Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Exploratory Study of Procurement Strategies for Multi‐Item RFQs in B2B Markets: Antecedents and Impact on Performance

This research explores procurement strategies for multi‐item requests for quotation (RFQs) in business‐to‐business (B2B) markets using responses from 825 purchasing professionals. The study first establishes procurement strategies that differ based on their level of strategic emphasis, i.e., the importance that is placed on the pursuit of four strategic objectives. Underlying objectives, which are obtained via factor analysis, include the focus on price, security of supply, internal procurement efficiencies, and bundle building. Next, cluster analysis is used to derive prototypical strategic approaches. The three cluster groups that emerge possess the same relative ranking of the four objectives, but differ based on the intensity with which these objectives are pursued. The clusters are labelled as the three strategic groups of strategists, opportunists, and responders. The research then explores, using an industrial buyer behavior lens, the impact of environmental antecedents in determining a particular strategy. Environmental variables include purchase importance, market uncertainty, supply base availability, buyer bargaining power, item experience, and supply base experience. Finally, the study tests the impact of procurement strategy on the buyer's perceived performance, suggesting that strategists, placing more emphasis on the pursuit of strategic sourcing objectives, achieve better performance than opportunists and responders.
A proximal algorithm with quasi distance. Application to habit's formation

We consider a proximal algorithm with quasi distance applied to nonconvex and nonsmooth functions involving analytic properties for a minimization problem. We show the behavioural importance of this proximal point model for the formation of habit in Decision and Making Sciences. The convergence of the sequence generated by our algorithm to a critical-limit point is guaranteed under standard conditions of coercivity and by using the Kurdyka–Łojasiewicz inequality. We present a definition of habit that contemplates that kind of convergence.
Accumulation of Hippocampal Place Fields at the Goal Location in an Annular Watermaze Task

To explore the plastic representation of information in spatially selective hippocampal pyramidal neurons, we made multiple single-unit recordings in rats trained to find a hidden platform at a constant location in a hippocampal-dependent annular watermaze task. Hippocampal pyramidal cells exhibited place-related firing in the watermaze. Place fields tended to accumulate near the platform, even in probe trials without immediate escape. The percentage of cells with peak activity around the hidden platform was more than twice the percentage firing in equally large areas elsewhere in the arena. The effect was independent of the actual position of the platform in the room frame. It was dissociable from ongoing motor behavior and was not related to linear or angular speed, swim direction, or variation in hippocampal theta activity. There was no accumulation of firing in any particular region in rats that were trained with a variable platform location. These training-dependent effects suggest that regions of particular behavioral significance may be over-represented in the hippocampal spatial map, even when these regions are completely unmarked.
Over-Education and Life Satisfaction among Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Workers in Canada. Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series.

The increased migration of skilled workers globally has led to a focus in the immigration literature on the economic costs of unsuccessful labour market integration. Less attention has been given to the consequences of employment difficulties, such as those related to over-education, on aspects of immigrants’ subjective well-being. Although a large proportion of immigrants experience over-education, studies examining the relationship between over-education and life satisfaction tend to concentrate on the general population. These studies find a negative relationship between over-education and life satisfaction. Since immigrant and Canadian-born (non-immigrant) workers may experience over-education differently, it is important to examine this relationship in both groups. This study examines how over-education is associated with life satisfaction among university-educated immigrant and non-immigrant workers in Canada, and accounts for differences in the degree of over-education in each group.
Intrinsic Filtering on Lie Groups With Applications to Attitude Estimation

This paper proposes a probabilistic approach to the problem of intrinsic filtering of a system on a matrix Lie group with invariance properties. The problem of an invariant continuous-time model with discrete-time measurements is cast into a rigorous stochastic and geometric framework. Building upon the theory of continuous-time invariant observers, we introduce a class of simple filters and study their properties (without addressing the optimal filtering problem). We show that, akin to the Kalman filter for linear systems, the error equation is a Markov chain that does not depend on the state estimate. Thus, when the filter's gains are held fixed, the noisy error's distribution is proved to converge to a stationary distribution, under some convergence properties of the filter with noise turned off. We also introduce two novel tools of engineering interest: the discrete-time invariant extended Kalman filter, for which the trusted covariance matrix is shown to converge, and the invariant ensemble Kalman filter. The methods are applied to attitude estimation, allowing to derive novel theoretical results in this field, and illustrated through simulations on synthetic data.
Caloric restriction increases brain mitochondrial calcium retention capacity and protects against excitotoxicity

Caloric restriction (CR) protects against many cerebral pathological conditions that are associated with excitotoxic damage and calcium overload, although the mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here we show that CR strongly protects against excitotoxic insults in vitro and in vivo in a manner associated with significant changes in mitochondrial function. CR increases electron transport chain activity, enhances antioxidant defenses, and favors mitochondrial calcium retention capacity in the brain. These changes are accompanied by a decrease in cyclophilin D activity and acetylation and an increase in Sirt3 expression. This suggests that Sirt3‐mediated deacetylation and inhibition of cyclophilin D in CR promote the inhibition of mitochondrial permeability transition, resulting in enhanced mitochondrial calcium retention. Altogether, our results indicate that enhanced mitochondrial calcium retention capacity underlies the beneficial effects of CR against excitotoxic conditions. This protection may explain the many beneficial effects of CR in the aging brain.
Surface and atmospheric controls 1 on the onset of moist convection over land

This is a preliminary PDF of the author-produced manuscript that has been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication. Since it is being posted so soon after acceptance, it has not yet been copyedited, formatted, or processed by AMS Publications. This preliminary version of the manuscript may be downloaded, distributed, and cited, but please be aware that there will be visual differences and possibly some content differences between this version and the final published version.
Afocal optical flow sensor for mobile robot odometry

This paper presents an application of an afocal optical flow sensor (AOFS) for mobile robot navigation. The OFS-based odometry is advantageous for mobile robots because it is not affected by wheel slippage. However, the changes in vertical height result in systematic errors when estimating the moving distance of robots moving on uneven surfaces. This paper presents an application of an AOFS module to improve this vertical-height sensitivity. To evaluate the proposed system performance, two kinds of experiments are performed: on a bare laminate floor and on the laminate floor that is partially covered with an area carpet. The test area is 150 cm × 150 cm size. For the bare laminate floor case where no slip occurs, the localization error of the developed system is 0.2%. The error using a conventional OFS module, encoders, and gyroscope combination is also 0.2%. For the case where the laminate floor is partially covered with an area carpet, the localization error of the developed system is 0.7%. The error using a conventional OFS module, encoders, and the gyroscope is 2.9%.
Antibacterial Efficacy of Aqueous Ozone in Root Canals Infected by Enterococcus faecalis

Background: In endodontics, the elimination of resistant bacteria such as Enterococcus faecalis plays an important role for treatment success in root canals. Therefore, new alternative irrigants (instead of sodium hypochlorite) have been researched to achieve ideal endodontic treatment. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate and to compare the antibacterial effect of aqueous ozone with different concentrations and techniques of application (manual and ultrasonic) against E. faecalis in human root canals. Patients and Methods: Eighty single-root mandibular premolar teeth were selected, prepared and sterilized. E. faecalis was incubated in the root canals and kept at 37°C for 24 h. The teeth were divided into four main groups each has 20 members: NaOCl (positive control) group; 8 ppm aqueous ozone group; 12 ppm aqueous ozone group; and 16 ppm aqueous ozone group. While half of the specimens were disinfected with aqueous ozone by manual technique, the other half was disinfected with the aqueous ozone by ultrasonic technique. Conventional irrigation technique was simultaneously applied with ultrasonic vibration that was produced by VDW.ULTRA device. The disinfection procedures were performed for 180 s to ensure standardization of all the working groups. Paper points (placed in the root canals before and after the disinfection procedures) were transferred to Eppendorf tubes containing 0.5 mL of brain heart infusion broth. Then, 50 μL of the suspension was inoculated onto broth agar media. Microbial colonies were counted, and the data were evaluated statistically using 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey tests. Results: Although the antibacterial effect of 16 ppm aqueous ozone using a manual technique had an insufficient effect, its ultrasonic application technique resulted in complete disinfection in the root canals. Conclusions: The bactericidal activity of high concentration of aqueous ozone combined with ultrasonic application technique showed efficacy similar to that of 5.25% NaOCl in root canals.
Hierarchical Models for the Effect of Spatial Interpolation Error on the Inferred Relationship between Ambient Particulate Matter Exposure and Cardiovascular Health

There are numerous sources of uncertainty when estimating individual air pollution exposures based on data from a dispersed network of monitors. One of the most important concerns the fact that personal exposures to air pollution are at best only crudely approximated by measurements from the nearest air pollution monitor. A major component of the discrepancy can be addressed by interpolating ambient air pollution data from monitors to the individual addresses of participants, and in a previous study, this has been done by lognormal kriging. The primary purpose of the present study is to show how error in kriging air pollution variables affects the regression coefficients for the epidemiological effect under study. We address these issues in the context of a Women's Health Initiative (WHI) ancillary study, the Environmental Epidemiology of Arrhythmogenesis in WHI (EEAWHI). We are specifically interested in whether EEAWHI findings are robust to ignoring log-normal spatial interpolation error from kriging. We use a multivariable adjusted, Bayesian hierarchical model in which the response is the logarithm of the median RR interval (ms) from 53,494 clinical trial participants' first-recorded, resting standard twelve-lead elec-trocardiograms (ECGs) between 1999 and 2002. The exposures are daily mean concentrations (µg/m 3) of ambient particulate matter < 2.5 and 10 µm in diameter (PM 2.5 ; PM 10) spatially interpolated at par-ticipants' geocoded addresses and averaged over the day of and before the ECGs (lag 0-1). We perform within-site regressions involving only those women examined at each of 57 exam sites in the contiguous U.S.; however, the site-specific exposure-response effects are drawn from a distribution centered on a national effect that is our main epidemiologic focus. When the uncertainty in PM measurements is modeled explicitly by placing a log-normal prior on the exposures the posterior distribution of the national effect is shifted in an unpredictable direction and the width of the distribution either increases only slightly or decreases. However, doubling the kriging error causes all the posteriors to move toward zero and narrow. This result contrasts with the well-known effect of Gaussian measurement error in a standard linear model: a broadening, not a narrowing of the posterior, and a shift of the mean toward zero. Simulations are presented to demonstrate that our result is not spurious, but is in fact a natural outcome when pre-dictor error is log-normally distributed. Consequently, the inverse PM-RR association observed among non-smokers without chronic lung disease remains discernible when kriging error …
A Machine Learning Approach to Accurately and Reliably Extracting Data from the Web

A critical problem in developing information agents for the Web is accessing data that is formatted for human use. We have developed a set of tools for extracting data from web sites and transforming it into a structured data format, such as XML. The resulting data can then be used to build new applications without having to deal with unstructured data. The advantages of our wrapping technology over previous work are the the ability to learn highly accurate extraction rules, to verify the wrapper to ensure that the correct data continues to be extracted, and to automatically adapt to changes in the sites from which the data is being extracted.
Two-dimensional multi-level strain estimation for discontinuous tissue

A large number of the strain estimation methods presented in the literature are based on the assumption of tissue continuity that establishes a continuous displacement field. However, in certain locations in the body such as the arteries in vivo scanning may produce displacement fields that are discontinuous between the two walls of the artery. Many of the displacement or strain estimators fail when the displacement fields are discontinuous. In this paper, we present a new 2D multi-level motion or displacement tracking method for accurate estimation of the strain in these situations. The final high-resolution displacement estimate is obtained using two processing steps. The first step involves an estimation of a coarse displacement estimate utilizing B-mode or envelope signals. To reduce computational time, the coarse displacement estimates are obtained starting from down-sampled B-mode pre- and post-compression image pairs using a pyramidal processing approach. The coarse displacement estimate obtained from the B-mode data is used to guide the final 2D cross-correlation computations on radio-frequency (RF) data. Results from finite element simulations and in vivo experimental data demonstrate the feasibility of this approach for imaging tissue with discontinuous displacement fields.
Expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-i in kidney allograft rejection

Expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule. (VCAM-1) in kidney allograft rejection. VCAM1, a leukocyte adhesion molecule expressed by cytokine-activated endothelial cells in culture, may mediate mononuclear leukocyte infiltration in vessels and interstitium in solid organ allograft rejection. Using the avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technique and an affinity-purified rabbit polyclonal antisera to recombinant human VCAM (rVCAM Ab) which works in methyl Carnoy's fixed tissues, we studied the expression of this molecule in biopsies of transplanted kidneys (N = 34) with and without features of rejection and allograft nephrectomies (N = 17)as well as nontransplanted control tissues (N = 26). The rVCAM Ab showed a population of reactive endothelial cells limited to sites of prominent subendothelial leukocytic cell infiltration in arteries and veins, and occasional peritubular capillaries (PTC) in rejecting allografts. Endothelial expression of VCAM was rarely identified in biopsies showing interstitial rejection only or cyclosporine toxicity, usually in PTC, and was only rarely encountered in nontransplanted control tissues. Apparent de novo expression of VCAM-l by arterial smooth muscle cells and mesangial cells was present in cases of severe rejection. In addition, a population of cells (DC) with dendritic morphology was identified by rVCAM Ab within sites of lymphoid cell aggregation in rejecting allografts. Further evidence that these cells represent true DC was obtained by identification of VCAM-l positive, morphologically similar cells in both germinal centers and interfollicular areas of all seven reactive lymph nodes tested; and by similar staining of these cells in the ailografts and lymph nodes by antibodies to nerve growth factor receptor and the complement receptor CR1, previously shown to recognize DC. DCs were generally not seen in uninflamed normal control organs or portions of allografts uninvolved by lymphoid aggregates. Enhanced tubular epithelial cell expression of VCAM-1 was also present in rejecting allogi-afts. All staining could be abolished by absorption of the antisera with VCAM-l transfected, but not ICAM-1 or ELAM-l transfected, CHO cells, In situ hybridization studies utilizing a cDNA probe to human VCAM-l demonstrated mRNA production by glomerular, tubular and vascular cells corresponding to sites where the protein was immunohistochemically localized. This study provides evidence that: (1) endotheljal cell expression of VCAM-l may define sites of acute vascular inflammation in renal transplant rejection; (2) VCAM-l is expressed by some arterial smooth muscle cells during vascular rejection; (3) VCAM-I expression by mesangial cells and tubular cells may be upregulated in transplant rejection; and (4) there is probably a
Laxative effect of peanut sprout extract

Certain phenolic compounds are known to exhibit laxative properties. Seed sprouts, such as those of peanut, are known to promote de novo biosynthesis of phenolic compounds. This study was conducted to examine the potential laxative properties of 80% (v/v) ethanolic extract of peanut sprout (PSE), which contains a high concentration of phenolic compounds such as resveratrol. For this, SD rats were orally administered PSE while a control group was incubated with saline. Laxative effects were examined in both groups of rats. Constipation induced by loperamide in SD rats was improved by administration of PSE. Constipated rats showed increased intestinal movement of BaSO4 upon administration of PSE compared to the control, and the groups administered 100 or 1,000 mg PSE/kg bw were not significantly different in transit time of the indicator. However, colon length was not statistically different among the experimental groups, although it was longer in the group incubated with 1 g PSE/kg bw compared to other groups. Further, there was no significant difference in stool number among the experimental groups. Taken together, these findings show that PSE has a laxative effect in a rat model of loperamide-induced constipation.
Investigations on instantaneous frequency variations of RR time series in intrinsic mode functions of congestive heart failure subjects

The congestive heart failure is a major cause of concern among all types of cardiovascular problems and is attributed to imbalances in sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. In this paper we propose an algorithm for detection of congestive heart failure condition using the variability of instantaneous frequency of intrinsic mode functions obtained using Hilbert-Hunag Transform of RR time series in different subjects. It is observed that the instantaneous frequency of intrinsic mode functions is a key feature that is altered quite significantly with imbalances in autonomic nervous system. It is also observed through simulation results using MATLAB that higher order intrinsic mode functions of RR time series exhibit lower variations of the instantaneous frequency compared to lower order intrinsic mode functions. On the basis of this variability of instantaneous frequency of higher order intrinsic mode functions we are able to detect congestive heart failure condition in different subjects.
A Domain-based Approach to Publish Data on the Web

The Linked Data project defines a set of practices for publishing structured data on the Web. In order to apply the recommended practices and achieve this Web of Data vision, existing data provided in diverse formats should be converted to a standard model. Since these data are in nature heterogeneous, it is usually unfeasible to convert them without considering the knowledge domain in which they exist. In this light, we propose an approach, named SenseRDF, which makes use of a domain reference, made available by vocabularies and domain ontologies, to provide the semantics during the conversion of a dataset from one format to a standard RDF model. Also, we adopt a semi-automated technique, where a domain expert is required to assist the conversion process, which is incrementally enriched. We present the principles underlying our approach, some usage examples and the obtained experimental results.
A Fuzzy Data Mining Technique for the Reconstruction of Gene Regulatory Networks from Time Series Expression Data

For one to infer the overall structures of gene regulatory networks (GRNs), it is important to identify, for each gene in a GRN, which other genes can affect its expression and how they can affect it. Many existing approaches to reconstructing GRNs are developed to generate hypotheses about the presence or absence of interactions between genes so that laboratory tests can be carried out afterwards for verification. Since they are not intended to be used to predict if a gene has any interactions with other genes from an unseen sample (i.e., expression data that is not in the original database), this makes statistical verification of the reliability of the discovered gene interactions difficult. To better infer the structures of GRNs, we propose an effective fuzzy data mining technique in this paper. By transforming quantitative expression values into linguistic terms, the proposed technique is able to mine noisy, high dimensional time series expression data for interesting fuzzy sequential associations between genes. It is not only able to determine if a gene is dependent on another but also able to determine if a gene is supposed to be activated or inhibited. In addition, it can predict how a gene in an unseen sample would be affected by other genes in it. For evaluation, the proposed technique has been tested using real expression data and experimental results show that the use of fuzzy logic-based technique in gene expression data analysis can be very effective