Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERVICE QUALITY, PERCEIVED VALUE, SATISFACTION AND REVISIT INTENTION IN HOTEL INDUSTRY

The work is considered to find the relationship between service quality, perceived value and customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions in luxury hotel management in Pakistan. The purpose of this studyis to find dimensions of service quality and perceived value in hotel industry environment. Survey Questionnaires are used to collect data from 125 luxury hotel customers of Pakistan. After analysis of collected data three dimensions of service quality are identified which is service consistency, service convenience and customer demand fulfillment. This study also enabled to identifytwo dimensions of perceived value which are functional and symbolic.We also found that perceived value and service quality have important and positive relationship with satisfaction and revisit intentions. The paper is one of the first papers to investigate the thorough relationship among all these important factors in Pakistani hotel industry context. It has implications for both the managers and owners of hotel as to what is the quality and satisfaction criterion of customers.
Department of Economics Working Paper Series Kernel Weighted Smoothed Maximum Score Estimation for Applied Work Kernel Weighted Smoothed Maximum Score Estimation for Applied Work

The endogenous binary response model frequently arises in economic applications when a covariate is correlated with the error term in the latent equation due to data limitations. Applied workers generally address endogeneity using the principle of Maximum Likelihood (ML) which imposes stringent paramet-ric assumptions. These ML estimators are inconsistent if the posited parametrization is incorrect which can translate in practice into aberrant results contradicting economic theory. Semiparametric estima-tors have been developed imposing weaker distributional assumptions. Some semiparametric techniques permit inferences from data but restrict heteroscedasticity which may furnish deceptive results. Other semiparametric techniques can accommodate almost any heteroscedasticity but forbid inferences. This article summarizes two new estimation techniques which allow for inferences under general heteroscedas-ticity conditions. Some Monte Carlo experiments are conducted highlighting the robust advantage of these estimators. Finally, these estimation techniques are applied to assess the effect of education on maternal pregnancy smoking using the 1988 National Health Interview Survey.
MALES, AGES ≥ 45 YEARS, BUSINESSPERSON, FLOATING POPULATION, AND RURAL RESIDENTS MAY BE CONSIDERED HIGH-RISK GROUPS FOR TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION IN GUANGZHOU, CHINA: A REVIEW OF 136,394 TB CONFIRMED CASES

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by the chronic and continuous infection of the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). It is a major public health problem that has threatened the health of human beings worldwide, especially in developing countries. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the “Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis”, which aims to save a million lives by 2015, China, the second among the 22 high-burden countries, has different incidences and prevalence of TB in different provinces. As the largest trading city in southern China, Guangzhou, located in the southern subtropical, with over 7.94 million registered inhabitants and 4.76 million floating population, here TB has become one of the extremely common airborne transmission diseases. According to the document from Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and prevention (GZCDC), a total of 19,701 cases were newly diagnosed in 2012, yielding annual incidence rate of 1545.01 per 100,000 inhabitants, public health authorities are concerned about its unacceptably high prevalence.
Feature Acquisition in Second Language Phonetic Development: Evidence From Phonetic Training

This study employed a targeted phonetic instruction to explore the mechanisms that underpin second language (L2) phonetic acquisition. Broadly, two general approaches to phonetic acquisition have been previously proposed. A segmental approach suggests that learners acquire a series of individual, discrete phonemes (e.g., Flege, 1995), while a featural approach posits that L2 phonetic development occurs at the subsegmental level of the feature, which may be shared across multiple phonemes (e.g., de Jong, Hao, & Park, 2009). This study extended this line of research, using a visual feedback paradigm to train English speakers on one of the three voiceless stop consonants in Spanish. Analysis focused on the change in voice onset time across three testing sessions (pretest, posttest, delayed posttest). Results demonstrated a significant change in voice onset time for trained and nontrained phonemes, suggesting that featural changes generalize to related phonemes. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are discussed.
Potent and Broad Neutralization of HIV-1 Subtype C by Plasma Antibodies Targeting a Quaternary Epitope Including Residues in the V2 Loop

ABSTRACT The targets of broadly cross-neutralizing (BCN) antibodies are of great interest in the HIV vaccine field. We have identified a subtype C HIV-1-superinfected individual, CAP256, with high-level BCN activity, and characterized the antibody specificity mediating breadth. CAP256 developed potent BCN activity peaking at 3 years postinfection, neutralizing 32 (76%) of 42 heterologous viruses, with titers of antibodies against some viruses exceeding 1:10,000. CAP256 showed a subtype bias, preferentially neutralizing subtype C and A viruses over subtype B viruses. CAP256 BCN serum targeted a quaternary epitope which included the V1V2 region. Further mapping identified residues F159, N160, L165, R166, D167, K169, and K171 (forming the FN/LRD-K-K motif) in the V2 region as crucial to the CAP256 epitope. However, the fine specificity of the BCN response varied over time and, while consistently dependent on R166 and K169, became gradually less dependent on D167 and K171, possibly contributing to the incremental increase in breadth over 4 years. The presence of an intact FN/LRD-K-K motif in heterologous viruses was associated with sensitivity, although the length of the adjacent V1 loop modulated the degree of sensitivity, with a shorter V1 region significantly associated with higher titers. Repair of the FN/LRD-K-K motif in resistant heterologous viruses conferred sensitivity, with titers sometimes exceeding 1:10,000. Comparison of the CAP256 epitope with that of the PG9/PG16 monoclonal antibodies suggested that these epitopes overlapped, adding to the mounting evidence that this may represent a common neutralization target that should be further investigated as a potential vaccine candidate.
Affective decision-making predictive of Chinese adolescent drinking behaviors

Abstract The goal of the current investigation was to address whether affective decision making would serve as a unique neuropsychological marker to predict drinking behaviors among adolescents. We conducted a longitudinal study of 181 Chinese adolescents in Chengdu city, China. In their 10th grade (ages 15–16), these adolescents were tested for their affective decision-making ability using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and working memory capacity using the Self-Ordered Pointing Test. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess academic performance and drinking behaviors. At 1-year follow-up, questionnaires were completed to assess drinking behaviors, and the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale was used to examine four dimensions of impulsivity: urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking. Results indicated that those adolescents who progressed to binge drinking or exhibited consistent binge drinking not only performed poorly on the IGT but also scored significantly higher in urgency compared to those who never or occasionally drank. Moreover, better IGT scores predicted fewer drinking problems and fewer drinks 1 year later after controlling for demographic variables, the previous drinking behaviors, working memory, and impulsivity. These findings suggest that deficits in affective decision making may be important independent determinants of compulsive drinking and potentially addictive behavior in adolescents. (JINS, 2009, 15, 547–557.)
Generation of ultrasound contrast bubbles in in vivo canine urinary bladder for possible diagnosis of urinary reflux

A less invasive method for diagnosis of urinary reflux is being pursued using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Microbubbles produced in the urinary bladder, by transcutaneous application of HIFU, can be visualized with a diagnostic ultrasound system and the bubble movement can be tracked from the bladder, through the ureters, and to the kidney, if reflux occurs. Since urine is under-saturated in total gas and filtered by the kidney. It is necessary to increase the gas and/or particle content in the urine in order to produce contrast microbubbles at a minimal level of HIFU. In 5 canine experiments, sodium bicarbonate (0.0128 M/kg) was infused IV at 3 ml/min for 2 hours with Lasix(R). On average for 3 of 5 canines, the infusions resulted in a 63% increase in urine pCO/sub 2/ from the baseline (from saline infusion), with mean increase to 87 mmHg. This pCO/sub 2/ change decreased the threshold rarefactional pressure for imageable microbubble generation on average to 7.6 MPa (10 s exposure at 1.18 MHz, 25 cycles, 0.5% duty cycle) from 9 MPa (p-value=0.004). The elevated pCO/sub 2/, after bicarbonate infusion increased generated echogenicity 16-21 dB higher than for pristine urine or saline infusion for the same peak rarefactional pressure applied (p-value=0.002). And the longevity of the contrast was up to 12.1 seconds. Although these urine property modifications were done with IV administration, eventually urine manipulation should be possible with equivalent bicarbonate and Lasix(R) doses given orally. Therefore, manipulation of the urine gas content by intake of bicarbonate should be a safe and effective method to assist HIFU in generating copious imageable and residual microbubbles that can potentially be used for less invasive diagnosing urinary reflux.
Phaseolin from Phaseolus vulgaris bean modulates gut mucin flow and gene expression in rats

Dietary protein might modulate mucin flow and intestinal mucin gene expression. Since unheated phaseolin from Phaseolus vulgaris bean is resistant to digestion and increases gut endogenous protein losses, we hypothesised that unheated phaseolin influences mucin flow and gene expression, and that phaseolin heat treatment reverses these effects. The hypothesis was tested using a control diet containing casein as the sole protein source and three other diets with casein being replaced by 33 and 67 % of unheated and 67 % of heated phaseolin. The rats were fed for 6 d and euthanised. Digesta and faeces were collected for determining digestibility and mucin flow. Gut tissues were collected for mucin (Muc1, Muc2, Muc3 and Muc4) and Trefoil factor 3 (Tff3) gene expressions. Colonic mucin flow decreased linearly with increasing the dietary level of unheated phaseolin (P < 0·05). Unheated phaseolin increased N flow in ileum, colon and faeces (P < 0·05), and reduced apparent N digestibility linearly (P < 0·01). Heat treatment reversed all these changes (P < 0·05 to < 0·001), except mucin flow. The expressions of Muc mRNA in gut tissues were influenced by dietary phaseolin level (ileum and colon: Muc3 and Muc4) and thermal treatment (ileum: Muc2; colon: Muc2, Muc3, Muc4 and Tff3) (P < 0·05 to 0·001). In conclusion, phaseolin modulates mucin flow and Muc gene expression along the intestines differentially.
An Improved Procedure for Subcellular Spatial Alignment during Live-Cell CLEM

Live-cell correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) offers unique insights into the ultrastructure of dynamic cellular processes. A critical and technically challenging part of CLEM is the 3-dimensional relocation of the intracellular region of interest during sample processing. We have developed a simple CLEM procedure that uses toner particles from a laser printer as orientation marks. This facilitates easy tracking of a region of interest even by eye throughout the whole procedure. Combined with subcellular fluorescence markers for the plasma membrane and nucleus, the toner particles allow for precise subcellular spatial alignment of the optical and electron microscopy data sets. The toner-based reference grid is printed and transferred onto a polymer film using a standard office printer and laminator. We have also designed a polymer film holder that is compatible with most inverted microscopes, and have validated our strategy by following the ultrastructure of mitochondria that were selectively photo-irradiated during live-cell microscopy. In summary, our inexpensive and robust CLEM procedure simplifies optical imaging, without limiting the choice of optical microscope.
Local Return Factors and Turnover in Emerging Stock Markets

The paper shows that the factors that drive cross-sectional differences in expected stock returns in emerging equity markets are qualitatively similar to those that have been found in developed equity markets. In a sample of more than 1700 firms from 20 countries, I find that emerging market stocks exhibit momentum, small stocks outperform large stocks, and value stocks outperform growth stocks. There is no evidence that high beta stocks outperform low beta stocks. A Bayesian analysis of the return premiums shows that the combined evidence of developed and emerging markets strongly favors the hypothesis that similar return factors are present in markets around the world. Finally, the paper documents a strong cross-sectional correlation between the return fact
The Phase of Thalamic Alpha Activity Modulates Cortical Gamma-Band Activity: Evidence from Resting-State MEG Recordings

Recent findings have implicated thalamic alpha oscillations in the phasic modulation of cortical activity. However, the precise relationship between thalamic alpha oscillations and neocortical activity remains unclear. Here we show in a large sample of healthy human participants (n = 45) using spatial filtering techniques and measures of phase amplitude coupling that the amplitude of gamma-band activity in posterior medial parietal cortex is modulated by the phase of thalamic alpha oscillations during eyes-closed resting-state recordings. In addition, our findings show that gamma-band activity in visual cortex was not modulated by thalamic alpha oscillations but coupled to the phase of strong cortical alpha activity. To overcome the limitations of electromagnetic source localization we estimated conduction delays using transfer entropy and found nonspurious information transfer from thalamus to cortex. The present findings provide novel evidence for magneto-encephalography-measured phase coupling between cortical gamma-band activity and thalamic alpha oscillations, which highlight the role of phasic inhibition in the coordination of cortical activity.
Cluster Analysis and Comparison of Various Chloroplast Transcriptomes and Genes in Arabidopsis thaliana

Chloroplast RNA metabolism is integrated into wider gene regulatory networks. To explore how, we performed a chloroplast genome-wide expression analysis on numerous nuclear Arabidopsis mutants affected in diverse chloroplast functions and wild-type plants subjected to various stresses and conditions. On the basis of clustering analysis, plastid genes could be divided into two oppositely regulated clusters, largely congruent with known targets of nucleus- and plastid-encoded RNA polymerases, respectively. Further eight sub-clusters contained co-transcribed and functionally tightly associated genes. The chloroplast transcriptomes could also be classified into two major groups comprising mutants preferentially affected in general plastid gene expression and other chloroplast functions, respectively. Deviations from characteristic expression profiles of transcriptomes served to identify novel mutants impaired in accumulation and/or processing of specific plastid RNAs. Expression profiles were useful to distinguish albino mutants affected in plastid gene expression from those with defects in other plastid functions. Remarkably, biotic and abiotic stressors did not define transcriptionally determined clusters indicating that post-transcriptional regulation of plastid gene expression becomes more important under changing environmental conditions. Overall, the identification of sets of co-regulated genes provides insights into the integration of plastid gene expression into common pathways that ensures a coordinated response.
Faster Rumor Spreading With Multiple Calls

We consider the random phone call model introduced by Demers et al., which is a well-studied model for information dissemination on networks. One basic protocol in this model is the so-called Push protocol which proceeds in synchronous rounds. Starting with a single node which knows of a rumor, every informed node calls in each round a random neighbor and informs it of the rumor. The Push-Pull protocol works similarly, but additionally every uninformed node calls a random neighbor and may learn the rumor from it. It is well-known that both protocols need $\Theta(\log n)$ rounds to spread a rumor on a complete network with $n$ nodes. Here we are interested in how much the spread can be speeded by enabling nodes to make more than one call in each round. We propose a new model where the number of calls of a node is chosen independently according to a probability distribution $R$. We provide both lower and upper bounds on the rumor spreading time depending on statistical properties of $R$ such as the mean or the variance (if they exist). In particular, if $R$ follows a power law distribution with exponent $\beta \in (2,3)$, we show that the Push-Pull protocol spreads a rumor in $\Theta(\log \log n)$ rounds. Moreover when $\beta=3$, the Push-Pull protocol spreads a rumor in $\Theta(\frac{ \log n}{\log\log n})$ rounds.
Altered Co-contraction of Cervical Muscles in Young Adults with Chronic Neck Pain during Voluntary Neck Motions

[Purpose] Muscle co-contraction is important in stabilizing the spine. The aim of this study was to compare cervical muscle co-contraction in adults with and without chronic neck pain during voluntary movements. [Subjects and Methods] Surface electromyography of three paired cervical muscles was measured in fifteen young healthy subjects and fifteen patients with chronic neck pain. The subjects performed voluntary neck movements in the sagittal and coronal plane at slow speed. The co-contraction ratio was defined as the normalized integration of the antagonistic electromyography activities divided by that of the total muscle activities. [Results] The results showed that the co-contraction ratio of patients was greater during flexion movement, lesser during extension movement, slightly greater during right lateral bending, and slightly lesser during left lateral bending compared with in the controls. [Conclusion] The results suggested that neck pain patients exhibit greater antagonistic muscle activity during flexion and dominate-side bending movements to augment spinal stability, while neuromuscular control provides relatively less protection in the opposite movements. This study helps to specify the changes of the stiffness of the cervical spine in neck pain patients and provides a useful tool and references for clinical assessment of neck disorders.
Role of the Plasticity-Associated Transcription Factor Zif268 in the Early Phase of Instrumental Learning

Gene transcription is essential for learning, but the precise role of transcription factors that control expression of many other genes in specific learning paradigms is yet poorly understood. Zif268 (Krox24/Egr-1) is a transcription factor and an immediate-early gene associated with memory consolidation and reconsolidation, and induced in the striatum after addictive drugs exposure. In contrast, very little is known about its physiological role at early stages of operant learning. We investigated the role of Zif268 in operant conditioning for food. Zif268 expression was increased in all regions of the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens in mice subjected to the first session of operant conditioning. In contrast, Zif268 increase in the dorsomedial caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens core was not detected in yoked mice passively receiving the food reward. This indicates that Zif268 induction in these structures is linked to experiencing or learning contingency, but not to reward delivery. When the task was learned (5 sessions), Zif268 induction disappeared in the nucleus accumbens and decreased in the medial caudate-putamen, whereas it remained high in the lateral caudate-putamen, previously implicated in habit formation. In transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the striatonigral neurons, Zif268 induction occured after the first training session in both GFP-positive and negative neurons indicating an enhanced Zif268 expression in both striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons. Mutant mice lacking Zif268 expression obtained less rewards, but displayed a normal discrimination between reinforced and non-reinforced targets, and an unaltered approach to food delivery box. In addition, their motivation to obtain food rewards, evaluated in a progressive ratio schedule, was blunted. In conclusion, Zif268 participates in the processes underlying performance and motivation to execute food-conditioned instrumental task.
Presynaptic Depression at a Calyx Synapse: The Small Contribution of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors

Synaptic depression of evoked EPSCs was quantified with stimulation frequencies ranging from 0.2 to 100 Hz at the single CNS synapse formed by the calyx of Held in the rat brainstem. Half-maximal depression occurred at ≈1 Hz, with 10 and 100 Hz stimulation frequencies reducing EPSC amplitudes to ≈30% and ≈10% of their initial magnitude, respectively. The time constant of recovery from depression elicited by 10 Hz afferent fiber stimulation was 4.2 sec. AMPA and NMDA receptor-mediated EPSCs depressed in parallel at 1–5 Hz stimulation frequencies, suggesting that depression was induced by presynaptic mechanism(s) that reduced glutamate release. To determine the contribution of autoreceptors to depression, we studied the inhibitory effects of the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonists (1S, 3S)-ACPD and l-AP4 and found them to be reversed in a dose-dependent manner by (RS)-α-cyclopropyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine (CPPG), a novel and potent competitive antagonist of mGluRs. At 300 μm, CPPG completely reversed the effects ofl-AP4 and (1S, 3S)-ACPD, but reduced 5–10 Hz elicited depression by only ≈6%. CPPG-sensitive mGluRs, presumably activated by glutamate spillover during physiological synaptic transmission, thus contribute on the order of only 10% to short-term synaptic depression. We therefore suggest that the main mechanism contributing to the robust depression elicited by 5–10 Hz afferent fiber stimulation of the calyx of Held synapse is synaptic vesicle pool depletion.
Dynamic Stacked Generalization for Node Classification on Networks

We propose a novel stacked generalization (stacking) method as a dynamic ensemble technique using a pool of heterogeneous classifiers for node label classification on networks. The proposed method assigns component models a set of functional coefficients, which can vary smoothly with certain topological features of a node. Compared to the traditional stacking model, the proposed method can dynamically adjust the weights of individual models as we move across the graph and provide a more versatile and significantly more accurate stacking model for label prediction on a network. We demonstrate the benefits of the proposed model using both a simulation study and real data analysis.