Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The development of MCS packages – balancing constituents' demands

Purpose – This study aims to consider how emerging management control systems (MCS) form the MCS package of start‐up firms. Based on institutional theory, the authors aim to better understand reasons for introducing MCS and the reciprocity between the parts of the firm's overall MCS package.Design/methodology/approach – The authors apply a qualitative cross‐sectional field study approach involving 74 interviews with key stakeholders in 20 young start‐up firms with venture capital financing. Interview data are fully transcribed, analysed, checked, and triangulated.Findings – The results uncover the main constituents of start‐up firms in three different institutional fields (nascent, start‐up, post start‐up), which substantially impact on the introduction of new MCS and the subsequent MCS packages. The introduction of formal MCS seems to be divided into different phases.Research limitations/implications – This study is subject to the limitations of case‐based research. Moreover, the theoretical underpinning.
Functional Characterization of a Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT Protein kinases play a key role in signal transduction pathways in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Using in vivo expression technology, we have identified several promoters in Pseudomonas aeruginosa which are preferentially activated during infection of neutropenic mice. One of these promoters directs the transcription of a gene encoding a putative protein kinase similar to the enzymes found in eukaryotic cells. The full characterization of this protein, termed PpkA, is presented in this communication. The ppkA gene encodes a 1,032-amino-acid polypeptide with an N-terminal catalytic domain showing all of the conserved residues of protein kinases with the substrate phosphorylation specificities for serine and threonine residues. The catalytic domain is linked to the rest of the protein by a short proline-rich segment. The enzymes showed anomalous migration behavior when analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which could be attributed to autophosphorylation activity. The full-length enzyme was expressed as an oligohistidine fusion protein and was shown to phosphorylate several artificial protein substrates. Both autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of added substrates were strongly reduced by a single-amino-acid substitution in the catalytic domain of PpkA. Although PpkA appears to be differentially phosphorylated by autocatalysis, the levels of phosphorylation have minimal effect on its overall enzymatic activity. Our results, therefore, indicate the operation of a novel protein phosphorylation mechanism during transduction of signals in P. aeruginosa, and this pathway may be important in regulating the expression of virulence factors by this pathogen during certain phases of infection.
A stochastic number representation for fully homomorphic cryptography

Privacy of data has become an increasing concern over the past years. With Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE), one can offload the processing of data to a third-party while keeping it private. A technique called batching has been proposed to accelerate FHE, allowing for several bits to be encrypted in the same ciphertext, which can be processed in parallel. Herein, we argue that for a certain class of applications, a stochastic representation of numbers takes optimal advantage of this technique. Operations on stochastic numbers have direct homomorphic counterparts, leading to low degree arithmetic circuits for the evaluation of additions and multiplications. Moreover, an efficient technique for the homomorphic evaluation of nonlinear functions is proposed in this paper. The applicability of the proposed methods is assessed with efficient and accurate proof-of-concept implementations of homomorphic image processing, as well as the homomorphic evaluation of radial basis functions for Support Vector Machines (SVMs).
An Adaptive Model to Monitor Chlorophyll-a in Inland Waters in Southern Quebec Using Downscaled MODIS Imagery

The purpose of this study is to assess the performance of an adaptive model (AM) in estimating chlorophyll‑a concentration (Chl‑a) in optically complex inland waters. Chl‑a modeling using remote sensing data is usually based on a single model that generally follows an exponential function. The estimates produced by such models are relatively accurate at high Chl‑a concentrations, but accuracy drops at low concentrations. Our objective was to develop an approach combining spectral response classification and three semi-empirical algorithms. The AM discriminates between three blooming classes (waters poorly, moderately, and highly loaded in Chl‑a), with discrimination thresholds set using the classification and regression tree (CART) technique. The calibration of three specific estimators for each class was achieved using a multivariate stepwise regression. Compared to published models (Floating Algae Index, Kahru model, and APProach by ELimination) using the same data set, the AM provided better Chl‑a concentration estimates (R2 of 0.96, relative RMSE of 23%, relative Bias of −2%, and a relative NASH criterion of 0.9). Moreover, the AM achieved an overall success rate of 67% in the estimation of blooming classes (corresponding to low, moderate, and high Chl‑a concentration classes). This was done using an independent data set collected from 22 inland water bodies for the period 2007–2010 and for which the only information available was the blooming class.
Innovation in Business Organizations: Some Factors Associated with Success or Failure of Staff Proposals

FoRM:AL organizations, regardless of type, are confronted with a variety of recurrent system problems. Among these system problems are recruitment of personnel, allocation of personnel to various functions, definition and redefinition of goals, decisions regarding succession of personnel to the system of statuses in the organization, etc.' A system problem that cuts across all other system problems of an organization is that of adapting the organization to a changing environment. This invariably entails the development of new ideas or procedures. The implementation of new procedures or ideas, whether a product of invention or discovery, will be referred to in this paper as "innovation. " In the extensive literature on diffusion of new ideas in agriculture or in other contexts, the social unit most frequently investigated has been a community.2 With the exception of the distinguished researches of Mansfield,3 little attention has been paid to the diffusion of ideas in the context of an organization. Although the innovation process, as just defined, is a generic phenomenon in organizations, it is probably more commonly observable in a business organization where the environment is a compelling force for adaptation of the organization to new developments. The importance of this process has led to specialization of the function of developing and implementing new ideas. In business organizations, probably more than in any other type of organization, are found staff specialists whose principal function is to develop new ideas or to increase the adaptability of the organization to its environment. As organizations increase in size and technological complexity, the role of staff units probably becomes more pervasive. Past studies on the relation of staff to line emphasize the typical problems that arise in the relationship between these two categories of personnel in business organizations.4 More recently, the theoretical analyses by Churchman and Schainblatt and others have high* The authors are indebted to David Edwards for his assistance in processing the data for this
IsoformResolver: A Peptide-Centric Algorithm for Protein Inference

When analyzing proteins in complex samples using tandem mass spectrometry of peptides generated by proteolysis, the inference of proteins can be ambiguous, even with well-validated peptides. Unresolved questions include whether to show all possible proteins vs a minimal list, what to do when proteins are inferred ambiguously, and how to quantify peptides that bridge multiple proteins, each with distinguishing evidence. Here we describe IsoformResolver, a peptide-centric protein inference algorithm that clusters proteins in two ways, one based on peptides experimentally identified from MS/MS spectra, and the other based on peptides derived from an in silico digest of the protein database. MS/MS-derived protein groups report minimal list proteins in the context of all possible proteins, without redundantly listing peptides. In silico-derived protein groups pull together functionally related proteins, providing stable identifiers. The peptide-centric grouping strategy used by IsoformResolver allows proteins to be displayed together when they share peptides in common, providing a comprehensive yet concise way to organize protein profiles. It also summarizes information on spectral counts and is especially useful for comparing results from multiple LC–MS/MS experiments. Finally, we examine the relatedness of proteins within IsoformResolver groups and compare its performance to other protein inference software.
Theory and Practice of Econometric Modelling Using PCGIVE10

This review offers a guided tour to PcGive 10 modules for econometrics analysis of time series (PcGive), limited dependent variable (LogitJD) and static and dynamic panel data analyses (DPD), financial econometric (GARCH) and time series (ARFIMA) modelling. Several empirical applications are reported to illustrate the package. Copyright 2001 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd
Glutamate Receptor‐Mediated Calcium Surges in Neurons Derived from P19 Cells

Abstract: Retinoic acid‐treated murine P19 embryonal carcinoma cells differentiate into cells with neuronal morphology that display typical neuronal markers. In this study, the presence of glutamate receptors linked to Ca2+‐signaling mechanisms on these neurons was demonstrated by testing the effects of glutamate agonists and antagonists on the intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i). Glutamate (1 mM) induced either sustained or transient increases in [Ca2+]i. The sustained glutamate‐induced increase in [Ca2+]i was mimicked by NMDA (40 µM). The NMDA‐triggered [Ca2+]i response was abolished by incubating the cells in Ca2+‐free medium or by pretreating them with Mg2+ (2 mM) or MK‐801 (0.1 µM). These responses were unaffected by the non‐NMDA antagonist CNQX (10 µM), but they required glycine (3–30 µM). Kainate (40 µM) and AMPA (40 µM) did not affect [Ca2+]i. Without external Ca2+, glutamate triggered transient, sometimes oscillating, increases in [Ca2+]i. These responses were mimicked by the metabotropic agonist trans‐(1S,3R)‐1‐amino‐1,3‐cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid (300 µM). These results suggest that neurons derived from P19 embryonal carcinoma cells have NMDA and metabotropic, but not AMPA/kainate receptors, which are linked to Ca2+‐signaling mechanisms. These cells could provide a consistent and reproducible model with which to study neuronal differentiation, neurotoxicity, and glutamate receptor‐signaling mechanisms.
Material parameter measurements for microwave anti reflection coating development

The main steps for characterization and measurement of microwave absorbent materials in the 1-10 GHz range is introduced. The coaxial reflection-transmission type of material parameter measurement is analyzed in detail and the main measurement error is corrected. The microscopic material particle parameter measurement concept is also presented using different mixing rule laws to determine the material parameters of the single particles from the macroscopic parameters. Two dimensional FDTD simulations have been used to model the behavior of mixed electric and magnetic type of material.
Yersinia enterocolitica Infection of Mice Reveals Clonal Invasion and Abscess Formation

ABSTRACT Yersinia enterocolitica is a common cause of food-borne gastrointestinal disease leading to self-limiting diarrhea and mesenteric lymphadenitis. Occasionally, focal abscess formation in the livers and spleens of certain predisposed patients (those with iron overload states such as hemochromatosis) is observed. In the mouse oral infection model, yersiniae produce a similar disease involving the replication of yersiniae in the small intestine, the invasion of Peyer's patches, and dissemination to the liver and spleen. In these tissues and organs, yersiniae are known to replicate predominately extracellularly and to form microcolonies. By infecting mice orally with a mixture of equal amounts of green- and red-fluorescing yersiniae (yersiniae expressing green or red fluorescent protein), we were able to show for the first time that yersiniae produce exclusively monoclonal microcolonies in Peyer's patches, the liver, and the spleen, indicating that a single bacterium is sufficient to induce microcolony and microabscess formation in vivo. Furthermore, we present evidence for the clonal invasion of Peyer's patches from the small intestine. The finding that only very few yersiniae are required to establish microcolonies in Peyer's patches is due to both Yersinia-specific and host-specific factors. We demonstrate that yersiniae growing in the small intestinal lumen show strongly reduced levels of invasin, the most important factor for the early invasion of Peyer's patches. Furthermore, we show that the host severely restricts sequential microcolony formation in previously infected Peyer's patches.
Monetary Impact of a Banking Crisis and the Conduct of Monetary Policy

The experiences of seven countries that have undergone banking crises show that crises have significant implications for the short-run stability of the demand for money, the money multiplier, the transmission mechanism, and the signal variables of monetary policy. Monetary and credit instability, coupled with changes in the nature of the monetary and credit aggregates, complicate monetary management. These findings may require redesigning monetary instruments in favor of faster-reacting instruments, such as open market operations, and introducing additional indicators of the monetary stance, such as asset price and exchange rate movements. More frequent reviews of monetary programs may also be necessary.
No Pet Left Behind: Accommodating Pets in Emergency Planning

New federal legislation requiring accommodation of pets and service animals in emergency planning has garnered broad, bipartisan support. The authors review changes in societal views of pets that may have contributed to the recent passage of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act. The authors identify some areas in which interpretation of the provisions of the act will require further debate and definition. Finally, they offer suggestions on how marketing skills can be employed to make emergency planning more effective.
Measures of International Relative Prices for China and the USA

In this paper we assemble a measure of international relative prices to gauge the average amount by which prices in China and the USA differ from the prices of their trading partners. Our estimated weighted average of relative prices for China and the USA are the first to use the significantly revised purchasing power parities embodied in the price data from the World Bank's World Development Indicators. Our analysis reveals several findings of interest. First, interactions between the structure of trade and the levels of relative prices are sufficiently important to induce divergences between the weighted average of relative prices and conventional real effective exchange-rate indexes. Second, revisions embodied in World Development Indicators price data generally lower the estimate of US international relative prices. Third, net exports are inversely related to the estimate of US international relative price, but, for China, the correlation is positive. Estimating this correlation for other countries reveals no systematic pattern related to the level of development alone. Fourth, unlike previous work, using our price measures we find that an increase in US prices relative to Chinese prices raises the share of China's exports to the USA. Finally, there is a distinct possibility of eliminating the long-standing differential in income elasticities of US trade in empirical applications.
Spatially Constrained Multiple Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis for Quantifying Subpixel Urban Impervious Surfaces

Multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) has been extensively employed to accommodate endmember variability associated with the mixed pixel problem in remote sensing imagery. However, endmember extraction is a critical step in the application of MESMA. Considering that spatial information can be helpful for selecting local representative endmembers, this paper develops a spatially constrained MESMA method, with which multiple endmembers for each class are automatically derived within a predefined neighborhood. Two specific novelties are: 1) to identify all the endmembers over the whole image scene for each class through a classification tree approach; and 2) to generate spatially constrained endmembers for the neighborhood of each target pixel of the image through a k-means clustering method. MESMA is then performed using the derived spatially constrained endmembers. This proposed method was applied to a Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) image for examining subpixel urban impervious surfaces, and its performance was compared with that of a global MESMA method. The results suggest that spatially constrained MESMA is able to yield adequate estimates, supported by a relatively decent precision and low bias (10.68% for mean absolute error and -3.58% for systematic error).
A systematic review on the evaluation and characteristics of computer-aided diagnosis systems

INTRODUCTION: One of the challenges in developing Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems is their accurate and comprehensive assessment. This paper presents the conduction and results of a systematic review (SR) that aims to verify the state of the art regarding the assessment of CAD systems. This survey provides a general analysis of the current status of the design, development and assessment of such systems and includes discussions on the most used metrics and approaches that could be utilized to obtain more objective evaluation methods. METHODS: The SR was conducted using the scientific databases, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, ScienceDirect and Web of Science. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined and applied to each retrieved work to select those of interest. From 156 studies retrieved, 100 studies were included. Results: There is a number of abnormalities that have been used for the development of CAD systems. Images from computed tomographies and mammographies are the most encountered types of medical images. Additionally, a number of studies used public databases for CAD evaluations. The main evaluation metrics and methods applied to CAD systems include sensitivity, accuracy, specificity and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. In the assessed CAD systems that used the segmentation method, 30.0% applied the overlap measure. DISCUSSION: There remain several topics to explore for the assessment of CAD schemes. While some evaluation metrics are traditionally used, they require a prior knowledge of case characteristics to test CAD systems. We were not able to identify articles that use software testing to evaluate CAD systems. Thus, we realize that there is a gap between CAD assessments and traditional practices of software engineering. However, the scope of this research is limited to scientific and academic works and excludes commercial interests. Finally, we discuss potential research studies within this scope to create a more objective and efficient evaluation of CAD systems.
A Novel Quantum Cryptography Protocol

Quantum key distribution is a sub topic under quantumcryptography where two parties distribute a shared random bit stringknown only to them and which can be used as a key to encrypt anddecrypt messages. This paper proposes a novel method of QKD todistribute the secret key. The basic concept of QKD remains the samebut the process by which the key is exchanged between the twoparties is different and is much more secure than the existing QKDprotocols. The proposed method exploits the concept of hamming weight.
The effect of food consumption on lumefantrine bioavailability in African children receiving artemether–lumefantrine crushed or dispersible tablets (Coartem®) for acute uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Objectives Artemether–lumefantrine (AL) is first‐line treatment for uncomplicated malaria in many African countries. Concomitant food consumption may affect absorption of lumefantrine but data in the most important target population, i.e. children, are lacking. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of food intake on oral lumefantrine bioavailability in African children with malaria.
Frame‐shifted amyloid precursor protein found in Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome increases levels of secreted amyloid β40

Frame‐shifted amyloid precursor protein (APP+1), which has a truncated out‐of‐frame C‐terminus, accumulates in the neuropathological hallmarks of patients with Alzheimer's disease pathology. To study a possible involvement of APP+1 in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, we expressed APP695 and APP+1 in the HEK293 cell‐line and studied whether the processing of APP695 was affected. APP+1 is a secretory protein, but high expression of APP695 and APP+1 results in the formation of intracellular aggregate‐like structures containing both proteins and Fe65, an adaptor protein that interacts with APP695. APP+1 is shown to interact with APP695, suggesting that these structures consist of functional protein complexes. Such an interaction can also be anticipated in post‐mortem brains of young Down's syndrome patients without any sign of neuropathology. Here we observed APP+1 immunoreactivity in beaded fibres. Additional support for functional consequences on the processing of APP695 comes from a 1.4‐fold increase in levels of secreted amyloid β40 in cells co‐expressing APP695 and APP+1, although APP+1 itself does not contain the amyloid β sequence. Taken together, these data show that co‐expression of APP695 and APP+1 affects the processing of APP695 in a pro‐amyloidogenic way and this could gradually contribute to Alzheimer's disease pathology, as has been implicated in Down's syndrome patients.
Fire Regime of an Ozark Wilderness Area, Arkansas

Abstract Many of the present day issues associated with fire management in wilderness areas are addressed by studying past interactions among fire, humans, vegetation and climate. In this paper we describe three centuries of the fire regime in the Lower Buffalo River Wilderness Area, Arkansas, USA. We reconstructed fire events from 159 tree-ring dated fire scars on 26 shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) remnants and live trees. During the late-17th Century and early 18th Century the mean fire return interval (MFI) was 7.7 y. Fire frequency increased abruptly circa 1820 with fires burning every 2 y on average until 1920. The number of fires decreased during the 1900s as cultural values changed to favor fire suppression over multiple-use burning. Analyses of the influence of human ignitions and drought on the fire regime resulted in two important findings: (1) that fire frequency was positively correlated to human population density up to 1920 and (2) the influence of drought seemed to be masked by frequent anthropogenic fires and fire suppression. Fire events were associated with droughts only prior to Euro-American settlement. Studies of climate-fire relationships should consider the potential for anthropogenic influence and future studies should attempt to quantify the historic role of humans in the fire regime.