Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complexity issues in counting, polynomial evaluation and zero finding. (Complexité de problèmes de comptage, d'évaluation et de recherche de racines de polynômes)

In the present thesis, we try to compare the classical boolean complexity with the algebraic complexity, by studying problems related to polynomials. We consider the algebraic models from Valiant and from Blum, Shub and Smale (BSS). To study the algebraic complexity classes, one can start from results and open questions from the boolean case, and look at their translation in the algebraic context. The comparison of the results obtained in the two settings will then boost our understanding of both complexity theories. The first part follows this framework. By considering a polynomial canonically associated to a boolean formula, we get a link between boolean complexity issues on the formula and algebraic complexity problems on the polynomial. We studied the complexity of computing the polynomial in Valiant's model, as a function of the complexity of the boolean formula. We found algebraic counterparts to some boolean results. Along the way, we could also use some algebraic methods to improve boolean results, in particular by getting better counting reductions. Another motivation for algebraic models of computation is to offer an elegant framework to the study of numerical algorithms. The second part of this thesis follows this approach. We started from new algorithms for the search of approximate zeros of complex systems of n polynomials in n variables. Up to now, those were BSS machine algorithms. We studied the implementation of these algorithms on digital computers, and propose an algorithm using floating arithmetic for this problem.
Perceptions of IMC and organisational change among agencies in South Africa

This paper reports on the development of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) in an emerging market, South Africa. It also deals with the organisation of advertising agencies in an IMC environment. A brief overview of IMC is given as well as a review of the organisation of agencies. The study consisted of in-depth interviews of 20 senior advertising agency executives. The results indicate that most agencies are developing their IMC strategies and that it is growing in importance in South Africa. Some recommendations are proposed to enable agencies to become more effective in future.
SHOCKED POSTSTARBUST GALAXY SURVEY. I. CANDIDATE POST-STARBUST GALAXIES WITH EMISSION LINE RATIOS CONSISTENT WITH SHOCKS

There are many mechanisms by which galaxies can transform from blue, star-forming spirals, to red, quiescent early-type galaxies, but our current census of them does not form a complete picture. Recent observations of nearby case studies have identified a population of galaxies that quench “quietly. ” Traditional poststarburst searches seem to catch galaxies only after they have quenched and transformed, and thus miss any objects with additional ionization mechanisms exciting the remaining gas. The Shocked POststarburst Galaxy Survey (SPOGS) aims to identify transforming galaxies, in which the nebular lines are excited via shocks instead of through star formation processes. Utilizing the Oh-Sarzi-Schawinski-Yi (OSSY) measurements on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 catalog, we applied Balmer absorption and shock boundary criteria to identify 1067 SPOG candidates (SPOGs*) within z = 0.2. SPOGs* represent 0.2% of the OSSY sample galaxies that exceed the continuum signal-to-noise cut (and 0.7% of the emission line galaxy sample). SPOGs* colors suggest that they are in an earlier phase of transition than OSSY galaxies that meet an “E+A” selection. SPOGs* have a 13% 1.4 GHz detection rate from the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty Centimeters Survey, higher than most other subsamples, and comparable only to low-ionization nuclear emission line region hosts, suggestive of the presence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). SPOGs* also have stronger Na i D absorption than predicted from the stellar population, suggestive of cool gas being driven out in galactic winds. It appears that SPOGs* represent an earlier phase in galaxy transformation than traditionally selected poststarburst galaxies, and that a large proportion of SPOGs* also have properties consistent with disruption of their interstellar media, a key component to galaxy transformation. It is likely that many of the known pathways to transformation undergo a SPOG phase. Studying this sample of SPOGs* further, including their morphologies, AGN properties, and environments, has the potential for us to build a more complete picture of the initial conditions that can lead to a galaxy evolving.
An Empirical Analysis of the Ross Recovery Theorem

Building on the results of Ludwig (2012), we propose a method to construct robust time-homogeneous Markov chains that capture the risk-neutral transition of state prices from current snapshots of option prices on the S&P 500 index. Using the recovery theorem of Ross (2013), we then derive the market’s forecast of the real-world return density and investigate the predictive information content of its moments. We find that changes in the recovered moments can be used to time the index, yielding strategies that not only outperform the market, but are also significantly less volatile.
Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations

Part 1: Introduction to Destination Management and Marketing Concepts and Roles 1. The Concepts of Destination Management and Marketing 2. Destination Planning 3. Destination Marketing Planning 4. Destination Management Research 5. Destination Product Development 6. Destination Partnerships and Team-Building 7. Destination Community and Stakeholder Relations 8. Destination Governance and Leadership Part 2: Destination Communications and Promotion 9. Destination Branding 10. Destination Integrated Marketing Communications 11. Destination Information and Communication Technologies Part 3: Destination Markets 12. Consumer Behavior, Segmentation, and Market Trends 13. Domestic Pleasure and Leisure Travel Markets 14. International Pleasure and Leisure Travel Markets 15. Business Travel and Business Event Markets Part 4: The Future of Destination Management and Marketing 16. Future of Destination Management and Marketing
Fertilization promoting peptide and adenosine, acting as first messengers, regulate cAMP production and consequent protein tyrosine phosphorylation in a capacitation‐dependent manner

Fertilization promoting peptide (FPP) and adenosine have been shown to act as first messengers, regulating availability of the second messenger cAMP by initially stimulating cAMP production in uncapacitated spermatozoa and then inhibiting it in capacitated cells. This study investigated possible capacitation‐related changes in protein tyrosine phosphorylation in response to FPP and adenosine. Time‐dependent changes in phosphorylation of proteins of ∼30–140 kDa were observed in both uncapacitated and capacitated suspensions, the general level of phosphorylation being markedly greater in capacitated cells. In the presence of FPP, phosphorylation was stimulated in uncapacitated but inhibited in capacitated spermatozoa, compared with untreated control samples. Adenosine, cholera toxin, and CGS‐21680, a stimulatory A2a adenosine receptor agonist, also stimulated phosphorylation in uncapacitated spermatozoa, while Gln‐FPP, a competitive inhibitor of FPP, blocked responses to FPP. In capacitated cells, FPP's inhibition of phosphorylation was abolished when cells were treated with FPP in the presence of pertussis toxin. Consistent with the capacitation‐dependent effects of FPP and adenosine on cAMP production, these results support the hypothesis that FPP and adenosine modulate sperm function by regulating the AC/cAMP signaling pathway and, consequently, protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Of particular significance is the identification of several phosphoproteins showing FPP‐induced alterations in phosphorylation. In uncapacitated spermatozoa, proteins of ∼116, 95, 82, 75, 66, 56, and 42 kDa showed increased phosphorylation, while in capacitated cells, phosphoproteins of ∼116, 95, 82, 75, 70, 66, 56, and 50 kDa showed decreased phosphorylation. This suggests that these particular proteins may be involved in stimulation and arrest of capacitation, respectively. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 57:384–392, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nitric oxide and downstream second messenger cGMP and cAMP enhance adipogenesis in primary human preadipocytes.

BACKGROUND AIMS Obesity is correlated with chronic low-grade inflammation. Thus the induction of inflammation could be used to stimulate adipose tissue formation in tissue-engineering approaches. As nitric oxide (NO) is a key regulator of inflammation, we investigated the effect of NO and its downstream signaling molecule guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) as well as adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) on preadipocytes in vitro. METHODS Preadipocytes were isolated from human subcutaneous adipose tissue, cultured until confluence, and differentiated. The NO donor diethylenetriamine (DETA)/NO (30-150 microm) was added during proliferation and differentiation. Additionally, cGMP/cAMP analogs 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP), 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-pCPT-cGMP) and 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP), and the adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin, specific guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) and adenylyl cyclase inhibitor 2'-5'-dideoxyadenosine (ddA), were applied. Proliferation and differentiation were evaluated. RESULTS DETA/NO in combination with the standard differentiation procedure significantly enhanced maturation of precursor cells to adipocytes. Proliferation, in contrast, was inhibited in the presence of NO. The application of cGMP and cAMP, respectively, increased pre-adipocyte differentiation to an even higher extent than NO. Inhibitors of the underlying pathways caused a significant decrease in adipogenic conversion. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the application of NO donors during transplantation of preadipocytes in a 3-dimensional setting to accelerate and optimize differentiation. The results suggest that, instead of the rather instable and reactive molecule NO, the application of cGMP and cAMP would be even more effective because these substances have a stronger adipogenic effect on preadipocytes and a longer half-life than NO. Also, by applying inhibitors of the underlying pathways, the induced inflammatory condition could be regulated to the desired level.
Early onset neuropathy in a compound form of Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease

A 2‐year‐old boy presented with early‐onset Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT). His parents had not been diagnosed previously with CMT, but on careful examination they showed clinical signs of CMT and reduced nerve conduction velocities. Genetic analysis identified the boy as a heterozygote for both a peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) duplication and a mutation in the lipopolysaccharide‐induced‐tumour‐necrosis‐factor‐α‐factor (LITAF) gene, whereas each parent only had one mutated CMT gene. This suggests that LITAF mutations can severely affect the CMT phenotype caused by a PMP22 duplication. Ann Neurol 2005;57:589–591
Imaging phosphoinositide dynamics using GFP‐tagged protein domains

Phosphoinositides are important regulators of cellular homoeostasis and numerous signal‐transduction pathways. One of their major features is their ability to recruit signalling proteins to membranes by direct interaction with phosphoinositide‐binding modules. The distribution and dynamics of membrane phosphoinositides are therefore major determinants in the spatiotemporal control of cell signalling and membrane trafficking. However, standard biochemical approaches cannot reveal the dynamics of phosphoinositides at the single‐cell level. A major technical advance has been the development of genetically encoded fluorescent phosphoinositide probes on the basis of the phosphoinositide‐binding domains found in signalling proteins, such as the PH (pleckstrin homology) domain. This review describes the diverse fluorescent phosphoinositide probes available for imaging specific phosphoinositide species and how their use has improved the understanding of phosphoinositide signalling at the single‐cell level.
Audit Committees Effectiveness and its Impact on the Objectivity of the Internal Auditors: Evidence from United Arab Emirates

Internal auditors objectivity continue to be an important concept in the internal auditing profession, and audit committees can be viewed as a key safeguard mechanism for internal auditors in managing their professional objectivity. This study examines audit committee effectiveness and its impact on the objectivity of internal auditors in the bank sector in UAE. Data were obtained from all the banks listed in Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange using questionnaire technique. The research result reveals that there is significant positive effect of audit committee effectiveness on the objectivity of internal auditors; the results indicate that having an effective audit committee member will enhance the internal auditors objectivity. Also, the result shows significant positive effect on the objectivity of internal auditors related to having effective audit committee with authority over the CAE employment (appointment/dismissal). Also, the result indicates significant difference between the effectiveness of the audit committee members and the internal auditors objectivity related to qualifications, and no relationship between the effectiveness of the audit committee members and the internal auditors objectivity related to the experience. The research reveals that effective audit committees strengthen the position of the internal audit function by increasing the objectivity of internal auditors. Keywords: Audit Committee Effectiveness, Listed Banks, United Arab Emirates, Objectivity, Internal Auditors.
Does Sunitinib-Induced Hypothyroidism Play a Role in the Activity of Sunitinib in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma?

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate if hypothyroidism developing during sunitib therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is associated with a better outcome. Methods: Thirty-one consecutive patients with clear cell mRCC were retrospectively analyzed. Thyroid function was assessed prior to therapy, every 6 weeks during the first 6 months and every 2–4 months thereafter. Hypothyroidism was considered present if thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) exceeded the upper normal limit (UNL) with normal triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Results: Hypothyroidism occurred in 16 patients (52%) within 3 months (range 0.7–22.9) of treatment initiation. Thyroid replacement corrected TSH below the UNL in 10 patients (63%). The distribution according to Motzer prognostic criteria revealed good prognosis in 16 patients (52%), intermediate in 9 (29%) and poor in 6 (19%). The hypothyroid patients tended to have longer progression-free survival (PFS; median 12.2 vs. 9.4 months; p = 0.234) and longer survival (median 22.4 vs. 13.9 months; p = 0.234) than the euthyroid patients. Clinical benefits were similar in both groups. Conclusions: Hypothyroidism that develops in mRCC patients treated with sunitinib is associated with a trend toward prolonged PFS and survival, with a similar clinical benefit rate.
Stress from cold and drought as drivers of functional trait spectra in North American angiosperm tree assemblages

Abstract Understanding how environmental change alters the composition of plant assemblages, and how this in turn affects ecosystem functioning is a major challenge in the face of global climate change. Assuming that values of plant traits express species adaptations to the environment, the trait‐based approach is a promising way to achieve this goal. Nevertheless, how functional traits are related to species’ environmental tolerances and how trait spectra respond to broad‐scale environmental gradients remains largely unexplored. Here, we identify the main trait spectra for US angiosperm trees by testing hypotheses for the relationships between functional traits and species’ environmental tolerances to environmental stresses, as well as quantifying the environmental drivers of assemblage means and variances of these traits. We analyzed >74,000 community assemblages from the US Forest Inventory and Analysis using 12 functional traits, five traits expressing species’ environmental tolerances and 10 environmental variables. Results indicated that leaf traits, dispersal traits, and traits related to stem hydraulics were related to cold or drought tolerance, and their assemblage means were best explained by minimum temperatures. Assemblage means of traits related to shade tolerance (tree growth rate, leaf phosphorus content, and bark thickness) were best explained by aridity index. Surprisingly, aridity index, rather than minimum temperature, was the best predictors of assemblage variances of most traits, although these relationships were variable and weak overall. We conclude that temperature is likely to be the most important driver of functional community structure of North American angiosperm trees by selecting for optimum strategies along the cold and drought stress trade‐off. In turn, water availability primarily affects traits related to shade tolerance through its effect on forest canopy structure and vegetation openness.
Mode visibilities in radial velocity and photometric Sun-as-a-star helioseismic observations

We analyze more than 5000 days of high-quality Sun-as-a-star, radial velocity GOLF and photometric VIRGO/SPM helioseismic observations to extract precise estimates of the visibilities of the low-degree p modes and the m-height ratios of the l = 2 and 3 multiplets in the solar acoustic spectrum. The mode visibilities are shown to be larger during the GOLF red-wing configuration than during the blue-wing configuration, and to decrease as the wavelength of the VIRGO/SPM channels increases. We also show that the mode visibilities are independent of the solar activity cycle and remain constant overall with time, but that nevertheless they follow short-term fluctuations on a time scale of a few months. The l = 1 mode visibility also increases significantly toward the end of the year 1999. Comparisons with theoretical predictions are provided. Even though there is qualitative agreement, some significant discrepancies appear, especially for the l = 3 modes. The limb darkening alone cannot explain the relative visibilities of modes. These precise estimates should be used as references for the extraction of the p-mode parameters for any future investigation using the GOLF and VIRGO/SPM observations.
Corporate Governance and Its Determinants in Emerging Countries: A Case Study of Bangladesh

This paper begins with a summary of the literature on ways of measuring corporate governance ‘quality’. It then considers three related research questions, all in the context of an emerging economy, Bangladesh, where corporate governance has been a major concern. The first question is which firms are the leaders, in the sense that they are the first to update their governance practices? The second question is, what factors best explain changes in firms’ governance practices over time? The third question is what best explains differences in corporate governance practices across firms at a given point in time? Using a self-constructed composite index of governance quality comprising 148 elements, it was found that a subsidiary of a foreign company scored the highest in 11 of the 13 years, suggesting that the need for external equity capital may not be the primary motive for an improvement in firm-level governance in Bangladesh. Four firm-level characteristics, namely firm size, growth opportunities (measured by the book-to-market ratio), volatility and leverage, are significantly associated with changes in governance quality from one year to the next, while stock volatility is not associated with cross-sectional differences in CG quality across firms at a given point of time.
Tongue myofunctional exercises improve tongue posture of children with class III malocclusion

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of craniofacial morphology and tongue position in children with Class III malocclusion after tongue myofunctional exercises (TME). TME were applied to 25 patients with class III malocclusion for 1.01 ± 0.02 years. Lateral cephalograms were taken and cephalometric analysis was evaluated. Compared with the control group, facial angle, S-Ti length and S-Tu length increased significant in class III subjects. However, significant reductions of SNA angle, ANB angle, Y axis angle, the angle of convexity, S-Go length, NSTu angle and NSTi angle were noted. The cephalometric variables such as mandibular plane angle, ANS-Me length, S-Tu length and S-Ti length were significantly reduced after TME in class III subjects. Meanwhile, the S-Go length, the NSTu angle and the NSTi angle increased significant. TME may change tongue position and craniofacial morphology. Furthermore, it may be particularly beneficial for treatment of class III malocclusion.
Characterization of Escherichia coli isolated from gut biopsies of newly diagnosed patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Background: Mucosal‐associated Escherichia coli may play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). In this study we assessed mucosal‐associated E. coli in adults at the time of first diagnosis. Materials and Methods: E. coli were isolated from 59 right colon biopsies of 34 newly diagnosed adult IBD patients (Crohn's disease [CD] = 23, ulcerative colitis [UC] = 11) and 25 healthy controls (HC). Strains were serotyped, phylotyped into A, B1, B2, or D, and tested for their ability to survive in macrophages. The presence of various virulence factors was also assessed. The fimH subunit of type 1 fimbriae was sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. Results: A total of 65 E. coli were isolated from CD (29 isolates from 23 patients), UC (11 isolates from 11 patients), and HC (25 isolates from 25 subjects). All E. coli were positive for fimH, crl, and cgsA and negative for vt1, vt2, hlyA, cnf, and eae. Significant positive associations were between CD and in between CD and afae (P = 0.002), and between UC and ompA (P = 0.02), afae (P = 0.03), and USP (P = 0.04). The B2+D phylotype was significantly associated with inflammation (P = 0.04) as it was with serine protease autotransporters (SPATE), malX, ompA, and kpsMTII (P < 0.05). Macrophage survival was the highest in UC‐isolated E. coli (P = 0.04). FimH amino acid substitutions N91S, S99N, and A223V were associated with IBD (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Adherent invasive E. coli are present at first diagnosis, suggesting that they may have a role in the early stages of disease onset. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2010;)