Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fractionation of the stable isotopes of inorganic carbon by seagrasses.

The delta(13)C values for seagrasses collected along the Texas Gulf Coast range from -10.9 to -11.4 per thousand. These values are similar to the delta(13)C values of terrestrial C(4) plants, but seagrasses lack bundle sheath cells which are important in determining the delta(13)C values of C(4) plants. This work attempts to explain the reason the delta(13)C values of seagrasses resemble the delta(13)C values of C(4) plants.Investigations on the photosynthetic characteristics of seagrasses show that dissolved CO(2) is the species of inorganic carbon absorbed or accumulated by Thalassia testudinum. The rate of photosynthetic CO(2) fixation varies from 9.6 to 129.0 micromoles CO(2) per milligram chlorophyll per hour in the presence of 0.042 to 1.9 millimolar dissolved CO(2) due to the high resistances of Thalassia leaves to CO(2) diffusion. Phosphoglyceric acid is the first stable product of photosynthetic CO(2) fixation in Thalassia which is a Calvin cycle plant. The light/dark ratios of (14)CO(2) release from submerged Thalassia leaf sections at 1, 21, and 100% O(2) indicate a small apparent photorespiration. Dark respiration continues in the light and is stimulated by 21 and 100% O(2). The low apparent photorespiration may be due to membrane and H(2)O resistances to CO(2) diffusion with subsequent refixation of the photorespired CO(2). The internal pool of CO(2) is not in equilibrium with the external pool of CO(2) which results in a closed system in the seagrasses.The delta(13)C value of CO(2) in sea H(2)O in isotopic equilibrium with HCO(3) (-) is -10.3 per thousand and the delta(13)C value of hexoses isolated from the leaves of Thalassia is -11.5 per thousand. In the closed system of the seagrasses there is a -1.2 per thousand fractionation of CO(2) by ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase and the Calvin cycle. This contrasts to a fractionation of about -17 to -27 per thousand of the stable carbon isotopes of CO(2) by the Calvin cycle in the open system of terrestrial C(3) plants where the internal pool of CO(2) is in equilibrium with atmospheric CO(2). Among C(3) plants the seagrasses are very unusual in fixing CO(2) by the Calvin cycle in a closed system. This closed system metabolism is analogous to the fixation of CO(2) by the Calvin cycle in the bundle sheath cells of C(4) plants where all of the (12)CO(2) and (13)CO(2) is fixed by ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase. Therefore, the reasons the delta(13)C values of seagrasses and C(4) plants are similar are: (a) the delta(13)C value of dissolved CO(2) in seawater resembles the delta(13)C value of the C(4) acids and the delta(13)C value of CO(2) in the bundle sheath cells, and (b) there is no fractionation of the stable carbon isotopes of CO(2) in the closed systems of the seagrasses or the bundle sheath cells of C(4) plants.
Implicit Contracts and the Theory of the Firm

We analyze the role of implicit contracts' (that is, informal agreements supported by" reputation rather than law) both within firms, for example in employment relationships between them, for example as hand-in-glove supplier relationships. We find that the optimal" organizational form is determined largely by what implicit contracts it facilitates. Among other" things, we also show that vertical integration is an efficient response to widely varying supply" prices. Finally, our model suggests why management' (that is, the development and" implementation of unwritten rules and codes of conduct) is essential in organizations. "
High-Dose Radiotherapy for the Treatment of Inoperable Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose:Local failure continues to be a major cause of mortality in patients with inoperable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with radiation therapy. Dose escalation is one method of improving local control. We investigated whether high-dose radiotherapy enhances outcomes in patients with inoperable NSCLC. Materials and Methods:Eighty-two patients with inoperable NSCLC stage I–IIIB were treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy to doses of ≥80 Gy. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on stage: those with stage I/II disease (55 patients) and those with stage III (IIIA or IIIB) disease (27 patients). Results:The 5-year local control and overall survival rates for the patients with stage I/II disease were 67% and 36%, respectively, with a median survival time of 41 months. For the patients with stage III disease, 5-year local control and overall survival rates were observed to be 39% and 31%, respectively, with a median survival time of 32 months. Conclusions:Our data show a favorable 5-year overall survival rate (36%) with an acceptable toxicity profile in patients with early-stage NSCLC treated to doses of ≥80 Gy using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. Sequential chemotherapy combined with high-dose radiation gave survival rates equivalent to those seen with concurrent chemoradiation therapy in locally advanced disease. The overall survival and local control rates observed among patients with all stages of disease are consistent with and comparable to results from other dose-escalation studies reported in the literature.
Do CEO pay cuts really work

CEO pay is often cut in poorly performing firms to prod the CEO to work harder and restore profitability. This paper examines whether such CEO pay cuts really work. Although we do see an improvement in firms’ reported accounting performance following a CEO pay cut, we find that much of this reported improvement is achieved via accruals and real activities manipulation. We also find that earnings management after a pay cut is more pronounced when managers are more entrenched and less likely when institutional ownership is higher. Finally, we find that boards of directors do not punish such opportunistic behavior sufficiently. Collectively, we interpret these findings as evidence of managerial influence in the pay-setting process.
Ultrasonic Computed Tomography System for Concrete Inspection

This research aims to evaluate the dimension and time-of-light of concrete materials configuration using an immersed ultrasonic computed tomography imaging technique. The concrete materials are immersed into water bath. Two immersed ultrasonic sensor devices were used. One acts as the transmitter and the other acts as the transducer with a frequency center of 1 MHz. Both are placed across the object each other. The 350 volt of ultrasonic pulse is generated with delay time of 1μs from the transmitter and travelled to the sensor that was coupled by associate amplifiers and comparators. A microcontroller is used to control the tomography process involving translation and rotation movement, computer interfacing, time-of-flight of ultrasonic pulses data acquisition, and data recording. During the tomography scanning, a sinogram set of transmitted frequency at different positions and views is collected. An image reconstruction based on summation convolved filtered backprojection is performed. The results showed that all samples can be determined and bounded at its holes. Based on image profile, its dimension has an average deviation of 0.06 with standard gauge measurement. The tomography image represents the value of time-of-flight and pulse velocity of concrete. These values have been compared with those values measured using ASTM C 597-02 standard method and a linear correlation of 98.51% was obtained.
Transport of Atmospheric Fine Particulate Matter: Part 1—Findings from Recent Field Programs on the Extent of Regional Transport within North America

Abstract Air quality field data, collected as part of the fine particulate matter Supersites program and other field measurements programs, have been used to assess the role of aerosol transport, over length scales of approximately 100–1000 km, on fine particulate matter concentrations. Assessment of data from New York, NY; Baltimore, MD; Pittsburgh, PA; Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; St. Louis, MO; and Fresno, CA, indicates that in virtually all of the regions, transport of aerosol over distances of 100-1000 km has a significant impact on urban particulate matter concentrations and a dominant role in determining rural particulate matter concentrations, though the nature of the regional contributions differs from region to region. This assessment is generally consistent with previous conceptual models of fine particulate matter formation and accumulation in these regions. The nature of the transported aerosol is largely sulfate in Eastern and Midwestern cities and nitrate in the Central Valley of California. In addition to physical transport of aerosol over distances of 100–1000 km, regional transport of aerosol precursors may lead to conditions conducive to large-scale nucleation events. Regional nucleation events have been reported in the East, Midwest, and in California. The events occurred in the morning soon after surface layers coupled with layers aloft, and the events generate ultrafine particles. In some cases, these nucleation events have been correlated with availability of sulfur dioxide and, therefore, may be sulfate formation events.
Neural Substrates of Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Electroencephalographic and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence

Research methods based on electroencephalogram (EEG) and anatomical and functional MRI have been used with increasing frequency in the study of childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Both methods are safe and noninvasive, and their results can complement each other because of the good temporal (but relatively poorer spatial) resolution of EEG and the good spatial (but relatively poorer temporal) resolution of MRI. These methods are described, and associated recent research on childhood ADHD is summarized and critically examined. Results of this research support theories of ADHD that focus on a frontal-striatal neurological circuitry substrate, which has been implicated in neuropsychological executive functioning. A number of issues, however, such as the specificity of this finding for ADHD, remain unresolved. We conclude with an overview of advances and issues to be considered in future research on the neural substrates of childhood ADHD and advocate a developmental-contextual perspective on this disorder that acknowledges the reciprocal relations between neural structures and functions.
The Structure and Function of Novel Proteins of Bacillus anthracis and Other Spore-Forming Bacteria: Development of Novel Prophylactic and Therapeutic Agents

The overall goal of this review is to summarize the current body of knowledge about the structure and function of major proteins of Bacillus anthracis and/or similar spore-forming organisms. B. anthracis is a key spore-forming biological threat agent, as well as human and animal Gram-positive bacterial pathogen. The structural information described here is limited to approximately the last 5 years. This information is then related to the role of the selected proteins in pathogenesis and in the possible development of novel vaccine and/or other antimicrobial agents against spore-forming organisms, including anthrax, a disease caused by B. anthracis. Among spore-forming bacteria, Bacillus and Clostridium species are the predominant spore-forming bacilli that cause serious diseases. The biochemical properties and mechanism of catalysis of the novel spore germination protease that degrades small, acid-soluble proteins protecting DNA against damage, a cofactor independent phosphoglycerate mutase, NAD+ synthetase, and the three know B. anthracis toxins, protective antigen, lethal factor, and edema factor are described. The studies described in this work review and unify selected information critical for the prevention of microbial diseases such as anthrax. A strategy for the structure-guided development of new prophylactic and therapeutic agents is discussed.
TAIWANESE CONSUMERS ’ PERCEPTION OF SERVICE CONVENIENCE WITH REFERENCE TO PURCHASING TOURISM PRODUCTS ONLINE

This paper examines the way in which consumers perceive a convenient service when shopping online in Taiwan. When consumers interact with a website a good impression of the website is vital. E-service providers need to constantly deliver convenient services through their websites so online consumers are able to develop trust prior to purchase. Online interactivity is likely to be the primary drivers online service convenience. Moreover, service convenience is an important consideration for most online consumers because it has a major impact on consumers’ decision making in relation to saving time and effort. Convenience has traditionally been conceptualised as a time-and-effort dominated phenomenon, this research re-examined the nature of convenience in the context of e-commerce. It reveals that an important oversight regarding convenience is that it consists not only of time and effort dimensions, but also of control and technology dimensions. Results indicate that the Internet enables travel agencies to provide service convenience in terms of saving effort, etc as consumers purchase tourism products online. Consumer Control seems to be another important attribute underlying the notion of convenience in the service industry. Consumers are enabled to access a CRS system to plan and reserve their journey whenever and wherever they feel it is convenient from them to do so. Consumers may book two flights first (the same day with different airlines or the same route with different departure dates) thorough the system when planning their journeys. During the period of decision-making, this means that consumers have more product choices. Furthermore, if their travel plans change, they have readily available alternative. This avoids the problem of consumers being disappointed especially in the high season.
PRIVATISATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES AND THE IMPACT ON QUALITY, EMPLOYMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY (PIQUE)

Copyright and moral rights to this thesis/research project are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. Any use of the thesis/research project for private study or research must be properly acknowledged with reference to the work’s full bibliographic details.
[Analysis of HIF-1α and COX-2 expression in tumor stroma and correlation with the degree of neoplasm invasiveness in laryngeal cancer--preliminary study].

INTRODUCTION Despite extensive research in the field of molecular biology, immunology and histopathology, prognostically unambiguous morphological indicators of the invasiveness of tumor which allow the prediction of disease course in laryngeal cancer have not yet been identified. The aim of this study was to analyze gene and protein expression of HIF-1a and COX-2 in the tumor stroma and to find relationships between clinical and morphological features (pT, G, depth of tumor invasion, plasmalymphocytic infiltration) and certain markers in squamous cell laryngeal carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS We analyzed a group of 59 patients with verified squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. The pathological evaluation was included pTNM classification criteria, depth of invasion according to tumor front grading and degree of morphological differentiation. Quantitative analysis of the amplified product in real time (real-time RT2-PCR) for estimation of mRNA HIF-1a and COX-2 expression in tumor cells were used. The level of HIF-1a and COX-2 protein expression by Western blot analysis was determined. RESULTS In studied group of laryngeal cancers significant differences in expression of certain molecules analyzed in tumor tissue and noncancerous epithelium of the larynx have been shown. Increased expression of HIF-1a and COX-2 at both mRNA and protein level was indicator of greater aggressiveness of the tumor, evaluated on the basis of clinical and morphological features in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas. Tumors with the most invasive growth (pT4 stage, low-differentiated tumors G3, neoplastic infiltration with invasion of cartilage of the larynx) had the highest expression of HIF-1a and COX-2 at the mRNA and protein level. CONCLUSIONS The study pointed out the direction for further research to find unambiguous indicators for estimation of tumor invasiveness and the possibility of practical use of HIF-1a and COX-2 mRNA and protein level assessment as important methods for determining the advancement of clinical and morphological changes in laryngeal cancer, thereby selecting an appropriate model of treatment.
The balanced scorecard: a new challenge

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on one strategy known as “The Balanced Scorecard”, discussing the growing importance of balanced scorecard performance systems, exploring issues that organizations face in building and implementing scorecard systems, and sharing lessons learned from Australian organizations that have taken the balanced scorecard journey.Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is the case study methodology to depict the real world examples of organisations that have confidence in the “Balanced scorecard performance system“ so that other organisations can follow suit.Findings – The paper concludes that the balanced scorecard approach may require some substantial changes in culture within the organization. The balanced scorecard requires understanding, commitment and support from the very top of the business down. The balanced scorecard will evolve. As culture changes and develops to accept the new approach and members of the organisation mature within the new culture.
Mycotoxin Analysis of Human Urine by LC-MS/MS: A Comparative Extraction Study

The lower mycotoxin levels detected in urine make the development of sensitive and accurate analytical methods essential. Three extraction methods, namely salting-out liquid–liquid extraction (SALLE), miniQuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe), and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME), were evaluated and compared based on analytical parameters for the quantitative LC-MS/MS measurement of 11 mycotoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2, OTA, ZEA, BEA, EN A, EN B, EN A1 and EN B1) in human urine. DLLME was selected as the most appropriate methodology, as it produced better validation results for recovery (79–113%), reproducibility (RSDs < 12%), and repeatability (RSDs < 15%) than miniQuEChERS (71–109%, RSDs <14% and <24%, respectively) and SALLE (70–108%, RSDs < 14% and < 24%, respectively). Moreover, the lowest detection (LODS) and quantitation limits (LOQS) were achieved with DLLME (LODs: 0.005–2 μg L−1, LOQs: 0.1–4 μg L−1). DLLME methodology was used for the analysis of 10 real urine samples from healthy volunteers showing the presence of ENs B, B1 and A1 at low concentrations.
Geometrical influence on Self Heating in Nanowire and Nanosheet FETs using TCAD Simulations

The Self-Heating Effect (SHE) is simulated for different architectures of stacked nanowire and nanosheet gate-all-around transistors (GAA-FETs) using Sentaurus TCAD. Although the DC performance parameters of nanosheet GAA-FETs outperforms that of nanowire GAA-FET, we find that for the same output current, stacked nanowire channels outperform a single nanosheet from a thermal management perspective with a SHE on-current degradation in the stacked nanowires of 3.01% compared to 6.42% for the nanosheet. Improving the geometrical design of a stacked nanosheet GAA-FETs by keeping the same summed channel surface area as the single nanosheet, leads to an output current improvement of 11.1% whilst also improving degradation of on-current due to SHE by almost 1%.
Tumor ploidy as a major prognostic factor in advanced ovarian cancer

Tumor ploidy was determined by flowcytometry (FCM) in paraffin‐embedded tissue of 74 patients with advanced ovarian cancer (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] 2B, 3, 4). Significant differences in survival and progression‐free survival were found between classes of tumor ploidy as well as for several clinical parameters, including FIGO stage, histologic grade, diameter of the largest metastases, presence of ascites, peritoneal carcinomatosis, and size of residual tumor. In a Cox regression analysis, tumor ploidy and presence or absence of ascites were the only significant factors for survival, whereas ascites and residual tumor proved to be the significant parameters for progression‐free survival. Tumor ploidy was strongly associated with tumor bulk, size of residual tumor, and histologic grade. Tumor ploidy was the same within different tumor sites in the majority of the cases. On the basis of these findings tumor ploidy is considered to be a major prognostic factor for survival in advanced ovarian cancer. Cancer 59:317–323, 1987.
Analysis and design for single-phase three-level boost PFC converter with quasi-static model

In this paper, a new analysis and design method with quasi-static model for single-phase three-level boost PFC converter is proposed. The sinusoidal time variations of the input voltage and current are considered, rather than taking them as constant RMS values. Comparing to the traditional method, the quasi-static model is more reasonable for the PFC systems which are supplied with AC sources, and control parameters for design can be restricted into a more accurate range. Based on the new method, the single-phase three-level boost PFC system is analyzed, and a 250W experimental prototype is designed and built accordingly to verify the validity of this method.
Optical and retinal factors affecting visual resolution.

If a scene containing fine spatial detail is viewed at constant high photopic luminance, there are two main factors which limit the perception of the fine detail-the quality of the optics of the eye forming the image on the retina and the ability of the retina (coupled to the brain) to resolve the details of that image. In the past there have been many theoretical studies of the potential resolving power of the optics based on consideration of diffraction and the chromatic and spherical aberrations of the eye. It is only recently that objective measurements of the quality of the optics of man in vivo have been obtained (Flamant, 1955; Westheimer & Campbell, 1962; Krauskopf 1962; R6hler, 1962). As will be demonstrated, it is not possible to use these findings to determine the relative weighting that should be given to the optics and the retina in determining a given threshold. This paper reports the results of experiments using an improved version of the well-known interference fringe technique (Le Grand, 1937; Byram 1944; Westheimer, 1960; Arnulf & Dupuy, 1960) which theoretically allows a sinusoidal pattern of very high contrast to be formed directly on the retina. The practical difficulty in using this technique is to obtain a light source of high intrinsic brightness and coherence with which to form high-luminance interference fringes on the retina; this has been solved by using a neon-helium gas laser. By decreasing the contrast (Fig. 1) of the interference fringes with another source of light it was possible to determine the contrasts on the retina at which the fringes are just detected. Thus a measure of the resolving power of the retina-brain is obtained without prior modification by the optics of the eye. Measurements have also been made of the visual resolution of external gratings whose intensity varied sinusoidally with distance across the gratings and which were imaged on to the retina by the optical components of the eye. By comparing the threshold contrasts of these external sinusoidal gratings with thresholds for sinusoidal fringes of the same spatial frequency formed through interference, the quality of the