Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mergers and acquisitions : the case of Zon Multimédia and Sonaecom

The possible merger between Zon and Sonaecom is something that has been discussed on the market in the last years, and this dissertation aimed to make a thorough analysis of the companies and whether there is value creation with the completion of the merger. The telecommunications market in Portugal is reaching a stage of maturity, and the country's economic situation together with the intense competition makes it difficult for companies to have a high organic growth. Instead, in recent years companies had results below expectations mainly due to lower private consumption that is taking place in the country, and its market value significantly devalued. Therefore, a merger between the companies would allow the rapid creation of value for Zon and Sonaecom’s shareholders because of both cost and revenue synergies, along with the fact that the merged company would become a stronger business and would be able to compete with the main competitor, Portugal Telecom. Thus, according to the methodology explained in the literature review, I calculated the Sonaecom standalone value and the synergies from the merger, and the Sonaecom’s last closing price is found to be undervalued, with 5% upside potential, and synergies are estimated at around 131% of Sonaecom’s market capitalization1. It is therefore concluded that Zon must make a tender offer to Sonaecom offering a price of 1.21€ per share plus a premium that covers the total or partial value of synergies.
Calibration of a Stereo Radiation Detection Camera Using Planar Homography

This paper proposes a calibration technique of a stereo gamma detection camera. Calibration of the internal and external parameters of a stereo vision camera is a well-known research problem in the computer vision society. However, few or no stereo calibration has been investigated in the radiation measurement research. Since no visual information can be obtained from a stereo radiation camera, it is impossible to use a general stereo calibration algorithm directly. In this paper, we develop a hybrid-type stereo system which is equipped with both radiation and vision cameras. To calibrate the stereo radiation cameras, stereo images of a calibration pattern captured from the vision cameras are transformed in the view of the radiation cameras. The homography transformation is calibrated based on the geometric relationship between visual and radiation camera coordinates. The accuracy of the stereo parameters of the radiation camera is analyzed by distance measurements to both visual light and gamma sources. The experimental results show that the measurement error is about 3%.
Gene-targeted CEP 164-deficient cells show a ciliation defect with intact DNA repair capacity

Owen M. Daly, David Gaboriau, Kadin Karakaya, Sinéad King, Tiago J. Dantas, Pierce Lalor, Peter Dockery, Alwin Krämer and Ciaran G. Morrison* Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences and Anatomy, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Clinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Hematology/Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Department of Internal Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
Application of randomized clinical trial data to actual practice: apixaban therapy for reduction of stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients

Abstract Background: Clinical event rates may differ among patients treated in the real world (RW) compared to randomized controlled trials (RCTs). When translating the efficacy of new treatments to RW, the relative risk reductions (RRRs) from RCTs may produce different absolute risk reductions in RW. Objective: To estimate the absolute effect of apixaban on stroke and major bleeding (MB) rates in a RW non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) population. Methods: NVAF patients were selected during 2007–2010 from a population of U.S. commercial and Medicare health plans using the Medco claims database. Pharmacy claims were used to define warfarin exposure periods. Stroke and MB were identified using diagnosis codes. RW event rates were calculated during periods of warfarin exposure. The numbers of stroke and MB events estimated to be avoided in RW with apixaban versus warfarin were calculated by applying RRRs from the ARISTOTLE trial to RW rates from the Medco database. The Medco data did not contain information for patients receiving apixaban as it was not on the market at the time of analysis. Results: Stroke and MB rates among RW NVAF patients during warfarin exposure were higher compared with event rates in patients treated with warfarin in ARISTOTLE (stroke: 5.29 vs. 1.51 per 100 person years (PYs); MB: 10.78 vs. 3.09 per 100 PYs). If RRRs from trials persist in RW, apixaban vs. warfarin would result in greater absolute risk reductions (ARRs) and a lower number needed to treat (NNT) in RW vs. ARISTOTLE (stroke: 91 vs. 313; MB: 30 vs. 105). Conclusion: The impact of apixaban, as an alternative to warfarin in RW may be greater than in RCTs. The NNT with apixaban versus warfarin in RW may be lower versus ARISTOTLE if RRRs from the trial persists in RW and if baseline stroke and MB rates among RW patients are higher compared to trial participants.
Earbud-based sensor for the assessment of energy expenditure, HR, and VO2max.

INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE The goal of this program was to determine the feasibility of a novel noninvasive, highly miniaturized optomechanical earbud sensor for accurately estimating total energy expenditure (TEE) and maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max). The optomechanical sensor module, small enough to fit inside commercial audio earbuds, was previously developed to provide a seamless way to measure blood flow information during daily life activities. The sensor module was configured to continuously measure physiological information via photoplethysmography and physical activity information via accelerometry. This information was digitized and sent to a microprocessor where digital signal-processing algorithms extract physiological metrics in real time. These metrics were streamed wirelessly from the earbud to a computer. METHODS In this study, 23 subjects of multiple physical habitus were divided into a training group of 14 subjects and a validation group of 9 subjects. Each subject underwent the same exercise measurement protocol consisting of treadmill-based cardiopulmonary exercise testing to reach VO2max. Benchmark sensors included a 12-lead ECG sensor for measuring HR, a calibrated treadmill for measuring distance and speed, and a gas-exchange analysis instrument for measuring TEE and VO2max. The earbud sensor was the device under test. Benchmark and device under test data collected from the 14-person training data set study were integrated into a preconceived statistical model for correlating benchmark data with earbud sensor data. Coefficients were optimized, and the optimized model was validated in the 9-person validation data set. RESULTS It was observed that the earbud sensor estimated TEE and VO2max with mean ± SD percent estimation errors of -0.7 ± 7.4% and -3.2 ± 7.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION The earbud sensor can accurately estimate TEE and VO2max during cardiopulmonary exercise testing.
Prevalence of and Molecular Basis for Tuberculosis Drug Resistance in the Republic of Georgia: Validation of a QIAplex System for Detection of Drug Resistance-Related Mutations

ABSTRACT We developed a QIAplex system for the simultaneous detection of 24 Mycobacterium tuberculosis gene mutations responsible for resistance to isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), streptomycin (STM), and ethambutol (EMB) in 196 M. tuberculosis isolates recovered in the Republic of Georgia. In comparison to phenotypic susceptibility tests, the QIAplex showed sensitivity and specificity of 85.4% and 96.1% for INH, 94.4% and 99.4% for RIF, 69.6% and 99.2% for STM, 50.0% and 98.8% for EBM, and 86.7% and 100.0% for multidrug resistance, respectively. The dominant resistance mutations revealed were a mutation in katG resulting in S315T (katG S315T), rpsL K43R, and rpoB S531L. Mutations katG S315G and S315T and rpoB S531L were detected with higher frequencies in pretreated patients than in naive patients (P < 0.05). Simultaneous detection of 24 common drug resistance-related mutations provides a molecular tool for studying and monitoring M. tuberculosis resistance mechanism and epidemiology.
Distribution of Local Government Revenue Sources and Citizen Well-Being

The paper aims at examining how sources and distribution of revenue at the local government level influence the economic well-being of citizens. The results of this study help to illuminate the effect of revenue sources on local government efforts on economic development and their capacity to influence the well-being of their citizens. We hypothesized that the distribution of local government revenue influenced the wealth status of its citizens. Three empirical proxy measures for citizen well-being were used in the estimation of three different panel data models. Results from the estimations suggest that local government revenue generated from its citizens (e.g., taxes, insurance and charges) have more influence on citizen well-being than non-citizen generated revenue sources (e.g., inter-governmental transfers). The analysis provides insights into how economic development policies may be conceived in local governments, especially small communities, to ensure sustained economic prosperity of its citizens.
Vitamin D Supplements in the Indian Market

It is now known that vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem. In our country, as food fortification is lacking, supplementation with pharmaceutical preparations is the only means of treatment of vitamin D deficiency. We aimed to study the composition and availability of various vitamin D preparations in the Indian market, data about which was collected from annual drug compendium. The preparations were assessed for total number, different formulations, constituents and amount of each constituent present in the formulation. Vitamin D3 is available in the form of cholecalciferol, alfacalcidiol and calcitriol as single ingredient products and in combination with calcium and other micronutrients. Most of the supplements contain calcitriol (46.5%) or alfacalcidiol (43%) as tablets (51.1%) and capsules (35.2%). Cholecalciferol, the preferred form for prophylaxis and treatment of vitamin D deficient states, constitutes only 10% of the available market preparations. High market sales of calcium supplements containing calcitriol indicate increasing intake of calcitriol rather than cholecalciferol; which could predispose to toxicity. There is a need for marketing and rational prescribing of the appropriate vitamin D supplement in ostensibly healthy Indian population. Implementation of population-based education and intervention programmes with enforcement of strict regulations could generate awareness and curb unsupervised intake of vitamin D containing dietary supplements. This health challenge mandates effective nutritional policies, fortification and supplementation programmes and partnership between government, healthcare and industry to safeguard the health of Indian population at large.
Microsatellite markers in Stylosanthes guianensis

,We used the above five microsatellite markers to test paternity of nine nestlings of three groups, in each of which the breeding female was unrelated to the male helpers in terms of both observation and genetic evidence. It was revealed that no helper had their own offspring. The genotypes of all offspring were explicable in terms of those of breeding pairs in each group. The probability that alleles of a nonrelated male corresponded to alleles of an offspring by chance was calculated as (2P1 Ð P1 2 ) (2P2 Ð P2 2 )E(2Pn Ð Pn 2 ), where Pn is the frequency of the nth allele transmitted from a father (Jeffreys et al. 1992). These probabilities proved to be low, averaging 0.0096 ± 0.0151 SD. The microsatellite markers obtained in this study provide reliable and effective tools to examine individual reproductive success in this species. This paternity test will be an invaluable tool to reveal the behaviour of helpers and the social structure of the rufous vanga.
Delay modeling and analysis in DTN multicasting

The main character of Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) is that there is not an end-to-end path from the source node to the destinations due to the intermittent connections and mobility of nodes. In this paper, we construct the mathematic model based on queue with vacation theory to analyze the impact of buffer management strategy on DTN multicast routing, and then compute the minimal delay and maximal delay from the source to the destinations according to this model; at last, we do simulation with On-demand Routing, Dynamic Tree Routing and Static Tree Routing algorithms, and the results show that our theory runs well.
FEM-based evaluation of deformable image registration for radiation therapy

This paper presents a new concept to automatically detect the neighborhood in an image where deformable registration is mis-performing. Specifically, the displacement vector field (DVF) from a deformable image registration is substituted into a finite-element-based elastic framework to calculate unbalanced energy in each element. The value of the derived energy indicates the quality of the DVF in its neighborhood. The new voxel-based evaluation approach is compared with three other validation criteria: landmark measurement, a finite element approach and visual comparison, for deformable registrations performed with the optical-flow-based ‘demons’ algorithm as well as thin-plate spline interpolation. This analysis was performed on three pairs of prostate CT images. The results of the analysis show that the four criteria give mutually comparable quantitative assessments on the six registration instances. As an objective concept, the unbalanced energy presents no requirement on boundary constraints in its calculation, different from traditional mechanical modeling. This method is automatic, and at voxel level suitable to evaluate deformable registration in a clinical setting.
SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR MARKET LEADERSHIP AMONGST THE PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTES IN MALAYSIA

One of Malaysia’s economic goals is to become an education hub for the region. To achieve this, the Malaysian government had liberalised government policies resulting in the proliferation of Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) including private Universities and University Colleges. As competition intensifies it becomes increasingly pertinent to ask “What sustainable competitive advantage should the Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) have to achieve market leadership in the Malaysian education industry? ” For the smaller PHEIs, it is a question of survival itself. This paper aims to provide a theoretical study of some of the key strategic activities of the leading PHEIs to answer this question. The literature review covering both foreign and local sources indicates three key factors of sustainable competitive advantage, i.e. branding and image, the physical aspects of higher education including location and facilities, and the mode of delivery. The paper will seek to identify these factors amongst the market leaders to ascertain the validity of the secondary data via critical analysis of their activities. The theoretical framework employed for the analysis will be Michael Porter’s Three Generic Strategies and Five Competitive Forces. The PHEIs have largely evolved into business entities and this development makes the framework appropriate for the study
Data-driven predictive control of idle speed control for SI engine

As we know the automotive idle speed control (ISC) is a highly nonlinear vehicle control problem with complicated dynamic characters. In this paper, the control variables are throttle angle and spark advance angle, data-driven predictive control is selected to design the controller which elegantly combines identification method of subspace with model predictive control(MPC). In automobile, there are actuator constraints on throttle and spark ignition and the optimal object is to make the predictive engine speed tacking with the reference. The predictive model can be obtained by subspace identification by using intput-output data, by using MPC, control problem comes down to optimization problem with input and state constraints. The proposed control method in engine is well validated on a platform of enDYNA. Finally, there are effective and promising results which indicate that the selected method is feasible.
Linking a Multi-Component Model of Commitment to Customer Profitability

Although researchers have begun to recognize commitment as a multi-component construct, they missed examining profitability-related effects. We contribute to this research field by succeeding in linking a four-component model - consisting of affective, calculative, locked-in, and normative commitment - to customer profitability and, thereby, demonstrating differential impacts of the commitment constructs. Thus, commitment-related investments can be a double-edged sword. Findings reveal a moderating effect of relationship age on each commitment construct. While the impact of affective and locked-in commitment declines over time, calculative commitment becomes the dominant driver of profitability in long-term relationships. Finally, we identify instruments to boost value-enhancing customer behaviour.
Relation among Self-Defeating Personality, Troubled Eating Patterns, and Dissociation

Significant small correlations were found between scores on a measure of self-defeating personality with scores on the Bulimia Test—Revised (r = .27) and also scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale (r = .20) for a sample of 165 college women. The correlation between the Bulimia Test and the Dissociative Experiences Scale was . 26. Although the research literature led us to expect stronger relationships on theoretical and empirical grounds, it appears these small relationships were more likely due to the fact that scoring higher on all these measures indicates greater psychopathology.
Mathematics of the internet : e-auction and markets

Modeling opportunities in auctions. - A column generation approach for combinatorial auctions. - Price negotiations for procurement of direct inputs. - An iterative online auction for airline seats. - An integer programming formulation of the bid evaluation problem for coordinated tasks. - Linear programming and Vickrey auctions. - Auctioning telecommunications bandwidth with guaranteed quality of service. - Pricebot dynamics. - Threshold pricing for selling network capacity through forward contracts. - List of workshop participants.
Modeling and Characterization of VCOs with MOS Varactors for RF Transceivers

As more broadband wireless standards are introduced and ratified, the complexity of wireless communication systems increases, which necessitates extra care and vigilance in their design. In this paper, various aspects of popular voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) as key components in RF transceivers are discussed. The importance of phase noise of these key blocks in the overall performance of RF transceivers is highlighted. Varactors are identified as an important component of LC-based oscillators. A new model for accumulation-mode MOS varactors is introduced. The model is experimentally verified through measurements on LC-based VCOs designed in a standardm CMOS process.
Quantitative Non-Destructive Testing of Metallic Foam Based on Direct Current Potential Drop Method

To detect cavity defects in metallic foam and to predict its size, a quantitative nondestructive testing (NDT) method based on the direct current potential drop (DCPD) technique was proposed and validated in this study. At first, an efficient forward analysis scheme was introduced to simulate the DCPD signals. In order to obtain measured signals for defect reconstruction, specimens of practical aluminum metal foam with defects of different sizes were fabricated and inspected then by using a DCPD testing system. Third, an inverse analysis scheme in model based optimization category was proposed and implemented for sizing cavity defects in the metal foam. Through inversion of both simulated and measured DCPD signals, the validity of both the forward and the inverse analysis schemes was demonstrated for the quantitative DCPD evaluation of the metallic foam.
AUTORADIOGRAPHIC STUDIES ON THE PROLIFERATION OF ANTIBODY-PRODUCING CELLS IN VITRO

A rapid and reliable autoradiographic technique for plaque-forming cells (PFCs) using 14C rather than tritiated thymidine is described. Its application to PFCs developing in vitro shows that (a) practically all PFCs derive from precursors dividing steadily during the culture period, (b) PFC precursors divide in the absence of T-cell helper function, and (c) at least some PFCs may continue to divide.
Efficient production of a bioactive, multiple disulfide‐bonded protein using modified extracts of Escherichia coli

In this report, we demonstrate that a complex mammalian protein containing multiple disulfide bonds is successfully expressed in an E.coli‐based cell‐free protein synthesis system. Initially, disulfide‐reducing activities in the cell extract prevented the formation of disulfide bonds. However, a simple pretreatment of the cell extract with iodoacetamide abolished the reducing activity. This extract was still active for protein synthesis even under oxidizing conditions. The use of a glutathione redox buffer coupled with the DsbC disulfide isomerase and pH optimization produced 40 μg/mL of active urokinase protease in a simple batch reaction. This result not only demonstrates efficient production of complex proteins, it also emphasizes the control and flexibility offered by the cell‐free approach. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The metabolism of the fission products and the heaviest elements.

An investigation of the assimilation, distribution, retention, and excretion of fission products and the heaviest elements in the rat has been conducted at the Crocker Radiation Laboratory of the University of California. These studies were initiated Oct. 15, 1942, and are continuing at the present time. An extensive survey has been made of the metabolism of twenty different radio-elements. This project has been carried forward by Dorothy Axelrod, M.A., Asst. Prof. D. H. Copp, M.D., Ph.D., Josephine Crowley, A.B. , Harvey Fisher, A.B. , Ph.D, Henry Lanz, Jr., A.B. , Kenneth G. Scott, A.B. , L. Van Middlesworth, Ph.D., and the author. During the early phases of the work, we were fortunate in having the advice and aid of Professors I. L. Chaikoff, D. M. Greenberg, and their associates, who assisted the program materially, particularly in the studies with strontium, barium, and cesium. Also with the group, during the war, were Assoc. Prof. Roy Overstreet and Asst. Prof. Louis Jacobson, whose contributions includ.
A New Multicolor Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Probe Set Directed Against Human Heterochromatin

A new multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (mFISH) probe set is presented, and its possible applications are highlighted in 25 clinical cases. The so-called heterochromatin-M-FISH (HCM-FISH) probe set enables a one-step characterization of the large heterochromatic regions within the human genome. HCM-FISH closes a gap in the now available mFISH probe sets, as those do not normally cover the acrocentric short arms; the large pericentric regions of chromosomes 1, 9, and 16; as well as the band Yq12. Still, these regions can be involved in different kinds of chromosomal rearrangements such as translocations, insertions, inversions, amplifications, and marker chromosome formations. Here, examples are given for all these kinds of chromosomal aberrations, detected as constitutional rearrangements in clinical cases. Application perspectives of the probe set in tumors as well as in evolutionary cytogenetic studies are given.