Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selecting Relationship Type in Facility Services

The expansion of existing outsource contracts and the outsourcing of the strategically more important services have created the need to develop relationships based on a more collaborative approach. Since collaborative relations do not work in every situation, there is the need to develop an understanding of the different relationship types. The aim of this paper is to identify the factors that influence the choice of relationship type and the factors that distinguish collaborative relations from adversarial relations. The research is qualitative, based on thematic interviews, informal discussions and focus group interviews. Empirical findings are compared to and linked with the findings in the literature. The results indicate that transaction cost economics could be used to support decisions related to the selection of relationship type in facility services. When selecting a partner for a collaborative relationship, the perceived potential for longterm improvement as a result of joint learning processes is more important than the immediate financial benefits. In an adversarial approach, the most important criterion for selecting the service provider is often price.
Epidemiology of Doublet/Multiplet Mutations in Lung Cancers: Evidence that a Subset Arises by Chronocoordinate Events

Background Evidence strongly suggests that spontaneous doublet mutations in normal mouse tissues generally arise from chronocoordinate events. These chronocoordinate mutations sometimes reflect “mutation showers”, which are multiple chronocoordinate mutations spanning many kilobases. However, little is known about mutagenesis of doublet and multiplet mutations (domuplets) in human cancer. Lung cancer accounts for about 25% of all cancer deaths. Herein, we analyze the epidemiology of domuplets in the EGFR and TP53 genes in lung cancer. The EGFR gene is an oncogene in which doublets are generally driver plus driver mutations, while the TP53 gene is a tumor suppressor gene with a more typical situation in which doublets derive from a driver and passenger mutation. Methodology/Principal Findings EGFR mutations identified by sequencing were collected from 66 published papers and our updated EGFR mutation database (www.egfr.org). TP53 mutations were collected from IARC version 12 (www-p53.iarc.fr). For EGFR and TP53 doublets, no clearly significant differences in race, ethnicity, gender and smoking status were observed. Doublets in the EGFR and TP53 genes in human lung cancer are elevated about eight- and three-fold, respectively, relative to spontaneous doublets in mouse (6% and 2.3% versus 0.7%). Conclusions/Significance Although no one characteristic is definitive, the aggregate properties of doublet and multiplet mutations in lung cancer are consistent with a subset derived from chronocoordinate events in the EGFR gene: i) the eight frameshift doublets (present in 0.5% of all patients with EGFR mutations) are clustered and produce a net in-frame change; ii) about 32% of doublets are very closely spaced (≤30 nt); and iii) multiplets contain two or more closely spaced mutations. TP53 mutations in lung cancer are very closely spaced (≤30 nt) in 33% of doublets, and multiplets generally contain two or more very closely spaced mutations. Work in model systems is necessary to confirm the significance of chronocoordinate events in lung and other cancers.
The Effect of Secondary School Accounting Study on Student Performance in the First Year University Financial Accounting Course

A comparison is made of first year performance in financiaf accounting between two groups of students, those who studied accounting at secondary school and those who did not. Oata were collected for students over a three year period (1985–1987). Two separate research designs were used to test for differences in performance. Both research designs indicated that students with secondary school accounting scored higher on early tests and examinations but that the two groups of students scored equally on the final examination.
METU dataset: A big dataset for benchmarking trademark retrieval

Trademark retrieval (TR) is the problem of retrieving similar trademarks (logos) for a query, and the main aim is to detect copyright infringements in trademarks. Since there are millions of companies worldwide, automatically retrieving similar trademarks has become an important problem, and currently, checking trademark infringements is mostly performed manually by humans. However, although there have been many attempts for automated TR, as also acknowledged in the community, the problem is largely unsolved. One of the main reasons for that is the unavailability of a publicly available comprehensive dataset that includes the various challenges of the TR problem. In this article, we propose and introduce a large dataset composed of more than 930,000 trademarks, and evaluate the existing approaches in the literature on this dataset. We show that the existing methods are far from being useful in such a challenging dataset, and we hope that the dataset can facilitate the development of better methods to make progress in the performance of trademark retrieval systems.
Cytoplasmic NOTCH and membrane-derived β-catenin link cell fate choice to epithelial-mesenchymal transition during myogenesis

How cells in the embryo coordinate epithelial plasticity with cell fate decision in a fast changing cellular environment is largely unknown. In chick embryos, skeletal muscle formation is initiated by migrating Delta1-expressing neural crest cells that trigger NOTCH signaling and myogenesis in selected epithelial somite progenitor cells, which rapidly translocate into the nascent muscle to differentiate. Here, we uncovered at the heart of this response a signaling module encompassing NOTCH, GSK-3β, SNAI1 and β-catenin. Independent of its transcriptional function, NOTCH profoundly inhibits GSK-3β activity. As a result SNAI1 is stabilized, triggering an epithelial to mesenchymal transition. This allows the recruitment of β-catenin from the membrane, which acts as a transcriptional co-factor to activate myogenesis, independently of WNT ligand. Our results intimately associate the initiation of myogenesis to a change in cell adhesion and may reveal a general principle for coupling cell fate changes to EMT in many developmental and pathological processes. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.14847. 001
A study on the effects of quality of service parameters on perceived video quality

In this paper a video database, ReTRiEVED, to be used in evaluating the performances of video quality metrics is presented. The database contains 184 distorted videos obtained from eight videos of different content. Packet loss rate, jitter, delay, and throughput have been considered as possible distortions resulting from video transmission. Video sequences, collected subjective scores, and results of the performed analysis are made publicly available for the research community, for designing, testing and comparing objective video quality metrics. The analysis of the results shows that packet loss rate, throughput/bandwidth, and jitter have significant effect on perceived quality, while an initial delay does not significantly affect the perceived quality.
Performance Study of Classification Algorithms for Consumer Online Shopping Attitudes and Behavior Using Data Mining

The online retail industry is one of the world's largest and fastest growing industries having huge amount of online sales data. This sales data includes information about customer buying history, goods or services offered for the customers. Hidden relationships in sales data can be discovered from the application of data mining techniques. Data mining is an inter disciplinary promising field that focuses on access of information useful for high level decisions and also include machine learning to help online shopping stores to indentify online customer behavior to recommend for him the appropriate products he/she is interesting to them, because the growing popularity and acceptance of e-commerce platforms, users face an ever increasing burden in actually choosing the right product from the large number of online offers. Thus, techniques for personalization and shopping guides are needed by users. For a pleasant and successful shopping experience, users need to know easily which products to buy with high confidence. In this paper eleven data mining classification techniques will be comparatively tested to find the best classifier fit for consumer online shopping attitudes and behavior according to obtained dataset for big agency of online shopping, the results shows that decision table classifier and filtered classifier gives the highest accuracy and the lowest accuracy is achieved by classification via clustering and simple cart, also this paper will provide a recommender system based on decision table classifier helping the customer to find the products he/she is searching for in some ecommerce web sites. Recommender system learns from the information about customers and products and provides appropriate personalized recommendations to customers to find the desired products.
Behind Acquisitions of Alliance Partners: Exploratory Learning and Network Embeddedness

Acquisition research has traditionally been dominated by economic and atomistic assumptions. This study extends acquisition research by integrating behavioral learning and social network perspectives to examine the acquisitions of alliance partners. Specifically, we examine, at the dyadic level, how firms’ alliance learning approaches (exploration versus exploitation) and their joint and relative embeddedness in alliance networks (joint brokerage positions and relative centrality) can interact to drive subsequent acquisitions of alliance partners. Our analyses of the U.S. computer industry support our theoretical framework, highlighting the unique and previously underexplored behavioral and relational drivers of acquisitions.
Magnetic activity of the cool component in symbiotic systems

I argue that cool giant components in most symbiotic binary systems possess magnetic activity on a much higher level than isolated cool giants or those in wide binary systems. Based on the behaviour of main-sequence stars, I assume that magnetic activity and X-ray luminosity increase with rotation velocity. I then show that the cool components in symbiotic systems are likely to rotate much faster than isolated, or in wide binary systems, cool giants. The magnetic activity of the cool giant may be observed as a global axisymmetrical mass-loss geometry of the cool giant (before the hot companion influences the outflow), a stochastic mass-loss process, i.e. a variation of mass-loss rate with time and location on the surface of the giant and in relatively strong X-ray emission. The variation in the mass-loss process from the cool giant may cause variation in the properties of jets blown by the hot compact companion. I conclude that symbiotic systems should be high-priority X-ray targets.
Biomimetic Design of a Polychaete Robot Using IPMC Actuator

This paper describes the design of a novel miniaturised robot mimicking the locomotion mechanism of polychaete worms. The robot architecture is bio-inspired and for designing purposes a modular approach has been followed. The robot consists of independent modules which move like polychaete worm segments, generating a transversal sinusoidal wave along the body. In order to reproduce this undulatory locomotion pattern, the specific bending movement of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC) material in response to electric stimuli has been considered. Each module consists of a strip of IPMC and two mechanical clamps able to establish electrical contact with the polymer and to mechanically join in series different strips. A 4-module prototype has been fabricated with an external control. By means of software interface different modules activation sequences could be implemented. Initial results and considerations are reported
Polarizable vacuum approach for describing of gravitation induced optical effects

The Maxwell equations with accounting for tensors properties of time have been considered. It has been demonstrated that introduction of the time tensor enables describing the changes in the velocities of electromagnetic waves in the so-called polarized vacuum, as well as anisotropy of those velocities. We have analyzed the propagation of light near a electrically charged, static spherical mass. The relations that describe the changes in the refractive index, dielectric impermeability and polarizability of vacuum under the influence of gravitation and electrical fields have been derived. One can see that vacuum possess polarizability and last is equal zero only at anyone field absence that is impossible in reality. Hence we have good reasons to conclude: vacuum is polarizable medium.
Citizens Without Frontiers

lawyers and managers move as professionals through distinct but overlapping fields (of expertise, knowledge, and competence) that traverse national borders. (Sans-frontierisme has become their shibboleth.) Yet, when people move across these borders as citizens, unless authorized, they are treated as trespassers and their bodies are caught in border regimes that constitute them as migrants, refugees, or aliens. (Sans-papierisme has become their slogan.) There is a widening gap between those who can act across borders and those who remain confined within them. Cosmopolitanism or universalism have sought to close this gap but so far neither has identified a field in which citizens can act. This may be the end of citizenship. If not, what prospects can there possibly be for citizens without frontiers?
New Insights into c-Ret Signalling Pathway in the Enteric Nervous System and Its Relationship with ALS

The receptor tyrosine kinase Ret (c-Ret) transduces the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) signal, one of the neurotrophic factors related to the degeneration process or the regeneration activity of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The phosphorylation of several tyrosine residues of c-Ret seems to be altered in ALS. c-Ret is expressed in motor neurons and in the enteric nervous system (ENS) during the embryonic period. The characteristics of the ENS allow using it as model for central nervous system (CNS) study and being potentially useful for the research of human neurological diseases such as ALS. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cellular localization and quantitative evaluation of marker c-Ret in the adult human gut. To assess the nature of c-Ret positive cells, we performed colocalization with specific markers of cells that typically are located in the enteric ganglia. The colocalization of PGP9.5 and c-Ret was preferentially intense in enteric neurons with oval morphology and mostly peripherally localized in the ganglion, so we concluded that the c-Ret receptor is expressed by a specific subtype of enteric neurons in the mature human ENS of the gut. The functional significance of these c-Ret positive neurons is discussed.
How Many Diseases Are Colorectal Cancer?

The development of personalised therapy and mechanism-targeted agents in oncology mandates the identification of the patient populations most likely to benefit from therapy. This paper discusses the increasing evidence as to the heterogeneity of the group of diseases called colorectal cancer. Differences in the aetiology and epidemiology of proximal and distal cancers are reflected in different clinical behaviour, histopathology, and molecular characteristics of these tumours. This may impact response both to standard cytotoxic therapies and mechanism-targeted agents. This disease heterogeneity leads to challenges in the design of clinical trials to assess novel therapies in the treatment of “colorectal cancer. ”
Echocardiographic diastolic parameters and risk of atrial fibrillation: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

AIMS Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in the elderly, and shares several risk factors with diastolic dysfunction, including hypertension and advanced age. The purpose of this study is to examine diastolic dysfunction as a risk for incident AF. METHODS AND RESULTS We examined the association of echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function with the incidence of AF in 4480 participants enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study, an ongoing cohort of community-dwelling older adults from four US communities. Participants underwent baseline echocardiography in 1989-1990 and were followed for incident AF on routine follow-up and hospitalizations. After 50 941 person-years of follow-up (median follow-up time 12.1 years), 1219 participants developed AF. In multivariable-adjusted age-stratified Cox models, diastolic echocardiographic parameters were significantly associated with the risk of incident AF. The most significant parameters were the Doppler peak E-wave velocity and left atrial diameter, which demonstrated a positive nonlinear association [HR 1.5 (CI 1.3-1.9) and HR 1.7 (CI 1.4-2.1) for highest vs. lowest quintile, respectively], and Doppler A-wave velocity time integral, which displayed a U-shaped relationship with the risk of AF [HR 0.7 (CI 0.6-0.9) for middle vs. lowest quintile]. Each diastolic parameter displayed a significant association with adjusted NT-proBNP levels, although the nature of the association did not entirely parallel the risk of AF. Further cluster analysis revealed unique patterns of diastolic function that may identify patients at risk for AF. CONCLUSION In a community-based population of older adults, echocardiographic measures of diastolic function are significantly associated with an increased risk of AF.
Synthesising Dynamic Textures using Convolutional Neural Networks

Here we present a parametric model for dynamic textures. The model is based on spatiotemporal summary statistics computed from the feature representations of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) trained on object recognition. We demonstrate how the model can be used to synthesise new samples of dynamic textures and to predict motion in simple movies.
MiR-21 plays an Important Role in Radiation Induced Carcinogenesis in BALB/c Mice by Directly Targeting the Tumor Suppressor Gene Big-h3

Dysregulation of certain microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer can promote tumorigenesis, metastasis and invasion. However, the functions and targets of only a few mammalian miRNAs are known. In particular, the miRNAs that participates in radiation induced carcinogenesis and the miRNAs that target the tumor suppressor gene Big-h3 remain undefined. Here in this study, using a radiation induced thymic lymphoma model in BALB/c mice, we found that the tumor suppressor gene Big-h3 is down-regulated and miR-21 is up-regulated in radiation induced thymic lymphoma tissue samples. We also found inverse correlations between Big-h3 protein and miR-21 expression level among different tissue samples. Furthermore, our data indicated that miR-21 could directly target Big-h3 in a 3′UTR dependent manner. Finally, we found that miR-21 could be induced by TGFβ, and miR-21 has both positive and negative effects in regulating TGFβ signaling. We conclude that miR-21 participates in radiation induced carcinogenesis and it regulates TGFβ signaling.
The Link between Environmental Innovation, Patents, and Environmental Management

This paper analyses empirically the relationship between environmental innovations, environmental management and patenting. In particular it tests a number of propositions on how environmental management systems and the interaction with environmentally more or less concerned stakeholders are associated with the probability of firms to pursue innovation in general (measured as patenting behaviour) and specifically environmental innovation (measured as firm self-assessment and based on patent data). In applying a negative binomial as well as binary discrete choice models the relationship is studied using data on German manufacturing firms. As a novel and important insight, the study finds that environmental innovation can be meaningfully identified using patent data and that environmental innovation defined this way is less ubiquitous than self-reported environmental innovation. It also reveals that the implementation level of environmental management systems has a positive effect exclusively on environmental process innovation, whereas it is negatively associated with the level of a firm’s general patenting activities. For environmental product innovation and patented environmental innovations a positive relationship with environ-mentally concerned and a negative link with environmentally neutral stakeholders is found.
Explorer Increased Linear Bone Growth by GH in the Absence of SOCS 2 is Independent of IGF-1

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Regulation and the Evolution of Corporate Boards: Monitoring, Advising or Window Dressing?

Abstract It is generally agreed that boards are endogenously determined institutions that serve both oversight and advisory roles in a firm. While the oversight role of boards has been extensively studied, relatively few studies have examined the advisory role of corporate boards. We examine the participation of political directors on the boards of natural gas companies between 1930 and 1998. We focus on the expansion of federal regulation of the natural gas industry in 1938 and 1954 and subsequent partial deregulation in 1986. Using data sets covering the periods from 1930 to 1990 and 1978 to 1998, we test whether regulation and deregulation altered the composition of companies’ boards as the firms’ environment changed. In particular, did regulation cause an increase and deregulation a decrease in the number of political directors on corporate boards? We find evidence that the number of political directors increases as firms shift from market to political competition. Specifically, the regulation of natu.
Growth, Slowdowns, and Recoveries

We construct and estimate an endogenous growth model with debt and equity financing frictions to understand the relation between business cycle fluctuations and long-term growth. The presence of spillover effects from R&D imply an endogenous relation between productivity growth and the state of the economy. A large contractionary shock to equity financing in the 2001 recession led to a persistent growth slowdown that was more severe than in the 2008 recession. Equity (debt) financing shocks are more important for explaining R&D (physical) investment. Therefore, these two financing shocks affect the economy over different horizons.