Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trust as an Organizing Principle in Offshoring Intercultural Relationships

In this paper, we propose to investigate the role played by trust in structuring and shaping offshoring processes and to explore how cultural differences interfere within this interfim relationship. We have built upon the conception of trust as an organizing principle to address the two levels : the individual level and the organizational level. A case study has been conducted within a European Information Services Provider, its Tunisian offshore unit, and some European clients. Our findings indicate that trust is perceived as an influencing factor when it is situated at the interorganizational level and not at the interpersonal level. The role of culture has not been perceived in the same way by the two offshoring partners. While cultural differences are identified as an enabling factor in shaping and enhancing the inter-firm relationship by individuals belonging to the offshore unit (Tunisian culture), it has been considered as a constraining factor by the global vendor and the clients (European culture).
MoM Analysis of Dipole Antennas in Crosshole Borehole Radar and Field Experiments

In this paper, we propose a method-of-moments (MoM) analysis that includes the borehole effects on crosshole borehole radar, and we verify that the MoM represents the crosshole borehole radar data correctly. We derive the far-field approximation of an electric field radiated by an electric point source. In this derivation, we assume that the point source is in a cylindrically layered medium, while the observed electric field is in another cylindrically layered medium. The equations that are derived are used as a transfer function to connect the two impedance matrices - one for the transmitting antenna and the other one for the receiving one. In these matrices, the influence of the scattered field by the borehole is included completely. We conducted field experiments in granite with a controlled borehole medium in order to investigate the influence of the borehole. In this paper, we estimated the relative amplitude and the group delay of the received signals between the water-filled borehole case and the air-filled borehole case. This paper showed that the estimated amplitude and delay depend on the frequency and that the proposed MoM could predict these frequency dependencies.
Practical lock-freedom

Mutual-exclusion locks are currently the most popular mechanism for interpro-cess synchronisation, largely due to their apparent simplicity and ease of implementation. In the parallel-computing environments that are increasingly commonplace in high-performance applications, this simplicity is deceptive: mutual exclusion does not scale well with large numbers of locks and many concurrent threads of execution. Highly-concurrent access to shared data demands a sophisticated 'fine-grained' locking strategy to avoid serialising non-conflicting operations. Such strategies are hard to design correctly and with good performance because they can harbour problems such as deadlock, priority inversion and convoying. Lock manipulations may also degrade the performance of cache-coherent multiprocessor systems by causing coherency conflicts and increased interconnect traffic, even when the lock protects read-only data. In looking for solutions to these problems, interest has developed in lock-free data structures. By eschewing mutual exclusion it is hoped that more efficient and robust systems can be built. Unfortunately the current reality is that most lock-free algorithms are complex, slow and impractical. In this dissertation I address these concerns by introducing and evaluating practical abstractions and data structures that facilitate the development of large-scale lock-free systems. Firstly, I present an implementation of two useful abstractions that make it easier to develop arbitrary lock-free data structures. Although these abstractions have been described in previous work, my designs are the first that can be practically implemented on current multiprocessor systems. Secondly, I present a suite of novel lock-free search structures. This is interesting not only because of the fundamental importance of searching in computer science and its wide use in real systems, but also because it demonstrates the implementation issues that arise when using the practical abstractions I have developed. Finally, I evaluate each of my designs and compare them with existing lock-based and lock-free alternatives. To ensure the strongest possible competition, several of the lock-based alternatives are significant improvements on the best-known solutions in the literature. These results demonstrate that it is possible to build useful data structures with all the perceived benefits of lock-freedom and with performance better than sophisticated lock-based designs. Furthermore, and contrary to popular belief, this work shows that existing hardware primi-tives are sufficient to build practical lock-free implementations of complex data structures.
Evidence of Active Pro-Fibrotic Response in Blood of Patients with Cirrhosis

The role of systemic immunity in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis is not fully understood. Analysis of transcriptomic profiles in blood is an easy approach to obtain a wide picture of immune response at the systemic level. We studied gene expression profiles in blood from thirty cirrhotic patients and compared them against those of eight healthy volunteers. Most of our patients were male [n = 21, 70%] in their middle ages [57.4 ± 6.8 yr]. Alcohol abuse was the most frequent cause of cirrhosis (n = 22, 73%). Eleven patients had hepatocellular carcinoma (36.7%). Eight patients suffered from hepatitis C virus infection (26.7%). We found a signature constituted by 3402 genes which were differentially expressed in patients compared to controls (2802 over-expressed and 600 under-expressed). Evaluation of this signature evidenced the existence of an active pro-fibrotic transcriptomic program in the cirrhotic patients, involving the [extra-cellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction] & [TGF-beta signaling] pathways along with the [Cell adhesion molecules] pathway. This program coexists with alterations in pathways participating in [Glycine, serine and threonine metabolism], [Phenylalanine metabolism], [Tyrosine metabolism], [ABC transporters], [Purine metabolism], [Arachidonic acid metabolism]. In consequence, our results evidence the co-existence in blood of a genomic program mediating pro-fibrotic mechanisms and metabolic alterations in advanced cirrhosis. Monitoring expression levels of the genes involved in these programs could be of interest for predicting / monitoring cirrhosis evolution. These genes could constitute therapeutic targets in this disease.
Collaborative mental health care versus care as usual in a primary care setting: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE This study compared the effectiveness of treating common mental disorders in a collaborative care program in a primary care setting and the effectiveness of treating such disorders through traditional referral of patients to mental health services. METHODS In a cluster randomized controlled trial, 27 general practitioner practices in the Netherlands were designated to provide either collaborative care or usual care. In the collaborative care condition, a mental health care professional worked on site at the primary care practice and was available to provide patients a maximum of five appointments if they were referred by the general practitioner. If indicated, referral to specialized mental health services followed. In the usual care condition, if indicated, general practitioners would refer patients to off-site specialized mental health services. The study included 165 patients. At baseline and at three, six, and 12 months, the study assessed patients' psychopathology, patients' quality of life, and patients' and general practitioners' satisfaction with the treatment provided. Delay in seeing a mental health provider, duration of treatment, number of appointments, and related treatment costs were assessed at 12 months. The data were analyzed with hierarchical linear models. RESULTS Level of patients' psychopathology and quality of life significantly improved over time, and there were no significant differences between models of care. There was no significant difference in patients' satisfaction with care in either condition. The collaborative care condition resulted in significantly higher satisfaction with services among general practitioners, shorter referral delay, reduced time in treatment, fewer appointments, and consequently lower treatment costs. CONCLUSIONS Collaborative care for a heterogeneous group of persons with common mental disorders seems to be as effective as the usual practice of referral to mental health services for reducing psychopathology, but it is significantly more efficient regarding referral delay, duration of treatment, number of appointments, and related treatment costs.
Site‐specific and ontogenetic variations in nutrition of mussels (Bathymodiolus sp.) from the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field, Mid‐ Atlantic Ridge

Lucky Strike mussels (Bathymodiolus sp.) support two metabolically distinct (methanotrophic and thiotrophic) prokaryotic endosymbionts in their gills. Differences in source inorganic carbon isotope ratios and in carbon fixation pathways between these two symbionts typically result in organic carbon with distinctive δ13C values. Site‐specific differences in isotopic compositions of host mussels may therefore reflect differences in sulfide and methane availability. Large differences in mean carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions were observed in adult mussels collected from two chemically distinct vents at Lucky Strike (Sintra: d13C 5 221.3‰, δ15N 5 –4.5‰; Eiffel Tower: δ13C = –30.7‰, δ15N = –10.5‰). These values are consistent with the hypothesis that Sintra mussels are more dependent on methanotrophy than are Eiffel Tower mussels. Relative abundances of the two types of endosymbionts in mussel gill tissues (Sintra: mean = 15% methanotrophs; Eiffel Tower: mean = 6% methanotrophs) provide further support of this hypothesis, suggesting that Lucky Strike mussels express a nutritional response to environmental variations. Within sites, there were small but significant correlations between isotopic composition and mussel size over the shell lengths of 15–80 mm, but these shifts are so small that they are attributable to factors other than ontogenetic shifts in nutritional strategy. In contrast, large nitrogen isotope differences were observed between larval and adult stages. Based on δ15N values, mussel larvae appear to rely very little on photosynthetically derived organic material. Observations of the demersal nature of mussel larvae and isotopic similarities between Sintra and Eiffel Tower larvae and Sintra adults suggest that the potential of stable isotopes as useful tracers of larval sources within the Lucky Strike vent field should be considered.
Estimating glomerular filtration rates by use of both cystatin C and standardized serum creatinine avoids ethnicity coefficients in Asian patients with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation is most accurate for estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) but requires an adjustment for African-American patients. Estimation equations are also improved with the use of serum cystatin C combined with standardized creatinine. Combination equations have been derived by the CKD-EPI and Chinese investigators. We investigated whether these cystatin C-based equations improve estimation adequately, so that adjustments for ethnicity are not required in a multiethnic Asian population with chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS This was a cross-sectional study of 232 stable CKD patients who underwent GFR measurements using 3-sample plasma clearances of (99m)Tc-DTPA, and for whom serum cystatin C and creatinine were quantified. RESULTS For all patients, the median biases with cystatin C equations were generally greater than with the CKD-EPI equation, and precision and root mean square error (RMSE) were not significantly better. However, the combination serum creatinine and cystatin C equation improved the precision, RMSE, and percentage of estimated GFR to within 15% and 30% of the measured GFR (57.3% vs 50.0%, 88.4% vs 82.8%, respectively). The derived ethnicity coefficients for the combination equation were all >1 (1.009-1.082) but small, suggesting that coefficients are not required. The Chinese-specific equations were more biased and performed more poorly than the CKD-EPI equation. CONCLUSIONS The use of a cystatin C and creatinine combination equation for estimating GFR in a multiethnic Asian population with CKD does not require ethnicity coefficients because the derived coefficients are very close to each other.
In situ Detection of MicroRNAs: The Art of MicroRNA Research in Human Diseases.

Duo Zhang1, Lixin Xie2 and Yang Jin1* 1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA 02115 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28th Fuxing Road, Beijing 100853, PR China *Corresponding author: Yang Jin, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Boston, MA 02115, USA, Tel: 6177324334; E-mail: yjin@rics.bwh. harvard.edu
Models for Minimax Stochastic Linear Optimization Problems with Risk Aversion

We propose a semidefinite optimization (SDP) model for the class of minimax two-stage stochastic linear optimization problems with risk aversion. The distribution of second-stage random variables belongs to a set of multivariate distributions with known first and second moments. For the minimax stochastic problem with random objective, we provide a tight SDP formulation. The problem with random right-hand side is NP-hard in general. In a special case, the problem can be solved in polynomial time. Explicit constructions of the worst-case distributions are provided. Applications in a productiontransportation problem and a single facility minimax distance problem are provided to demonstrate our approach. In our experiments, the performance of minimax solutions is close to that of data-driven solutions under the multivariate normal distribution and better under extremal distributions. The minimax solutions thus guarantee to hedge against these worst possible distributions and provide a natural distribution to stress test stochastic optimization problems under distributional ambiguity.
Effect of mismatching abutments on implants with wider platforms--an experimental study in dogs.

AIM To evaluate the effect of mismatching abutments on implants with a wider platform on the peri-implant hard tissue remodeling and the soft tissue dimensions. MATERIAL AND METHODS Mandibular premolars and first molars of six Labrador dogs were extracted bilaterally. After 3 months of healing, one tapered implant was installed on each side of the mandibular molar region with the implant shoulder placed at the level of the buccal alveolar bony crest. On the right side of the mandible, an abutment of reduced diameter in relation to the platform of the implant was used, creating a mismatch of 0.85 mm (test), whereas an abutment of the same diameter of the implant platform was affixed in the left side of the mandible (control). The flaps were sutured to allow a non-submerged healing. After 4 months, the animals were sacrificed and ground sections were obtained for histometric assessment. RESULTS All implants were completely osseo-integrated. Bone levels were superior at the test than at the control sites. However, statistically significant differences were found only at the buccal and proximal aspects. The soft tissue vertical dimension was higher at the control compared with the test sites. However, statistically significant differences were demonstrated only at the buccal aspects. CONCLUSIONS A mismatch of 0.85 mm between the implant and the abutment yielded more coronal levels of bone-to-implant contact and a reduced height of the peri-implant soft tissue (biologic width), especially at the buccal aspect, if the implant shoulder was placed flush with the level of the buccal alveolar bony crest.
Short web-based guided self-help intervention prevents the onset of a major depressive disorder in adults with subthreshold depression

ABSTRACT FROM: Buntrock C, Ebert DD, Lehr D, et al. Effect of a web-based guided self-help intervention for prevention of major depression in adults with subthreshold depression: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2016;315:1854–63. [OpenUrl][1][PubMed][2] The available treatments can only moderately reduce the enormous burden of disease associated with depression.1 Prevention of the transition from subthreshold depression to a full-blown disorder is therefore highly needed. Offering accessible and affordable preventive interventions at a large scale, such as web-based interventions, could be an indispensable strategy to reduce the global burden of depression. In the study by Buntrock and colleagues, 406 adults with subthreshold depression (Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale score ≥16, but no current major depressive disorder (MDD) according to the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , SCID) were randomly assigned between March 2013 and … [1]: {openurl}? query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.volume%253D315%26rft.spage%253D1854%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F27139058%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=27139058&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmental%2F20%2F1%2Fe4.atom
Corporate social performance, psychologically healthy workplaces and applicant attraction

Organizational recruitment information has become geared towards attracting high quality applicants in recent years (Carless & Imber, 2007; Grawitch, Tares & Kohler 2007). Organizational psychologists have identified psychological health in the workplace as a major concern and area of research. The current study investigated student (N=116) attraction to organizational job advertisements with four levels of recruitment information: one with standard job information, one that included a corporate social performance section, one that included a section on psychologically healthy workplace practices, and one that included both corporate social performance and psychologically healthy workplace information. A repeated-measures MANOVA supported the hypothesis that the fourth condition was most attractive to participants. Other hypotheses investigated individual values with respect to the conditions, but these were not supported. Limitations of the study and ideas for future research are also discussed.
A dual mode substrate integrated waveguide filter with capacitive I/O coupling structure

The basic perturbation theory is discussed in this paper to excite a dual mode rectangular resonator cavity. A two order dual mode filter is designed with the center frequency at 35 GHz. An I/O coupling structure is proposed to improve the skirt performance of the filter. Using the I/O coupling greatly increase the out-of-band rejection by introducing transmission zeros on each side of the passband located at 32.1GHz, 38.5GHz and 43GHz while keep the passband characteristic is almost unchanged.
Strategic Offering for a Wind Power Producer

As a result of subsidies and technological maturity, renewable electricity producers have grown in some jurisdictions to clearly dominant positions in the market. Under this context, we propose an offering strategy for a wind power producer with market power that participates in the day-ahead market as a price-maker, and in the balancing market as a deviator. Uncertainty pertaining to wind power production and balancing market price is represented through a set of correlated scenarios. The proposed model is a stochastic mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) that can be recast as a tractable mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem, which is solvable using available optimization software. Results from an illustrative example and two case studies show the effectiveness of the proposed model.
A Patient-centered Approach to Breaking Bad News: Communication Guidelines for Health Care Providers

This investigation takes a patient-centered approach to examining strategies physicians use to deliver bad news to patients. Qualitative data were obtained from 68 patients who had received a message they perceived as negative information from a health care provider. Through grounded theory methodology, patient accounts were examined to reveal four provider strategies for breaking bad news. This investigation underscores the importance of using effective communication strategies to achieve patient satisfaction and compliance.
PrefWork - A Framework for the User Preference Learning Methods Testing

PrefWork is a framework for testing of methods of induction of user preferences. PrefWork is thoroughly described in this paper. A reader willing to use PrefWork finds here all necessary information sample code, configuration files and results of the testing are presented in the paper. Related approaches for data mining testing are compared to our approach. There is no software available specially for testing of methods for preference learning to our best knowledge.
Evaluating the role of phage-shock protein A in Burkholderia pseudomallei

The phage-shock protein (Psp) response is an extracytoplasmic response system that is vital for maintenance of the cytoplasmic membrane when the cell encounters stressful conditions. The paradigm of the Psp response has been established in Escherichia coli. The response has been shown to be important for survival during the stationary phase, maintenance of the proton motive force across membranes and implicated in virulence. In this study, we identified a putative PspA homologue in Burkholderia pseudomallei, annotated as BPSL2105. Similar to the induction of PspA in E. coli, the expression of B. pseudomallei BPSL2105 was induced by heat shock. Deletion of BPSL2105 resulted in a survival defect in the late stationary phase coincident with dramatic changes in the pH of the culture medium. The B. pseudomallei BPSL2105 deletion mutant also displayed reduced survival in macrophage infection – the first indication that the Psp response plays a role during intracellular pathogenesis in this species. The purified protein formed large oligomeric structures similar to those observed for the PspA protein of E. coli, and PspA homologues in Bacillus, cyanobacteria and higher plants, providing further evidence to support the identification of BPSL2105 as a PspA-like protein in B. pseudomallei.