Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CANOPY TREE–SOIL INTERACTIONS WITHIN TEMPERATE FORESTS: SPECIES EFFECTS ON SOIL CARBON AND NITROGEN

In a northwestern Connecticut forest, we quantified the carbon (C) and ni- trogen (N) content of the forest floor and the top 15 cm of mineral soil and the rate of midsummer net N mineralization beneath six different tree species. There were large in- terspecific differences in forest floor depth and mass, in the size and distribution of C and N pools at varying soil depths, and in rates of midsummer net N mineralization and nitri- fication. Forest floor mass ranged from 3.2 kg/m 2 to 11.0 kg/m 2 and was smallest beneath sugar maple and largest beneath hemlock. The pool size of C in the forest floor ranged from 1.1 kg/m 2 to 4.4 kg/m 2 while the N content of the forest floor ranged from 83 g/m 2 to 229 g/m 2 . Forest floor C and N pools were smallest beneath sugar maple and highest beneath hemlock. Soil C:N ratios (range: 14.8-19.5) were lower beneath sugar maple, red maple, and white ash than beneath beech, red oak, and hemlock, whereas the opposite was true of the midsummer rate of net N mineralization (range: 0.91-2.02 g·m 22 ·28 d 21 ). The rate of net nitrification was positively correlated with the rate of net N mineralization. Interspecific differences in litter production and quality explain the large differences among species in the size of the forest floor C and N pools and in net N mineralization rates. The differences in the size and distribution of C and N pools beneath the different species suggest that the mechanisms regulating the process of species replacement in these forests will mediate the effects of anthropogenic, environmental changes in soil C and N dynamics.
Achieving green outsourcing performance in uncertainty

The international business environments advocate green outsourcing performance (GOP) as fundamental enablers and criteria for the competitiveness of original equipment manufacturing (OEM) firms. Few studies providing integrated competitive advantages, enablers and criteria (called measures), exist, and are suitable for practical adoption to enhance GOP. This study presents an original approach to identify the most appropriate method that firms should implement, starting from competitive advantages to internal processes in an intensive market. The approach is based on quality function deployment (QFD), and in particular, all measures with interdependence relationships are given qualitative preferences, which are rarely applied in the literature. The whole scaffold exploits fuzzy set theory and analytical network processes to translate linguistic preferences required for interdependence relationships into numerical values; the QFD translates the result into a final criteria ranking system. A case study, grounded on data available from an OEM electronic firm, is proposed and discussed to show the application of the developed tool. Key words: Quality function deployment, green outsourcing performance, analytical network process, fuzzy set theory.
Asset management - quo vadis (where are you going)?

Proponents of asset management (AM) suggest that it can provide "improved financial performance (improved services, outputs, return on investment and reduced costs), improved safety performance, reduced environmental impact and improved ability to demonstrate socially responsible and ethical business practices" (ISO, 2014a). However these claims have yet to be demonstrated using systematic empirical methods. The quality management (QM) community faced a similar situation in the 1980s when there was much enthusiasm from its disciples but lack of evidence that QM, and in the 1990s ISO 9001 certification, delivered organisational and financial benefits. This paper looks at the literature from the QM sector to identify lessons for asset managers. It proposes four areas of work as follows: 1) identify the factors that characterise AM practice; 2) measure the cost of AM; 3) demonstrate that AM practice delivers AM and organisational outcomes; 4) determine if ISO 55001 certification delivers improved organisational performance. The benefits of developing a rigorous, evidence-based approach to addressing these questions will provide a strong foundation for the AM discipline. This is a necessary step in a wider acceptance of AM by the business and government communities.
TAMOXIFEN TREATMENT INDUCES PROTECTION IN MURINE CYSTICERCOSIS

Administration of tamoxifen (an antiestrogen) produced an 80% parasite load reduction in female mice, and a weaker effect of 50% in male mice. This protective effect was associated in both sexes, with an increase in the mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-2 (a cytokine associated with protection against cysticerci) and IL-4 (no effect on infection). tamoxifen treatment modified 17-β estradiol production in females, whereas serum testosterone was not affected. However, the expression of the 2 types of estrogen receptor (ER), i.e., ER-α and ER-β, in the spleen of infected mice of both sexes, was decreased by tamoxifen treatment. In vitro, treatment of Taenia crassiceps with tamoxifen reduced reproduction and loss of motility. These results indicate that tamoxifen treatment is a new therapeutic possibility to treat cysticercosis, because it can act at both ends of the host–parasite relationship, i.e., by increasing the cellular immune response protective against the parasite and by directly affecting the parasite's reproduction and survival.
QP_TR Trust Region Blob Tracking Through Scale-Space

A new approach of tracking objects in image sequences is proposed, in which the constant changes of the size and orientation of the target can be precisely described. For each incoming frame, a probability distribution image of the target is created, where the target's area turns into a blob. The scale of this blob can be determined based on the local maxima of differential scale-space filters. We employ the QP_TR trust region algorithm to search the local maxima of orientational multi-scale normalized Laplacian filter of the probability distribution image to locate the target as well as to determine its scale and orientation. Based on the tracking results of sequence examples, the new method is proven to be capable of describing the target more accurately and thus achieves much better tracking precision.
Central Nervous System Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors: A Clinicopathologic and Genetic Study of 33 Cases

Central nervous system (CNS) primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) include supratentorial, brain stem, and spinal cord tumors with medulloblastoma‐like histopathology. The prognostic impact of various pathologic and genetic features has not been thoroughly investigated. After re‐diagnosis of three infantile cases as atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT), 33 remaining CNS PNETs were retrieved for clinicopathologic and fluorescence in situ hybridization studies. Anaplastic and/or large cell features were seen in 18 of 33 (55%) examples and survival was decreased in these patients (P = 0.036). MYCN or MYCC gene amplifications were noted in about half, with a trend towards decreased survival (P = 0.112). Polysomies of chromosomes 2 and 8 were each individually associated with decreased survival in children, with an even stronger association when combined (P = 0.013). Neither EWS gene rearrangements, nor AT/RT‐like 22q deletions were encountered. We conclude that in CNS PNET: (i) routine application of INI1 immunohistochemistry helps rule out AT/RT, particularly in infants; (ii) MYC gene amplifications (especially MYCN) are common; (iii) involvement of CNS parenchyma by Ewing sarcoma/peripheral PNET is rare enough that EWS gene testing is not necessary unless significant dural involvement is present; and (iv) both anaplastic/large cell features and polysomies of 2 and 8 are associated with more aggressive clinical behavior.
Occupational hand eczema among nursing staffs in Korea: Self‐reported hand eczema and contact sensitization of hospital nursing staffs

Occupational hand eczema is frequent in hospital workers, especially in nurses. A comprehensive understanding regarding hand eczema is essential for establishing proper prevention and treatment strategies. The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for hand eczema in hospital nursing staffs. A self‐administered questionnaire study was performed on hospital nursing staffs at a single general hospital in Korea. In addition, 70 patients with hand eczema underwent patch testing. Five hundred and twenty‐five of 700 invited nurses completed the study (response rate, 75.0%). The overall frequency of symptom‐based hand eczema was 75.6%, and self‐reported hand eczema was 31.0%. Risk factors for hand eczema were young age, history of atopic dermatitis, frequent hand washing (>20 times/day) and long duration of glove wearing (>5 min). Hand eczema was less frequent among frequent hand moisturizer users (>3–4 times/day). Positive patch test reactions were observed in 61.4%. Frequent allergens were nickel sulfate (35.7%), cobalt chloride (28.6%) and thiomersal (21.4%). Among various antibiotics, ciprofloxacin (11.4%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (11.4%) and gentamicin (7.1%) were revealed as common allergens, in order of frequency. Hand eczema is quite common among hospital nursing staffs. Proper preventive programs and educations are demanded.
Knowledge, Participation and Waste Management – Selected Problems. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation

International technology transfers are crucial for developing economies since they may operate as one of the key drivers in the economies’ development path. Previous studies have acknowleged some channels of technology transfers for developing economies. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms of how the technology transfers would occur and take effect in each of the recipient economies and their domestic companies are still to be explored. Furthermore, understanding domestic companies knowledge management is important since it would determine the absorptive capacity of the company toward advanced foreign technologies. This study uses a case of technologically intermediate-level Indonesian manufacturer to show evidence of international technology transfers and their impacts on the development of indigenous technological capabilities of the domestic company, as well as to examine the company’s knowledge management. This study confirmed some benefits of international technology transfers for the domestic company, especially through the major mechanisms of technical license assistances, capital goods imports, turnkey projects, technical consultancies, backward-vertical flows of foreign direct investment, and participation in overseas markets. However, the impacts toward the domestic company’s technological capabilities were generally at intermediate level. This implies that the domestic company needs to spend more investments on in-house R&D activities and to improve its knowledge management systems.
Who’s Biased? A Meta-Analysis of Buyer–Seller Differences in the Pricing of Lotteries

A large body of empirical research has examined the impact of trading perspective on pricing of consumer products, with the typical finding being that selling prices exceed buying prices (i.e., the endowment effect). Using a meta-analytic approach, we examine to what extent the endowment effect also emerges in the pricing of monetary lotteries. As monetary lotteries have a clearly defined normative value, we also assess whether one trading perspective is more biased than the other. We consider several indicators of bias: absolute deviation from expected values, rank correlation with expected values, overall variance, and per-unit variance. The meta-analysis, which includes 35 articles, indicates that selling prices considerably exceed buying prices (Cohen’s d = 0.58). Importantly, we also find that selling prices deviate less from the lotteries’ expected values than buying prices, both in absolute and in relative terms. Selling prices also exhibit lower variance per unit. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling with cumulative prospect theory indicates that buyers have lower probability sensitivity and a more pronounced response bias. The finding that selling prices are more in line with normative standards than buying prices challenges the prominent account whereby sellers’ valuations are upward biased due to loss aversion, and supports alternative theoretical accounts.
Is backdating vicious?: an investigation on the rationale of backdating CEO stock options

The widespread practice of backdating executive stock options has drawn strong criticism of the public and also serious attention of the regulators. Other than pure luck and insider manipulation, I conjecture some backdating is ra- tional. By using a sample of 126 US companies under investigations related to backdating, I find them larger, younger, having lower cash holding and higher stock volatility. In addition, there is little evidence for managerial entrench- ment and underperformance. Lastly, I build up a simple dynamic game of imperfect information, showing that higher performance indeed increases the backdating propensity, which distinguishes backdating from repricing mecha- nism. Keywords: Option Backdating, Option Repricing, Corporate Governance, Corporate Finance
Inter-firm co-operation capability : a processual empirical study on networking family firms

Niemelä, Tarja Inter-Firm Co-operation Capability: A Processual Empirical Study on Networking Family Firms Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2003, 199 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Business and Economics ISSN 1457-1986; 22) ISBN 951-39-1358-9 Finnish Summary Diss. This study examines inter-firm co-operation capability both conceptually and empirically. The central questions to be examined in this study are as follows: 1) What is inter-firm cooperation capability? , 2) How can it be described by using the concepts of networking and inter-firm co-operation? , 3) What has been the role of learning, trust and commitment in the inter-firm co-operation and networking process? The conceptual analysis rests mainly on the theories of interorganisational studies (network approach) and education. The multiplicity and heterogeneity of the phenomenon led quickly to the conclusion that no one-dimensional approach alone would be adequate to describe the inter-firm co-operation capability in the context of networking family firms. Accordingly, inter-firm co-operation is defined, in the context of networking family firms, as consisting of the following capabilities: Social ‘Networking’ Capability, Management Capability, and Learning Capability. At the empirical level, the role of learning contributes to knowledge creation, the role of trust contributes to value creation, and the role of commitment contributes to trust creation of the networking process of family firms. The empirical results of the study suggest that inter-firm co-operation is a simultaneous learning process for the owner-managers, as well as for the networking family firms. This, if any, is a result of the developmental process of inter-firm co-operation capability, and has an influence on the competitiveness of the whole network. Furthermore, the values, attitudes, and beliefs of the owner-managers reflect their family business culture, and the culture of each family firm influences the development and quality of inter-firm co-operation capability. The conclusion of this processual empirical study is that both inter-firm co-operation capability and family business culture are the main contributors to the competitiveness of the family firm network. The phenomenon of inter-firm co-operation capability is studied here in the context of family business. Family business takes into account the interests of both family and business. When the complex system and its operating environment are taken into account, owner-managers of the family firms have the key role in creating and establishing network relationships. Both the conceptual and empirical discussion should be limited to the family business context only, and therefore, any generalisations should be made very cautiously outside of this context.
Calcofluor white and Congo red inhibit chitin microfibril assembly of Poterioochromonas: evidence for a gap between polymerization and microfibril formation

The influence of the light microscopical stains, Calcofluor white and Congo red, on the process of chitin microfibril formation of the chrysoflagellate alga Poterioochromonas stipitata was studied with light and electron microscopy. There is a concentration-dependent inhibition of lorica formation with both dyes. In the presence of the inhibitors malformed loricae are made, which do not show the usual ultrastructure and arrangement of the chitin microfibrils. Instead of long, laterally associated microfibrils, short rods or irregular networks of subelementary (15-25 A) fibrils are found. Microfibril assembly obviously takes place on the accessible outside of the plasma membrane. There must be a gap between the polymerization and microfibril formation reactions, allowing the stains to bind to the polymerized subunits. Thus, later association of these units to form microfibrils is disturbed. The microfibril-orienting mechanism also depends on normal microfibril formation. A model summarizing these hypotheses is suggested.
Asynchronous Functional, Cellular and Transcriptional Changes after a Bout of Eccentric Exercise in the Rat

Thirty eccentric contractions (ECs) were imposed upon rat dorsiflexors (n= 46) by activating the peroneal nerve and plantarflexing the foot ≈40 deg, corresponding to a sarcomere length change over the range 2.27‐2.39 μm for the tibialis anterior and 2.52‐2.66 μm for the extensor digitorum longus. Animals were allowed to recover for one of 10 time periods ranging from 0.5 to 240 h, at which time muscle contractile properties, immunohistochemical labelling and gene expression were measured. Peak isometric torque dropped significantly by ≈40 % from an initial level of 0.0530 ± 0.0009 Nm to 0.0298 ± 0.0008 Nm (P < 0.0001) immediately after EC, and then recovered in a linear fashion to control levels 168 h later. Immunohistochemical labelling of cellular proteins revealed a generally asynchronous sequence of events at the cellular level, with the earliest event measured being loss of immunostaining for the intermediate filament protein, desmin. Soon after the first signs of desmin loss, infiltration of inflammatory cells occurred, followed by a transient increase in membrane permeability, manifested as inclusion of plasma fibronectin. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) was used to measure transcript levels of desmin, vimentin, embryonic myosin heavy chain (MHC), myostatin, myoD and myogenin. Compared to control levels, myostatin transcripts were significantly elevated after only 0.5 h, myogenic regulatory factors significantly elevated after 3 h and desmin transcripts were significantly increased 12 h after EC. None of the measured parameters provide a mechanistic explanation for muscle force loss after EC. Future studies are required to investigate whether there is a causal relationship among desmin loss, increased cellular permeability, upregulation of the myoD and desmin genes, and, ultimately, an increase in the desmin content per sarcomere of the muscle.
[Comparison of two techniques in hemivertebra resection: anterior- posterior approach versus posterior approach].

OBJECTIVE To Compare the two techniques in the treatment of congenital kypho-scoliosis caused by fully-segmented hemivertebra. METHODS 44 consecutive cases, 21 males and 23 females. The average age at surgery was 11.4 years ranging from 2 to 17 years, 20 patients underwent one-stage anterior and posterior hemivertebra resection and instrumentation. 24 patients underwent one-stage posterior hemivertebra resection and instrumentation. Long cassette standing radiographs were taken before and after surgery and at the final follow-up. The apical translation, the Cobb's angle in the coronal and sagittal plane were measured and analyzed. The medical records were reviewed and the complications were recorded. RESULTS The average follow-up was 39.2 months ranging from 24 to 72 months. The 2 groups did not demonstrate any significant differences in gender, age at surgery, preoperative and postoperative Cobb angle, blood loss, or fusion segments (all P > 0.05). However, the anterior and posterior group demonstrated a less curve flexibility and longer operative time compared with the posterior groups (all P < 0.05). COMPLICATIONS the anterior and posterior group included pedical cutting in 1 case, lumber curve decompensation in 1 case and crankshaft phenomenon in 2 cases. The posterior group included pedical cutting in 1 case and length of instrumentation in 1 case. CONCLUSIONS Two techniques are safe and effective procedure for the congenital kypho-scoliosis. Anterior and posterior hemivertebra resection is indicated to rigid deformity, and anterior epiphysiodesis is needed to avoid crankshaft phenomenon for patients at an earlier skeletal age. Posterior hemivertebra resection can save operation time and is less invasive compared with anterior-posterior approach.
The Moderating Effects of Information Technology on Inter-Firm Collaboration: The Case of Central-Satellite System in Taiwan

Information technology (IT) and Internet expedite business evolution in an unimaginable manner. IT-enabled business transactions taking place in the past decade fundamentally changed industrial structure in the global scale. Collaborative Commerce, being introduced from the United State, h as become the major business reengineering thrust in the inter-firm contents in the past few years. IT tools and business protocols such as collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment arise to be the focal concern of future competition. In this study, we combined firm's internal and external factors to review how IT influences the collaboration between firms. We proposed that IT moderates the influences of firm's internal and external factors on cooperative satisfaction. Empirical results show that IT has the interactions with the firm's capability and norms on cooperative satisfaction. Additionally, firms adopt E-mail as their frequent collaborative IT tool.