Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis A and B Vaccination in a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic for Men Who Have Sex With Men

Background Sexually transmitted disease clinics can deliver hepatitis vaccines to men who have sex with men, but have been reluctant to do so because of perceived low vaccination completion rates. Goal The goal was to evaluate hepatitis A and B vaccination eligibility, acceptance, and completion and the effectiveness of reminder/recall in a sexually transmitted disease clinic serving men who have sex with men. Design Clients self-reported their eligibility for free vaccine. Consenting clients who accepted a first dose of vaccine were systematically assigned to receive telephone reminder/recall or standard follow-up. Results Of 1203 clients, 71.8% were eligible for both vaccines; 62.6% of those eligible accepted both. Reminder/recall was associated with increased receipt of the second dose of hepatitis B vaccine (86.7% versus 80.4% among intervention and control groups, respectively), but not with completion of both vaccine series (55.9% versus 58.8%). Conclusion The majority of clients were eligible for both hepatitis vaccines, and most eligible clients accepted a first dose of both vaccines. Reminder/recall, as delivered at this clinic, failed to increase the proportion of clients who received all vaccine doses. New delivery mechanisms should be explored.
Are Joint Ventures with Local Firms an Efficient Way to Enter a Culturally Distant Market? The Case of Japanese Entry into the United States

We empirically test the proposition that foreign direct investors should use joint ventures with local firms for their first investment in unfamiliar markets. By tracking the expansion paths of Japanese investors in the US, we find no evidence that the growth of Japanese firms which first entered the US in a joint ventures with local firms is different from that of Japanese counterparts which used wholly-owned subsidiaries for initial US market entry.
An Analysis of Hit List Effects: Field Experiments in an Electronic Marketplace

China's electronic marketplace has recorded tremendous growth, and apparel sales are rising rapidly. Two sequential field experiments in an apparel online shopping mall on Taobao, the most dominant marketplace in China, are carried out to analyze the effects of online promotion on hit list. We conduct one pilot test for 17 products and second experiment for 290 products and record the daily sales for each by posting selected products on hit list. Difference-in-Differences method and propensity score matching are used to analyze the data. D-in-D estimation is effective both in identifying causality and precisely measuring its impact. In the settings of e-commerce web sites, the method identifies the exact difference brought by the treatment between two groups. We find that once the products list on the Tenri list or hit items, product sales increase by 1.8 units per day. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the treatment is more effective when the price of a product is more than 200 and less than 300 Chinese RMB and the cardigan and T-shirt categorical groups show the larger sales promotion. This study can provide extremely practical implications and give better insights into the understanding of the impact of online promotion on hit list.
Culture, Conflict Management Style, and Underlying Values: Accounting for Cross-National Differences in Styles of Handling Conflicts among US, Chinese, Indian, and Filipino Managers

Неудачи американско-азиатских совместных предприятий объясняются среди прочих причин культурными различиями, которые препятствуют разрешению конфликтов между менеджерами. Исследование молодых менеджеров в США, Китае, Филиппинах и Индии подтвердило две гипотезы автора, касающиеся культурных различий в стилях конфликтов и культурных ценностей, объясняющих эти различия. Так, китайские менеджеры полагаются больше на стиль избегания, поскольку у них ценность конформизма и традиций относительно выше. Американские менеджеры больше полагаются на соревновательный стиль, поскольку сравнительно выше ценят индивидуальные достижения.
Medium modifications of the nucleon–nucleon elastic cross section in neutron-rich intermediate energy HICs

Several observables of unbound nucleons which are to some extent sensitive to the medium modifications of nucleon–nucleon elastic cross sections in neutron-rich intermediate energy heavy ion collisions are investigated. The splitting effect of neutron and proton effective masses on cross sections is discussed. It is found that the transverse flow as a function of rapidity, the Qzz as a function of momentum, and the ratio of halfwidths of the transverse to that of longitudinal rapidity distribution Rt/l are very sensitive to the medium modifications of the cross sections. The transverse momentum distribution of correlation functions of two nucleons does not yield information on the in-medium cross section.
Fuzzy Connectedness in Segmentation of Medical Images - A Look at the Pros and Cons

An attempt to recapitulate and conclude numerous experiences with the fuzzy connectedness theory applied to medical image segmentation is made in this paper. The fuzzy connectedness principles introduced in 1996 have been developed and tested in dozens of studies in past 15 years; many advantages, as well as shortcomings have been discovered and described. Some aspects of the method and its applications have been summarized here, including the examples of specific 2D and 3D medical studies with various objects, subjected to fuzzy connected segmentation. Deliberation about the usefulness of multiseeded and multiobject variants is also present. An algorithm optimized for matrix computations-based programming languages is introduced. Finally, 3 fuzzy connectedness-based computer aided diagnosis systems are described and evaluated.
Study of Acute and Chronic Treatment of Tetracycline on Total Lipid Contents in Various Tissues of Freshwater Mussels, Lamellidens corrianus (Lea) & Parreysia cylindrica (Annandale & Prashad)

The freshwater bivalves, L. corrianus & P. cylindrica were acclimatized to laboratory conditions for 4 days prior to experimentation. During experimentation the L. corrianus & P. cylindrica showing apparent good health and movements were used for investigation. The animals were divided into five groups, two for acute and two for chronic exposures of tetracycline and one group was maintained as control in each case. These tetracyclines provide safe, inexpensive and effective treatment for many bacterial infections[1] The selection of the antibiotic is due to its use in artificial pearl culture during postoperative care to reduce the mortality rate.
Strategic Innovation of Business Models by leveraging Demand and Supply Chains in Dynamics Ecosystems

The term business model is relatively recent. Though it appeared for the first time in the 1950s it rose to prominence and reached the mainstream only in the 1990s. Today the term is commonly used, but there is still no single dominant definition. Many different conceptualizations of business models exist. They all have various degrees of resemblance, or difference of some degree. From those business literatures, an intellectual root of the concept has been explored, offering a working definition, and the necessity for a company to renew its business models. To deliver information, products, and services in new ways, new business models address previously unrecognized or unmet needs, and appeal to customers precisely because they improve the quality of what is available to them, or reduce the cost, or both. Leading companies have discovered that to keep up with the rate of change in the marketplace, today’s key performance factors are different than they were in the past, hence the need for new business models and their strategic innovation. This thesis explores the role of business models in leveraging demand and supply chain dynamics in business ecosystems. Radical changes in the business environment have suggested limitations of traditional business models. New business environments are characterized not only by the rapid pace of change, but also the discontinuous nature of such change. New business environments, characterized by dynamically discontinuous change, requires a re-conceptualization of new competencies, new business models that break the rules of the game in the industry. The fact that a company should constantly attempt to develop new business models in its industry if it hopes to survive, has been examined, and how those new business models can leverage demand and supply chain dynamics in business ecosystems. The theoretical findings are illustrated by relevant case studies.
Intention to Purchase Halal Products Among Consumers

The study of consumer behavior in Malaysia is vital especially when it relates to marketing of halal product. Muslim consumers especially, as well as other consumer segments demand healthy and quality products that conform to Shariah requirements. Therefore, it is worthwhile for companies to take a closer look at consumer intention to purchase halal products that can be used to predict and satisfy customers and company objectives. In this relation, this study examines the relationship between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavior control, trust and knowledge on consumer intention. A total number of three hundred questionnaires were distributed. However, only two hundred and sixty six complete questionnaires were returned and usable for the analysis. The findings of the study indicate that all the above variables significantly influence intention to purchase halal products among consumers. However, among the five independent variables, attitude presents highest regression value. It also shows positive relationship, which means that attitude of consumers play a vital role in relation to their intention to purchase halal products. The findings of this research also suggest that creating a positive attitude towards the marketing of halal products should be highly considered by retailers to increase consumers’ purchase intention for halal products. In this sense, retailers should develop effective marketing strategies to satisfy that values of potential consumers. Other implications and recommendations for the future research were also addressed.
An analysis of mobile internet service in Thailand: Implications for bridging digital divide

Mobile Internet is growing around the world without exception for developing countries like Thailand by passing the poor legacy wired infrastructure. This study attempts to provide guidance to a national regulatory agency (NRA) by addressing the following question: What are the key determining factors to explain the probability that individual consumer will use mobile Internet? The discrete choice model is employed to empirically examine whether the service and application attributes, socio-economic variables and service provider has systematic link with the decision of consumer. The data from a national survey in 2010 commissioned by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) of Thailand is used for the analysis. Based on the findings, fixed telephony, e-mail, age, area of living and mobile operator are recognized as the strongest determinants for mobile Internet adoption. The findings suggest that the mobile Internet becomes an alternative technology to bridge the digital divide since a group of people who have no fixed Internet connection at home they can connect the Internet via mobile Internet. As such, telecom regulator and policy makers need to consider the policies regarding to infrastructure investment frequency allocation, content and application development and competition in order to stimulate the growth of mobile Internet adoption and close the digital divide within country.
Microfinance Tradeoffs: Regulation, Competition, and Financing

This paper describes important trade-offs that microfinance practitioners, donors, and regulators navigate. Drawing evidence from large, global surveys of microfinance institutions, the authors find a basic tension between meeting social goals and maximizing financial performance. For example, non-profit microfinance institutions make far smaller loans on average and serve more women as a fraction of customers than do commercialized microfinance banks, but their costs per dollar lent are also much higher. Potential trade-offs therefore arise when selecting contracting mechanisms, level of commercialization, rigor of regulation, and the extent of competition. Meaningful interventions in microfinance will require making deliberate choices - and thus embracing and weighing tradeoffs carefully.
The Pore Domain Outer Helix Contributes to Both Activation and Inactivation of the hERG K+ Channel*

Ion flow in many voltage-gated K+ channels (VGK), including the (human ether-a-go-go-related gene) hERG channel, is regulated by reversible collapse of the selectivity filter. hERG channels, however, exhibit low sequence homology to other VGKs, particularly in the outer pore helix (S5) domain, and we hypothesize that this contributes to the unique activation and inactivation kinetics in hERG K+ channels that are so important for cardiac electrical activity. The S5 domain in hERG identified by NMR spectroscopy closely corresponded to the segment predicted by bioinformatics analysis of 676 members of the VGK superfamily. Mutations to approximately every third residue, from Phe551 to Trp563, affected steady state activation, whereas mutations to approximately every third residue on an adjacent face and spanning the entire S5 segment perturbed inactivation, suggesting that the whole span of S5 experiences a rearrangement associated with inactivation. We refined a homology model of the hERG pore domain using constraints from the mutagenesis data with residues affecting inactivation pointing in toward S6. In this model the three residues with maximum impact on activation (W563A, F559A, and F551A) face out toward the voltage sensor. In addition, the residues that when mutated to alanine, or from alanine to valine, that did not express (Ala561, His562, Ala565, Trp568, and Ile571), all point toward the pore helix and contribute to close hydrophobic packing in this region of the channel.
IMMUNOGENICITY OF THE SEVEN VALENT PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINE IN PATIENTS WITH ATAXIA-TELANGIECTASIA

Immune responses to a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine were determined in 10 patients with ataxia-telangiectasia who are at high risk for pneumococcal disease because of immunodeficiency. Pneumococcal antibody titers for 7 serotypes measured increased 2.0- to 7.5-fold after immunization.
The Benefits of Using SiN as a Buried Oxide in Germanium-On-Insulator Substrate

This research aims to show the benefits of using SiN as a buried-oxide (BOX) in germanium-on-insulator (GOI) substrate. The substrate is fabricated by using a direct bonding method with a smart-cut technology. Using SiN as a BOX layer instead of conventinal SiO2 yields the tensile strain of the substrate is ~1.3%-2% approximately, which affects to enhance the mobility of the Ge-based device.
Effect of growth and differentiation factor 6 on the tenogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

BACKGROUND Recent studies showed that bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) had risk of ectopic bone formation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of growth and differentiation factor 6 (GDF-6) on the tenogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro, and then combined with small intestine submucous (SIS) to promote tendon regeneration in vivo. METHODS The BMSCs were isolated from the green fluorescent protein (GFP) rats, and were characterized by multi-differentiation assays following our previous study protocol. BMSCs cultured with different concentrations of GDF-6, without growth factors served as control. After 2 weeks, mRNA expression and protein expression of tendon specific markers were examined by qRT-PCR and Western blotting to define an optimal concentration of GDF-6. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the difference in relative mRNA expression among all groups; P ≤ 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. The GDF-6 treated BMSCs combined with SIS were implanted in nude mice and SD rat acute patellar tendon injury model, the BMSCs combined with SIS served as control. After 12 and 4 weeks in nude mice and tendon injury model, the samples were collected for histology. RESULTS After the BMSCs were treated with different concentration of GDF-6 for 2 weeks, the fold changes of the specific markers (Tenomodulin and Scleraxis) mRNA expression were significantly higher in GDF-6 (20 ng/ml) group (P ≤ 0.05), which was also confirmed by Western blotting result. The BMSCs became parallel in orientation after GDF-6 (20 ng/ml) treatment, but the BMSCs in control group were randomly oriented. The GDF-6 (20 ng/ml) treated BMSCs were combined with SIS, and were implanted in nude mice for 12 weeks, the histology showed neo-tendon formation. In the SD rat patellar tendon window injury model, the histology also indicated the GDF-6 (20 ng/ml) treated BMSCs combined with SIS could promote tendon regeneration. CONCLUSIONS GDF-6 has tenogenic effect on the tenogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and GDF-6 (20 ng/ml) has better tenogenic effect compared to other concentrations. The GDF-6 (20 ng/ml) treated BMSCs combined with SIS can form neo-tendons and promote tendon regeneration.
Computational prediction of drug-target interactions using chemogenomic approaches: an empirical survey

Computational prediction of drug-target interactions (DTIs) has become an essential task in the drug discovery process. It narrows down the search space for interactions by suggesting potential interaction candidates for validation via wet-lab experiments that are well known to be expensive and time-consuming. In this article, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview and empirical evaluation on the computational DTI prediction techniques, to act as a guide and reference for our fellow researchers. Specifically, we first describe the data used in such computational DTI prediction efforts. We then categorize and elaborate the state-of-the-art methods for predicting DTIs. Next, an empirical comparison is performed to demonstrate the prediction performance of some representative methods under different scenarios. We also present interesting findings from our evaluation study, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Finally, we highlight potential avenues for further enhancement of DTI prediction performance as well as related research directions.
Corporate Watchdogs: Past, Present and Future?

This paper reviews past, present and proposed practices for protecting investors from self-dealing by a dominant shareholder and/or management. The origin of audit committees is reviewed and their efficacy analyzed when a dominant shareholder and/or management can control the composition of the board and the appointment of the auditor. Sliding scale voting and various approaches are considered for embedding into corporate constitutions the separation of powers introduced by a negative pledge lender, a shareholders agreement with a venture capitalist or the Associates of a LBO. These agreements typically perform some or all of the roles of supervisory board, watchdog board and/or a dominant shareholder. The proposal of the Auditing Practices Board in the UK for a "Shareholder Panel" and those of a US legal scholar for a "Conflicts Board" are considered. The paper concludes that a Watchdog board, separately elected on a democratic basis by shareholders, provides superior investor protection than a committee of directors to counter self-dealing by directors elected or appointed on a plutocratic basis.
Reconstructing gene regulatory dynamics from high-dimensional single-cell snapshot data

Motivation: High-dimensional single-cell snapshot data are becoming widespread in the systems biology community, as a mean to understand biological processes at the cellular level. However, as temporal information is lost with such data, mathematical models have been limited to capture only static features of the underlying cellular mechanisms. Results: Here, we present a modular framework which allows to recover the temporal behaviour from single-cell snapshot data and reverse engineer the dynamics of gene expression. The framework combines a dimensionality reduction method with a cell time-ordering algorithm to generate pseudo time-series observations. These are in turn used to learn transcriptional ODE models and do model selection on structural network features. We apply it on synthetic data and then on real hematopoietic stem cells data, to reconstruct gene expression dynamics during differentiation pathways and infer the structure of a key gene regulatory network. Availability and implementation: C++ and Matlab code available at https://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/fileadmin/ICB/software/inferenceSnapshot.zip. Contact: fabian.theis@helmholtz-muenchen.de Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Incidence and clinical predictors of deep vein thrombosis in patients hospitalized with heart failure in Japan.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to clarify the incidence and clinical predictors of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) in Japan. METHODS AND RESULTS Between January 2003 and January 2008, 161 patients were admitted to Mie University Hospital with a diagnosis of CHF and underwent venous compression ultrasonography. Of them, 18 patients (11.2%) were diagnosed with DVT. As defined by New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, class IV patients had a higher incidence rate of DVT than those in class II or III (class II: 3 patients (4.4%), class III: 2 patients (4.8%), class IV: 13 patients (25.5%), P<0.01). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified that NYHA functional class and poor collapsibility of the inferior vena cava on ultrasonography as independent predictors of DVT (odds ratios (OR) 3.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.72-8.16, P<0.01 and OR 4.43, 95%CI 1.36-14.43, P<0.05, respectively). Therapy without anticoagulation also indicated a significant increase in DVT incidence in CHF patients (OR 3.71, 95%CI 1.13-12.18, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Patients with CHF have a high risk for DVT and the risk increases according to NYHA functional class, poor IVC collapsibility or therapy without anticoagulation.
The performance enhancement scheme of on-chip spiral inductors using metal-oxide based AAO nanocomposite

The paper presents a scheme to improve the performance of on-chip spiral inductors using metal-oxide based anodic alumina oxide (AAO) nanocomposites such as Fe3O4-AAO nanocomposite used here for demonstration. The fundamental enhancement principle is to eliminate eddy current loss but keep a high ferromagnetic resonance frequency in terms of the additive of nonconductive magnetic nanorod structures. Experimental results show the nH inductors with the nanocomposite magnetic core can exhibit inductance enhancement up to GHz range with Q factor higher than 25.