Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Optimum-Frequency Tracking Scheme for Ultrasonic Motor

This paper presents a high-efficiency optimum frequency tracking scheme with the ability to control the velocity for the ultrasonic motor. Prior to developing the scheme, characteristics of the ultrasonic motor being excited at the optimum frequency are analyzed, based on the mechanical quality factor of the ultrasonic motor. Then, the amplitudes and frequency of the input voltages are applied to stabilize the velocity and track the newly-discovered optimum frequency, at which frequency the motor maintains the minimum power consumption. The proposed scheme is implemented based on the quarter-phase three-level switching circuit. Experiments are carried out to verify the existence of the optimum frequency and the merit of the proposed scheme under load over a range of working frequencies. The results obtained have demonstrated that the proposed scheme is superior to the existing resonance and antiresonance frequency tracking approaches, in terms of tracking the preset reference velocity and maximizing the efficiency.
Tyrosine hydroxylase Val-81-Met polymorphism associated with early-onset alcoholism

The present study examined the association of the Tyrosine hydroxylase Val-81-Met polymorphism with alcohol dependence. One hundred and fifty-nine patients in a psychiatric unit with alcohol dependence were genotyped as well as 92 healthy volunteers. The Val allele was more frequent in patients with alcohol dependence (69.5%) than in controls (62.5%). This effect was largely due to the association with early-onset alcoholism (77.8%), whereas no difference was noted between late-onset patients and controls. Our results suggest a role for tyrosine hydroxylase in early-onset alcoholism.
Analysis of investments & management of portfolios

PART 1: THE INVESTMENT BACKGROUND. 1. An Overview of the Investment Process. 2. The Asset Allocation Decision. 3. The Global Market Investment Decision. 4. Securities Markets: Organization and Operation. 5. Security-Market Indexes. PART 2: DEVELOPMENTS IN INVESTMENT THEORY. 6. Efficient Capital Markets. 7. An Introduction to Portfolio Management. 8. An Introduction to Asset Pricing Models. 9. Multifactor Models of Risk and Return. PART 3: VALUATION PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES. 10. Analysis of Financial Statements. 11. Security Valuation Principles. PART 4: ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF COMMON STOCKS. 12. Macroanalysis and Microvaluation of the Stock Market. 13. Industry Analysis. 14. Company Analysis and Stock Valuation. 15. Equity Portfolio Management Strategies. 16. Technical Analysis. PART 5: ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF BONDS. 17. Bond Fundamentals. 18. The Analysis and Valuation of Bonds. 19. Bond Portfolio Management Strategies. PART 6: DERIVATIVE SECURITY ANALYSIS. 20. An Introduction to Derivative Markets and Securities. 21. Forward and Futures Contracts. 22. Option Contracts. 23. Swap Contracts, Convertible Securities, and Other Embedded Derivatives. PART 7: SPECIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF ASSET MANAGEMENT. 24. Professional Money Management, Alternative Assets, and Industry Ethics. 25. Evaluation of Portfolio Performance.
Evaluation of WERA HF radar observations: currents, winds and waves

Within the Straits of Florida, a strongly sheared western boundary current interacts with waves and wind to produce a complex environment that is difficult to forecast, and makes in situ data collection at the ocean surface challenging. For these reasons, ensuring accurate remote measurements of current velocity, significant wave height and wind direction from high frequency (HF) radar is an ongoing priority. In this study, we deploy a subsurface mooring in the HF radar footprint that is equipped with Nortek's Acoustic Wave and Current Profiler (AWAC), and collect wind data from a nearby meteorological station. We evaluate the HF radar measurements through a comparison with these independent in situ datasets. With regard for their sampling differences, our results show that the remote and in situ instruments compared favorably. For the majority of the deployment, the current velocity exceeded 2 m s-1 at the mooring; this created excessive drag on the buoy leading to instrument tilt. For this reason, the mooring design and instrument performance are examined in closer detail. These preliminary results demonstrate the importance of collecting remote high resolution data from HF radar over the Straits of Florida.
Exploring emotional expressions on YouTube through the lens of media system dependency theory

This study extends current work by investigating the role social networking sites play in facilitating emotional expressions following the death of a public figure, Michael Jackson. Through the lens of Media System Dependency theory, I perform a qualitative content analysis on comments generated by users of YouTube. Results show that YouTube plays an important role in facilitating emotional expressions as the analysis uncovered a variety of emotions (i.e. sadness and grief, anger and frustration). I also identify other possible micro-level and macro-level effects which may have influenced these emotional responses. This study also found that emotional expressions differed between gender with respect to the passage of time, ongoing events in the environment, and negative reports about Jackson. The results indicate that users can depend on the content provided by YouTube to meet their emotional needs during the grieving process following the death of a public figure.
Seam-hiding for Looping Videos

The proposed algorithm creates a seamless looping video clip from a real world video of an almost-cyclic motion. For a video that has repeating motion, such as a person on a trampoline, the first and last video frames may not precisely line up, even though the content is very similar. Playing back the video in a looping fashion can cause the re-start transition to jump out and appear discontinuous, both spatially and in terms of object velocity. Most work on video looping has sought to find the best re-set point in a longer video's timeline, but we start there, and modify the frames to hide the jump point. Our approach essentially fits a curve to the (x, y) and RGB coordinates of points in the scene, and then smooths those curves using gradient domain optimisation. We address important qualitative factors, balancing smoothness against preservation of the original trajectories/curves. Our modular system also incorporates video stabilisation and inpainting, to cope with more dynamic videos. For most videos within our scope, we found that automatic seam-hiding is succesful. For the cases in which the proposed system cannot satisfactorily produce a seamless loop, we hope our framework can be modified with improved components to achieve better results in the future.
PHOTIC RELATIONS AND EXPERIMENTAL DISSOCIATION OF CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS IN PINEAL COMPOSITION AND RUNNING ACTIVITY IN RATS *

Abstract— It has been shown previously that pineal composition and some of its enzyme activities in mammals appear to be responsive to light and darkness in vivo, possibly indirectly. One such possible indirect mechanism would be by whole animal activity and the sympathetic innervation of the pineal. Study of the rhythmic changes in the pineal ethanol‐soluble fraction (mostly lipid) and in whole animal running activity in normal, adult male rats in standard daily photocycle and then in continuous light, shows rapid dissociation of the two rhythms in continuous light, with pineal composition being more light‐dependent.
Japanese Firms' Investment Strategies in Emerging Economies

This study jointly examines the effects of organizational capabilities and public and private expropriation hazards on the level of equity ownership chosen for foreign subsidiaries in emerging markets. Specifically, we explore the mechanisms by which 660 Japanese multinational corporations draw upon industry-specific, country-specific and total international experience to mitigate these hazards in FDI for their 1,727 subsidiaries in 18 emerging markets. Results strongly support a novel specification that forges a link between the capabilities and the public and private expropriation hazards literatures.
Thyroglobulin (Tg) Testing Revisited: Tg Assays, TgAb Assays, and Correlation of Results With Clinical Outcomes.

CONTEXT Measurement of thyroglobulin (Tg) by mass spectrometry (Tg-MS) is emerging as a tool for accurate Tg quantification in patients with anti-Tg autoantibodies (TgAbs). OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to perform analytical and clinical evaluations of two Tg-MS assays in comparison with immunometric Tg assays (Tg-IAs) and Tg RIAs (Tg-RIAs) in a cohort of thyroid cancer patients. METHODS A total of 589 samples from 495 patients, 243 TgAb-/252 TgAb+, were tested by Beckman, Roche, Siemens-Immulite, and Thermo-Brahms Tg and TgAb assays, two Tg-RIAs, and two Tg-MS assays. RESULTS The frequency of TgAb+ was 58%, 41%, 27%, and 39% for Roche, Beckman, Siemens-Immulite, and Thermo-Brahms, respectively. In TgAb- samples, clinical sensitivities and specificities of 100% and 74%-100%, respectively, were observed across all assays. In TgAb+ samples, all Tg-IAs demonstrated assay-dependent Tg underestimation, ranging from 41% to 86%. In TgAb+ samples, the use of a common cutoff (0.5 ng/mL) for the Tg-MS, three Tg-IAs, and the USC-RIA improved the sensitivity for the Tg-MSs and Tg-RIAs when compared with the Tg-IAs. In up to 20% of TgAb+ cases, Tg-IAs failed to detect Tg that was detectable by Tg-MS. In Tg-RIAs false-high biases were observed in TgAb+ samples containing low Tg concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Tg-IAs remain the method of choice for Tg quantitation in TgAb- patients. In TgAb+ patients with undetectable Tg by immunometric assay, the Tg-MS will detect Tg in up to 20% additional cases. The Tg-RIA will detect Tg in approximately 35% cases, but a significant proportion of these will be clinical false-positive results. The undetectable Tg-MS seen in approximately 40% of TgAb+ cases in patients with disease need further evaluation.
Buyer preferences for outsourced logistics services (3PL)

Most work on supply chain design begins with cost, delivery time, quality and efficiency and frequently ignores the human factor interacting with that decision. In this study we explore the relative importance of various supply chain product components to reveal the decision-making trade-off that occurs when buyers select an outsourced service provider . Our research approach overcomes many of the limitations seen in prior studies that rely on simple rankings by survey respondents by identifying directly the customer’s utility for different service provider attributes. The results confirm the importance of various performance-level attributes and point us towards a new set of higher order capabilities based on professionalism and proactive innovation.
Variation in plant-mediated interactions between rhizobacteria and caterpillars: potential role of soil composition.

Selected strains of non-pathogenic rhizobacteria can trigger induced systemic resistance (ISR) in plants against aboveground insect herbivores. However, the underlying mechanisms of plant-mediated interactions between rhizobacteria and herbivorous insects are still poorly understood. Using Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0-Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS417r as a model system, we investigated the performance and the molecular mechanisms underlying plant-mediated effects of rhizobacteria on the generalist caterpillar Mamestra brassicae and the specialist Pieris brassicae. Rhizobacteria colonisation of Arabidopsis roots resulted in decreased larval weight of M. brassicae, whereas no effect was observed on larval weight of P. brassicae. Using a jasmonic acid (JA)-impaired mutant (dde2-2), we confirmed the importance of JA in rhizobacteria-mediated ISR against M. brassicae. Interestingly, in some experiments we also observed rhizobacteria-induced systemic susceptibility to M. brassicae. The role of soil composition in the variable outcomes of microbe-plant-insect interactions was then assessed by comparing M. brassicae performance and gene transcription in plants grown in potting soil or a mixture of potting soil and sand in a 1:1 ratio. In a mixture of potting soil and sand, rhizobacteria treatment had a consistent negative effect on M. brassicae, whereas the effect was more variable in potting soil. Interestingly, at 24 h post-infestation (hpi) rhizobacteria treatment primed plants grown in a mixture of potting soil and sand for stronger expression of the JA- and ethylene-regulated genes PDF1.2 and HEL, respectively. Our study shows that soil composition can modulate rhizobacteria-plant-insect interactions, and is a factor that should be considered when studying these belowground-aboveground interactions.
Incumbency Advantage in Non-Democracies

In elections that take place in a less-than-perfect democracy, incumbency advantages are different from those in mature democracies. The incumbent can prevent credible challengers from running, organize vote fraud, or even physically eliminate the main opponents. At the same time, formally winning the election does not guarantee staying in power. We present a unified model of elections and mass protests, where the purpose of competitive elections is to reveal information about the relative popularity of the incumbent and the opposition. Citizens are heterogenous in their attitudes toward the dictator and these individual preferences serve as private signals about the aggregate distribution of preferences; this ensures a unique equilibrium for any information the incumbent may reveal. We show that the most competent/popular dictators run in competitive elections, mediocre ones prevent credible opponents from running or cancel elections, and the least competent ones use outright repressions. A strong opposition makes competitive elections more likely, but also increases the probability of repression. A totalitarian regime, where repression is cheaper, will have more repression, but even in the absence of repression, competitive elections will be rarer. A crueler, say military, regime, where protesting is costly, makes repression less likely and, surprisingly, competitive elections more likely.
A Comparison of Itraconazole and Griseofulvin in the Treatment of Tinea Corporis and Tinea Cruris: A Double-Blindb Study

A total of 40 patients with clinically and mycologically documented tinea corporis or tinea cruris were treated with 100 mg/day itraconazole (n = 19) or 500 mg/day griseofulvin (n = 21) for 15 days. Of the itraconazole-treated patients, 83.3% were healed or markedly improved, i.e. ‘responders', after 15 days compared with 85.7% of griseofulvin-treated patients. At 15 days after the end of treatment, 88.2% of itraconazole- and 80.9% of griseofulvin-treated patients were classed as ‘responders'. The mycological cure rate (both microscopy and culture negative) was generally lower than the clinical response rate. Both treatments were equally effective at the end of 15 days' treatment with 66.7% of patients cured, but itraconazole was superior to griseofulvin at the 15-day follow-up visit (77.8% of itraconazole-treated patients compared with 66.7% of griseofulvin-treated patients were cured). Both therapies were well tolerated; only one patient treated with itraconazole reported minor side-effects (dizziness, headache and gastro-intestinal disturbances). The results confirm those of earlier comparative trials and suggest that griseofulvin-treated patients are more at risk of relapse than are itraconazole-treated patients.
The Effects of Allopurinol in Hepatic Ischemia and Reperfusion: Experimental Study in Rats

Background/Aims: Some studies have shown that postischemic hepatic dysfunction is mainly due to oxygen free radicals that are generated by xanthine oxidase. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, on oxidative stress, liver injury and histologic alterations induced by hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in rats. Methods: One hundred and sixty Wistar rats were used and divided into three groups. Group 1: sham operation; group 2: 50 min of ischemia followed by 1 h of reperfusion, and group 3: pretreatment with allopurinol and 50 min of ischemia followed by 1 h of reperfusion. The effect of allopurinol was evaluated by plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, histopathologic studies, and lipid peroxidation measured by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances method and chemiluminescence initiated by tert-butyl hydroperoxide technique. Results: Ischemia followed by reperfusion promoted an increase in lipid peroxidation of the hepatic cells when compared to the sham-operated group (p < 0.05). This increase was attenuated in the group treated with allopurinol (p < 0.05). Allopurinol also showed a protective effect on hepatocellular necrosis (p < 0.05), and the plasma levels of liver enzymes returned earlier to the normal range in rats pretreated with allopurinol in comparison to those that did not receive the drug (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Allopurinol exerted a protective effect on hepatic ischemia and reperfusion in rats. The administration of this drug prior to liver operations should be considered to be submitted to trials in humans.
UPAYA MENCAPAI LOYALITAS KONSUMEN DALAM PERSPEKTIF SUMBER DAYA MANUSIA

Service is a very unique area because its differences. In this area human elements is extremly important because its role in achieving company' main goal which is to gain more loyal consumer since loyal consumer will lead to greater competitive advantange. This research aim to describe and find out the effect of human elements on customer loyalty through customer satisfaction and trust. We use path analysis to test the research model and the result suggest that employee reliability is the most important variable among human elements in gaining customer loyalty through customer satisfaction and trust. It also suggest the important role of customer' trust to customer satisfaction. In order to gain loyal consumer from human resources management perspective, service organization needs to develop its intellectual capital. Abstract in Bahasa Indonesia : Jasa adalah bidang yang sangat unik karena perbedaannya bila di bandingkan bidang usaha lain. Dalam bidang jasa, elemen manusia sangat penting karena perannya dalam upaya mencapai kesetiaan konsumen yang akan mengarah kepada keunggulan kompetitif perusahaan. Studi ini bertujuan untuk menggambarkan dan menemukan pengaruh elemen manusia terhadap kesetiaan konsumen melalui kepuasan konsumen dan kepercayaan. Analisa yang digunakan untuk menguji hipotesa adalah Path Analysis. Ditemukan dalam studi ini bahwa kehandalan karyawan merupakan variabel yang paling penting dalam upaya memperoleh konsumen yang setia melalui kepuasan dan kepercayaan. Ditemukan juga peran kepercayaan konsumen terhadap kepuasan konsumen. Menurut perspektif manajemen sumber daya manusia untuk memperoleh konsumen yang loyal perusahaan perlu mengembangkan modal intelektualnya. Kata kunci: Jasa, Loyalitas Konsumen, Sumber Daya Manusia.
THE EVOLUTIONARY ENIGMA OF BONEFISHES (ALBULA SPP.): CRYPTIC SPECIES AND ANCIENT SEPARATIONS IN A GLOBALLY DISTRIBUTED SHOREFISH

Abstract Many examples of cryptic marine species have been demonstrated with biochemical and molecular studies. In most cases, a broadly distributed taxon is actually a group of sibling species that can be distinguished (upon closer examination) by ecological or morphological characters. Fishes of the family Albulidae constitute a notable exception. Bonefish (Albula spp.) morphology and ecology are highly conserved around the globe, and their extended pelagic larval stage could allow population connections on a vast geographic scale. Based on this perceived homogeneity, bonefishes were classified as a single pantropical species, A. vulpes. However, allozyme studies of Hawaiian populations indicated that two sympatric species (A. glossodonta and A. neoguinaica) are included in the synonymy of A. vulpes. To ascertain the number and distribution of evolutionary partitions in Albula, we surveyed 564 bp of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b from 174 individuals collected at 26 locations. Sequence comparisons reveal eight deep lineages (d = 5.56–30.6%) and significant population structure within three of the four lineages that could be tested (ϕST = 0.047–0.678). These findings confirm the genetic distinctiveness of the three species noted above and invoke the possibility of five additional species. Clock estimates for mtDNA indicate that these putative species arose 4–20 million years ago. Distinct evolutionary lineages coexist in several sample locations, yet show little morphological or ecological differentiation in sympatry. Thus, bonefish species seem to defy the evolutionary conventions of morphological differentiation over time and ecological displacement in sympatry. Despite multiple cases of sympatry, sister-taxa relationships inferred from mtDNA indicate that divergence in allopatry has been the predominant speciation mechanism in Albula. Stabilizing selection in the homogeneous habitat occupied by bonefishes (tropical sand flats) could promote the retention of highly conserved morphology and ecology. Corresponding Editor: Louis Bernatchez
Transcriptome Analysis of Canine Cardiac Fat Pads: Involvement of Two Novel Long Non‐Coding RNAs in Atrial Fibrillation Neural Remodeling

Intrinsic cardiac autonomic neural remodeling (ANR) has been reported to be involved in the initiation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important orchestrators of gene regulatory networks. However, little is known about the relationships between lncRNAs and cardiac ANR in AF. In this study, second‐generation RNA sequencing was performed to examine the transcriptomes of lncRNAs in AF and non‐AF canine cardiac fat pads. A total of 61,616 putative lncRNAs were yielded, in which 166 were downregulated and 410 were upregulated with more than twofold change. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the aberrantly expressed genes were associated with neural development, migration and neurodegenerative disorders. On the basis of a series of filtering pipelines, two new lncRNAs, namely, TCONS_00032546 and TCONS_00026102, were selected. Silencing of TCONS_00032546 or TCONS_00026102 with lentiviruses in vivo could significantly shorten or prolong the atrial effective refractory period thereby increasing or preventing AF inducibility by promoting or inhibiting the neurogenesis. Besides, the expression of CCND1‐FGF19‐FGF4‐FGF3 gene cluster and SLC25A4, the nearby genes of TCONS_00032546 and TCONS_00026102, were negatively correlated with that of lncRNAs. Furthermore, combining bioinformatics analysis with literature review, TCONS_00032546 and TCONS_00026102 may induce effects by increasing the CCND1‐FGF19‐FGF3‐FGF4 gene cluster and SLC25A4 via complex mechanisms during neural remodeling. Taken together, dysregulated lncRNAs may play regulatory roles in AF neural remodeling, which may further provide potential therapeutic targets for prophylaxis and treatment of AF. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 809–821, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.