Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PET Detector Ring Aperture Function Calculations Using Monte Carlo Techniques

A Monte Carlo simulation of gamma-ray transport within a single-slice positron emission tomography (PET) ring camera has been developed. Included in the simulation are the radioactive source distribution, collimators, and detectors with inter-crystal septa. The modelling code has been used to study the effect of the septa and BGO detector width on system sensitivity and intrinsic resolution. It is concluded that if the detectors are close-packed, there is a decreasing incentive in using detectors less than 1 cm in width in a high sensitivity camera designed for head scans. It is also found that by using tungsten-alloy inter-crystal septa, near optimum ring sensitivity can be achieved over a wide range of ring radii while maintaining a uniform intrinsic resolution function over the image area.
The impact of expatriate supporting practices and cultural intelligence on cross-cultural adjustment and performance of expatriates in Singapore

We test the relationships between corporate expatriate supporting practices, cross-cultural adjustment, and expatriate performance. Specifically, we propose that the facets of cultural intelligence moderate the expatriate supporting practices–expatriate adjustment relationship. Analyzing 169 expatriates residing in Singapore, we found that expatriate supporting practices were positively related to adjustment as well as performance. Further, we demonstrated that metacognitive and cognitive cultural intelligence negatively moderated the links between expatriate supporting practices and adjustment, while motivational cultural intelligence had a positive moderating effect. These findings have implications for organizations providing support for expatriates and the expatriate selection and training processes.
A Novel Initiation Mechanism of Death in Streptococcus pneumoniae Induced by the Human Milk Protein-Lipid Complex HAMLET and Activated during Physiological Death*

Background: Ion transport and initiation of death in bacteria is poorly understood. Results: Both the human milk complex HAMLET and physiological death stimuli required sodium-dependent calcium influx and kinase activation to kill pneumococci and form optimal biofilms. Conclusion: Specific ion transport during bacterial death initiation is essential. Significance: The study provides novel information about ion transport in bacteria and its role in bacterial physiology. To cause colonization or infection, most bacteria grow in biofilms where differentiation and death of subpopulations is critical for optimal survival of the whole population. However, little is known about initiation of bacterial death under physiological conditions. Membrane depolarization has been suggested, but never shown to be involved, due to the difficulty of performing such studies in bacteria and the paucity of information that exists regarding ion transport mechanisms in prokaryotes. In this study, we performed the first extensive investigation of ion transport and membrane depolarization in a bacterial system. We found that HAMLET, a human milk protein-lipid complex, kills Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) in a manner that shares features with activation of physiological death from starvation. Addition of HAMLET to pneumococci dissipated membrane polarity, but depolarization per se was not enough to trigger death. Rather, both HAMLET- and starvation-induced death of pneumococci specifically required a sodium-dependent calcium influx, as shown using calcium and sodium transport inhibitors. This mechanism was verified under low sodium conditions, and in the presence of ionomycin or monensin, which enhanced pneumococcal sensitivity to HAMLET- and starvation-induced death. Pneumococcal death was also inhibited by kinase inhibitors, and indicated the involvement of Ser/Thr kinases in these processes. The importance of this activation mechanism was made evident, as dysregulation and manipulation of physiological death was detrimental to biofilm formation, a hallmark of bacterial colonization. Overall, our findings provide novel information on the role of ion transport during bacterial death, with the potential to uncover future antimicrobial targets.
The Rationale behind Committee Assignment in the European Parliament

Although most of the legislative tasks of the European Parliament (EP) are performed in its committees, it is controversial how representative they are of the overall plenary. Distributive, informational and partisan theories suggest respectively that the committee assignments system is designed to (1) serve special interests outside the EP, (2) bring informational benefits to the plenary or (3) promote partisan interests. These propositions are examined via a representative sample of committees using an original data set of MEPs' profiles in the 6th European Parliament. The results show that, whereas information-driven committees attract mainly MEPs with relevant expertise, homogeneous special interests influence assignments to interest-driven and mixed committees, turning them into preference outlying committees. However, partisan considerations do not appear to influence individual assignments strategically.
Structural Requirements for RNA Editing in Glutamate Receptor Pre-mRNAs by Recombinant Double-stranded RNA Adenosine Deaminase (*)

Pre-mRNAs for brain-expressed ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits undergo RNA editing by site-specific adenosine deamination, which alters codons for molecular determinants of channel function. This nuclear process requires double-stranded RNA structures formed by exonic and intronic sequences in the pre-mRNA and is likely to be catalyzed by an adenosine deaminase that recognizes these structures as a substrate. DRADA, a double-stranded RNA adenosine deaminase, is a candidate enzyme for L-glutamate-activated receptor channel (GluR) pre-mRNA editing. We show here that DRADA indeed edits GluR pre-mRNAs, but that it displays selectivity for certain editing sites. Recombinantly expressed DRADA, both in its full-length form and in an N-terminally truncated version, edited the Q/R site in GluR6 pre-mRNA and the R/G site but not the Q/R site of GluR-B pre-mRNA. This substrate selectivity correlated with the base pairing status and sequence environment of the editing-targeted adenosines. The Q/R site of GluR-B pre-mRNA was edited by an activity partially purified from HeLa cells and thus differently structured editing sites in GluR pre-mRNAs appear to be substrates for different enzymatic activities.
Transforming multinational enterprises: towards a process model of strategic human resource management change

How MNEs control and co-ordinate their subsidiaries' human resources has been a mtter of some debate in recent years. The corporate centre's human resource (HR) department is frequently accorded a key role in shaping direction through programme of strategic change involving best practice transfer or culture change. Such programmes, however, have been questioned by academics and practitioners for their ability to deliver on the promises made for them and for the failure to recognize the problems of top-down programmes of change. In this paper, we address the question of what it might take to deliver a coherent and acceptable corporate-wide strategic HR change initiative whilst allowing for simultaneous subsidiary development and innovation? Drawing on our direct experience of case studies and building on the more general strategic change literature, we develop a process model of strategic HR changes in MNEs, which identifies the key factors that lead to successful change outcomes. The main contribution of this work is to fill existing gaps in the literature and to provide some advice to practitioners who seek to implement universal HR change programmes in MNEs.
Dating the Business Cycle in Britain

The NIESR's monthly GDP series is an innovative feature; most GDP estimates are published at an annual, or quarterly frequency at best. For purposes of dating the business cycle the availability of this series is an asset, unexploited until this paper. The paper applies a version of the standard business (or ‘classical’) cycle dating algorithm to the data, after light smoothing to remove outliers. Three classical cycles are detected in the period between the early 1970s and 2002, with turning points which are close to (but usually precede) classical cycle dating which does not benefit from the availability of monthly GDP, and instead relies on a ‘coincident’ indicator methodology. In addition the turning points of a deviation cycle are identified.
The Nature of Trends in the Per Capita Real GDP of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries: Some Evidence and Implications

In this paper we attempt to determine whether the per capita real incomes of GCC countries are trend or difference stationary. The distinction is crucial for at least three reasons: first pertains to forecasting; while a trend stationary series tends to return to its long run steady state following a shock, a difference stationary series would tend to carry the impact of such a shock forever. The second has econometric implications because even minor divergences from difference stationarity would lead to non-robust cointegration estimations. The third is about economic theory where the distinction between the neoclassical and endogenous growth models can be settled via empirics of difference or trend stationarity. As the GCC countries strive for more economic integration, correct identification of trends becomes vital in policy making. Our research shows that there is evidence that the per capita real GDP of GCC countries is difference stationary.
THE PEASANT MODE OF PRODUCTION IN THE WORK OF A. V. CHAYANOV

Is there a peasant mode of production? Chayanov's work can be construed as a theory of the peasant mode of production at the level of the labour process. This labour process is analysed in terms of the forces of production, the relationship between the peasant and the means of production, and that between the peasant and the product. When subjected to an historical critique, from the point of view of the formation and decomposition of the peasantry, Chayanov's theory of a peasant mode of production yields to the idea of peasantry as a specific combination of structures.
The Effect of Youth Alcohol Initiation on High School Completion

The social environment inherent in schools impacts both alcohol consumption onset and high school completion. The results reported here, based on data from the 1979--96 NLSY panels, show that the social coincidences between alcohol consumption and education are important determinants of both education completion and alcohol onset. Ignoring the social nature of these simultaneous decisions underestimates the impact of alcohol onset on education. After correcting for the presence of an endogenous positive relationship between schooling and alcohol consumption, we find that alcohol initiation before age 14 significantly reduces the probability of timeously completing high school by between 7% and 22%. (JEL I18, I21) Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.
Immunoregulatory and Anti-Tumor Effects of Polysaccharopeptide and Astragalus polysaccharides on Tumor-Bearing Mice

The aim of this study was to determine whether polysaccharopeptide (PSP) and Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) can be combined together as a new complex prescription (PSP + APS) for aiding adriamycin (AMD) chemotherapy. Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma (EAC) was used to establish a solid tumor model in Kunming mice. Immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical analysis were employed to detect the immunoregulatory and anti-tumor effects of EAC bearing mice after 30 days of administration with PSP and APS. PSP and PSP + APS could significantly increase the percentage of CD3+ and CD4+ T-lymphocytes, the ratio of CD4+/CD8+, and the expression of IL-2/IL-2R in spleen and Bax in tumor tissue, but led to a diminution of Bcl-2 and CDK4 in tumor tissue compared with those of control group. In addition, PSP +APS could restore the immunological effects against AMD-induced immunosuppression, such as the subset of leukomonocyte, the expression of IL-2/IL-2R in the spleen, and the thymus index. These findings suggest that the immunomodulatory and anti-cancer effects of this new formula (PSP+APS) were better than those of PSP alone, and also could resist immunosuppression induced by AMD.
Correlation Dynamics in East Asian Financial Markets

Abstract We examine the dynamic relationship between stock returns and exchange rate changes using daily data from January 1994 to September 2013 for six East Asian countries. We use the multivariate GARCH-DCC model in order to disclose the relationship between stock markets and foreign exchange markets which is important for understanding financial stability. The estimation results reveal time varying correlations in the pre- and post-Asian crisis and the Global Financial Crisis periods for all countries. The correlations are stronger when the crisis intensifies. The degree of interdependence between both markets reflects a mutual markets response to shocks and changes in policy.
Agency Theory and Participative Budgeting Experiments

ABSTRACT: A series of participative budgeting experiments has examined the effect of incentive structures and/or information environments on employees' reporting and production decisions. We analyze the previous experiments in terms of the insights they offer regarding agency theory. We expand the previous analyses of the incentive contracting experiments in three ways. First, we classify the earliest set of participative budgeting experiments based on the type of incentive and information structures examined in each study. Second, from the 21 papers we review, we identify eight specific cases for which the experimental evidence contradicts an agency theory prediction (i.e., anomalies). Third, we develop a classification scheme that can be used to organize hypotheses in terms of whether they rely on an agency theory prediction, a competing behavioral prediction, or a combination of the two. We use this classification to illustrate why we believe that studies that test both an agency theory prediction and .
On the Stability of Different Financial Systems

An economy in which deposit-taking banks of a Diamond and Dybvig style and a financial market coexist is modeled in a simple framework closely related to Diamond (1997). Solely depending on the fraction of naive households who cannot efficiently invest directly in the cor-porate sector, two different types of financial systems emerge. With the fraction comparatively low, the evolving financial system can be interpreted as market-oriented, whereas a high frac-tion brings about a bank-dominated financial system. In market-oriented systems, banks only provide naive households with access to efficient investments; in bank-dominated systems, banks' deposit contracts also offer some degree of liquidity insurance. Consequently, com-pared to market-oriented financial systems, the household sector in bank-dominated financial systems holds a larger portfolio fraction in deposits and a smaller part in direct investments. Analyzing the resilience of the different financial systems to various types of shocks shows that moderately bank-dominated (or hybrid) financial systems are particularly fragile, because only in these systems do fire sales of assets by distressed banks cause a deterioration in asset prices that also precipitates other banks into crisis. (JEL: D52, E44, G10, G21) Copyright (c) 2004 by the European Economic Association.
The End of the Cold War

Gaddis claimed that international relations theory failed to predict the Gulf War, the Soviet Union's collapse, and the cold war's end. Subsequently, he acknowledged that the expected utility model captures the logic behind complex adaptive systems such as the cold war international system. That model correctly predicted two of the events to which Gaddis pointed. Here, that model is used to simulate alternative scenarios to determine whether the cold war's end could have been predicted based only on information available in 1948. The simulations show a 68% to 78% probability that the United States would win the cold war peacefully given the conditions in 1948 and plausible shifts in the attentiveness of each state to security concerns over time. The analysis demonstrates a rigorous method for testing counterfactual histories and shows that the pro-American end to the cold war was an emergent property of the initial post-World War II conditions.
Surface characterization, biomechanical, and histologic evaluation of alumina and bioactive resorbable blasting textured surfaces in titanium implant healing chambers: an experimental study in dogs.

PURPOSE The present study was conducted to determine whether biomechanical and histologic parameters would differ between implant surfaces blasted with bioactive ceramic resorbable media (biologic blasting) and blasted with alumina and acid-etched. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fourteen beagle dogs were used. Eight animals received two implants of each surface per limb, and each limb provided samples that remained in vivo for 3 and 6 weeks. The other six animals received two implants of each surface in one limb, which remained in vivo for 1 week. After euthanization, half of the implants were subjected to torque-to-interface fracture; the other half of the implants were processed for nondecalcified histology to calculate bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and bone area fraction occupancy (BAFO). Statistical analysis was performed with the Kruskal-Wallis test (95% level of significance). RESULTS While no significant differences were observed for BIC and BAFO between surfaces at all three times in vivo and for torque levels at 1 and 3 weeks, a significantly higher torque was observed for the biologic blasting group after 6 weeks in vivo. Bone morphology was similar between groups at all times. CONCLUSION A significant increase in early biomechanical fixation was observed for implants with the biologic blasting surface. However, no significant differences were observed for BIC and BAFO at any observation point.
The Relationship Between Thai Students' Choices of International Education and their Families

This paper explores the relationship between influencing factors from family on Thai students’ choices of international education. The study classifies choices of international education into the decision to study abroad, choice of country, city, academic program, and of university. The influences from family are identified as finance, information, expectation, persuasion, and competition. The results indicate a positive relationship between choices and influencing factors. However, the degree of associations between variables are mixed. The decision making-process of Thai students is complex and involves various stakeholders. This information affords protagonists marketing Australian education a better understanding of choices made by international students.
Aesthetic technology: scale development and measurement

Development of scale to measure the aesthetics of a technology device is the focus of this research. The aesthetic technology (AT) construct takes into account technology as an art form, and allows for the examination of artistic quality, as well as the artistic value consumers are seeking in technology products. The reliability and validity of this scale are established and the AT measure is found to be a reliable measure in understanding consumer attitudes and intentions toward technology product aesthetics.
'Inappropriate' attendance at an accident and emergency department by adults registered in local general practices: how is it related to their use of primary care?

Objectives: To identify the relationship between 'inappropriate' attendance at an accident and emergency department (AED) by adults registered with local general practices and their use of primary care. Methods: A case-control study matched for age, sex, distance from the AED, social class and registered general practice and set in a single AED and two health centres in South Essex. The participants were a total of 452 patients over 15 years old from the two health centres classified as having attended the AED 'inappropriately' in 1997 as identified by a modified Sheffield process method, and 452 controls. The predictive variables were measures of utilisation in the year 1997, including number of contacts in primary care, referral and investigation costs. Measures of morbidity were collected as potential confounders. These included a recorded history of anxiety or depression in the year 1997, or being in receipt of repeat prescriptions in that year. Results: The rate of 'inappropriate' attendance was 16.8% {95% confidence interval (CI): 15.7-18.0}. All measures of utilisation and markers of anxiety and depression were significantly positively associated with 'inappropriate' attendance, but there was no association with markers of chronic morbidity. Only the number of general practitioner (GP) appointments (P < 0.0001) and out-of-hours advice calls (P < 0.0001) were independently correlated with 'inappropriate' attendance in a conditional logistic regression. 'Inappropriate' attendees had approximately twice as many GP appointments and 10 times as many out-of-hours telephone contacts with the GP. Conclusions: GP-registered, 'inappropriate' attendees at AEDs utilise primary care services more than matched controls; this pattern of service utilisation appears to be unrelated to chronic physical illness. Thus, simply providing new, directly accessible primary health care services may not significantly reduce AED use.
Improving preconception care.

OBJECTIVE To improve the documentation and delivery of preconception care to all women of reproductive age attending an inner city hospital's outpatient gynecology clinic. A secondary goal was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of providers regarding preconception care. STUDY DESIGN A preintervention chart review of a convenience sample of non-pregnant women with reproductive potential who attend an inner city hospital gynecology clinic (n = 100) was conducted to evaluate delivery of preconception care. Items screened for included: family planning services, domestic violence, nutrition and medical risk factors, medication use, appropriate counseling and use of referral services. All providers in the clinic were surveyed to assess their knowledge of and attitudes toward preconception care. A two-part intervention was then carried out: (1) a one-hour lecture for all providers, and (2) a standardized preconception care form inserted in all charts. A postintervention chart review of a second convenience sample (n = 100) and repeat provider survey were then conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the two interventions. RESULTS Following the two-pronged intervention, there was evidence of improved documentation of the delivery of preconception care. Documentation of screening in almost all categories was significantly improved (P < .05). The greatest improvements were noted in complete screening for medical risk factors (from 15% to 44%), for over-the-counter and prescription medication use (from 10% to 70% and 30% to 77%, respectively), domestic violence (from 10% to 57%) and nutrition (from 9% to 50%). However, provider knowledge of and attitudes toward preconception care were not significantly changed. CONCLUSION The combination of education about preconception care and insertion of a standardized form into a patient's chart led to a clear improvement in the documentation of preconception care. Given the significance of preconception care, insertion of a standardized form should be considered to help providers complete and appropriate care to their patients.