Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Financial, Social and Human Capital on Entrepreneurial Success

This paper analyzes the impact of financial, social and human capital on entrepreneurial success by examining initial investment in business, access to finance, network ties, trust in network, shared vision, education and experience as the predictors. The necessary data were collected using structured questionnaire on a sample of 118 Nepalese renewable energy enterprises having 264 respondents and analyzed through correlation and multiple regression analysis using IBM SPSS statistics 20. The study shows that the strong role played by access to finance, network ties, trust in network, education and experience while a weak role played by initial investment in business and shared vision in determining entrepreneurial success. This study is considered to be useful for biogas companies, solar companies and micro-hydro construction companies to grow their own business by focusing on the main factors affecting entrepreneurial success. The study can be further extended by incorporating other sectors of renewable energy such as, improved cooking stove, wind technology, and biomass sectors to get greater insight into the results.
Effects of relationship types on customers’ parasocial interactions: Promoting relationship marketing in social media

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate different types of customer relationships on customers’ interaction with the brand, based on prior social media and relationship marketing research. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional, self-administered online survey was conducted to investigate the role of different types of relationships on customers’ brand-relevant responses in the context of hotel social media platforms. Findings Results identified customers’ relationships with services and brands, and how other customers influenced their parasocial interactions (PSIs). Customers’ PSIs then positively influenced their self-brand connection and their brand usage intention. Originality/value This study was the first attempt to propose a conceptual framework to explain different types of customer relationships on customers’ interactions with the brand in the context of hotel social media platforms.
1MS/s low power successive approximations register ADC for 67-fJ/conversion-step

An 8-bit successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is presented and implemented with TSMC 0.18-um CMOS process. The SAR ADC makes use of an asynchronous control circuit to internally generate the necessary clock signals to reduce half comparator and digital circuit power consumption. To avoid using a high-frequency clock generator, the proposed ADC uses an asynchronous control circuit to internally generate the necessary clock signals. The dynamic comparator generates the valid signal is the control signal of the sampling switches; it turns on the switches at high potential and turns off the switches at low potential. The average switching energy and total capacitance are reduced. Regarding that, the power consumption can be reduced to "half" by using asynchronous control circuit. Power dissipation is then minimized by optimizing the architecture and by careful design of analog circuitry. Measured results show that the proposed 8-bit SAR ADC consumes 10.3 μW with 1.8-V supply voltage. When sampling at 1.0 MSample/s, the prototype ADC achieves 45.3 dB/56.6 dB peak signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio (SNDR)/SFDR and an effective number of bits (ENOB) of 7.23 bit. The measured integral nonlinearity (INL) and differential nonlinearity (DNL) are 0.66 LSB and 0.61 LSB, respectively. The core circuitry measures 0.205 (0.57 × 0.36) mm2 and including pads, the chip area occupies only 0.69 (1.03 × 0.67) mm2.
Vasopressin and Nitric Oxide Synthesis After Three Days of Water or Food Deprivation

Nitric oxide has been suggested to be involved in the regulation of fluid and nutrient homeostasis. In the present investigation, vasopressin and nitric oxide metabolite (nitrite and nitrate) levels were determined in plasma of male Wistar rats submitted to water or food deprivation for three days. Hematocrit and plasma sodium showed marked increase in dehydrated and starved rats. Potassium levels and plasma volume decreased in both treated groups. Plasma osmolality and vasopressin levels were significantly elevated in water deprived (362.8 ± 7.1 mOsm/kg H_2O, 17.3 ± 2.7 pg/ml, respectively, p < 0.001) rats, but not in food deprived (339.9 ± 5.0, 1.34 ± 0.28) rats, compared to the controls (326.1 ± 4.1, 1.47 ± 0.32). The alterations observed in plasma vasopressin levels were related to plasma osmolality rather than plasma volume. Plasma levels of nitrite and nitrate were markedly increased in both water and food deprived rats (respectively, 2.19 ± 0.29 mg/l and 2.22 ± 0.17 mg/l versus 1.33 ± 0.19 mg/l, both p < 0.01). There was a significant negative correlation between plasma nitrite and nitrate concentration and plasma volume. These results suggest that both dehydration and starvation increase plasma nitric oxide, probably by activation of nitric oxide synthases. The release of nitric oxide may participate in the regulation of the alteration in blood flow, fluid and nutrient metabolism caused by water deprivation or starvation.
An ABC of apolipoprotein C‐III: a clinically useful new cardiovascular risk factor?

Background: Hypertriglyceridaemia, commonly found in subjects with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Apolipoprotein C‐III (apoC‐III) plays an important role in regulating the metabolism of triglyceride‐rich lipoproteins (TRLs) and may provide a new approach to assessing hypertriglyceridaemia.
Factors leading to construction projects' failure in Jordon

ABSTRACT The construction industry is contemplated as one of the most essential and supportive pillars of the business environment in Jordan. Notwithstanding, the construction industry continues to struggle to achieve higher levels of success. An increasing number of projects in the construction industry have failed. However, research on the causes of failure is scarce. Thus, this study aims to identify the main factors and causes for construction projects’ failure in Jordan. To fulfil the study objectives, 50 factors were recognized through a literature review and were categorized referring to Drewin's Open Conversion System; the most widely identified factors were assessed using complied data in a survey of construction industry contractors, consultant engineers and clients, and senior experts’ interviews in the sector. The results show that major factors leading to construction projects’ failure are related to the internal hierarchy of the system, especially that of the contractor.
Front Speeds, Cut-Offs, and Desingularization: A Brief Case Study

The study of propagation phenomena in reaction-diffusion systems is a central topic in non-equilibrium physics. One particular aspect which has received recent attention concerns the effects of a “cut-off” of the reaction kinetics on the propagation speed of the traveling fronts often found in such systems. In this brief note, we discuss one specific example of front propagation into a metastable state in a “cut-off” Ginzburg-Landau equation. We indicate how the modified dynamics resulting from this “cut-off” can be understood from a geometric point of view. Moreover, we motivate why the leading-order correction to the unperturbed propagation speed will be a sublinear function of the “cut-off” parameter in this case.
Pituitary Gland Involvement of the Sinonasal Tract

Involvement of the upper aerodigestive tract by a pituitary adenoma is due either to downward extension of an intracranial tumor or to a tumor arising from ectopic (Rathke's pouch) remnants. Sites of predilection for the ectopic adenoma are headed by the sphenoid bone and sinus, followed by the soft tissue of the dorsal pharynx and clivus. Both invasive sellar and ectopic adenomas can be destructive, with the extracranial extension of pituitary adenomas being more locally aggressive. There have been no examples of metastasizing ectopic pituitary tumors.
An evaluation of two traps and sets for trapping the plains pocket gopher

We investigated the efficiency of DK-1 and Macabee ® pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius) traps placed in lateral tunnels in both open and closed tunnel sets in rangeland and nonirrigated alfalfa fields in Nebraska. We observed no statistical difference between the traps in capture efficiency when used in open, versus closed, tunnel sets. Trapping of pocket gophers was more effective in rangeland (probability of capture in a single tunnel system using 3 traps; 63%) than nonirrigated alfalfa fields (26%). We did not determine whether this variance was due to behavioral differences between Geomys bursarius and Geomys lutescens. We found that trapping pocket gophers was species specific with only 1 nontarget animal harmed. We suggest modifications to the traps to improve gopher capture rate and lethality .
αKAP is an anchoring protein for a novel CaM kinase II isoform in skeletal muscle

Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) is present in a membrane‐bound form that phosphorylates synapsin I on neuronal synaptic vesicles and the ryanodine receptor at skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), but it is unclear how this soluble enzyme is targeted to membranes. We demonstrate that αKAP, a non‐kinase protein encoded by a gene within the gene of α‐CaM kinase II, can target the CaM kinase II holoenzyme to the SR membrane. Our results indicate that αKAP (i) is anchored to the membrane via its N‐terminal hydrophobic domain, (ii) can co‐assemble with catalytically competent CaM kinase II isoforms and target them to the membrane regardless of their state of activation, and (iii) is co‐localized and associated with rat skeletal muscle CaM kinase II in vivo. αKAP is therefore the first demonstrated anchoring protein for CaM kinase II. CaM kinase II assembled with αKAP retains normal enzymatic activity and the ability to become Ca2+‐independent following autophosphorylation. A new variant of β‐CaM kinase II, termed βM‐CaM kinase II, is one of the predominant CaM kinase II isoforms associated with αKAP in skeletal muscle SR.
Collaborative Uploading in Heterogeneous Networks: Optimal and Adaptive Strategies

Collaborative uploading describes a type of crowd-sourcing scenario in networked environments where a device utilizes multiple paths over neighboring devices to upload content to a centralized processing entity such as a cloud service. Intermediate devices may aggregate and preprocess this data stream. Such scenarios arise in the composition and aggregation of information, e.g., from smart phones or sensors. We use a queuing theoretic description of the collaborative uploading scenario, capturing the ability to split data into chunks that are then transmitted over multiple paths, and finally merged at the destination. We analyze replication and allocation strategies that control the mapping of data to paths and provide closed-form expressions that pinpoint the optimal strategy given a description of the paths' service distributions. Finally, we provide an online path-aware adaptation of the allocation strategy that uses statistical inference to sequentially minimize the expected waiting time for the uploaded data. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the adaptive approach compared to the proportional allocation and a variant of the join-the-shortest-queue allocation, especially for bursty path conditions.
Release of K, Cl, and S during Pyrolysis and Combustion of High-Chlorine Biomass

The release of critical ash-forming elements during the pyrolysis and combustion of corn stover has been investigated through controlled lab-scale experiments supported by multicomponent and multiphase thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. Fuel samples were treated under isothermal conditions ranging from 500 to 1150 °C, under both pyrolysis and combustion atmospheres. The volatilized material was quantified by means of mass balances based on char and ash elemental analysis, compared to a corresponding feedstock fuel analysis. Close relations between the observed K and Cl release are found, suggesting that Cl is the main facilitator for K release through sublimation of KCl, determined to begin as the reaction temperature approaches 700–800 °C. K is present in abundance relative to Cl, and the K release is found to cease as the fuel reaches complete dechlorination. In addition, around 50 wt % of the Cl is released at temperatures below 500 °C, presumably as HCl formed through ion-exchange reactions with .
Is It Liquidity or Quality that Matters More in Foreign Exchange Markets?

ABSTRACT This article examines whether liquidity or credit quality (probability of default) “contributes” more to the explanation of currency excess returns, using two baskets of bilateral exchange rates—developed and emerging countries. My central finding is that US investors generally care only about liquidity when they invest in developed market currencies which are more liquid than emerging market currencies. During heightened market uncertainty, however, investors in developed market currencies also care about credit quality because only developed countries provide lower credit risk premia (i.e., hedge) during times of tension when currency traders generally tend to rebalance their portfolios toward currencies with lower probability of default. Conversely, US investors in emerging market currencies demand a credit risk premium since they are concerned about credit quality of these countries.
ERK Signaling Is a Molecular Switch Integrating Opposing Inputs from B Cell Receptor and T Cell Cytokines to Control TLR4-Driven Plasma Cell Differentiation1

Differentiation of B cells into plasma cells represents a critical immunoregulatory checkpoint where neutralizing Abs against infectious agents must be selected whereas self-reactive Abs are suppressed. Bacterial LPS is a uniquely potent bacterial immunogen that can bypass self-tolerance within the T cell repertoire. We show here that during LPS-induced plasma cell differentiation, the ERK intracellular signaling pathway serves as a pivotal switch integrating opposing inputs from Ag via BCR and from the two best characterized B cell differentiation factors made by T cells, IL-2 and IL-5. Continuous Ag receptor signaling through the RAS/MEK/ERK pathway, as occurs in self-reactive B cells, inhibits LPS induction of Blimp-1 and the plasma cell differentiation program. Differentiation resumes after a transient pulse of Ag-ERK signaling, or upon inactivation of ERK by IL-2 and IL-5 through induction of dual-specificity phosphatase 5 (Dusp5). The architecture of this molecular switch provides a framework for understanding the specificity of antibacterial Ab responses and resistance to bacterially induced autoimmune diseases such as Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Impairment of noninsulin-mediated glucose disposal in the elderly.

While normal aging is characterized by resistance to insulin-mediated glucose disposal (IMGU), the effect of age on noninsulin-mediated glucose disposal (NIMGU), which is responsible for the majority of basal glucose uptake, has not been completely evaluated. These studies were conducted on healthy nonobese young (n = 10; age, 20-30 yr) and old (n = 10; age, 62-80 yr) men. Each subject underwent two paired studies in random order. In all studies a [3H]glucose infusion was used to measure glucose uptake and production rates, and somatostatin (500 micrograms/h) was infused to suppress endogenous insulin release. In study A, plasma glucose was kept close to fasting levels (approximately 5.6 mmol/L) using an euglycemic clamp protocol for 4 h. Plasma insulin decreased to less than 20 pmol/L within 15 min and remained suppressed thereafter in all studies. Steady state (15-240 min) plasma glucagon levels were slightly greater in the elderly [young, 86 +/- 5 (+/- SE); old, 98 +/- 2 ng/L; P less than . 05]. Basal glucose uptake was similar in both groups (young, 877 +/- 21; old, 901 +/- 24 mumol/min). Glucose uptake during the last hour of the study (180-240 min) was used to represent NIMGU, because insulin action was assumed to be absent by this time. NIMGU was less in the elderly (young, 744 +/- 18; old, 632 +/- 32 mumol/min; P less than 0.01). In study B, plasma glucose was kept at about 11 mmol/L for 4 h using a hyperglycemic clamp protocol. Plasma insulin decreased to less than 20 pmol/L within 15 min and remained suppressed thereafter in all studies. Steady state plasma glucagon levels were slightly but not significantly higher in the elderly (young, 88 +/- 6; old, 100 +/- 4 ng/L). Basal glucose uptake (young, 910 +/- 27; old, 883 +/- 25 mumol/min) and NIMGU (young, 933 +/- 36; old, 890 +/- 16 mumol/min; P = NS) were similar in both young and old subjects. We conclude that aging is associated with impairment in NIMGU only in the basal state, which may explain in part the increase in fasting glucose with age.
Human β Defensin-3 Increases CD86 Expression on Monocytes by Activating the ATP-Gated Channel P2X7

Human β defensin-3 (hBD-3), an epithelial cell–derived antimicrobial peptide, mediates chemotaxis and activation of myeloid cells. In this study, we provide evidence that hBD-3 induces the costimulatory molecule CD86 on primary human monocytes by a mechanism involving autocrine activation of ionotropic P2X7 receptors (P2X7R) by ATP. Incubation of monocytes with hBD-3 resulted in increased expression of both the CD80 and CD86 costimulatory molecules. Treatment of monocytes with a selective P2X7R antagonist inhibited the ability of hBD-3 to induce expression of CD86 but not CD80. The hBD-3–dependent upregulation of CD86 was also attenuated in monocytes incubated with apyrase, a potent scavenger of extracellular ATP. Finally, direct activation of monocyte P2X7R by exogenous ATP mimicked the ability of hBD-3 to induce CD86 expression. These data suggest that hBD-3 induces monocyte activation by both P2X7-dependent (CD86 upregulation) and P2X7-independent (CD80 upregulation) signaling mechanisms and raise the possibility that activation of P2X7R could play an important role in shaping the inflammatory microenvironment in conditions where hBD-3 is highly expressed, such as psoriasis or oral carcinoma.
Transplantable human prostatic carcinoma (PC‐82) in athymic nude mice. III. Effects of estrogens on the growth of the tumor tissue

The transplantable human prostatic tumor model (PC‐82) in nude mice was used to evaluate the indirect and possibly direct effects of estrogens on the growth of prostatic tumor tissue. High (pharmalogical) doses of plasma estradiol (E2) were achieved in tumor‐bearing mice by using E2‐containing Silastic implants of different lengths. In comparison with the situation in men, in mice much higher concentrations of circulating E2 (exceeding 3 nmol/liter) were necessary to attain (near)‐castrate levels of plasma testosterone (T). Treatment of tumor‐bearing mice with a high dose of E2 resulted in tumor growth arrest and a subsequent decline of the tumor volume, which equals the effects of castration. No evidence was found that either of the two doses of E2 applied had any additive inhibitory effect on tumor growth when compared to castration alone. It was inferred from these findings that in the PC‐82 tumor model, estrogens, rather than having a direct effect on the tumor tissue, mainly act indirectly by their suppressive effect on T secretion in the host animal. A different and unexpected result was obtained in castrated tumor‐bearing mice treated with a combination of E2 and and T. With both doses of E2 this type of treatment led to a smaller increase of the tumor volume compared with mice receiving T only, the result of the high dose being statistically significant. This antagonistic effect of the two steroids on the PC‐82 tissue was paradoxically associated with a sharp increase of nuclear androgen receptor levels and a higher concentration of dihydrotestosterone in the tumor tissue. Plasma and tissue concentrations of T appeared to be unaltered. The present study of the PC‐82 prostate tumor shows that only by careful monitoring of plasma steroid levels in tumor‐bearing mice can conclusions about the effectiveness of hormonal treatment regimens, such as estrogen therapy, be drawn.
Factors for Success in Industrial Innovation

Considering the enormous amount of resources (cash, materials, qualified manpower) expended annually in the advanced countries on research and development much of which, presumably, is aimed at producing commercially exploitable goods and processes, it is surprising how miniscule is the effort which has gone into studying the process by which this exploitation° occurs, i.e. the innovation processt. There is, of course, an extensive literature available concerning, for example, R & D project selection and evaluation techniques, marketing methods, production procedures, and the like, but these are all specific innovation sub-pt_ocesses, and there is generally no attempt at cross linkage between, or integration of, these various sub-processes to consider the total process of innovation. A simplified schematic model of the innovation process, showing a number of sub-processes, is given in Fig. 1. One effective method for studying the do's and don'ts and the why's and wherefores of innovation is through the retrospective analysis of actual attempts at innovating: here, the complete innovation process is considered. Obviously the wider the scope of the investigation, the more suitable are the · results of that investigation for generalization. Since the late 1950's a number of studies have been undertaken
Cost-Benefit Analysis for Flood Risk Management and Water Governance in the Netherlands: An Overview of One Century

The Netherlands is a global reference for flood risk management. This reputation is based on a mix of world-class civil engineering projects and innovative concepts of water governance. For more than a century, cost-benefit analysis has been important for flood risk management and water governance in the Netherlands. It has helped to select the most effective and efficient flood risk projects and to coordinate and reconcile the interests of various policy areas, levels of government and private stakeholders. This paper provides for the first time an overview of this well-developed practice. This includes the cost-benefit analysis in the 1901 act for enclosure of the Zuiderzee, van Dantzig’s famous formula for the economically optimal strength of dikes and a whole set of cost-benefit analyses for More room for rivers and the Delta Program for the next century. Dutch practice illustrates how cost-benefit analysis can support and improve flood risk management and water governance; other countries may learn from this. Rough calculations indicate that investing in cost-benefit analysis has been a highly profitable investment for Dutch society.
Test of Market Structure and Profitability in Liberalizing the Deposit Market: The Case of North Cyprus

This paper investigates profitability determinants of North Cyprus depository institutions using panel data between 1991 and 1997. It uses random-effect model to test market power (traditional SCP or collusion) and efficient-structure hypotheses for a single geographical deposit market The results obtained from the study show that none of these hypotheses holds for the North Cyprus deposit market during the study period.