Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Routes to Fandom Discovery and Expression of Fan Identity in Furry , Anime , and Fantasy Sport

In the present study, we examined routes to fandom membership and expressions of fan identity in members of the furry, anime, and fantasy sport fandoms. Participants from each fandom answered two open-ended questions asking how they discovered and became part of the fandom and how they expressed their fan interest. Furries primary cite the Internet as their point of discovering the fandom. Anime fans attribute their interest to a combination of the Internet, media, and clubs. Fantasy sport fans cite their friends and family as the primary point of discovery. When it comes to expressing fan interest, furries tend to produce fanrelated artifacts and display group symbols. Anime fans, in contrast, tend to consume anime-related content, and fantasy sport fans research and participate in their activity, as well as evangelizing it. Together, the results illustrate that there is no one route to fandom, nor is there only one way for fan interests to manifest themselves.
Association between the c . 910 A > G genetic polymorphism in XRCC 1 gene and susceptibility to lung cancer in a Chinese population

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide with more than a million deaths each year (Guilbert, 2003; Siegel et al., 2012; Yuan et al., 2013). It is reported that the overall five-year survival rate of lung cancer is only 15% in the United Sta tes and even lower in China (Parkin et al., 2005; Yin et al., 2009a; Cui et al., 2012). Previous studies have in di cated that genetic factors may influence the effecti ve ness of treatment from lung cancer and affect the prognosis of patients (Viktorsson et al., 2005; Yin et al., 2009b). The human X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 gene (XRCC1) is one of the most important can didate genes influencing the susceptibility to lung cancer (Hao et al., 2006; Giachino et al., 2007; LopezCima et al., 2007; Sreeja et al., 2008; Chang et al., 2009; Kalikaki et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2009; Yin et al., 2009a, b; Butkiewicz et al., 2011; Li et al., 2011; Qian et al., 2011; Chen et al., 2012; Cui et al., 2012; Karkucak et al., 2012; Guo et al., 2013). It functions by correcting defective DNA strand-break repair and sister chromatid exchange following treatment with ionizing radiation and alkylating agents. Many studies ha ve investigated the association of lung cancer with the genetic polymorphisms in XRCC1 gene in different populations (Hao et al., 2006; Giachino et al., 2007; Journal of Biological Research-Thessaloniki 20: 270 – 275, 2013 J. Biol. Res.-Thessalon. is available online at http://www.jbr.gr Indexed in: WoS (Web of Science, ISI Thomson), SCOPUS, CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service) and DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)
Magnesium prevents and rescues high phosphate induced calcification in rat aortic culture

Vascular calcification, prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), is a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Magnesium is considered to have a protective effect on vascular calcification beyond phosphate control. The present study attempted to investigate the role of magnesium on inhibition and prevention of vascular calcification in an ex vivo study. Aortic segments of Sprague–Dawley rats were incubated in medium with high phosphate concentration for 10 or 14 days to induce calcification. Various concentrations of magnesium were introduced during different culture periods. Mineralization of aortas was assessed by von Kossa staining and quantification of calcium content. In this experiment, aortic calcification was induced by high phosphate concentration and was significantly reduced doseand timedependently by magnesium. Pretreatment with magnesium strongly prevented high phosphateinduced aortic calcification. Even a short time exposure to magnesium ameliorates and rescues further progression of vascular calcification. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms and the clinical use of magnesium to inhibit vascular calcification.
Brainstorm : Occupational Choice , Manic Depression And Creativity

Although economists have analyzed earnings, unemployment, and labor force participation for manic-depressives, occupational choice has yet to be explored. Psychiatric case studies suggest links between manic depression and occupational creativity, but they likely suffer from selection bias. To avoid this problem we employ two population-based data sets: the National Health Interview Survey, 1989: Mental Health Supplement (MHS) and the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) data set. We use these data sets to estimate a multinomial logit model of occupational outcomes matched to a measure of occupational creativity. Manic-depressives appear to be disproportionately concentrated in the most creative occupational category, which we confirm by estimating nonparametric kernel densities of occupational creativity for bipolar and non-bipolar samples. We find significant differences; the probability of employment in creative jobs is higher for bipolar than non-bipolar workers.
The Exergy Footprint as a Sustainability Indicator: An Application to the Neanderthal–Sapiens Competition in the Late Pleistocene

A thermodynamic analysis of population dynamics and of sustainability provides rigor to many important issues. In this work, the “system society” is analysed in connection with the “system environment” using an exergy metric, and the method includes an internalization of the externalities (capital, labour, environmental effects) conducted on the basis of a “system + environment” balance. In this perspective, this study investigates the Late Pleistocene extinction of the Homo neanderthalensis, which took place in a geologically short time and in the presence of a competing species, the Homo sapiens. The case in study is not trivial, and its choice not casual: in those times, the only factor that could lead to an advantage of one group over the other was their respective resource use intensity. A specific indicator, the exergy footprint (EF), is here applied to measure the total amount of primary resources required to produce a certain (material or immaterial) commodity, including the resources needed for the physical survival of the individuals. On the basis of the available data, the results of a steady-state analysis show that the EF of the Neanderthal was higher than that of the Sapiens, and that with both species sharing the same ecological niche in a time of dwindling resources, the less frugal of the two was also more fragile in an evolutionary sense.
Is labour market regulation of any importance for bank performance in EU ?

The European banking industry is undergoing significant structural changes and cost-reduction programs through the introduction of organizational changes and reductions in the number of bank employees. The urgency to reduce operating costs and improve efficiency has been further amplified by the financial crisis. In light of these developments, bank performance has been put at the center of research attention. Yet, the institutional features that affect banks’ ability to adjust costs and in particular personnel expenses, which comprise a significant part of banks’ cost structure, have not been adequately studied. This paper covers this gap in the literature by investigating on the effect of labor market institutions and regulations on banks’ performance. In particular, we examine the impact of labor market regulations on EU-15 cost inefficiency over the period 2004-2010. We employ dynamic panel data models as well as a panel-VAR analysis to take into account endogeneity issues. Results indicate the existence of a negative relationship between bank performance and the liberalization of the EU labor market in the short run. However, when the aggregate labor market regulation index is decomposed into its elements, this effect is not always valid and some variability is present, while over the medium term we mostly observe the opposite effect.
Akademia Baru Capital Structure and Performance of Malaysia Plantation Sector

This paper investigates the relationship between capital structure and firm performance. The sample of this study is 41 listed companies in Bursa Malaysia from year 2007 to year 2011. This study uses four capital structure measures as independent variables which are short-term debt to total assets (STDTA), long-term debt to total assets (LTDTA), total debt to total assets (TDTA) and total debt to total equity (TDTE). Another five firm performance as dependent variables which are return on equity (ROE), return on assets (ROA), gross profit margin (GMS),earnings per share (EPS) and price earnings (PE). Capital structure variable which measured by total debt to total assets (TDTA), shortterm debt to total assets (STDTA) and long-term debt to total assets (LTDTA) have significant positive relationships with return on equity (ROE), return on assets (ROA); and significant negative relationships with gross profit margin (GPM). However, capital structure which measured by total debt to total equity (TDTE) have significant positive relationships with return on equity (ROE) and significant negative relationships with gross profit margin (GPM) and return on assets (ROA). Total debt to total equity (TDTE) has a significant influence on return on equity (ROE) and price earnings (PE). While, total debt to total assets (TDTA) and total debt to total equity (TDTE) are significantly influenced return on assets (ROA). Gross profit margin (GPM) is significantly influenced by three independent variables which are total debt to total equity (TDTE), total debt to total assets (TDTA) and short-term debt to total assets (STDTA). Earnings per share (EPS) is significant influence by total debt to total assets (TDTA) and short term debt to total debt (STDTA). In sum, the results show that there is a relationship and significant influence between capital structure and corporate performance in Malaysia plantation sector firms. Copyright © 2016 Penerbit Akademia Baru All rights reserved.
Collaborative networks for radical innovation: A science-to-business marketing approach to scientific knowledge commercialisation

The commercialisation of scientific knowledge has become a primary objective for universities worldwide. Collaborative research projects are viewed as a key to successfully achieving this objective and spur radical innovation. The establishment of collaborative networks for radical innovation within these complex multi-stakeholder research projects, however, remains under-researched. This paper is based on case study evidence from 82 stakeholders in 17 collaborative radical innovation projects in Irish and German universities. Utilising qualitative interviews with multiple stakeholders including principal investigators, centre managers, technology transfer managers, industry partners and government funding agents enables analysis of the true value of the various stakeholders‘ roles. It incorporates a holistic view of the process, as opposed to prior research which has tended to report findings based on analysis of one or two stakeholders. This article explores why and how collaborative networks for radical innovation are established from a multi-stakeholder perspective. It finds that (a) principal investigators play the main role in establishing trusting stakeholder relationships and (b) stakeholder satisfaction and loyalty contribute to the establishment of stakeholder retention. The findings suggest that in order to create collaborative networks for radical innovation it is important to retain industry partners and other stakeholders through repeated joint projects. Overall, the study reaffirms that collaborative stakeholder networks are a key conduit for radical innovation due to network capabilities. Finally, the implications of these findings for future research are discussed.
ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS APPLIED FOR SOIL CLASS PREDICTION IN MOUNTAINOUS LANDSCAPE OF THE SERRA DO MAR ( 1 )

Soil information is needed for managing the agricultural environment. The aim of this study was to apply artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the prediction of soil classes using orbital remote sensing products, terrain attributes derived from a digital elevation model and local geology information as data sources. This approach to digital soil mapping was evaluated in an area with a high degree of lithologic diversity in the Serra do Mar. The neural network simulator used in this study was JavaNNS and the backpropagation learning algorithm. For soil class prediction, different combinations of the selected discriminant variables were tested: elevation, declivity, aspect, curvature, curvature plan, curvature profile, topographic index, solar radiation, LS topographic factor, local geology information, and clay mineral indices, iron oxides and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from an image of a Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor. With the tested sets, best results were obtained when all discriminant variables were associated with geological information (overall accuracy 93.2 95.6 %, Kappa index 0.924 0.951, for set 13). Excluding the variable profile curvature (set 12), overall accuracy ranged from 93.9 to 95.4 % and the Kappa index from 0.932 to 0.948. The maps based on the neural network classifier were consistent and similar to conventional soil maps drawn for the study area, although with more spatial details. The results show the potential of ANNs for soil class prediction in mountainous areas with lithological diversity.
OF THE TROPHIC ROLE OF MESOPELAGIC FISH OF THE FAMILY MYCTOPHIDAE IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN ECOSYSTEM

Results of research into the trophic relationships of myctophids demonstrate that this group of mesopelagic fish plays a significant role in the community of Southern Ocean marine organisms. Myctophids have the trophic status of zooplankton consumers. The large amount of mesoand macroplankton consumed by myctophids indicates high abundance and biomass of these fishes. According to a preliminary estimate, the yearly consumption of zooplankton by Electrona carlsbergi ranges from 157 to 364 million tonnes. Myctophids occupy the third level in the Southern Ocean trophic system and are consumers of the second order. Myctophids play a major role as producers, supporting the production of organisms higher up the food chain (certain species of squid, notothenioids, seabirds and mammals).
Hybridization for HER 2 testing in gastric carcinoma : a comparison of fluorescence in situ hybridization with a novel fully automated dual-color silver in situ hybridization

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Hybridization for HER2 testing in gastric carcinoma: a comparison of fluorescence in situ hybridization with a novel fully automated dual-color silver in situ hybridization Fernando Lopez-Rios, Elena Garcia-Garcia, Carlos Gomez-Martin, Barbara Angulo, Esther Conde, Ana Suarez-Gauthier, Magdalena Adrados, Cristian Perna, Jose Luis Rodriguez-Peralto, Manuel Hidalgo
Passengers perception on safety level of ferry transport : A case study in Labuan island , Malaysia

Article history: Received 24 October 2016 Received in revised form 14 December 2016 Accepted 16 December 2016 Available online 7 January 2017 In order to attract more people to use water transport especially tourist, the effectual and well-organized water transportation safety are crucial to overcome any issue like overloaded passenger problem, confusing route to catch, uncomfortable seats, uncomfortable surrounding, the smell of smoke that affects the breathing and etcetera. Water transportation in Malaysia especially ferry, facing various challenges in giving the best quality required by passenger. The aim of this study is to identify the passenger perceptions toward safety level of ferry transportation services in Labuan Island, Malaysia. Quantitative method was mainly employed and a survey was conducted among the passengers who frequently used the ferries services as their transportation to arrive at their destinations which was selected by using simple random sampling with sample size of 690 passengers. Knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) concepts were used to measure the perception on safety. The results showed that the knowledge of the respondents on safety levels for express ferry, RoRo ferry and speedboat are good while attitude of passengers is still need to be improved and the practices need to focus more. The express ferry has the highest frequency on safety level services as compared to RO-RO ferry and speedboat.
Hardware transactional memory: a systems perspective

The increasing ubiquity of chip multiprocessor machines has made the need for accessible approaches to parallel programming all the more urgent. The current state of the art, based on threads and locks, requires the programmer to use mutual exclusion to protect shared resources, enforce invariants, and maintain consistency constraints. Despite decades of research effort, this approach remains fraught with difficulty. Lock-based programming is complex and error-prone, largely due to well-known problems such as deadlock, priority inversion, and poor composability. Tradeoffs between performance and complexity for locks remain unnattractive. Coarse-grain locking is simple but introduces artificial sharing, needless serialization, and yields poor performance. Fine-grain locking can address these issues, but at a significant cost in complexity and maintainability. Transactional memory has emerged as a technology with the potential to address this need for better parallel programming tools. Transactions provide the abstraction of isolated, atomic execution of critical sections. The programmer specifies regions of code which access shared data, and the system is responsible for executing that code in a way that is isolated and atomic. The programmer need not reason about locks and threads. Transactional memory removes many of the pitfalls of locking: transactions are livelock- and deadlock-free and may be composed freely. Hardware transactional memory, which is the focus of this thesis, provides an efficient implementation of the TM abstraction. This thesis explores several key aspects of supporting hardware transactional memory (HTM): operating systems support and integration, architectural, design, and implementation considerations, and programmer-transparent techniques to improve HTM performance in the presence of contention. Using and supporting HTM in an OS requires innovation in both the OS and the architecture, but enables practical approaches and solutions to some long-standing OS problems. Innovations in transactional cache coherence protocols enable HTM support in the presence of multi-level cache hierarchies, rich HTM semantics such as suspend/resume and multiple transactions per thread context, and can provide the building blocks for support of flexible contention management policies without the need to trap to software handlers. We demonstrate a programmer-transparent hardware technique for using dependences between transactions to commit conflicting transactions, and suggest techniques to allow conflicting transactions to avoid performance-sapping restarts without using heuristics such as backoff. Both mechanisms yield better performance for workloads that have significant write-sharing. Finally, in the context of the MetaTM HTM model, this thesis contributes a high-fidelity cross-design comparison of representative proposals from the literature: the result is a comprehensive exploration of the HTM design space that compares the behavior of models of MetaTM [70, 75], LogTM [58, 94], and Sun's Rock [22].
The Hygrothermal Performance of Wood-Framed Wall Systems Using Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulations and a Smart Vapor Retarder in the Pacific Northwest

The US Pacific Northwest building codes require vapor retarders or barriers used in residential building walls to prevent moisture-related damages due to the moderate temperatures and high moisture levels caused by precipitation and relative humidity throughout the year. Research on wood-framed wall systems with exterior stucco and cavity spray polyurethane foams is being conducted in this climate zone. Two stucco-clad wall systems have been installed side by side in a natural-exposure testing facility in the Seattle, WA, area. One wall is insulated with a hybrid insulation system comprised of 2 in. spray polyurethane closed-cell foam and unfaced fiberglass batts. The closed-cell foam works in place of a separate vapor retarder due to its low water vapor transmission property, and at the same time offers good airtightness and thermal resistance. The other wall is insulated with 6 in. of open cell foam and has a variable-vapor-resistance “smart vapor” retarder attached to the interior surfaces of the foam and gypsum layer. Contrary to common building practice, the application of interior wall cavity foam requires careful moisture design. The results from the field tests confirm the critical role of the highly absorptive cladding and at the same time the use of cavity spray foam insulations. The results are being extended using a hygrothermal simulation tool. The field test data are compared to the simulation tool for both walls. This paper will describe the performance of these two walls and the need for clear design guidance for application in the Pacific Northwest.
Nonlinear Stock Price Adjustment in the G 7 Countries 1-Introduction

This paper seeks to address the stock price adjustment toward fundamentals. Using the class of Switching Transition Error Correction Models (STECMs), we show that two regimes describe the dynamics of stock price deviations from fundamentals in the G7 countries over the period 19692005. Deviations appear to follow a quasi random walk in the central regime when prices are near fundamentals (i.e. transaction costs being greater than expected gains, the mean reversion mechanism is inactive), while they approach a white noise in the outer regimes (i.e. transaction costs being lower than expected gains, the mean reversion works). As expected when transaction costs are heterogeneous, the STECM shows that stock price adjustments are smooth, implying that the convergence speed is time-varying according to the size of the deviation. Finally, using appropriate indicators, both the magnitudes of underand overvaluation of stock price and the speed of the mean reversion are exhibited per date in the G7 countries, showing that the dynamics of stock price adjustment is highly dependent on the date and on the country under consideration.