Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate Acceptance of M-Technology in the Service Sector: A Case Study

This paper will investigate the use of mobile technology (m-technology) in the highly competitive tourism sector from the corporate perspective. M-technology offers travel companies the opportunity to tailor their localized excursions and specialist destination services to travelers, on-location and on-demand. Thus, m-technology provides organizations with the potential to differentiate themselves from their competitors in a crowded market. Taking a case study of a Destination Management Company in the United Arab Emirates, this paper explores the impact of m-technology and the inter-relationships between factors that influence employee engagement and the strategic benefits offered by the m-technology, in a mandatory setting. A novel Corporate Adoption of M-technology (CAM) model is introduced that incorporates core Technology Adoption Model (TAM) constructs, and additional variables reflecting organizational benefits, support and employee privacy issues.
A novel siderophore‐independent strategy of iron uptake in the genus Burkholderia

Like many other bacteria, Burkholderia sp. take up iron in its ferric form via siderophore‐dependent transporters. We observed that mutant strains of B. cenocepacia H111 unable to synthesize siderophores did not exhibit any growth defect under iron limited conditions. This finding suggested that this opportunistic pathogen can adopt an alternative iron uptake strategy to compensate for the loss of siderophores. We identified a putative iron uptake locus, ftrBccABCD, in the genome of B. cenocepacia H111, which is also conserved in other members of the genus Burkholderia. Mutants deficient in both siderophore‐dependent and FtrBccABCD systems failed to grow under iron‐limited conditions and radiolabelled iron transport assays showed that these mutants were impaired in iron uptake. In addition, expression of ftrBccABCD can restore growth of an E. coli strain lacking all known high‐affinity iron transport systems under iron‐limited conditions. We show that all four proteins encoded by ftrBccABCD are essential for iron uptake. Furthermore, our results indicate that the expression of ftrBccABCD is regulated at the transcriptional level by iron concentration. This study provides evidence of an alternative, siderophore‐independent, iron uptake system in Burkholderia species.
The threshold probability of a code

We define and estimate the threshold probability /spl theta/ of a linear code, using a theorem of Margulis (1974) originally conceived for the study of the probability of disconnecting a graph. We then apply this concept to the study of the erasure and Z-channels, for which we propose linear coding schemes that admit simple decoding. We show that /spl theta/ is particularly relevant to the erasure channel since linear codes achieve a vanishing error probability as long as p/spl lesspl theta/, where p is the probability of erasure. In effect, /spl theta/ can be thought of as a capacity notion designed for codes rather than for channels. Binomial codes haven the highest possible /spl theta/ (and achieve capacity). As for the Z-channel, a subcapacity is derived with respect to the linear coding scheme. For a transition probability in the range ]log (3/2); 1[, we show how to achieve this subcapacity. As a by-product we obtain improved constructions and existential results for intersecting codes (linear Sperner families) which are used in our coding schemes. >
Barriers to receiving early care for PTSD: results from the Jerusalem trauma outreach and prevention study.

OBJECTIVES Preventing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a pressing public health need. Studies have shown significant barriers to obtaining early care. This study prospectively evaluated the acceptance of early assessment and treatment, the accuracy of recommending care, and the consequences of declining it. METHODS Researchers undertook systematic outreach to survivors of traumatic events consecutively seen in a general hospital emergency department. Structured telephone interviews were conducted 9.5±3.2 days after the emergency visit. Persons with acute stress disorder symptoms were invited for clinical assessment. Those clinically assessed as having acute PTSD symptoms were offered treatment. Telephone interviews, conducted 224.9±39.1 days from the traumatic event, evaluated those included in the initial assessment and a random sample of 10% of those not included because they were deemed not to have experienced a traumatic event. RESULTS Telephone calls were made to 5,286 individuals, and 5,053 were reached (96%). Of these, 4,743 (94%) agreed to a telephone interview, 1,502 were invited for a clinical assessment, 756 (50%) attended the assessment, 397 were eligible for treatment, and 296 (75%) started treatment. Declining clinical assessments and treatment were associated with less symptom reduction over time. The prevalence of PTSD among those deemed not to have experienced a traumatic event, not to need clinical assessment, and not to need treatment were, respectively, 4%, 11%, and 3%. CONCLUSIONS Despite successful outreach, many symptomatic participants declined clinical care and subsequently recovered less well. Screening for DSM-IV PTSD criterion A effectively identified survivors at low risk for PTSD. Systematic outreach is costly and might be reserved for exceptionally traumatic events.
Improved Risk Adjustment for Comparison of Surgical Site Infection Rates

Objective. To develop prognostic models for improved risk adjustment in surgical site infection surveillance for 5 surgical procedures and to compare these models with the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance system (NNIS) risk index. Design. In a multicenter cohort study, prospective assessment of surgical site infection and risk factors was performed from 1996 to 2000. In addition, risk factors abstracted from patient files, available in a national medical register, were used. The c-index was used to measure the ability of procedure-specific logistic regression models to predict surgical site infection and to compare these models with models based on the NNIS risk index. A c-index of 0.5 indicates no predictive power, and 1.0 indicates perfect predictive power. Setting. Sixty-two acute care hospitals in the Dutch national surveillance network for nosocomial infections. Participants. Patients who underwent 1 of 5 procedures for which the predictive ability of the NNIS risk index was moderate: reconstruction of the aorta (n = 875), femoropopliteal or femorotibial bypass (n = 641), colectomy (n = 1,142), primarytotal hip prosthesis (n = 13,770), and cesarean section (n = 2,962). Results. The predictive power of the new model versus the NNIS index was 0.75 versus 0.62 for reconstruction of the aorta (P< .01), 0.78 versus 0.58 for femoropopliteal or femorotibial bypass (P< .001), 0.69 versus 0.62 for colectomy (P< .001), 0.64 versus 0.56 for primary total hip prosthesis arthroplasty (P< .001), and 0.70 versus 0.54 for cesarean section (P< .001). Conclusion. Data available from hospital information systems can be used to develop models that are better at predicting the risk of surgical site infection than the NNIS risk index. Additional data collection may be indicated for certain procedures–for example, total hip prosthesis arthroplasty.
Cognitive performance following fluoxetine treatment in depressed patients post myocardial infarction

Background: As depression is a considerable risk factor for an unfavourable course of myocardial infarction (MI), antidepressant treatment of post-MI depression and, inherent to MI status, polypharmacy has become an important issue. Objective: The present study is the first to evaluate cognitive side effects of fluoxetine, as part of a placebo-controlled double-blind trial, in patients with post-first MI depression. Methods: Cognitive performance of 54 depressed patients post first-MI, treated with fluoxetine or placebo was compared. Cognitive performance was tested before and after 9 weeks of treatment using the Visual Verbal Learning Test, Concept Shifting Task, Stroop Colour-Word Test and Letter-Digit-Substitution Test. Results: The median number of cardiovascular drugs taken by MI patients was 4.9. There were no differences between the fluoxetine and the placebo group on cognitive performance. Conclusion: In sum, there were no negative side effects of fluoxetine compared with placebo on cognition in depressed MI patients, simultaneously treated with cardiac drugs.
Soft-switching techniques for medium-voltage isolated bidirectional DC/DC converters in solid state transformers

Soft switching techniques are very attractive and often mandatory requirements in medium-voltage and medium-frequency applications such as solid state transformers. The effectiveness of these soft switching techniques is tightly related to the dynamic behavior of the internal stored charge in the utilized semiconductor devices. For this reason, this paper analyzes the behavior of the internal charge dynamics in high-voltage semiconductors, giving a clear base to understand the previously proposed zero-current-switching techniques for IGBT-based resonant dual-active-bridges. From these previous approaches, the two main concepts that allow switching loss reduction in high-voltage semiconductors are identified: 1) shaping of the conducted current in order to achieve a high recombination time in the previously conducting semiconductors and 2) achieving ZVS in the turning-on device. The means to implement these techniques in a triangular current mode dual-active-bridge converter together with the benefits of the proposed approaches are analyzed and experimentally verified with a 1:7 kV IGBT-based NPC bridge. Additionally, the impact of the modified currents in the converter's performance are quantified in order to determine the benefits of the introduced concepts in the overall converter.
Partial enzymatic hydrolysis of whey protein by trypsin.

Partial enzymatic hydrolysis of whey protein by trypsin increased solubility of this protein in water. Water-insoluble, heat-denaturated whey protein was solubilized fully by trypsinization. Optimal conditions for the enzyme reaction, established by the pH-stat technique, were: digestion at pH 8.0 and 55 C for approximately 3 h, at an enzyme-substrate ratio of 1 : 100. Under these conditions, 500 mumoles of titratable protons were liberated per g of substrate in the course of the reaction. Digestion at 40 C generated only about 400 mumoles of acid. Predenaturation of the substrate by heat did not improve digestibility. The extent of hydrolysis reached approximately 8% of all peptide bonds in the protein. Fractionation of the digest on Sephadex G-50 showed it was composed of a major fraction of highly water soluble peptides, ranging in molecular weight from approximately 500 to 5000. The gel excluded a minor fraction of larger, aggregated peptides. This aggregate was dissociated in the presence of urea and a reducing agent. All amino acids in the digest, except some lysine and arginine, were peptide bound.
Forecasting Stock Returns Based on Event Detection from Twitter

The growing number of Twitter users makes it a valuable source of information to study what is happening right now. Many times users make use of Twitter for personal or professional reasons or even in order to report events of real life. The objective of this thesis is to develop a system capable of predicting stock returns of the DJIA based on tweets posted by a financial community. In a first stage we detect special events in the life of companies through an analysis of the implicit sentiment in tweets extracted. As the next step we implement a genetic algorithm in order to get the best solution for the portfolio optimization problem. That is, an algorithm able to provide with the perfect strategy to select a set of stocks that give the expected return while minimizing risk. In the final phase a strategy is implemented based on popularity of each company in order to get the best returns. The results showed that the tweets collected by the financial community allow us to detect important events in the life of companies. These detected events were used to implement a genetic algorithm that had a return of 0.25%. This return obtained showed an above average value when compared to the application of the Buy&Hold strategy to DJIA that had a return of –4.2% for the same period. Finally the analysis of the popularity enabled us to get an 8.13% return based only on the volume of positive tweets for each company.
Performance of office hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy for detecting endometrial disease in women at risk of human non-polyposis colon cancer: a prospective study

The objective of this study was to report the value of diagnostic hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy for the detection of complex atypical hyperplasia or cancer in asymptomatic human non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) patients. The secondary objective was to evaluate the accuracy of hysteroscopy, using endometrial biopsy as a gold standard. Consecutive patients at risk of HNPCC evaluated between January 1, 1999, and June 30, 2006 were included if they underwent diagnostic hysteroscopy at least once. Patients with a history of hysterectomy and those unwilling to undergo diagnostic hysteroscopy were not included. Yearly follow-up evaluations included diagnostic hysteroscopy, with endometrial biopsy. Hysteroscopic and histologic findings were recorded and compared. We included 62 patients, of whom 13 had mismatch repair gene mutations and 49 met Amsterdam II criteria. Of 125 attempted hysteroscopies, 11 (8%) failed. Hysteroscopy showed normally appearing mucosa in 46 cases, nonmalignant lesions in 65 cases, and possibly malignant lesions in 3 cases with abnormal uterine bleeding. Endometrial biopsy was attempted in 116 cases and failed in 12 (10%). Three cases each of simple hyperplasia and of cancer were diagnosed. No preinvasive or invasive lesions were found in asymptomatic women. When compared to endometrial biopsy, sensitivity of hysteroscopy was 100% for the detection of hyperplasia or cancer. No cases of cancer were diagnosed in asymptomatic patients in our study. However, diagnostic hysteroscopy ensured the diagnosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma in HNPCC women with bleeding. Nevertheless, usefulness and optimal modalities of screening remain to be determined.
News, Noise, and Tests of Present Value Models

I use a present value framework to explore the e�ects of news (or noisy information) onstock prices and drive theoretical restrictions that link price volatility to noise and information. In particular, I show that market e�ciency implies that noise cannot explain more than half of price uctuations. I propose a novel methodology to decompose stock prices into a value component, related to information about future economic fundamentals, and a noise component. The key observation is that noise by construction cannot change future economic fundamentals, but affects stock prices. The advantage of my approach is that it does not require any particular assumptions on unobserved discount rates and econometricians' information set. Consistent with the predictions of the model, my estimates show that in the prewar period noise explains up to 28% of the S&P 500 index, and 36% in the postwar period. Finally, I �nd that the U.S. stock market was undervalued during the 1970s and overvalued during the 1990s, but there is no evidence that the market was overvalued before the crash of 1929.
A discrete chain of degrees of index sets

Let {Wi} be a standard enumeration of all recursively enumerable (r.e.) sets, and for any class A of r.e. sets, let θA denote the index set of A = {n ∣ Wn ∈ A}. (Clearly, .) In [1], the index sets of nonempty finite classes of finite sets were classified under one-one reducibility into an increasing sequence {Ym}, 0 ≤ m < ∞. In this paper we examine further properties of this sequence within the partial ordering of one-one degrees of index sets. The main results are as follows: (1) For each m, Ym < Ym + 1 and < Ym + 1; (2) Ym is incomparable to ; (3) Ym + 1 and ; are immediate successors (among index sets) of Ym and m; (4) the pair (Ym + 1, ) is a “least upper bound” for the pair (Ym, ) in the sense that any successor of both Ym and is ≥ Ym + 1or; (5) the pair (Ym, ) is a “greatest lower bound” for the pair (Ym + 1, ) in the sense that any predecessor of both Ym + 1 and is ≤ Ym or . Since and all Ym are in the bounded truth-table degree of K, this yields some local information about the one-one degrees of index sets which are “at the bottom” in the one-one ordering of index sets.
Prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome in school adolescents of northeast China

Abstract Background: Identifying adolescents with metabolic syndrome (MetS) is important in China, where diabetes and MetS is highly prevalent among adults. We aimed to estimate MetS prevalence and to determine risk factors for MetS in adolescents of northeast China. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2010 to March 2011. We recruited 1312 healthy students from 30 high school classes and 910 who met the inclusion criteria (13.80±1.44 years, 53.3% boys) were enrolled. All subjects underwent anthropometric and biochemical examinations. MetS was defined using the definition specific for children and adolescents proposed by the International Diabetes Federation in 2007. Results: Total prevalence of MetS was 7.6% and was higher in boys than in girls (10.9% vs. 3.8%, p<0.0001). The most frequent component of MetS was low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (46.8%), followed by central obesity (22.5%). More than one third of adolescents were overweight or obese. Insulin resistance, hyperuricemia, abnormal lipid profiles, increased aminotransferase, overweight, and obesity were all associated with MetS. Only overweight [odds ratio (OR)=9.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.36–16.00] and obesity (OR=61.85, 95% CI 32.73–116.86) evaluated with body mass index (BMI) were independent predictors for MetS. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that BMI had high diagnostic accuracy (area under curve value 0.914, 95% CI 0.882–0.947) and the cutoff point of 23.8 kg/m2 had maximum accuracy for determining the presence of MetS (sensitivity 92.8%, specificity 80.1%). Conclusions: MetS is highly prevalent among adolescents in northeast China and obesity is the major indicator for this disorder. Early identification and lifestyle modifications are strongly recommended.
Modulation of dopamine release in the guinea‐pig retina by Gi‐ but not by Gs‐ or Gq‐protein‐coupled receptors

The modulation of dopamine release from the guinea‐pig retina was studied using maximally effective concentrations of 10 agonists acting on Gi‐, Gs‐ or Gq‐protein‐coupled receptors (PCRs). Retinal discs were preincubated with [3H]noradrenaline and superfused; tritium overflow was evoked electrically. The following compounds acting on Gi‐PCRs reduced the tritium overflow, which represents quasi‐physiological dopamine release under the experimental conditions of our study: the dopamine and α2‐adrenoceptor agonist B‐HT 920 by 95%, the muscarinic agonist oxotremorine by 96%, melatonin by 94%, the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212–2 by 71% and histamine by 66%. Tritium overflow was not affected by serotonin or by agonists acting on Gs‐PCRs (ACTH1‐24 and the β‐adrenoceptor agonist procaterol) and Gq‐PCRs (angiotensin II and bradykinin). The effects of B‐HT 920, oxotremorine and melatonin were studied in more detail using appropriate antagonists. The inhibitory effect of a submaximally active concentration of B‐HT 920 was counteracted by the dopamine D2/3 antagonist haloperidol but not affected by the α2‐adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine. The muscarinic antagonist atropine shifted to the right the concentration‐response curve of oxotremorine (pA2 8.7) and the melatonin MT2 antagonist 4‐P‐PDOT produced a rightward shift of the concentration‐response curve of melatonin (pA2 10.6). Melatonin was also studied in superfused brain slices (from the guinea‐pig) preincubated with [3H]noradrenaline. The electrically evoked tritium overflow in cerebrocortical, hippocampal and hypothalamic slices (representing quasi‐physiological noradrenaline release) and in striatal slices (representing quasi‐physiological dopamine release) was not affected by melatonin at a concentration that causes the maximum effect in retinal discs. In conclusion, dopamine release in the guinea‐pig retina is inhibited via Gi‐PCRs including dopamine (D2/3), muscarinic and melatonin (MT2) receptors but not affected via any of the Gs‐ or Gq‐PCRs under study. Unlike in the retina, melatonin fails to inhibit monoamine release in four brain regions of the guinea‐pig.
Risk Factors for Female Infertility in an Agricultural Region

Background Recent studies have suggested that agricultural occupations or exposure to pesticides may impair female fertility. Methods The Fertility Risk Factor Study retrospectively examined agricultural and residential exposures and the risk of female infertility. Cases and controls (N = 322 each) came from women who sought treatment at a large group medical clinic in Wisconsin. Women and their male partners provided information on health, occupational and lifestyle exposures in response to a telephone interview during 1997-2001. Results Mixing and applying herbicides 2 years before attempting conception was more common among infertile women (odds ratio [OR] = 27; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.9-380), as was the use of fungicides (OR = 3.3; CI = 0.8-13). Residing on a farm, ranch or in a rural area during this time period was protective of female fertility. Households supplied with central Wisconsin groundwater were at less risk for infertility than households using municipal sources (OR = 0.6; CI = 0.4-0.9). Behavioral risk factors included alcohol consumption (OR = 1.8; 1.2-2.5), smoking (1.6; 0.9-2.9), passive smoke exposure (1.8; 1.2-2.5), steady weight gain in adult life (3.5; 2.0-6.1), and having a male partner over the age of 40 (4.5; 1.2–16.3). Drinking 3 or more glasses of milk per day was protective of female fertility (0.3; 0.1-0.7). Conclusion These results suggest that certain agricultural, residential and lifestyle choices may modify the risk of female infertility.
In a comprehensive and systematic examination of democratic legislatures, Taagepera and Shugart (1989) develop a "generalized Duverger's Rule." In an exhaustive empirical analysis they find a positive relationship between district magnitude and the size

Falling into a Niche: Institutional Equilibrium between Plurality and Proportional Representation for Large Political Parties" Scholars of electoral systems (e.g., Duverger, 1954; Rae 1967) argue that a combination of electoral system and district magnitude provide the strategic incentives for political party competition. All electoral systems reward large parties with a disproportional seat bonus, with this bonus being more pronounced in plurality/majority systems. Thus, large parties invariably wish to compete in majoritarian systems while smaller parties seek a proportional system of seat allocation. This paper shows that an institutional "niche" develops in some party systems where the second-largest party prefers the current electoral system over either a more proportional or more majoritarian system. Specifically, I illustrate how parties in Irish, Tasmanian, Australian House and Australian Senate elections occupy such an equilibrium. Vote transfers create a seat bonus that does not exist in either more proportional or more majoritarian systems (e.g., the Single Non-Transferable Vote).