Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the contributions of total productive maintenance on manufacturing performance

In today's highly competitive business environment, survival and growth of manufacturers depend on their ability to offer a great variety of high quality products at an acceptable price using minimum lead time. Total productive maintenance (TPM) is an expansion of the lean enterprise culture. TPM implementation can be helpful in paving the way for these objectives. The ultimate goal of TPM is to optimise the delivery time, service level and productivity to fulfil the customer needs and expectations. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the contributions of total productive maintenance (TPM) initiatives towards improving manufacturing performance in an Indian manufacturing industry. The study revealed that proactive TPM initiatives have helped the manufacturing organisation immensely in improving synergy between the maintenance department and rest of the manufacturing functions, resulting in elimination of defects, improved manufacturing process reliability and OEE, affecting cost reductions thereby strengthening sustainability efforts of the organisations to meet cut-throat global competition for business excellence.
Different Neural Networks Are Involved in Audiovisual Speech Perception Depending on the Context

How are we able to easily and accurately recognize speech sounds despite the lack of acoustic invariance? One proposed solution is the existence of a neural representation of speech syllable perception that transcends its sensory properties. In the present fMRI study, we used two different audiovisual speech contexts both intended to identify brain areas whose levels of activation would be conditioned by the speech percept independent from its sensory source information. We exploited McGurk audiovisual fusion to obtain short oddball sequences of syllables that were either (a) acoustically different but perceived as similar or (b) acoustically identical but perceived as different. We reasoned that, if there is a single network of brain areas representing abstract speech perception, this network would show a reduction of activity when presented with syllables that are acoustically different but perceived as similar and an increase in activity when presented with syllables that are acoustically similar but perceived as distinct. Consistent with the long-standing idea that speech production areas may be involved in speech perception, we found that frontal areas were part of the neural network that showed reduced activity for sequences of perceptually similar syllables. Another network was revealed, however, when focusing on areas that exhibited increased activity for perceptually different but acoustically identical syllables. This alternative network included auditory areas but no left frontal activations. In addition, our findings point to the importance of subcortical structures much less often considered when addressing issues pertaining to perceptual representations.
Quantifying the integration of the Babylonian economy in the Mediterranean world using a new corpus of price data, 400-50 BC

In this paper we try to analyse market efficiency during the Seleucid and Parthian era in the Babylonian Empire. We find that prices in Babylon were less correlated with those in Rome than of most other regions around the Mediterranean. This suggests that Rome was indeed the urban centre of the Roman Empire and it also suggests that extensive trade (and/or tribute) relations existed around the Mediterranean Sea. Babylon, however, was located far away from direct sea or land trade routes. In addition, it produced largely barley (because of salinization of the soil) which was the less preferred grain around the Mediterranean. The price in Babylon remained relatively low, however, because of its productive agriculture and because barley has less nutritional value per litre than wheat. This lack of trade meant that markets were more sensitive to external shocks. Markets could not cope with external supply or demand shocks by means of imports (or exports). This increased volatility, as described by Persson, means less efficient markets. Indeed, we find that coefficient of variance of prices of staple crops was higher in Babylon than elsewhere, indicating less efficient markets. In addition, after a price shock, prices take a long to converge to their normal values. We find that for both barley and dates the expected average duration of a deviation of the price was considerable, varying between 9.5 months and 3.5 years. This suggest that often there may be autocorrelation, that is that bad harvest in year t may lead to a bad harvest in year t+1 because of lack of storage and lack of seed. Equally, recovery to normal prices seems largely to take place during a harvest instead of in between harvests. Hence, the relatively long duration of high prices and the lack of recovery in between harvests suggest the absence of substantial imports. Quick recovery was possible, though, and this must be related then to the fertility of the land, which allowed abundant harvests, and not to imports from afar. On occasion relief could be effected by short distance trade (e.g. from Uruk or the Diyala region) if famine was caused by a very local problem which only affected the city of Babylon and its close environment.
Incentives or Regulation? The Effects of Fiscal Rules and Subnational Tax Autonomy on Government Finances

An important problem for governments around the world is how to deal with the balance of public finances. Especially during the last 30 years, public finances have come under considerable strain, due to high spending obligations, for example for pensions or health care. To deal with raising deficits and debts, many countries regulated their own discretion to run deficits and debts. In addition, encouraged by research on fiscal federalism, governments delegated taxation powers to subnational and municipal governments. This paper examines the impact that fiscal rules and tax autonomy have on national deficits during the time period 1995-2012, based on a sample of 29 OECD countries. The results suggest that, overall, fiscal rules come along with lower government deficits. Contrary to existing research, the results show that higher tax discretion for member states in federal countries and municipalities are correlated with higher overall government deficits. These results provide insights into fiscal governance that are important for researchers and policymakers alike.
Surface charge decay on insulators in air and sulfurhexafluorid - part II: measurements

The decay of surface charges on polymeric insulators in air and SF6 is studied. Surface charge decay by three mechanisms, i.e. by volume and surface resistivity of the insulator as well as charge neutralization by gas ions has been simulated individually in part I. In this part the simulations of the surface charge decay are verified by experiments with insulating plates made of polytetrafluorethylen (PTFE), silicone rubber (SIR) and epoxy resin (EP). The surface charge distribution is generated by corona discharge and the charge decay is simulated by taking all three mechanisms into consideration. The influence of the test setup and particularly the size of the storage volumes on the charge decay are shown in air and SF6.
Individual Differences in Arm Strength, Speed, Reaction Time, and Three Serial Reaction Time-Movement Time “Programs”

The motor performance of 32 college men was measured on the following tests: arm strength, arm reaction and movement times, arm-and-leg serial reaction and movement times. Specificity of variance of individual differences was found for single, simple, and discrete limb movements and for three programmed series of large RT-MT movements which involved 240 responses.
Compensation committees: independence and firm performance

Purpose - – Recently all major stock exchanges issued a requirement that listed companies have 100 percent independence on audit committees of the board of directors but now the focus has turned to compensation committees. Does 100 percent independence on compensation committees make a difference in firm performance? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach - – Only 1 percent of the S & - P 1,500 firms are not in compliance with the new 100 percent independence requirement for compensation committees. This presents an opportunity to examine characteristics of these firms and if this noncompliance may harm firm performance. Industry-adjusted ROA and Tobin’s Findings - – Findings are as follows: S & - P 500 firms with lower levels of debt, have classified board, but do not perform significantly worse than firms in compliance in the same industry; mid-cap firms with debt levels similar to complying firms, have classified boards, and perform significantly worse, and lastly, small-cap firms with lower levels of debt, have classified boards, and perform significantly worse. Research limitations/implications - – Results imply that non-complying mid-cap and small-cap firms may be protecting under-performing management through maintaining classified boards, low levels of debt to avoid scrutiny of the debt markets, and less objectivity (i.e. overall and committee independence) on boards. Originality/value - – Existing corporate governance literature provides evidence that overall board independence may promote shareholder wealth maximization. The latest focus regarding independence has recently been on compensation committees. Should independence on compensation committees matter to shareholders? It is appears that noncompliance should matter in the case of small- and mid-cap firms.
Academic Integrity: Perceptions and Practices in Secondary School Humanities Classes

This research investigates to what extent, and with what results for classroom practices, Ontario secondary school teachers discuss and uphold academic integrity in humanities classes (English, History and/or Philosophy). It queries how dialogues about plagiarism, one of the most common types of academic dishonesty, are framed, and how assessment practices have been developed in response to this type of academic dishonesty. As supported by interviews carried out for this study, ethical conduct relating to academic work is approached differently across school boards and individual schools, but a common factor is the role professional judgment plays in evaluating violations on a case-by-case basis. Another consistency is the benefit of scaffolding to increase critical thinking and ownership of original work produced in class. In order to protect the integrity of the work submitted by others, the findings of this study reflect literature on this topic. They support the necessity for clearly outlined consequences that are followed through by teachers and administrators. This paper considers how an absence of standardized department responses to plagiarism, as well as academic culture of the school and background of its student population, impacts the tone and frequency of conversations about academic integrity. Attempting to gain insight into the intersection between technology and plagiarism, this study also explores the role of an Internet-based plagiarism prevention service in the broader discussion of morally respectful academic conduct. By reviewing current scholarship and integrating practices and perspectives from six secondary school teachers, this research project presents understandings of academic honesty, along with the challenges, successes and next steps for carrying on the discussion.
The Place of Housing Stability in HIV Research: A Critical Review of the Literature

Abstract There exists a wealth of literature investigating the association between housing stability and the health of people living with, or at risk of acquiring, HIV. Following a review of the limitations of prevailing housing status measures, the concepts underlying definitions of housing status in HIV literature are presented. This review concludes by proposing a conceptual shift away from understanding housing as a predominantly material entity towards a more holistic understanding of the social and cultural importance people place on home, and various spaces people find and make “home”. Addressing the varied housing needs of people living with, and at risk of, HIV relies on a more careful consideration of context, and a commitment to cultivating and supporting spaces which allow people to manage their health and well-being.
Modeling of Spatially Referenced Environmental and Meteorological Factors Influencing the Probability of Listeria Species Isolation from Natural Environments

ABSTRACT Many pathogens have the ability to survive and multiply in abiotic environments, representing a possible reservoir and source of human and animal exposure. Our objective was to develop a methodological framework to study spatially explicit environmental and meteorological factors affecting the probability of pathogen isolation from a location. Isolation of Listeria spp. from the natural environment was used as a model system. Logistic regression and classification tree methods were applied, and their predictive performances were compared. Analyses revealed that precipitation and occurrence of alternating freezing and thawing temperatures prior to sample collection, loam soil, water storage to a soil depth of 50 cm, slope gradient, and cardinal direction to the north are key predictors for isolation of Listeria spp. from a spatial location. Different combinations of factors affected the probability of isolation of Listeria spp. from the soil, vegetation, and water layers of a location, indicating that the three layers represent different ecological niches for Listeria spp. The predictive power of classification trees was comparable to that of logistic regression. However, the former were easier to interpret, making them more appealing for field applications. Our study demonstrates how the analysis of a pathogen's spatial distribution improves understanding of the predictors of the pathogen's presence in a particular location and could be used to propose novel control strategies to reduce human and animal environmental exposure.
The diagnostic value of procalcitonin, WBC, and CRP in diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infections in elderly patients

Objective: Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTI) in elderly patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Units (ICU) cause high morbidity and mortality. In this study; the prognostic value of CRP, WBC, and procalcitonin in respiratory infections were evaluated in elderly patients hospitalized in intensive care units. Methods: Study population was included of 62 patients hospitalized in intensive care unit. All patients were intubated and received mechanic ventilation for more than ten days. Cultures and Gram stain of 62 bronchial aspiration samples of the patients sent to the Microbiology laboratory were evaluated. CRP, procalcitonin and WBC were measured. The diagnostic value of WBC, procalcitonin, and CRP were evaluated according to diagnostic standard. Clinical information and laboratory data were obtained from hospital medical records and evaluated retrospectively. Results: On Gram stain of 30 samples, bacteria and >25 Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes (PMNs) were seen in every field. Also, samples were positive in quantitative culture with >100.000 cfu/ml. These samples were considered as purulent. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for CRP were 100%, 3.1%, 49.1% and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPD and NPV for procalcitonin were 73.3%, 31.2%, 50% and 55.5%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPD and NPV for WBC were 56%, 40%, 52% and 61.9% respectively. T-test was used in order to determine if the parameters vary in patients with purulent and not-purulent samples. According to t-test; CRP did not differ in two groups (p=0.346>0.05). Procalcitonin was not found useful for determining the purulence (p=0.772>0.05). No statistically significant difference was detected for WBC in two groups (p=0.559>0.05).
Evidence‐based choice of ritonavir as index CYP3A inhibitor in drug‐drug interaction studies

The “index” cytochrome P450-3A (CYP3A) inhibitor has become a critical research tool for the process of drug development. If a candidate drug under development is suspected of being dependent on CYP3A for its clearance, coadministration of this candidate with a strong or maximal in vivo CYP3A inhibitor can validate the relative contribution of CYP3A to net clearance, and map out the “worst possible” drug-drug interaction (DDI) scenario when CYP3A activity is essentially nullified. If the candidate itself is suspected of being a CYP3A inhibitor, its quantitative in vivo inhibitory potency can be compared to the “worst possible” extreme if the index inhibitor is used as a positive control in a DDI study involving a sensitive CYP3A substrate. The azole antifungal agent ketoconazole has served as the prototype index CYP3A inhibitor in this context for many years. Ketoconazole has the following specific favorable attributes: (1) usual clinical doses (400mg per day) will produce the maximum possible CYP3A inhibition in vivo; (2) these doses carry minimal risk of adverse events in healthy volunteers; (3) less than 24 hours of preexposure to ketoconazole is needed to produce maximal CYP3A inhibition, and a loading dose is not required; (4) inhibition is relatively (although not absolutely) specific for CYP3A; (5) ketoconazole does not have active metabolites of clinical importance; and (6) CYP3A inhibition is rapidly reversible when ketoconazole is discontinued. Warnings against the use of ketoconazole based on an alleged risk of liver injury, issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency in 2013, are not supported by medical or scientific evidence. Specifically, there is no indication of substantive risk to healthy volunteers who receive ketoconazole as an index CYP3A inhibitor in DDI studies. Still, the regulatory warnings compel the clinical pharmacology and drug development communities to evaluate alternatives to ketoconazole. Proposed alternatives have included: ritonavir, cobicistat, itraconazole, posaconazole, and clarithromycin. A review of the available published evidence clearly indicates that ritonavir is the best choice as an alternative index inhibitor.
An aggregate model of PMSG-based, grid connected wind farm: Investigation of LVRT capabilities

Large scale integration of wind power has become one of the most important challenges of wind industry. To increase wind power penetration on power systems, modern wind farms are required to operate like conventional generating unit. They should participate to frequency and voltage control and stay connected to the grid during severe disturbances. In this context, an aggregate model of a grid connected wind farm is developed in this paper. The wind farm includes 25 direct drive wind turbines of 2 MW rating each. The cluster or multi-machine equivalent representation was used to achieve the necessary accuracy under different incoming winds. This model will be used to investigate the behavior of power systems including wind farms and to improve the planning and the exploitation of electricity systems. A hierarchical control approach is developed to manage wind farm active and reactive generation during voltage dips and to investigate its Low Voltage Ride-Through (LVRT) capacity.
Clinical and Histological Features of Primary Progressive, Familial Thyroiditis in a Colony of Borzoi Dogs

A six-year study of clinical data and the morphologic changes involved in lymphocytic thyroiditis in a colony of related borzoi dogs was conducted. Lesions observed included initial degenerative thyroidal parenchymal changes which progressed to subacute inflammation with subsequent fibrosis and end stage thyroid gland disease. This study encompasses three successive generations of this borzoi colony and documents the progression of the histologic changes from the initial thyroid gland degenerative lesions to the end stage parenchymal atrophy. Spontaneous, familial thyroiditis has not been reported previously in the borzoi breed.
Trade Openness and Vulnerability to Poverty: Vietnam in the Long-Run (1992-2008)

Following on from the existing poverty assessments of trade liberalisation in Vietnam under "doi moi", the aim of this paper is to provide a parallel assessment of vulnerability from trade. Taking advantage of the existence of extensive household data from two different sets of Vietnamese household surveys (VLSS and VHLSS) covering the entire period 1992-2008, it applies a new vulnerability measure to assess empirically the presence of robust heterogeneity in the vulnerability of Vietnamese households according to their relative position in trade related activities. The contribution of this paper is twofold: it sheds light on the timely debate on vulnerability to poverty from trade openness focusing on micro linkages between trade liberalisation and household consumption over a longer time span than is usually covered by current literature; it proposes a new vulnerability measure capable of assessing, besides the non-stochastic poverty determinants and the observed impact of shocks on households, the net welfare effect of risk-induced "ex-ante" changing behaviour, using cross-sectional data. The main results of this paper are the following: it highlights the presence of a growing phenomenon of vulnerability induced by risk exposure alongside the reduction of poverty rates in Vietnam; it demonstrates the presence of a negative welfare effect of "ex ante" changing behaviour induced by risk exposure. On the top of that, it assesses robust heterogeneity in vulnerability according to households' relative position in trade related activities. Our empirical results are relevant for policymaking. They highlight that the so-called “economic stabilisation policies” should receive more consideration even in absence of downside shocks.
Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumours: clinical, proliferative and apoptotic features

Aims: Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumours (DNTs) have been considered benign lesions characterised by a chronic, indolent clinical course. Previous studies have suggested that increased proliferation rates may be balanced by corresponding rates of apoptosis. The objective of this study was to determine whether a correlation exists between histological features and indices of proliferation/apoptosis. Methods: Fourteen consecutive surgical specimens meeting the histological criteria for DNT were retrospectively reviewed for evidence of aggressive histological features, including anaplasia, mitotic activity, and Ki67 labelling. Immunohistochemistry was performed semiquantitatively to evaluate and compare proliferation (Ki76) and apoptosis (TUNEL). The clinical course of the patients was also reviewed. Results: Atypical histological features were demonstrated in the glial component of select complex DNTs. TUNEL indices, however, had negligible correlation with proliferative indices. A balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis was not evident particularly in those cases displaying aggressive histological features. Conclusions: While there is no clearly defined clinical or pathological pattern to indicate aggressive growth of DNTs, elevated proliferative indices coupled with atypical histological features in complex DNTs should be taken into consideration in determining the aggressiveness of surgical extirpation and follow-up until experience with these uncommon tumours is greater.