Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity in the coding in rat barrel cortex of the velocity of protraction of the macrovibrissae

Rats whisk to explore their environment and obtain information on object features, and the responses of somatosensory cortical neurones must precisely encode aspects of whisker movements. Using trapezoidal stimuli to deflect whiskers, with a wide range of velocities and amplitudes of whisker protraction, we recorded responses from a relatively homogeneous population of isolated cells and neuronal multiunits within the postero‐medial barrel sub‐field of somatosensory cortex, and analysed responses in an early post‐stimulus‐onset window. For 92% of neurones the function relating response strength to velocity was a saturating sigmoid but there were differences between neurones in the slopes and ranges over which responses changed. Responses of other neurones were non‐monotonic, with response strength decaying at very high whisker deflection velocities. Generally, barrel cortex neurones were responsive to a much wider range of whisker protraction velocities than hitherto reported, especially to much slower velocities than generally assumed to be the main range of sensitivity. This carries implications for coding of whisker deflection velocity, a parameter that appears to be a significant information‐bearing element of natural whisking. The effect of amplitude of deflection upon neural responses was evident in only ∼24% of units and only when the dominant velocity effect had saturated.
Righteous patriots, corrupted élites, undeserving poors. The construction of multiple social boundaries in the National Front

Based on life histories of National Front activists, this article analyses how multiple boundaries - pertaining to ethnic and political, but also class and spatial divides - are constructed and negotiated in the party. Ethnicity and class shape the ways in which the activists identify with the party and accommodate the construction of political outsiders and ethnic Others forged by the party populist propaganda. The article thus contributes to the study of radical right-wing populist parties by considering the impact of ethnicity and class on activism and party membership.
Faktor Penghambat Pertumbuhan Usaha Mikro Kecil Menengah(UMKM): Studi di Kabupaten Banyumas

This study is entitled Factors constraining SMEs’ growth in Banyumas. The purpose of the study is to investigate the factors that hinder the growth of small business in Banyumas Regency Indonesia. A survey method was used to gather data from 771 small business owners and managers located in Banyumas Regency Central Java Indonesia. Descriptive statistics was used to identify the factors constraing the growth of SMEs in Banyumas Regency Indonesia. The result of the study revealed that the most common constrains hindering SMEs’ growth are financial support, weak human resources,and limited market access among the internal factors while the external consist of Business climate, infrastructure and autonomy.Understanding the factors hindering SMEs’ growth in Banyumas Regency will help policy makers such as government, private sectors, to design targeted policies and programs that will actively stimulate innovation, as well a helping those policy makers to support, encourage and promote SMEs’ for poverty alleviation in Banyumas. For SMEs, this study offers alternative models to counteract the problem of collateral and lending issues. Strategic alternatives on how to address issues such as poor management, poor infrastructure, and corruption are discussed
Cloning, expression, and purification of human cyclophilin in Escherichia coli and assessment of the catalytic role of cysteines by site-directed mutagenesis.

The cDNA encoding human cyclophilin from the Jurkat T-cell lymphoma line has been cloned by the expression cassette polymerase chain reaction and sequenced, and an expression vector has been constructed under control of the tac promoter for efficient expression in Escherichia coli. Active cyclophilin is produced at up to 40% of soluble cell protein, facilitating a one-column purification to homogeneity. Wild-type cyclophilin was characterized for binding of the potent immunosuppressant agent cyclosporin A (Kd = 46 nM) by tryptophan fluorescence enhancement and for inhibition (IC50 = 19 nM) of cyclophilin's peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (rotamase) activity. With N-succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide as the substrate, recombinant human cyclophilin has a high catalytic efficiency; kcat/Km is 1.4 X 10(7) M-1.S-1 at 10 degrees C. To test the prior suggestion that a cysteine residue may be essential for catalysis and immunosuppressant binding, the four cysteines at positions 52, 62, 115, and 161 were mutated individually to alanine and the purified mutant proteins were shown to retain full affinity for cyclosporin A and equivalent catalytic efficiency as a rotamase. Clearly the cysteines play no essential role in catalysis or cyclosporin A binding. These results rule out the recently proposed mechanism [Fischer, G. , Wittmann-Liebold, B. , Lang, K. , Kiefhaber, T. & Schmid, F. X. (1989) Nature (London) 337, 476-478)] involving the formation of tetrahedral hemithioorthoamide. Whereas mechanisms that embody other tetrahedral intermediates may be operative, an alternative mechanism is considered that involves distortion of bound substrate with a twisted (90 degrees) peptidyl-prolyl amide bond.
Strangers in Spare Beds: Case Study of the International and Domestic Demand in Australia’s Peer-To-Peer Accommodation Sector

This paper compares the socio demographic drivers and travel patterns of international and domestic tourists who chose peer-to-peer accommodation (P2PA) over traditional tourist accommodation. Using a nationwide survey on Australia, it was found that locational benefits may not be crucial for P2PA users as they are likely to use a travel vehicle and often are on a longer holiday. However, international tourists are likely to use P2PA in capital cities while domestic tourists use P2PA in regional areas. Females among international but not domestic visitors are likely P2PA users. While evidence on travel party composition and income is mixed for international and domestic visitors, generation X is however the likely group of P2PA users for both visitor types. By and large, P2PA users are not a homogenous group and this is an important marketing tool for both the traditional and P2PA sector.
Does culture impact private label performance

To better understand the disparity of private label performance across countries, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role played by national culture. Two types of impact are considered: a direct influence of cultural dimensions on the performance of private labels in a country and an indirect one where national culture favours the development of modern retailers, which, in turn, benefits private label performance. ,Using the five dimensions of the Hofstede model to describe national culture, this paper performs a structural equation modelling incremental building model approach using secondary data collected from a sample of 65 countries. ,The results show that individualism (positively) and long-term orientation (negatively) directly impact private label performance. Moreover, four dimensions (individualism, masculinity, power distance and uncertainty avoidance) are shown to have a significant indirect impact on private label performance via the mediation of retail market development, positively for individualism and negatively for the three other dimensions. ,The findings provide retailers with important insights into the critical decisions of the selection of new markets and adaptation of the private label strategy according to the culture of the country. ,This research pioneers by being the first to determine the impact of all the dimensions of the Hofstede cultural model on private label performance, use a very large number of countries to test this impact and study the role of important retail market factors in this phenomenon.
Age‐dependent time course of cerebral brain‐derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, and neurotrophin‐3 in APP23 transgenic mice

Neurotrophins, including brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and neurotrophin‐3 (NT‐3), have repeatedly been shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies have claimed that these neurotrophic factors are important tools for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative diseases. So far, little is known about the age‐ and disease‐modulated time course of cerebral neurotrophins. Therefore, we have studied protein concentrations of BDNF, NGF, and NT‐3 in different brain areas and sciatic nerve, a neurotrophin‐transporting peripheral nerve, in a well‐characterized AD model of amyloid precursor protein‐overexpressing rodents (APP23 mice) at the ages of 5.0, 10.5, and 20.0 months. In APP23 mice, there was a significant increase of BDNF and NGF in the frontal and occipital cortices (for BDNF also in the striatum) of old 20.0‐month‐old mice (with respect to median values up to 8.2‐fold), which was highly correlated with amyloid concentrations of these brain areas. Median values of NGF and NT‐3 showed up to a 6.0‐fold age‐dependent increase in the septum that was not detectable in APP23 mice. Hippocampus, olfactory bulb, and cerebellum (except NT‐3) did not show substantial age‐ or genotype‐related regulation of neurotrophins. In the sciatic nerve, BDNF and NGF levels are increased in5‐month‐old APP23 mice and decrease with age to control levels. In conclusion, APP23 mice show a genotype‐dependent increase of cortical BDNF and NGF that is highly correlated with amyloid concentrations and may reflect an amyloid‐related glia‐derived neurotrophin secretion or an altered axonal transport of these neurotrophic factors. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparative In Vitro Study of the Flexural Strength of Resin Provisional Fixed Partial Dentures , With and Without Glass Fiber Reinforcement

The aim of this study was to asses the flexural strength of provisional acrylic resin fixed partial dentures reinforced with glass fiber with the provisional restorations without reinforcement. Three group of specimens were prepared for the flexural strength: Poly Methyl Metacrylate (PMMA) acrylic resin provisional restoration without glass fiber (control), acrylic resin provisional restoration reinforced with glass fiber between the abutments and acrylic resin provisional restoration reinforced with glass fiber including the abutment and the pontic of the fixed partial denture. The flexural strength was tested with a servo-hydraulic testing machine (Zwick Proline Z005 device), with a maximum 5KN force The highest resistance to deformation and fracture was registered in acrylic resin provisional restoration reinforced with glass fiber including the abutments.
BER analysis of BPSK signaling in Ricean-faded cochannel interference

The bit error rate of a binary phase shift keying signal in Ricean-faded cochannel interference is studied. A precise bit error rate expression based on a characteristic function method is derived for a bandlimited binary phase shift keying signal corrupted by an arbitrary number of asynchronous Ricean-faded interfering signals. For the special case when there is one synchronous Ricean-faded interfering signal, a Chernoff bound analysis is performed and it predicts that the error floor of the desired user signal decreases with an increase of the Rice factor in the interfering user's fading channel. However, our precise bit error rate analysis results reveal that the opposite phenomenon can also happen, in particular when the signal-to-interference power ratio is low. A saddle-point approximation based error rate analysis is also provided. It is shown that this approximation is highly accurate. An asymptotic analysis based on the saddle-point approximation further reveals that a minimum signal-to-interference power ratio is required to have the desired user's error rate performance improved by a less-faded interfering signal.
The Pleistocene site of Gran Dolina, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain: a history of the archaeological investigations.

Gran Dolina is part of an archaeological and paleontological complex located in the Sierra de Atapuerca karstic system (Burgos, Spain). The Trinchera del Ferrocarril sites were discovered as a consequence of the construction of a railway for the transport of minerals at the end of the nineteenth century. The systematic excavation of the upper Gran Dolina levels was initiated in 1981. In 1993, a 6 m(2)biostratigraphic survey pit was started, reaching level TD6 in 1994. This level was excavated during four consecutive years, yielding human fossils, identified as Homo antecessor, in association with lithic and faunal remains, dating to more than 0.78 m.y. a.
Perception of Entrepreneurial Success Characteristics

What do bank officials look for in entrepreneurs seeking capital for small businesses? Do entrepreneurs perceive these same characteristics as important or are there perceptual differences between bankers and small business owners on what constitutes characteristics for entrepreneurial success? This paper examines these issues through a survey of midwestern bankers and small businesspeople. The survey demonstrated significant differences in the dimensions or characteristics that contribute to entrepreneurial success as viewed by each group. The implications of this research may illustrate the difficulties prospective small business owners have in obtaining capital from banks for new ventures.
Strategies Female Small Business Owners Use to Succeed in Business

Strategies Female Small Business Owners Use to Succeed in Business by Mere Vauhi-Leo Tari-Sovick MS, University of Phoenix, 2006 BS, University of Phoenix, 2004 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University December 2017 Abstract Small businesses owned by women cease operations 11% more often than businesses owned by men. Women, who own over 37% of all businesses in the United States, contribute significantly to the 50% small business failure rate. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore strategies 5 women who own small businesses use to succeed in business beyond 5 years on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The theory ofSmall businesses owned by women cease operations 11% more often than businesses owned by men. Women, who own over 37% of all businesses in the United States, contribute significantly to the 50% small business failure rate. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore strategies 5 women who own small businesses use to succeed in business beyond 5 years on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The theory of constraints was the conceptual framework. Data were collected through semistructured face-to-face interviews, websites, company documents, and archival records. Transcript review of interview response data was used to strengthen the credibility of the interview data. Three themes emerged: customer and employee relations, leadership, and strategic management. Customer and employee relations were the most important theme, and strategic management was the second most important. Strategic management was one of the main sources of growth in all the 5 participant’s businesses. Participants discussed skills in managerial decisions and strategies to manage the day-to-day business operations that played an active role in entrepreneurship. Female small business owners identified strategies used to eliminate constraints that may have prohibited the business operation to succeed. The findings may inspire entrepreneurs to enhance their leadership skills, increase capacity to expand their small businesses, start new businesses, and explore entrepreneurial options. Social implications include the potential to serve as a guide that encourages female entrepreneurs to enhance their professional practices and to adopt new business strategies to make better strategic decisions. Strategies Female Small Business Owners Use to Succeed in Business
Molecular and Structural Evaluation of Dentin Caries-Like Lesions Produced by Different Artif icial Models

by different artificial models (ACL) compared with natural caries lesions (NCL). One hundred twenty-four sound occlusal dentin blocks and 47 carious blocks were obtained and surface hardness was analyzed (SH1). They were assigned to groups according to ACL: GB: Biological; GC: Chemical; GIS: In situ; GNC: natural caries (control). Blocks from groups 1, 2 and 3 were submitted to caries lesion induction. NCL and ACL blocks were submitted to surface hardness (SH 2), FT-Raman and μEDXRF analysis. All blocks were longitudinally sectioned and one of the halves was submitted to cross-sectional hardness (CSH) and the other to SEM analysis. SH1and SH2 data were submitted to t test (unpaired and paired, respectively), CSH and SEM data to two-way and one-way ANOVA respectively, and Tukey and t tests, respectively (p<0.05). Data from FT-Raman/μEDXRF were submitted to one-way ANOVA and Dunnett multiple-comparisons test (a=0.05). GB and GNC showed lowest SH2 values that were significantly different from GC and GIS. Regarding CSH, GB and GNC showed no significant difference between them. SEM showed similar caries lesion depth for GB and GNC, being significantly higher than for GC and GIS. μEDXRF showed similar values of calcium and phosphate for GB and GNC; GNC values were significantly different from GIS. No significant difference was found among the groups concerning phosphate, carbonate and CH bonds values. For collagen type I, GC values were significantly different compared to other groups. It may be concluded that caries-like lesions produced by GB were the closest model to NCL. Molecular and Structural Evaluation of Dentin Caries-Like Lesions Produced by Different Artif icial Models
Primary malignant melanoma of the rectum. Evidence for origination from rectal mucosal melanocytes

Reports of rectal melanoma often attribute the lesion to tumor extension from anal melanocytes which have undergone malignant transformation while the existence of true primary melanoma of the rectum has been disputed. This dispute primarily relates to past inability to demonstrate normal melanocytes in rectal mucosa. In this case report, two polypoid melanomas clearly located in the rectum were discovered at sigmoidoscopy. Thorough histologic examination failed to demonstrate atypical anal melanocytes, and the presence of normal melanocytes in the rectal mucosa was confirmed by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Although rare, it appears that primary malignant melanoma may arise from melanocytes among columnar rectal epithelium.
Specificity of Training Modalities on Upper-Body One Repetition Maximum Performance: Free Weights vs. Hammer Strength Equipment

Lyons, TS, McLester, JR, Arnett, SW, and Thoma, MJ. Specificity of training modalities on upper-body one repetition maximum performance: free weights vs. hammer strength equipment. J Strength Cond Res 24(11): 2984-2988, 2010-The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between 1-repetition maximum (1RM) performed on hammer strength (HS) machines compared to free weights (FWs) and also to develop regression equations that can accurately predict 1RM when switching from exercise modality to another. Thirty-one trained male subjects performed 1-RM lifts (1RM's) on 3 HS externally loaded machines and 3 comparable FW exercises. Subjects performed 2 1RM tests during each laboratory session, with at least 48-72 hours of recovery between each. One repetition maximum data were used to (a) determine the relationship between 1RM performed on HS vs. FW and (b) to develop regression equations that can accurately predict 1RM's when switching from 1 exercise modality to another. Statistics revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) between 1RM's performed on the HS equipment as compared to its corresponding (FW) exercise. For all exercises, 1RM's were significantly greater on the HS equipment. Regression equations were developed for all exercises, except when predicting the HS shoulder press and the HS preacher curls from their free weight counterparts, where no variables existed that could significantly predict their respective 1RM's. As 1 RMs were significantly greater when using the HS equipment compared to when using FWs, those transitioning from HS exercise to FW exercise should exercise caution.
The role of environmental regulations and innovation in TFP convergence: Evidence from manufacturing SMEs in Viet Nam

This is a pioneer study investigating the relationship between environmental compliance and TFP convergence for SMEs. It examines the impacts of environmental compliance, and its combination with innovation, on TFP convergence of manufacturing SMEs. We applied the dynamic panel regression method to estimate stochastic TFP. We find evidence of a s-convergence but a s-divergence. Impacts of environmental practices of firms—pollution abatement and control expenditure, and environmental treatment—are only significant through their interaction with innovation. The s-convergence in firms’ TFP is influenced by their industrial identity, while firms’ size and investment have marginal impacts.
Extending the Chain of Relationships Among Organizational Justice, Social Exchange, and Employee Reactions: The Role of Contract Violations

This study extends prior research on the chain of relationships among organizational justice, social exchange relationships, and employee reactions by investigating the proposed mediating role of psychological contract violations. Results obtained from a longitudinal design examining a sample of 191 employees provide strong support for the proposal, enhance support for chain directionality, validate theoretical predictions about determinants of contract violations, and provide initial evidence supporting a proposed integration of perceived organizational support and psychological contract theory.
High-Voltage LDMOS Transistor With Split-Gate Structure for Improved Electrical Performance

An n-channel split-gate laterally double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) device is presented. The proposed split-gate LDMOS has a primary gate (PG) and floating gate (FG). The FG is formed by spacer etching and placed along the perimeter of the PG. The potential of the FG is determined by the potential of the PG and the capacitive coupling ratio. Therefore, the FG has lower potential than that of the PG. This potential difference along the channel length direction accelerates channel carriers, which ultimately enhances device performances. From device measurements, the fabricated splitgate LDMOS devices showed improved electrical characteristics: lower drain-induced barrier lowering; higher transconductance (gm); lower drain conductance (gds = 1/rout); lower ON-resistances RON; and higher early voltage VEA = ID/gds.
Improving Student Content Retention using a Classroom Response System

The most typical uses of a classroom response system are to improve student engagement and to provide opportunities for immediate feedback. For our introductory course in computer science we sought to investigate whether the content and format typically associated with a classroom response system could be adapted from a feedback tool into an approach for improving content retention. We devised an experiment wherein different sections would be presented with complementary sets of questions presented either immediately after the corresponding material (i.e., for feedback) or at the beginning of the following lecture, with the express purpose of reminding and reinforcing material (i.e., to improve content retention). In every case, the participants that encountered an item in the following lecture exhibited relatively better performance on the corresponding items of the final exam. Thus our evidence supports the hypothesis that, with no significant additional investment of preparation or lecture time (beyond that associated with all classroom response systems), questions can be presented in such a way as to engage students while simultaneously improving content retention.