Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Nonlinear Power Amplifiers on the Spectrum of CPFSK Signals

The nonlinear behaviour of high-power amplifiers (HPAs) constitutes a serious, conditioning performance impairment in digital radio, whenever great spectrum efficiency is required such as in modern satellite communications, terrestrial radio links or radio mobile systems. In fact, the effects of filtering followed by amplifying in transmission give rise to power spectrum spreading on account of nonlinear distortion, and consequently to an increase of adjacent channel interference. When the HPA must work at saturation in order to give out its maximum power, angle modulation systems, with constant envelope, seem to be more attractive than amplitude - and phase - modulated ones, which require linearization [1]. In this paper, the CPFSK signal with modulation pulses assumed to be rectangular, with a length ¿ less than the symbol time, T, is tested in the above-mentioned conditions. The power spectral density in the various points of the transmitter is displayed for fixed HPA characteristics (AM/AM and AM/PM conversions); its behaviour is analyzed for varying filter bandwidths and modulation parameters (duty-cycle of the modulation pulses, ¿/T, and maximum angular frequency deviation, ¿d). The results obtained, experimentally checked, show that, unlike other angle modulation systems (PSK, offset PSK, MSK), in the CPFSK case the HPA output has a power spectrum which can be efficiently controlled by means of filtering at the intermediate frequency. For this purpose, only a suitable choiche of ¿/T and ¿d is required.
Differential expression of heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) in human monocytes rendered apoptotic by IL‐4 or serum deprivation

Apoptosis of monocytes is regulated by the balance between pro‐ and antiapoptotic triggers and pathways and may strongly influence inflammatory disorders. The major heat shock protein, hsp70, is an effective inhibitor of apoptosis in lymphocytic and monocytic tumor cell lines, but the implications in the regulation of apoptosis of freshly isolated human monocytes have not been elucidated. In this study, we examined whether two different triggers of monocyte apoptosis, serum deprivation and IL‐4, respectively, altered hsp70 expression and whether expression levels correlated with monocyte survival. Monocyte apoptosis was determined quantitatively by flow cytometry detecting annexin V binding or nuclear stainability with propidium iodide (PI). Hsp70 expression was analyzed by semiquantitative RT‐PCR and immunoblotting. Exposing monocytes to heat shock (47°C, 20 min) induced a rapid and marked upregulation of hsp70 without evoking injury or apoptosis, suggesting that hsp70 conferred protection and survival. In accordance, when monocytes were rendered apoptotic by serum deprivation, a drastic downregulation of hsp70 occurred, which was accompanied by a reduced synthesis of the constitutive family member hsc70. However, induction of monocyte apoptosis by IL‐4 increased hsp70 expression in a concentration and time‐dependent fashion. A neutralizing antibody against IL‐4 abolished hsp70 expression and apoptosis induction after IL‐4 treatment and so excluded indirect effects. LPS rescued monocytes from apoptosis but did not alter hsp70 formation significantly. These findings suggest that, in monocytes, distinct apoptotic triggers induce different responses of hsp70 so that this molecule does not exert protection against cell death directly or in general.
A High-Performance Fault Diagnosis Approach for the AES SubBytes Utilizing Mixed Bases

The Sub Bytes (S-boxes) is the only non-linear transformation in the encryption of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), occupying more than half of its hardware implementation resources. One important required aspect of the hardware architectures of the S-boxes is the reliability of their implementations. This can be compromised by occurrence of internal faults or intrusion of the attackers. In this paper, we present a high-speed architecture for the S-boxes constructed using mixed bases to counteract these internal/malicious faults. Although using polynomial and normal bases for the S-boxes has been studied extensively, using mixed bases has just been considered very recently in CHES 2010. In the proposed fault detection scheme of this paper, we present formulations for multi-bit parities for the S-boxes using mixed bases. Then, these formulations are utilized in our error simulations and it is shown that the presented architecture reaches very high error coverage. Through our ASIC syntheses utilizing a 65-nm CMOS technology, we show that with comparable hardware complexity, the efficiency of the presented reliable architecture (without sub-pipelining) reaches around $5.02$ $\frac{Mbps}{\mu m^{2}}$, outperforming other fault detection schemes for composite field architectures.
PRICING RISKY SECURITIES IN HIDDEN MARKOV-MODULATED POISSON PROCESSES

This paper makes two contributions to the literature. The first contribution is to investigate how to incorporate Markov-modulated Poisson processes with the reduced-form model to price risky securities. For its application, from the investor's point of view, since they do not have complete information about the operating condition of the reference entities, this pricing approach allows credit risk modeling when there is dependence between the default characteristics of reference entities and the unobservable status of operating condition. The higher transition rate from a good operating condition with lower default intensity to a bad one with higher default intensity is associated with higher default probability, and vice versa. Using the arbitrage-free valuation techniques, the second contribution of this article is to provide the closed-form pricing formulas for a variety of risky securities such as corporate debts, credit default swaps, credit linked notes, options on risky debts, risky convertible bonds, and the products with default correlations.
Silver impregnation of ciliated protozoa by the Chatton-Lwoff technic.

The ciliates are manipulated at all stages by means of micropipettes and fine needles, proceeding by the following steps: Fix the material in a small receptacle with Champy's fluid 1–3 minutes following with Da Fano's solution for several hours. Transfer the specimens to a slide, withdraw excess fluid and embed them in warm (35°–45°C.) gelatin containing 0.05% sodium chloride. Refrigerate in a moist chamber until the gelatin has set, and then immerse 10–20 minutes in 3% silver nitrate (aqueous) at 5–10°C. Wash with cold distilled water, submerge the preparation in cold water to a depth of several centimeters and expose to a strong light for 10–30 minutes. Silver is deposited on various pellicular structures which then appear black in the dehydrated and mounted specimens. Neatly revealed are the many longitudinal and transverse fibrils of the “silverline system”, basal granules of the cilia, bases of buccal ciliary organelles, contractile vacuole pores and the cytoproct. None of these structures, which tod.
Recommendation from Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits : Lead Chromate

SCOEL has already issued Summary Documents on both Lead and Lead Compounds (SCOEL/SUM 83) and Hexavalent Chromium Compounds (SCOEL/SUM 86), to which reference is made. On this basis, the present Summary Document on Lead Chromate is focussed on experimental data on the genotoxicity of lead chromate and on the issue of bioavailibility. Specific data on lead chromate published after the latest IARC documentation in 1990 are described in more detail.
Use of freshwater algae and duckweeds for phytotoxicity testing

The toxicity of contaminated water of different origins and chemicals [Cr(III), Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), pyrene] were tested using four test species: the alga Selenastrum capricornutum (new name Raphidocelis subcapitata), the duckweed Lemna minor, and the crustaceans Thamnocephalus platyurus and Daphnia magna. On the basis of the results obtained, the sensitivity of plant species and problems concerning the interpretation of the phytotoxicity data are discussed. The data indicated that the sensitivities of crustaceans and plant species both to individual contaminants and to mixtures are unpredictable and that there is no reason to consider plant species less sensitive than animal species. Lemna minor is more sensitive than Selenastrum capricornutum. With colored samples, duckweed is preferable for toxicity testing. To raise the predictive utility of the phytotoxicity data, it is recommended that natural water be used in the test procedure. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 425–428, 2004.
Investigations on the pattern recognition molecule M‐ficolin: quantitative aspects of bacterial binding and leukocyte association

M‐ficolin is a PRM of the innate immune system, found in serum and associated with leukocytes. We used the soluble form to study specificity toward Gram‐positive bacteria and characterized and quantified cell‐associated M‐ficolin. The binding of M‐ficolin to capsulated and noncapsulated strains of Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) and Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. We did not observe binding of M‐ficolin to any of 13 serotypes of S. aureus. Dose‐dependent binding of M‐ficolin was demonstrated for all of the capsulated GBS strains. The binding was abolished by prior treatment of the bacteria with sialidase, indicating that sialic acid is the ligand for M‐ficolin on these bacteria. GlcNAc could inhibit the binding, suggesting that M‐ficolin binds via its FBG. M‐ficolin was found associated with the complement‐activating enzyme in serum, and M‐ficolin bound to GBS mediated activation of the complement system. M‐ficolin expression on leukocytes was evaluated by flow cytometry with anti‐M‐ficolin mAb. Total M‐ficolin of different leukocytes was quantified in detergent extracts. Monocytes and granulocytes showed similar M‐ficolin surface expression, 1.1 × 105 and 0.7 × 105 M‐ficolin molecules/cell, respectively. The total M‐ficolin content of the cells was 1.5 × 106 molecules/monocyte and approximately one‐third of this for granulocytes. Lymphocytes contained <1.5% of the amount estimated for monocytes, and none was revealed on the surface of lymphocytes by flow cytometry. Immunohistochemical analysis of the distribution of M‐ficolin in 25 tissues revealed staining of only granulocytes and monocytes. Reported M‐ficolin expression by type II pneumocytes could not be verified. We demonstrate the specific binding of M‐ficolin to sialic acids in the capsule of GBS and give quantitative aspects of the cell‐associated M‐ficolin.
Information technology as competitive advantage: the role of human

This paper investigates linkages between information technology (IT) and firm performance. Although showing recent signs of advance, the existing IT literature still relies heavily on case studies, anecdotes, and consultants' frameworks, with little solid empirical work or synthesis of findings. This paper examines the IT literature, develops an integrative, resource-based theoretical framework, and presents results from a new empirical study in the retail industry. The findings show that ITs alone have not produced sustainable performance advantages in the retail industry, but that some firms have gained advantages by using ITs to leverage intangible, complementary human and business resources such as flexible culture, strategic planning-IT integration, and supplier relationships. The results support the resource-based approach, and help to explain why some firms outperform others using the same ITs, and why successful IT users often fail to sustain IT-based competitive advantages.
[Arterial embolization of uterine myoma: results apropos of 286 cases].

OBJECTIVE Report outcome in non-surgical treatment of symptomatic uterine myomata by particulate arterial embolization. PATIENTS and method: Two hundred eighty-six women aged 21 to 53 years with symptomatic uterine fibroids initially programmed for surgery were studied. The size and number of myomata were determined by pelvic ultrasound. After retrograde transfemoral introduction of a 4 French catheter, the left and right uterine arteries were successively catheterized. PVA particles were injected by free flow until devascularization. RESULTS Two hundred sixty-two patients were evaluable. Complete resolution of symptoms was obtained in 245 cases. There were 17 failures. A marked reduction in the size of the myomata was observed (60% at six months). Hemorrhage disappeared in 80% of the cases immediately. Thirteen pregnancies were observed. No recurrence were observed. Complications were rare. CONCLUSION Particulate embolization is a new minimally invasive treatment for uterine myomata which provides a alternative to hysterectomy and can replace myomectomy in young women.
Socioeconomic Position Across the Life Course and Cognitive Ability Later in Life: The Importance of Considering Early Cognitive Ability

Objective: Investigate direct and indirect associations between markers of socioeconomic position (SEP) across the life course and midlife cognitive ability while addressing methodological limitations in prior work. Method: Longitudinal data from the Danish Metropolit cohort of men born in 1953 (N = 2,479) who completed ability tests at age 12, 18, and 56-58 linked to register-based information on paternal occupational class, educational attainment, and occupational level. Associations were assessed using structural equation models, and different models were estimated to examine the importance of accounting for childhood ability and measurement error. Results: Associations between adult SEP measures and midlife ability decreased significantly when adjusting for childhood ability and measurement error. The association between childhood and midlife ability was by far the strongest. Discussion: The impact of adult SEP on later life ability may be exaggerated when not accounting for the stability of individual differences in cognitive ability and measurement error in test scores.
Working with and Working on Corporate Social Responsibility: The Flexibility of a Management Concept

Why do some corporations become positioned as socially responsible and others as socially irresponsible? Here, an attempt is made to explore this issue. Within the established management literature it is held that managers do not understand corporate social responsibility (CSR), wherein the focus has been turned towards how corporations can work with CSR inside their organisation as a response to expectations coming from outside. In this book, interviews with managers in one British and one Swedish food retailer are analysed, with the intention to understand how CSR is given meaning in and has become integrated with everyday business practices. The investigation was extended to a study of various stakeholder organisations whose texts published on the Internet were analysed. Based on the outcome of text analyses, it is argued that CSR is not only something which can be worked with inside organisations, but is also worked on, within and between organisations, where various meanings of CSR are constructed. The purpose is to open up the complexity of CSR, suggesting that CSR as a management concept is desired by stakeholders to be flexible rather than fixed. (Less)
Determinants of adoption and levels of demand for fertiliser for cereal growing farmers in Ethiopia

The current government of Ethiopia has put agriculture at the heart of its policies. There is particular emphasis on promoting adoption of fertiliser, improved seeds and the efficiency of input marketing and distribution. In this paper we use a nationally representative data set for 1994 to analyse what factors influence adoption of as well as intensity of fertiliser use of small-scale farmers. Results show that farmer literacy, access to all-weather roads, access to banking, extension services, and the labour availability play a role in fertiliser adoption. Addressing the first four points would substantially increase the rate of adoption. With regard to the amount of fertiliser used we find that smaller sized farms use this input more intensively. Further we find that previous experience with fertiliser, supply, liquidity, oxen owned by the household, and the ratio of the price of the main crop to the cost of fertiliser are important. Availability of credit and supply constraints are important factors in constraining fertiliser use. Our results suggest that the effect of the subsidy on fertiliser consumption is small and that providing credit would be much more effective in terms of raising adoption of and level of use of fertiliser and thus contributing to increasing agricultural output.
Hong Kong's Economic Integration and Business Cycle Synchronisation with Mainland China and the US

While Hong Kong's monetary policy is effectively tied to the US, its real economy has been experiencing increased integration with the Mainland through trade, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), tourism, and increasingly financial flows. Co-movements of business cycles in Hong Kong and the Mainland have increased steadily since the 1990s. Although its co-movements with the US dipped in the late 1990s, there has been a significant increase in the synchronisation of business cycles among these three economies since 2000. This finding naturally raises a question as to what factors drive the co-movements of business cycles among the three economies. Our structural vector auto-regression analysis suggests that over the medium to long run, about 60% and 45% of variations in output and prices in Hong Kong respectively can be explained by US shocks, while the impact of Mainland shocks mostly concentrates on Hong Kong's price movements. It is estimated that Mainland shocks explain over one-third of Hong Kong's price developments. Using a methodology to distinguish between the effects of common US shocks and idiosyncratic domestic shocks, we find little correlation between the business cycles in Hong Kong and the Mainland in the absence of the common US influences, whereas the influence of the US shocks on these two economies leads to a high degree of synchronisation. In other words, the business cycle co-movements of Hong Kong and the Mainland are largely due to the common influence of economic conditions in the Unites States and possibly their US dollar pegged exchange rate system. The lack of similarity of domestic shocks between Hong Kong and the Mainland can be mostly attributed to their continuing structural differences and stage of economic development. Since the similarity of shocks is the most important factor for the choice of exchange rate regime, it follows that the Linked Exchange Rate system based on the US dollar would continue to be desirable in the foreseeable future.
Steady outflows in giant clumps of high-z disc galaxies during migration and growth by accretion

We predict the evolution of giant clumps undergoing star-driven outflows in high-z gravitationally unstable disk galaxies. We find that the mass loss is expected to occur through a steady wind over many tens of free-fall times (t_ff ~ 10 Myr) rather than by an explosive disruption in one or a few t_ff. Our analysis is based on the finding from simulations that radiation trapping is negligible because it destabilizes the wind (Krumholz & Thompson 2012, 2013). Each photon can therefore contribute to the wind momentum only once, so the radiative force is limited to L/c. When combining radiation, protostellar and main-sequence winds, and supernovae, we estimate the total direct injection rate of momentum into the outflow to be 2.5 L/c. The adiabatic phase of supernovae and main-sequence winds can double this rate. The resulting outflow mass-loading factor is of order unity, and if the clumps were to deplete their gas the timescale would have been a few disk orbital times, to end with half the original clump mass in stars. However, the clump migration time to the disk center is on the order of an orbital time, about 250 Myr, so the clumps are expected to complete their migration prior to depletion. Furthermore, the clumps are expected to double their mass in a disk orbital time by accretion from the disk and clump-clump mergers, so their mass actually grows in time and with decreasing radius. From the 6-7 giant clumps with observed outflows, 5 are consistent with these predictions, and one has a much higher mass-loading factor and momentum injection rate. The latter either indicates that the estimated outflow is an overestimate (within the 1-sigma error), that the SFR has dropped since the time when the outflow was launched, or that the driving mechanism is different, e.g. supernova feedback in a cavity generated by the other feedbacks.
Reverse Logistics as Source of Competitive Advantages and its Relationship with Total Quality Management

This paperwork analyze how Reverse Logistics (RL) provides great benefits like reduction of costs, new opportunities of business and facilitates adaptation to new regulations in the matter of environment, this benefits improves performance of the company and favour their growth. We analyze how companies which have Total Quality Management (TQM) and implanting a Reverse Logistics System (RLS) improve their recovery activities and reusability of materials and products, reduce its costs and improve its enterprise performance.
Entrepreneurial intent of final-year commerce students in the rural provinces of South Africa

Owing to the fact that entrepreneurship is widely considered to be a mechanism for reducing unemployment, the purpose of the study was to assess whether final-year Commerce students in the predominantly rural provinces, the Eastern Cape Province and the Limpopo Province, have the intention to start their own businesses.The study draws heavily from entrepreneurial intent models and focuses on the relationship between three key variables, namely, exposure to entrepreneurship education, awareness of entrepreneurial support and social capital to establish whether they are related to the intention of final-year Commerce studentsto start their own businesses. The literature review concentrated on entrepreneurial intent and entrepreneurial intent models; government entrepreneurial support initiatives in South Africa and in other countries and their role in the development of entrepreneurial intent, emergence of new ventures and the growth of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs); entrepreneurship education and its role in enhancing entrepreneurial self-efficacy, entrepreneurial competencies and entrepreneurial intent;the influence of social capital on entrepreneurial intent and the different stages on the new venture life-cycle; and concludes with the link between entrepreneurship and the establishment of SMMEs. A survey was conducted among National Diploma (ND): Internal Auditing, Cost and Management Accounting and Financial information systems students (IAUD, CMA and FIS) (who had six months exposure to entrepreneurship education), ND: Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management (E/SBM) (who had three years exposure to entrepreneurship education) and ND: Management (without exposure to entrepreneurship education). The respondents for the study comprised 355 final year students of which 276 were from Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape Province and 79 were from Tshwane University of Technology (Polokwane Campus) in the LimpopoProvince.Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and nonparametric statistics. The findings reveal that the majority of the respondents had the intention to start a business in the future.The entrepreneurial intent of the ND: E/SBM students was v stronger than the entrepreneurial intent of the ND: IAUD, CMA and FIS students and ND: Management students. Some significant relationships were found between entrepreneurial intent and the key variables of the study.