislative powers are concentrated at the federal level. This article demonstrates how sub-national parties use position-taking strategies to escape these constraints. By position-taking, parties try to induce regional voters and interest groups to judge them for what they stand for instead of blaming them for the policies they cannot deliver. This argument is illustrated empirically by analysing all 1,715 announcements of legislative initiatives in the Bundesrat in 562 electoral manifestos and coalition agreements that were published during all 92 regional elections since 1990 and all 1,619 Land bills from the period between 1972 and 2013. It is shown that regional parties and governments that are in opposition at the federal level announce and submit significantly more legislative initiatives that aim at changing federal policies.
Translational Control of Protein Kinase Cη by Two Upstream Open Reading Frames

ABSTRACT Protein kinase C (PKC) represents a family of serine/threonine kinases that play a central role in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and transformation. Posttranslational control of the PKC isoforms and their activation have been extensively studied; however, not much is known about their translational regulation. Here we report that the expression of one of the PKC isoforms, PKCη, is regulated at the translational level both under normal growth conditions and during stress imposed by amino acid starvation, the latter causing a marked increase in its protein levels. The 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR) of PKCη is unusually long and GC rich, characteristic of many oncogenes and growth regulatory genes. We have identified two conserved upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in its 5′ UTR and show their effect in suppressing the expression of PKCη in MCF-7 growing cells. While the two uORFs function as repressive elements that maintain low basal levels of PKCη in growing cells, they are required for its enhanced expression upon amino acid starvation. We show that the translational regulation during stress involves leaky scanning and is dependent on eIF-2α phosphorylation by GCN2. Our work further suggests that translational regulation could provide an additional level for controlling the expression of PKC family members, being more common than currently recognized.
The use of financial accounting information and firm performance: an empirical quantification for farms

Abstract Many firms that do not have a formal obligation to prepare financial statements do not produce any accounting information voluntarily, either. However, as accounting information is generally believed to be useful for decision making, the reasons for this behaviour are unclear. In this paper we try to shed some light on this question and provide empirical evidence on the relationship between the use of financial reports and financial performance. In particular, we collected data on the use a sample of Catalan farmers made of the financial reports that were provided to them free by the European Farm Accountancy Data Network. We matched these observations with different financial indicators and found that the financial performance of farmers using the reports for decision-making purposes was significantly better than those who did not use the reports. These results suggest that financial reports can indeed be of use to managers. However, firms will only benefit if the expected gain in performance is sufficiently large to offset the costs of obtaining the reports. Although for the average farm the performance gain was probably sufficiently large to make accounting worthwhile, this was not the case for the smallest farms in our sample.
Lysophosphatidic acid acts as a nutrient‐derived developmental cue to regulate early hematopoiesis

Primitive hematopoiesis occurs in the yolk sac blood islands during vertebrate embryogenesis, where abundant phosphatidylcholines (PC) are available as important nutrients for the developing embryo. However, whether these phospholipids also generate developmental cues to promote hematopoiesis is largely unknown. Here, we show that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a signaling molecule derived from PC, regulated hemangioblast formation and primitive hematopoiesis. Pharmacological and genetic blockage of LPA receptor 1 (LPAR1) or autotoxin (ATX), a secretory lysophospholipase that catalyzes LPA production, inhibited hematopoietic differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells and impaired the formation of hemangioblasts. Mechanistic experiments revealed that the regulatory effect of ATX‐LPA signaling was mediated by PI3K/Akt‐Smad pathway. Furthermore, during in vivo embryogenesis in zebrafish, LPA functioned as a developmental cue for hemangioblast formation and primitive hematopoiesis. Taken together, we identified LPA as an important nutrient‐derived developmental cue for primitive hematopoiesis as well as a novel mechanism of hemangioblast regulation.
The Interdependence between Institutional Ownership and Information Dissemination by Data Aggregators

ABSTRACT: This study examines the interdependence between institutional ownership and the speed with which Standard & Poor's disseminates corporate accounting information. From the demand‐side perspective, we find that quasi‐indexers, who rely on corporate accounting information as a low‐cost monitoring system, are the key driver of the institutional demand for speedy information dissemination. In addition, dissemination speed increases substantially for stocks listed in major market indices but decreases with high arbitrage risk or transaction costs. From the consequences perspective, we find that both transient investors and quasi‐indexers gravitate to stocks with faster information dissemination, consistent with the latter using accounting information as a low‐cost performance‐monitoring mechanism, and the former being better enabled to implement their trading strategies in a richer information environment. Overall, this study provides new insights into the capital market information infrastructure by .
Right ventricular dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension following sub‐massive pulmonary embolism

Persistent right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) and pulmonary hypertension (PHT) are important outcomes following sub‐massive pulmonary embolism (PE). The aims were to determine the rates and factors associated with RVD and/or PHT on echocardiography (ECHO) and the rate of 30‐day and 1‐year all‐cause mortality following sub‐massive PE. Patients who received thrombolysis and non‐thrombolysis were also compared.
Survival Pattern in Patients with Acute Organophosphate Poisoning Receiving Intensive Care

Background. Approximately 35% of patients acutely poisoned with organophosphates (OP) in developing countries like Sri Lanka require intensive care and mechanical ventilation. However, death rates remain high. Objective. To study the outcomes and predictors of mortality in patients with acute OP poisoning requiring intensive therapy at a regional center in Sri Lanka over a period of 40 months. Methods. Retrospective analysis of all intensive care records of patients with acute OP poisoning admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) between March 1998 and July 2001. Results. During the study period, 126 subjects were admitted to the ICU with acute OP poisoning. Records of 10 patients were lost and those of 37 were incomplete and hence were excluded. All the remaining 71 patients (59 male) had required endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation for a period of four (median) days (range 1–27) in addition to gastric lavage and standard therapy with atropine and oximes and adequate hydration. Of these 71 patients, 36 (28 male) had died. Life table analysis demonstrated a steep decline in the cumulative survival to 67% during the first three days. Systolic blood pressure of < 100 mmHg and FiO2 of > 40% to maintain a SpO2 of > 92% within the first 24 h were recognized as poor prognostic indicators among mechanically ventilated patients. Conclusion. Mortality following OP poisoning remains high despite adequate respiratory support, intensive care, and specific therapy with atropine and oximes. One‐third of the subjects needing mechanical ventilation and reaching intensive care units die within the first 72 h of poisoning. Systolic blood pressure of less than 100 mmHg and the necessity of a FiO2 > 40% to maintain adequate oxygenation are predictors of poor outcome in patients mechanically ventilated in the ICU.
Option grants and investor reaction to restatement‐induced litigation

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the relation between CEO option grants at the beginning of the class period (BCP) and investor reaction to announcement of restatement-induced securities litigation. Design/methodology/approach - Using a restatement-induced lawsuit sample over the period 1997-2005, this study performs cross-sectional linear regressions of three-day litigation announcement cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) on CEO option grants, cash compensation, corporate governance and control variables. CARs are calculated over the three-day (-1,1) interval relative to the lawsuit announcement date using a single-factor market model, the CRSP equally-weighted market index, and a 255-day estimation period ending 45 days prior to the announcement. Findings - A negative association is reported between CEO option grants and investor reaction around restatement-induced lawsuit announcement. Research limitations/implications - It is possible that some restatements may have triggered a securities lawsuit but because it was not explicitly stated, they were not included in the restatement-induced lawsuit sample. Another limitation of the study is that the qualitative aspects of the internal corporate governance variables may not have been sufficiently captured in the analyses. Originality/value - The reported result suggests that the market considers CEO option grants as an indication that a restatement-induced securities lawsuit has merit. The finding also implies that although CEO option grants may not be exercised during the class period, the market imposes higher penalties on firms that offer higher equity compensation to their CEOs at the beginning of the class period.
Faculty Perspectives in the Transition to Online Teaching

This study explores the experiences of faculty new to distance learning across two faculties within a mid-sized Canadian university. An interview and thematic analysis methodology produced results that identified six themes critical in the transition to online teaching. These include: instructors’ affect, organizational culture and context, multi- focused supports, time, instructor role identity, and coping strategies. The paper concludes with recommendations for the development of a national distance education framework for instructors transitioning from face-to-face to online teaching in Canadian colleges and universities. This study explores the experiences of faculty new to distance learning across two faculties within a mid-sized Canadian university. An interview and thematic analysis methodology produced results that identified six themes critical in the transition to online teaching. These include: instructors’ affect, organizational culture and context, multi- focused supports, time, instructor role identity, and coping strategies. The paper concludes with recommendations for the development of a national distance education framework for instructors transitioning from face-to-face to online teaching in Canadian colleges and universities.
Does Money Matter?

In this paper, we examine the effect of income on child development in the United States and the United Kingdom, as measured by scores on cognitive, behavioral, and social assessments. In line with previous results for the United States, we find that for both countries income generally has an effect on child development that is positive and significant, but whose size is small relative to other family background variables.
Autocrine activation by interleukin 1alpha induces the fibrogenic phenotype of systemic sclerosis fibroblasts.

OBJECTIVE To explore the cellular localization of interleukin 1alpha (IL-1alpha) in cultured fibroblasts from lesional skin of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to study the role of intracellular IL-1alpha in the activation of fibroblasts. METHODS Dermal fibroblasts were derived from 12 patients with SSc. Expression of IL-1alpha mRNA was examined using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The cellular distribution of IL-1alpha was examined by subcellular fractionation, flow cytometry, and immunocytochemistry. A full-length IL-1alpha cDNA was subcloned into the pcDNA3 vector to create sense and antisense-encoding constructs. Normal and SSc fibroblasts were stably transfected with the sense and antisense-encoding constructs, respectively. Stably transfected fibroblast clones were analyzed for the production of procollagen and IL-6 protein by ELISA, alpha1(I) procollagen mRNA by Northern blot hybridization, and proliferation by [3H]thymidine incorporation. RESULTS SSc-affected fibroblasts constitutively expressed intracellular IL-1alpha, which was predominantly located in the nucleus. Inhibition of IL-1alpha expression in SSc-affected fibroblasts using antisense constructs resulted in decreased proliferation, IL-6 production, and procollagen synthesis. Conversely, overexpression of IL-1alpha in normal fibroblasts resulted in development of the SSc fibroblast phenotype. CONCLUSION IL-1alpha is an important autocrine fibrogenic factor in SSc, suggesting that inhibition of intracellular IL-1alpha may be a novel strategy for the treatment of SSc.
Trade Liberalization and New Imported Inputs

In this article, we dissect changes in the composition of Indian imports following its 1991 trade liberalization to illustrate the potential scope for previously unavailable inputs to bolster the performance of domestic firms. The analysis reveals that trade reform spurred imports of previously unavailable products and varieties in many products that arguably can be characterized as important inputs for manufacturing firms. New imported inputs in large extent originated from more advanced countries and new imported varieties exhibited higher unit values relative to existing imports. These findings are consistent across narrow classifications of inputs and therefore indicative that India's trade liberalization relaxed the technological constraints faced by Indian firms under import substitution policies. This more descriptive analysis provides further confirmation of the importance of the extensive product margin in input trade.