Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Informal ways to protect intellectual property (IP) in KIBS businesses

Abstract Knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) play a key role in the innovation system as carriers, sources and facilitators of innovation. Thus, there is a real need for improved intellectual property (IP) protection in the case of the KIBS enterprises. Former studies have mainly focused on formal IPR but in more recent discussions the importance of informal IP protection has been underlined. This study investigates IP protection and management practices in small service firms. The results demonstrate that besides formal protection methods, IP is also protected by many informal ways that involve extremely heterogeneous range of practices and strategies. At best these informal ways are simple, easy to control and economical to use, and often they are an integral part of a firm’s daily routines.
Can R&D alliances facilitate the formation of a cartel? The example of the European IT industry

Firms may coordinate their R&D decisions by a merger or an R&D alliance. The European Union stimulates R&D alliances. It expects that these stimulate R&D investments, and guarantee that the cooperating firms compete in the product market. The alliances may, however, stimulate firms to collude in the product market. Alliances then point to emerging cartels. The paper explores the conditions where this fear holds.
A Novel Recommendation Model Based on Trust Relations and Item Ratings in Social Networks

Recommender systems play an essential role in providing users with accurate and positive items or services for their personalized preferences from large volume of information choices. Collaborative filtering (CF) is an indispensable technique of recommender systems and widely applied in many areas such as e-commerce, social medium and review sites. However, CF suffers from three issues which are cold start users, cold start items and data sparsity. These issues severely degrade the recommendation performance of CF. To address these issues, we propose TrustTR, a novel memory-based recommendation model based on trust relations and item ratings. TrustTR integrates trusted friends' recommendations, item reputation and user history ratings to improve the recommendation performance. Especially, we calculate the user reputation based on trust relations and ratings information to supply the insufficient item ratings. Thus, TrustTR can alleviate the data sparsity problem and improve the quality of recommendations for cold start users. Besides, we utilize item reputation as one of the recommendation factors to mitigate the problem of cold start items. Finally, the experimental results from a real-world dataset show that our method can produce better predictive accuracy compared with other five counterparts recommendation models.
Expression and function of myc during asexual reproduction of the budding ascidian Polyandrocarpa misakiensis

The budding ascidian Polyandrocarpa misakiensis proliferates asexually by budding. The atrial epithelium is a multipotent but differentiated tissue, which transdifferentiates into various tissues and organs after the bud separates from the parental body. We isolated cDNA clones homologous to the myc proto‐oncogene from P. misakiensis. The cDNA, named Pm‐myc, encoded a polypeptide of 639 amino acid residues, containing Myc‐specific functional motifs, Myc box I and Myc box II, and the basic helix‐loop‐helix domain. Expression of Pm‐myc was observed in the atrial epithelium in the organ‐forming region of the developing bud, where the epithelial cells dedifferentiate and re‐enter the cell cycle. The expression was also observed in fibroblast‐like cells, which are known to participate in the organogenesis together with the epithelial cells. Unexpectedly, the atrial epithelium expressed Pm‐myc more than one day before the dedifferentiation. The organogenesis was disturbed by Pm‐myc‐specific double‐stranded RNA. In situ hybridization revealed that Pm‐myc‐positive fibroblast‐like cells disappeared around the organ primordium of the dsRNA‐treated bud. The results suggest that the mesenchymal‐epithelial transition of fibroblast‐like cells is important for the organogenesis in this budding ascidian species.
Transformation in and challenges to the Korean housing solution

Urban development in Korea has undergone a rapid and radical transformation in the way cities have been planned and produced and consequently how their people are housed and the lifestyles they conduct. From once strictly hierarchical and patriarchal rural communities, comprising groups of courtyard Hanoak houses, Korean families of today predominantly reside in dense concentrations of monotonous, but highly desired, clusters of high-rise apartments. This article will take the reader on a tumultuous journey through strategic phases in Korean urban development including parasitic landlordism, rural land reform, industrialization, publicly directed private development, and more recently the speculative housing and government measures to grow a public rental housing sector.
A Grounded Approach to Identifying National Competitive Advantage: A Preliminary Exploration

The geography of national competitiveness is now charted annually by international indices. However, quite what such indices measure is uncertain as the concept of competitiveness as applied to economies has no clear or agreed definition among scholars. Still less is there any consensus regarding the factors that contribute to national competitiveness. Notwithstanding, governments have incorporated this vague and ill-measured concept both into policy parlance and into public expenditure plans, suggesting that an objective and practical method for identifying national competitiveness is urgently needed. The author reports an exploratory, inductive, approach to identifying the components of competitive advantage of a specimen economy (Hong Kong), by using data from 127 firms operating within it. An inventory of forty-one firm-suggested advantages of Hong Kong is scored, then exploratory factor analysis is used to derive a statistically and conceptually robust index of ten scales representing components of Hong Kong's competitive advantage. Results point to a new, grounded, approach to identifying competitiveness, not just of nations, but of regions and cities too.
Temporal progression of cocaine dependence symptoms in the US National Comorbidity Survey.

OBJECTIVE Cocaine dependence first appeared as a diagnostic category in 1987 with the publication of DSM-III-R. While the temporal sequencing of alcohol symptoms has a long history, little such attention has been focused on cocaine dependence. This paper examines the retrospective recall of DSM-III-R cocaine dependence symptom progression among a large sample of cocaine users and the relationship of these symptoms to psychiatric comorbidity. METHODS Using data from the US National Comorbidity Survey, DSM-III-R criterion 'A' cocaine dependence symptoms were sequenced temporally based on age of symptom onset. Each of these numerical symptom strings was examined to determine its prevalence and association to comorbid psychiatric disorders. RESULTS Cocaine users represented 16%, of the sample. Although hundreds of symptom sequence permutations are possible, only a few are highly prevalent. Subjects whose early onset symptoms are neuroadaptive (e.g. tolerance and withdrawal) are more likely to develop cocaine dependence than subjects whose early symptoms are characterized by psychosocial consequences. Furthermore, certain temporal patterns were found to increase or decrease the presence or absence of cocaine dependence and psychiatric comorbidity. Finally, psychiatric comorbidity preceded rather than followed cocaine use onset disproportionately. CONCLUSIONS Like alcohol users, cocaine users follow a limited array of symptom sequence pathways from first use to dependence. By better understanding and examining the temporal progression of drug use symptoms, clinicians might improve screening and assessment activities and determine more effectively the extent of risks associated with continued premorbid drug use and enhance treatment-matching. We encourage clinicians to develop evaluation instruments that specifically ask patients to sequence their cocaine use-related symptoms temporally.
Predominance of the ST143 and ST50 Leptospira clones in the urban rat populations of Peninsular Malaysia.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic and an emerging infectious disease caused by the pathogenic Leptospira species (Levett, 2001). Leptospirosis is transmitted directly or indirectly through urine of infected animals or environments contaminated with urine of reservoir animals (Bharti et al., 2003; Ullmann & Langoi, 2011). Serovar identification of Leptospira isolates constitutes an important component in understanding leptospiral epidemiology and establishment of appropriate control and preventive measures, especially in areas where the disease is prevalent (Bourhy et al., 2013). To date, more than 300 serovars that belong to 29 serogroups have been identified and described (Saito et al., 2013; Bourhy et al., 2014).
Oil Price Shocks and Stock Market Booms in an Oil Exporting Country

This paper analyses the effects of oil price shocks on stock returns in Norway, an oil-exporting country, highlighting the transmission channels of oil prices for macroeconomic behaviour. To capture the interaction between the different variables, stock returns are incorporated into a structural VAR model. I find that following a 10% increase in oil prices, stock returns increase by 2.5%, after which the effect gradually dies out. The results are robust to different (linear and non-linear) transformations of oil prices. The effects on the other variables are more modest. However, all variables indicate that the Norwegian economy responds to higher oil prices by increasing aggregate wealth and demand. The results also emphasize the role of other shocks; monetary policy shocks in particular, as important driving forces behind stock price variability in the short term.
Effect of dry needling on myofascial pain syndrome of the quadratus femoris: A case report

ABSTRACT This case report describes a 40-year-old male who presented with posterior thigh pain managed unsuccessfully with massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments, and physical therapy. The diagnosis of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) involving the quadratus femoris (QF) was purely clinical, based on palpatory findings and ruling out other conditions through deductive reasoning. This is potentially a first time report, describing the successful management of MPS of the QF with dry needling (DN) using a recently published DN grading system. Immediate improvements were noted in all the outcome measures after the first treatment, with complete pain-resolution maintained at a 4-month follow-up.
The Impact of NAFTA on Mexico's Environmental Policy

A major controversy during the debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement focused on the impact of NAFTA on Mexico's environment. This paper examines the evidence of impact specifically on Mexico's environmental policy. Criteria of impact are developed, and comparisons made for three periods: before 1990 as the baseline period; 1990-93 when NAFTA was being negotiated; and beginning in 1994 when NAFTA came into effect. Much evidence indicates that Mexico's environmental policymaking and enforcement did improve in the early 1990s while NAFTA was being debated. Some evidence also suggests that the NAFTA-influenced environmental commitment was sustained during the 1995 financial crisis. Thus, it is concluded that NAFTA has contributed significantly to Mexico's environmental policy.
Local Residents' Valuation of Second Home Owners' Presence in a Sparsely Inhabited Area

Abstract Many rural communities are experiencing a reduced full-time population who are to a certain degree being replaced by an influx of part-time dwellers from urban areas. This paper examines how second home owners' presence can be perceived as a valuable compensation for a reduced full-time population by the remaining local residents, when it comes to the latter's social needs. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews with six local residents from the same sparsely populated municipality in Norway. Despite all of them wanting more neighbours, their valuations of second home owners' presence were strikingly different. The findings indicate that second home owners' presence was highly appreciated as a social compensation for a reduced full-time population, as long as local contextual circumstances did not invite a comparison with new permanent residents as a possible alternative. When the latter was the case, second home owners' presence was assessed as an insufficient contribution rather than a social resource. As such, local residents' valuation of second home owners' presence in sparsely inhabited areas may depend to a large degree on the residents' perceptions of the possibilities for future in-migration in their local community.
Stochastic programming via scenario planning for system reliability optimization

In many engineering systems, it is not possible to determine the reliability of components exactly. Two following sources causing the reliability of components are deterministic and inaccurate: I Uncertainty in the quality of the components (confidence in parameter estimation, low accuracy of expert opinions and related standard) n. Variations in working conditions (uncertainty in the time of operation, working conditions, environmental stress, temperature and workload). This paper presents an efficient methodology which is developed for modeling redundancy allocation problem considering two types of variation in reliability data by stochastic programming and risk model. In this model, scenario planning is used for modeling variations in working conditions and risk model is presented for considering uncertainty of components reliability. The model is a Multi-objective reliability problems in series-parallel systems with the choice of redundancy which is solved by genetic algorithm.
Enzyme Treatment Reverse Transcription-PCR To Differentiate Infectious and Inactivated F-Specific RNA Phages

ABSTRACT F-specific (F+) RNA phages are recommended as indicators of fecal contamination and the presence of enteric viruses and as viral surrogates to elucidate the resistance of viruses to adverse conditions or to assess the effectiveness of inactivating processes. Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR methods have been used to detect, quantify, or identify subgroups of F+ RNA phages. However, these methods may overestimate the infectivity of F+ RNA phages in test samples, since the presence of both infectious and inactivated phages (or naked RNA) can lead to positive RT-PCR signals. In this study, we evaluated the ability of an enzyme treatment (ET) with proteinase K and RNase A prior to RNA extraction, followed by RT-PCR, to differentiate infectious and inactivated F+ RNA phages. The results indicated that ET RT-PCR reduced, but did not completely eliminate, false-positive signals encountered with RT-PCR alone. The two-step ET RT-PCR, in which the enzymes were added sequentially, was more effective at reducing false-positive signals than the one-step ET RT-PCR, which involved addition of both enzymes together. Despite its inability to completely eliminate false-positive signals, ET RT-PCR gave more reliable information on the infectivity of F+ RNA phages. Thus, the method is better than RT-PCR alone for detecting F+ RNA phages as indicators to assess the risk of fecal contamination by enteric pathogens or to evaluate the effectiveness of virus-inactivating processes.
Conducting Focus Groups

Focus groups are small, structured group discussions during which 8–10 respondents reply to openended questions in their own words. Focus group subjects (or participants) are chosen to represent the larger group of people about whom you want information—your target audience. Discussion typically focuses on one or two specific topics. Ideally, the moderator/facilitator will be someone with experience in facilitating focus groups.
Adult neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis with palmitoyl‐protein thioesterase deficiency: First adult‐onset patients of a childhood disease

The fluorogenic enzyme assay for palmitoyl‐protein thioesterase (PPT) has greatly facilitated the diagnosis of infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (Santavuori‐Haltia disease) and the search for possible new variants with atypical clinical presentation. Here, we present the first cases of adult neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis with onset in the fourth decade of life due to a profound deficiency of PPT. The causative mutations in the CLN1 gene were the known, deleterious mutation R151X and the novel missense mutation G108R. Patients presented at onset (31 and 38 years), with psychiatric symptoms only. At present (ages 56 and 54 years), visual, verbal, and cognitive losses have progressed and both patients have cerebellar ataxia and cannot walk without support.
A simple assay to study social behavior in Drosophila: measurement of social space within a group 1

We have established a new simple behavioral paradigm in Drosophila melanogaster to determine how genes and the environment influence the behavior of flies within a social group. Specifically, we measure social space as the distance between two flies. The majority of Canton‐s flies, regardless of their gender, are within two body lengths from each other. Their social experience affects this behavior, with social isolation reducing and mating enhancing social space respectively, in both males and females. Unlike several other social behaviors in the fly, including the formation of social groups themselves (a well‐described behavior), social space does not require the perception of the previously identified aggregation pheromone cis‐vaccenyl acetate. Conversely, performance of the assay in darkness or mutations in the eye pigmentation gene white increased social space. Our results establish a new assay for the genetic dissection of a fundamental mode of social interaction.
TOC-39, a novel parenteral broad-spectrum cephalosporin with excellent activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

TOC-39, a new parenteral cephalosporin, is a hydroxyimino-type cephem antibiotic with vinylthio-pyridyl moiety at the 3 position. TOC-39 was evaluated for antibacterial activity against various clinically isolated strains. TOC-39 had excellent activity, stronger than that of methicillin, oxacillin, the cephalosporins tested, imipenem, gentamicin, minocycline, tobramycin, ofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and had an MIC comparable to that of vancomycin (the MICs of TOC-39 and vancomycin for 90% of the strains tested were 3.13 and 1.56 micrograms/ml, respectively). Against Enterococcus faecalis strains, which are resistant to cephalosporins, TOC-39 was twice as active as ampicillin. Against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. , and Streptococcus pneumoniae, TOC-39 was twice as active as or more active than cefotiam, ceftazidime, flomoxef, and cefpirome. Against Streptococcus pyogenes, TOC-39 was superior to cefotiam, ceftazidime, and flomoxef and was similar to cefpirome. In addition, the activity of TOC-39 was equal to or greater than that of cefotiam, ceftazidime, flomoxef, and cefpirome against Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Morganella morganii. In terms of bactericidal effect against MRSA, TOC-39 was superior to vancomycin. No mutant resistant to TOC-39 or vancomycin was obtained from susceptible MRSA strains. In murine systemic infection models, TOC-39 showed potent activity against S. aureus and E. coli. Against highly MRSA, the activity of TOC-39 was comparable to that of vancomycin.
Perceptions versus Objective Measures of Environmental Quality in Combined Revealed and Stated Preference Models of Environmental Valuation

Abstract This study examines perceptions and objective attribute measures in discrete choice models of recreation site choice behavior. These forms of attribute measurement are examined in individual and combined revealed preference/stated preference models. Our results suggest that the model based on perceptions slightly outperforms the models based on objective attribute measures. However, issues such as the definition of the choice set and the measurement of welfare present significant challenges when using perceptions data.
Assessing gas exchange in acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome: diagnostic techniques and prognostic relevance

Purpose of reviewTo provide the most recent insights on the assessment of gas exchange in acute lung injury. Recent findingsCentral venous blood may be used as a surrogate of arterial blood to assess carbon dioxide tension and acid–base status. In contrast arterial oxygenation cannot be estimated with confidence from venous blood. However, the use of venous blood associated with pulse oximetry may provide the SvO2 which is useful for monitoring and targeting the resuscitation therapy. Impaired CO2 clearance and increased dead space have been confirmed as useful prognostic indices of structural lung damage and mortality in acute respiratory failure. A simplified technique based on multiple inert gas technique has been described to assess ventilation–perfusion mismatch while a new analysis of pulse oximetry has been suggested to detect lung opening and closing. Finally, new insight has been provided on the relationship between lung anatomy, as detected by computed tomography, oxygenation and CO2 clearance. SummaryAlthough oxygenation assessment is of primary importance during respiratory lung injury, dead space and CO2 retention are more strictly associated with outcome. The association of central venous blood analysis and pulse oximetry may provide more information than arterial blood alone.