Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PENDEKATAN KUALITATIF UNTUK RISET PEMASARAN DAN PENGUKURAN KINERJA BISNIS

Makalah ini bertujuan untuk membahas tentang pendekatan kualitatif untuk riset pemasaran sebagai bagian dari pengukuran kinerja bisnis di masa kini. Makalah ini membandingkan tiga pendekatan kualitatif diantaranya fenomenologi, grounded theory, dan etnografi. Ini akan bermanfaat bagi pengembangan teori dan membantu pengambilan keputusan bisnis yang efektif. Makalah ini menjunjukkan bahwa metode kualitatif sekarang dapat diterima untuk riset konsumen dan bidang yang lebih luas dari pemasaran. Makalah ini menawarkan metode penelitian dari perspektif kualitatif dan beberapa kemungkinan penerapannya dalam riset pemasaran dan pengukuran kinerja bisnis .
Structural Analysis of Heschl’s Gyrus in Schizophrenia Patients with Auditory Hallucinations

Background/Aims: Heschl’s gyrus (HG) is functionally involved in the genesis of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH). This dysfunction seems to be structurally facilitated. The aim of the study was to analyze macrostructural features of HG in a group of patients reporting AVH who demonstrated white matter diffusion tensor imaging abnormalities reported previously. Methods: 3-D anatomical MR scans were obtained (patients with and without history of AVH, controls). HG was delineated by manual segmentation. Cortical folding, absolute and relative volumes, laterality were analyzed. Results: According to the literature, in the collapsed group of patients, the normal left-greater-than-right laterality of HG was attenuated. We found a trend towards a higher number of duplicated HG in hallucinating patients. We also found a bigger volume of HG in the right hemisphere in hallucinating patients. This effect was caused by gray and white matter increase. Conclusions: This is the first study on manual volumetry of HG in a group of schizophrenia patients with AVH compared to patients without AVH. In a previous analysis of the diffusion tensor imaging data of the here presented sample, we found higher directionality of the arcuate fasciculus in patients with AVH, facilitating abnormal co-activation in the auditory cortices in the hallucinating brain. As these abnormal activations are frequent in hallucinating patients, the here described volume increase of HG might be interpreted as compensatory plastic adaptations of the contralateral regions. We suggest that this volume increase of HG is caused by the symptomatology and not by the underlying disorder of schizophrenia.
Supervised classification of combined copy number and gene expression data

Summary In this paper we apply a predictive profiling method to genome copy number aberrations (CNA) in combination with gene expression and clinical data to identify molecular patterns of cancer pathophysiology. Predictive models and optimal feature lists for the platforms are developed by a complete validation SVM-based machine learning system. Ranked list of genome CNA sites (assessed by comparative genomic hybridization arrays – aCGH) and of differentially expressed genes (assessed by microarray profiling with Affy HG-U133A chips) are computed and combined on a breast cancer dataset for the discrimination of Luminal/ ER+ (Lum/ER+) and Basal-like/ER- classes. Different encodings are developed and applied to the CNA data, and predictive variable selection is discussed. We analyze the combination of profiling information between the platforms, also considering the pathophysiological data. A specific subset of patients is identified that has a different response to classification by chromosomal gains and losses and by differentially expressed genes, corroborating the idea that genomic CNA can represent an independent source for tumor classification.
Macrophage Contact Dependent and Independent TLR4 Mechanisms Induce β-Cell Dysfunction and Apoptosis in a Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is evolving into a global disease and patients have a systemic low-grade inflammation, yet the role of this inflammation is still not established. One plausible mechanism is enhanced expression and activity of the innate immune system. Therefore, we evaluated the expression and the function of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on pancreatic β-cells in primary mouse islets and on the murine β-cell line MIN6 in the presence or absence of macrophages. Diabetic islets have 40% fewer TLR4 positive β-cells, but twice the number of TLR4 positive macrophages as compared to healthy islets. Healthy and diabetic islets respond to a TLR4 challenge with enhanced production of cytokines (5–10-fold), while the TLR4 negative β-cell line MIN6 fails to produce cytokines. TLR4 stimulation induces β-cell dysfunction in mouse islets, measured as reduced glucose stimulated insulin secretion. Diabetic macrophages from 4-months old mice have acquired a transient enhanced capacity to produce cytokines when stimulated with LPS. Interestingly, this is lost in 6-months old diabetic mice. TLR4 activation alone does not induce apoptosis in islets or MIN-6 cells. In contrast, macrophages mediate TLR4-dependent cell-contact dependent (3-fold) as well as cell-contact independent (2-fold) apoptosis of both islets and MIN-6 cells. Importantly, diabetic macrophages have a significantly enhanced capacity to induce β-cell apoptosis compared to healthy macrophages. Taken together, the TLR4 responsiveness is elevated in the diabetic islets and mainly mediated by newly recruited macrophages. The TLR4 positive macrophages, in both a cell-contact dependent and independent manner, induce apoptosis of β-cells in a TLR4 dependent fashion and TLR4 activation directly induces β-cell dysfunction. Thus, targeting either the TLR4 pathway or the macrophages provides a novel attractive treatment regime for T2D.
Decentralized intrusion detection for secure cooperative multi-agent systems

In this paper we address the problem of detecting faulty behaviors of cooperative mobile agents. A novel decentralized and scalable architecture that can be adopted to realize a monitor of the agents' behavior is proposed. We consider agents which may perform different independent tasks, but cooperate to guarantee the entire system's safety. Agents plan their next actions by following a set of rules which is shared among them. Such rules are decentralized, i.e. they dictate actions that depend only on configurations of neighboring agents. Some agents may not be acting according to this cooperation protocol, due to tampering or spontaneous failure. To detect such misbehaviors we propose a solution where each agent runs a local monitor using only locally available information. The objective of the work is the definition of a basic framework to automatically realize decentralized intrusion detectors for (hybrid) multi-agent systems where interaction is modeled through logical cooperative protocols.
Reliable amplify-and-forward two-way relay networks

In a two-way relay network, two terminals exchange information with the help of a relay. Due to its fundamental and practical importance, there has been an increasing interest in this channel. Recently, the notation of bottleneck error exponent has been introduced which is the worst exponent decay between the two links, gives us insight into the fundamental tradeoff between the rate pair and the information-exchange reliability of the two terminals. For its applications to the design of reliable two-way relay networks, we present two optimal resource allocations to maximize the bottleneck error exponent: i) the optimal rate allocation under a sum-rate constraint and its closed-form quasioptimal solution that requires only the knowledge of the capacity and cutoff rate of each link; and ii) the optimal power allocation under a total power constraint of two terminals in the presence of global channel state information, which can be efficiently determined via a sequence of convex feasibility problems in the form of second-order cone programs. Numerical results verify the effectiveness of the optimal rate and power allocations in maximizing the bottleneck error exponent.
Local Stereo Matching with Segmentation-based Outlier Rejection

We present a new window-based stereo matching algorithm which focuses on robust outlier rejection during aggregation. The main difficulty for window-based methods lies in determining the best window shape and size for each pixel. Working from the assumption that depth discontinuities occur at colour boundaries, we segment the reference image and consider all window pixels outside the image segment that contains the pixel under consideration as outliers and greatly reduce their weight in the aggregation process. We developed a variation on the recursive moving average implementation to keep processing times independent from window size. Together with a robust matching cost and the combination of the left and right disparity maps, this gives us a robust local algorithm that approximates the quality of global techniques without sacrificing the speed and simplicity of window-based aggregation.
Experience with the SETL Optimizer

The structure of an existing optimizer for the very high-level, set theoretically oriented programming language SETL is described, and its capabilities are illustrated. The use of novel techniques (supported by state-of-the-art interprocedural program analysis methods) enables the optimizer to accomplish various sophisticated optimizations, the most significant of which are the automatic selection of data representations and the systematic elimination of superfluous copying operations. These techniques allow quite sophisticated data-structure choices to be made automatically.
Limiting deoxynucleoside triphosphate concentrations emphasize the processivity defect of lamivudine-resistant variants of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase

The nucleoside drug lamivudine (3TC) triggers the selection of resistant forms of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) with a substitution of amino acid 184Met. The 3TC-resistant RT enzymes 184Val and 184Ile exhibit a processivity defect in in vitro assays that correlates with reduced replication of the corresponding virus variants in primary cells. However, no replication defect is apparent for these two mutants in the transformed T-cell line SupT1. One obvious difference between the two cell types is the intracellular deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) level. Primary cells have a much smaller dNTP pool, and this cellular condition may emphasize the processivity defect of the codon 184 RT variants. Alternatively, cell-specific cofactors that influence the process of reverse transcription may exist. Such accessory factors may be packaged into the virion to exert an effect on the RT enzyme. To discriminate between these possibilities we performed additional assays with the wild-type and mutant RT enzymes. The RT proteins were either isolated from virions produced by primary and transformed cell types or expressed as recombinant protein. We also performed infection assays with cells treated with a drug that reduces the intracellular dNTP pool. Furthermore, reverse transcription was studied within virus particles in the endogenous assay, which allows for the manipulation of the dNTP level. The combined results indicate that the enzymatic defect of the 3TC-resistant HIV-1 variants is stressed at low dNTP concentrations.
Association of Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Antigen-4 Gene Polymorphisms and HLA Class II Alleles with the Development of Type 1 Diabetes in Korean Children and Adolescents

We studied the association of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 gene (CTLA4) polymorphisms with the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Korean children and adolescents. A total of 176 Korean subjects (92 females and 84 males) with childhood-onset T1D were studied. The A/G polymorphism at position 49 in CTLA4 exon 1 and the C/T polymorphism at position -318 in the CTLA4 promoter were analyzed by PCR-RFLP methods. The genotype and allele frequencies of the CTLA4 polymorphisms in the T1D patients were not different from those in the controls. These polymorphisms were not associated with the clinical characteristics or the development of autoimmune thyroid disease in the T1D patients. The frequency of the A allele was significantly higher in the patients that did not have two out of the three susceptible HLA-DRB1 alleles, which were DRB1*0301, *0405 and *09012, compared to the controls (P<0.05). These results suggest that CTLA4 polymorphisms do not directly confer any susceptibility to T1D. However, a CTLA4-mediated susceptibility effect on the development of T1D might be significant in children and adolescents that do not have susceptible HLA class II alleles.
Motives and algebraic de rham cohomology

In this paper, we define a certain Hodge-theoretic structure for an arbitrary variety X over the complex number field by using the theory of mixed Hodge module due to Morihiko Saito. We call it an arithmetic Hodge structure of X. It is shown that extension groups of arithmetic Hodge structure do not vanish even for degree $\geq2$. Moreover, we define higher Abel-Jacobi maps from Bloch's higher Chow groups of X to these extension groups. These maps essentially involve the classical Abel-Jacobi maps by Weil and Griffiths, and Mumford's infinitesimal invariants of 0-cycles on surfaces.
Organizational Roles and Transitions to Entrepreneurship Организационные роли и переходы к предпринимательству

В статье поднимается вопрос, как можно предсказать предпринимательство, участие индивида в основании новой организации. Предложена модель, сочетающую аспекты двух различных подходов к предпринимательству: социально-структурный подход, при котором движущей силой в образовании нового предприятия считается контекст, и подход, считающий, что каждое такое основание есть пример идиосинкразии, свойственной харизме того или иного предпринимателя. Выдвинуто предположение, что организационный контекст индивида либо увеличивает, либо уменьшает вероятность предпринимательства в зависимости от роли данного индивида в организации. Авторы полагают, что ролевой эффект привязан к харизматической идентичности основателя, которая отделяется от организации по мере ее старения и роста. Модель проверяли на данных, полученных из ответов в ходе опроса всех выпускников Высшей школы бизнеса США относительно истории их карьеры. Результаты подтвердили предположение, что организаторские качества влияют на вероятность стать предпринимателем противоположным образом в отношении членов организации и ее основателей. По мере старения и роста организации обычные ее члены все с меньшей вероятностью участвуют в предпринимательстве. Наоборот, по мере развития организации у основателя возрастает вероятность оставить ее и начать новое предприятие. Авторы обсуждают также, что говорят полученные ими результаты и теория о ценности социологического подхода к предпринимательству.
Short time-scale variability in the Faint Sky Variability Survey

We present the V-band variability analysis of the point sources in the Faint Sky Variability Survey on time-scales from 24 min to tens of days. We find that about one per cent of the point sources down to V = 24 are variables. We discuss the variability-detection probabilities for each field depending on field sampling, amplitude and time-scale of the variability. The combination of colour and variability information allows us to explore the fraction of variable sources for different spectral types. We find that about 50 per cent of the variables show variability time-scales shorter than 6 h. The total number of variables is dominated by main-sequence sources. The distribution of variables with spectral type is fairly constant along the main sequence, with 1 per cent of the sources being variable, except at the blue end of the main sequence, between spectral types F0 and F5, where the fraction of variable sources increases to about 2 per cent. For bluer sources, above the main sequence, this percentage increases to about 3.5. We find that the combination of the sampling and the number of observations allows us to determine the variability time-scales and amplitudes for a maximum of 40 per cent of the variables found. About a third of the total number of short time-scale variables found in the survey were not detected in either B or/and I band. These show a similar variability time-scale distribution to that found for the variables detected in all three bands.
Isolation and identification of Legionella spp. from different aquatic sources in south-west of Iran by molecular &culture methods

Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires’ diseases (LD) is usually transmitted to humans via inhalation of aerosols from contaminated natural and manmade water sources. These organisms may become fatal especially in immunocompromised patients and LD is the one of the important disease from a public health perspective. This survey investigated the frequency of Legionella spp. including L. pneumophila, in some cold and warm water systems in South-West of Iran by culture and PCR methods. Thirty four water samples were collected from diverse water supply systems. After acid and heat treatments of samples, inoculated onto buffered charcoal yeast extract agar. Isolated colonies were confirmed by morphological and biochemical tests. Then the isolates were examined for icmO, sidA and lidA genes by PCR assay. This study showed that frequency of L. pneumophila was 4 by culture and 14 by PCR. PCR method to be efficient and sensitive test for rapid detection of these organisms in environmental water sources. This study emphasizes the need for effective infection control and prevention strategies to minimize the risk from exposure to potential pathogens such as Legionella spp. and to create a safe working environment.
Using Elicited Choice Probabilities to Estimate Random Utility Models: Preferences for Electricity Reliability

When data on actual choices are not available, researchers studying preferences sometimes pose choice scenarios and ask respondents to state the actions they would choose if they were to face these scenarios. The data on stated choices are then used to estimate random utility models, as if they are data on actual choices. Stated choices may differ from actual ones because researchers typically provide respondents with less information than they would have facing actual choice problems. Elicitation of choice probabilities overcomes this problem by permitting respondents to express uncertainty about their behavior. This paper shows how to use elicited choice probabilities to estimate random utility models with random coefficients and applies the methodology to estimate preferences for electricity reliability in Israel.
SOCIAL PERSUASIONS BY TEACHERS AS A SOURCE OF STUDENT SELF-EFFICACY: THE MODERATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED TEACHER CREDIBILITY

The primary purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the degree to which Korean middle school students perceived their teachers to be credible made a difference in the effectiveness of teachers’ persuasion as a source of students’ academic self-efficacy. In the contexts of both general school learning and a specific subject of Korean language and literature, social persuasions by teachers were a significant predictor of student self-efficacy. Students’ academic self-efficacy, in turn, was a significant predictor of students’ expected final examination scores. Although perceived teacher credibility did not predict student self-efficacy directly, it interacted significantly with teacher persuasion in the prediction of student self-efficacy, as determined by the latent interaction analysis. Consistent with Bandura's assertion and our hypothesis, students reported stronger academic self-efficacy as they perceived the teachers who delivered the social persuasion to be more credible.
Strong, Weak, and Latent Ties and the Impact of New Media

This article argues that consideration of the strength of ties between communicators can help reconcile disparate results on the impact of new media on social relations. It is argued from the research literature and studies by the author that where ties are strong, communicators can influence each other to adapt and expand their use of media to support the exchanges important to their tie, but where ties are weak, communicators are dependent on common, organizationally established means of communication and protocols established by others. Due to this differential use of media, a new medium that adds means and opportunities for previously unconnected others to communicate will have positive effects on weak ties and weak-tie networks, in particular by laying an infrastructure of latent ties (ones that exist technically but have not yet been activated), and providing an opportunity for weak ties to develop and strengthen. A new medium may also have positive effects on strongly tied pairs where it adds another means of communicating and supports the communication needs and tasks of the pair. However, where a new medium replaces a former, common means of communication, the dependence of weak ties on a common medium makes weak-tie networks highly susceptible to dissolution. In contrast, strong-tie networks, with their connections via multiple relations and multiple media, can be expected to be more robust under conditions of change.
Validation of PCR Assay for Identification of Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis

Background Infestation of the skin by the “itch mite” Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis results in a contagious skin infection in humans called “scabies”. By resolving morphology issues, the present study was designed to be acquainted with itch mite by molecular markers. Methods The mite samples were collected from scabies patients by visiting government hospitals of twin City, Pakistan. For successful molecular detection approach, preparation of Sarcoptes mite DNA by commercial DNA extraction kit method. Furthermore, two primers i.e. Sarms 15 F/R and 16S D1/D2 were used to amplify target sequence by using PCR. The amplified products were then separated by agarose gel, electrophoresis and analyzed after staining and visualizing in UV transilluminator. Results Analysis of PCR product showed one specific band of 178 bp with primer Sarms 15 F/R, while, with primer 16S D1/D2 bands of 460 bp and 600 bp were observed on 2% agarose gel. The appearance of different band of 600 bp revealed that it might be due to heteroplasmy state present in the Pakistani Sarcoptes mites population. Conclusion Current study adds validity to the claim that PCR is more accurate, specific and sensitive in the detection of the ectoparasites even in smallest amount.
The Role of Lymphatic Niches in T Cell Differentiation

Long-term immunity to many viral and bacterial pathogens requires CD8+ memory T cell development, and the induction of long-lasting CD8+ memory T cells from a naïve, undifferentiated state is a major goal of vaccine design. Formation of the memory CD8+ T cell compartment is highly dependent on the early activation cues received by naïve CD8+ T cells during primary infection. This review aims to highlight the cellularity of various niches within the lymph node and emphasize recent evidence suggesting that distinct types of T cell activation and differentiation occur within different immune contexts in lymphoid organs.