Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Auditory Mismatch Negativity in Response to Changes of Counter-Balanced Interaural Time and Level Differences

Interaural time differences (ITD) and interaural level differences (ILD) both signal horizontal sound source location. To achieve a unified percept of our acoustic environment, these two cues require integration. In the present study, we tested this integration of ITD and ILD with electroencephalography (EEG) by measuring the mismatch negativity (MMN). The MMN can arise in response to spatial changes and is at least partly generated in auditory cortex. In our study, we aimed at testing for an MMN in response to stimuli with counter-balanced ITD/ILD cues. To this end, we employed a roving oddball paradigm with alternating sound sequences in two types of blocks: (a) lateralized stimuli with congruently combined ITD/ILD cues and (b) midline stimuli created by counter-balanced, incongruently combined ITD/ILD cues. We observed a significant MMN peaking at about 112–128 ms after change onset for the congruent ITD/ILD cues, for both lower (0.5 kHz) and higher carrier frequency (4 kHz). More importantly, we also observed significant MMN peaking at about 129 ms for incongruently combined ITD/ILD cues, but this effect was only detectable in the lower frequency range (0.5 kHz). There were no significant differences of the MMN responses for the two types of cue combinations (congruent/incongruent). These results suggest that—at least in the lower frequency ranges (0.5 kHz)—ITD and ILD are processed independently at the level of the MMN in auditory cortex.
Immunoelectron Study of Pancreatic Carcinomas Using Antibodies to Gastrointestinal Hormones

The aim of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural appearance of pancreatic adenocarcinoma combined with glucagon and gastrin/cholecystokinin (CCK) expression. The authors investigated the ultrastructure and the immunocytochemistry of 12 human pancreatic cancer specimens and used 3 chronic pancreatitis samples and 6 adjacent histological normal pancreatic tissues (away from the tumor) as controls. The ultrastructural study revealed that chronic pancreatitis tissues were characterized by alterations of the secretory cells. The enzymic and secretory changes were confirmed by electron immunogold results. Glucagon appeared to be located not only in islet α cells but also in intermediate α acinar cells. The changes were more significant in adenocarcinoma cases. Abnormality in the immunoreaction of the peptides was indicated not only in the tumor area but also in the islets near the cancer. Cells immunoreactive with antibodies were found in all 12 adenocarcinoma cases. Abnormal co-location of both hormones in the same type of endocrine cell was also found. Moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas were poorly granulated compared with differentiated tumors. Increased and ectopic gastrin/CCK expression was correlated with pancreatic adenocarcinomas exhibiting poor histological grade and neoplastic endocrine cells, providing a potential marker for pancreatic adenocarcinomas with aggressive behavior.
Plasma nicotine concentrations from repeated doses of nasal nicotine solution.

Summary A nasal nicotine solution (NNS) has been proposed as a potential cessation aid for cigarette smokers [1], the principle being similar to that underlying use of nicotine chewing gum, i.e. nicotine replacement following cessation to ease withdrawal symptoms. We conducted a study to determine the plasma nicotine concentrations resulting from eight, hourly administrations of 2 mg NNS. The peak plasma nicotine concentrations rose to an average of 16.3 ng/ml, which is higher than is normally obtained from 2 mg nicotine chewing gum. There was considerable variability in levels obtained from the NNS, with one subject obtaining levels similar to those found in heavy cigarette smokers. The initial doses produced noticeable light headedness in four of the five subjects. Nasal nicotine solution could provide more effective nicotine replacement than nicotine gum.
Strength and mode of failure of unidirectional and bidirectional glass fiber-reinforced composite materials.

PURPOSE The flexural strength of two commercially available dental fiber-reinforced composites (FRC) (glass fiber-reinforced composite material), one unidirectional and the other bidirectional, were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten uniform beams of core materials and ten beams of laminated core materials were fabricated for FibreKor and Vectris Frame. The specimens were subjected to a three-point bending test. Flexural strength for both FRC materials was determined with and without their composite laminations. The strength data were analyzed using the Weibull method. Modes of failure for both systems were determined using SEM. RESULTS The strength of FibreKor was significantly greater than that of Vectris Frame when comparing the core materials with and without their respective composite laminations. Mode of failure of FibreKor was predominantly debonding with fiber fracture. Vectris Frame did not exhibit debonding failure. Mode of failure for Vectris Frame was fiber fracture with delamination and matrix microfracture. CONCLUSION FibreKor, a unidirectional FRC, demonstrated higher flexural strength than Vectris Frame, a bidirectional FRC. Debonding of fibers from the matrix possibly contributed to toughening mechanisms such as crack deflection, fiber pullout, and fiber bridging in FibreKor.
Incomplete Ownership, Rent Dissipation, and the Return to Related Investments

The welfare loss from free access resource use is examined in a general equilibrium model. Actions that intensify competition for the resource, either by lowering the private cost or raising the private benefit of using it, can raise this loss above the rent the resource would earn if owned. Such excess dissipation is illustrated with examples applicable to unowned groundwater. Regulatory policies that fix inputs needed to acquire the resource work by transferring part of the resource's rent to controlled inputs. The resulting welfare effect depends on the elasticity of substitution between, and relative prices of, controlled and uncontrolled inputs. Copyright 1994 by Oxford University Press.
Determination of recruitment and transition strategies

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the development and application of a manpower planning system for the Slovenian armed forces using a system approach, system dynamics (SD) and numerical optimization.Design/methodology/approach – The model of the hierarchical manpower system was developed by SD methodology and formulated in discrete time space. The problem of tracking the goal trajectories in the eight topmost ranks at the prescribed boundaries was solved by application of the quadratic performance index and finite automata (FA) which was used for classification of acceptable strategies. Genetic algorithms (GA) as well as pattern search were compared at the numeric optimization.Findings – Employing SD and a system approach increases the understanding of the system control. The definition of an optimum strategy, which would consider only target values for ranks within prescribed parameter boundaries, could provide an undesired oscillatory solution. Inclusion of rules by FA to determine acceptable strat.
Controller design for T-S fuzzy singularly perturbed switched systems

This paper investigates the problem of fuzzy controller design for a class of Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy singularly perturbed switched systems. By using the average dwell time approach together with the piecewise Lyapunov function technique, a set of well-conditioned sufficient conditions for the existence of controller is proposed, under which the overall switched closed-loop system is asymptotically stable. A state feedback controller depending on the singular perturbation parameter ε, which is shown to work well for all ε ∈ (0, ε0), where ε0 is the stability bound of singularly perturbed systems, is developed. In addition, when ε is sufficiently small, the ε-dependent controller can be reduced to an ε-independent one. Then, an ε-independent state feedback stabilization controller design method is proposed in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Furthermore, under the controller, the stability bound estimation problem of the overall switched closed-loop system is solved. Finally, an inverted pendulum system is used to show the feasibility and effectiveness of the obtained results.
A new extraction method of SiC power MOSFET threshold voltage using a physical approach

The threshold voltage Vth is an important device parameter for the design, characterization, modeling and simulation of Silicon Carbide (SiC) Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs), which are exploited in the new generation of energy conversion systems. The reduction of the threshold voltage increases the performance in terms of switching time for the power inverter. The study of the evolution of its value over time must be considered by the designers of the systems. In this paper, we propose a method to extract the parameter Vth based on a physical approach, involving the static I-V measurements and the use of the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization algorithm. We focus our studies on the physical definition of the threshold voltage, then we develop a new procedure and we describe four extraction methods often used to obtain the accurate values of threshold voltage. The study is carried out on commercial components, we compare the threshold voltage values found from the measurements performed on a power SiC-MOSFETs for two generations of CREE constructor.
Ezrin as a prognostic indicator and its relationship to tumor characteristics in uveal malignant melanoma.

PURPOSE Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate whether uveal malignant melanoma expresses ezrin, a protein involved in cell migration and cell recognition by acting as a linker between the plasma membrane and actin cytoskeleton. Also investigated was whether ezrin immunoreactivity correlates with survival prognosis. METHODS A monoclonal antibody, 3C12, that reacts with the carboxyl-terminal part of ezrin was used in retrospective analysis of a population-based cohort of 167 consecutive choroidal and ciliary body melanomas in eyes enucleated from 1972 through 1981, with a median follow-up of 22 years. RESULTS Ezrin immunoreactivity in tumor cells was graded negative in 47 (36%) melanomas, positive in 74 (57%), and strongly positive in 9 (7%). The immunoreactivity tended to be homogenous throughout the tumor, with focal concentrations along the cell surface. Positive reaction was significantly associated with high microvascular density (P < 0.001) and presence of macrophages (P < 0.001), but not with tumor size, cell type, or microvascular loops and networks. The 10-year melanoma-specific survival was significantly associated with ezrin immunoreactivity (P = 0.018). After adjustment by Cox regression for tumor size, cell type, microvascular loops and networks, and microvascular density, a clinically meaningful 0.15 difference in 10-year melanoma-specific survival persisted. CONCLUSIONS The presence of ezrin immunoreactivity in uveal malignant melanoma is associated with higher mortality and with two independent high-risk characteristics: microvascular density and number of infiltrating macrophages. Further experimental studies on the interrelationship of these three factors may shed light on the progression of uveal melanoma and perhaps that of other cancers.
A digital watermark for images using the wavelet transform

The digital watermark technology is now drawing the attention as a new method of protecting copyrights for digital contents such as audio, image and video. It is realized by embedding information data about the copyright owner with an imperceptible form for human audio/visual systems. We present in this paper a method of digital watermark for image signals based on the discrete wavelet transform (DWT). In this method, information data can be embedded in the lowest frequency components of image signals by using a controlled quantization process. The data are then extracted by using both the quantization step-size and the mean amplitude of the lowest frequency components without access to the original image. Numerical experiments show that the proposed method provides a high-quality watermarked image and is robust against common signal processings such as JPEG compression, wavelet coding, additive noise, smoothing, reduction of grayscale level and scaling.
The articulation of social capital in entrepreneurial networks: a glue or a lubricant?

While social capital has been applied in a variety of contexts, the nature, role and application of social capital in an entrepreneurial context have not been extensively explored. The nature of social capital presents a conceptual puzzle in that it is said to be both glue, which forms the structure of networks, and at the same time a lubricant that facilitates the operation of networks. Using techniques of participant observation and interviews, this paper attempts to resolve this enigma. It finds that social capital is not a thing, but a process that creates a condition of social capital. The structural and relational aspects are found to be dimensions of this process. Interestingly, the data also demonstrates that there are successful etiquettes of social capital formation. These etiquettes provide the rules and framework for the interactions.
[Self-perceived health and clinical characteristics in young adult students from the Brazilian northeast].

OBJECTIVE To analyze the association between socioeconomic situation, clinical characteristics referred and the family history of cardiovascular disease, with the Self-perceived health of young adults education and their implications for clinical characteristics observed. METHOD Analytical study conducted with 501 young adults who are students in countryside city in the Brazilian Northeast. We used binary logistic regression. RESULTS The final model explained 83.3% of the self-perceived positive health, confirming the association of Self-perceived health with male, residence in the community, have excellent/very good lifestyle and does not have or do not know that there are cases of stroke in the family. CONCLUSION Health perception was often optimistic, being important to identify devices to be worked closer to their perception of their actual health condition, increasing the effectiveness of health promotion activities undertaken by professionals.
The effect of herbal medications on thyroid hormone economy and estrogen-sensitive hepatic proteins in a patient with prostate cancer.

N onprescription drugs such as PC-SPES (Botanic Lab) (PC, abbreviation for prostate cancer; SPES, Latin for hope)—an herbal therapy for prostate cancer—are part of the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approach to health. PC-SPES was removed from the US market in 2002 owing to contamination with indomethacin, diethylstilbestrol, and warfarin. Yet it and similar preparations remain widely used because they are available online. Their clinical effect on nonprostatic, hormonally responsive systems has not been studied.
Theoretical foundation of passive bistatic ISAR imaging

Passive bistatic inverse synthetic aperture radar (PB-ISAR) has been recently introduced to add an important capability to passive coherent location (PCL) systems. Although evidence of such capability has been provided, a theoretical background that supports such findings is needed to fully comprehend PB-ISAR imaging. This paper provides a full theoretical basis for PB-ISAR including a performance analysis in terms of spatial resolution. Examples with real data are also provided as case studies.
THE INVESTMENT DECISION OF THE FIRM UNDER UNCERTAINTY AND THE ALLOCATIVE EFFICIENCY OF CAPITAL MARKETS

FISHER (9) DEMONSTRATED that in a perfect capital market under certainty the optimal investment decision is to maximize the market value net of input. Value maximizing decisions are unanamimously preferred by the owners of the firm and imply a Pareto optimal allocation of resources. Debreu (3) and Arrow (1) generalized Fisher's results to complete and perfect markets under uncertainty. Sharpe (24), Lintner (16), Mossin (19) and Fama (7) developed the capital asset pricing model, and investment criteria for value maximizing firms in capital markets satisfying the assumptions of the capital asset pricing model were derived by Lintner (16), Tuttle and Litzenberger (26), Mossin (20) and Hamada (10). Recently, however, the optimality of value maximizing decisions outside perfect and complete markets, that is, outside the worlds of Fisher, Debreu and Arrow, has been questioned in a number of papers, including Stiglitz (25), Jensen and Long (12), Fama (8), Wilson (29), Ekern (5), Ekern and Wilson (6), Leland (14), and King (13). They argue that value maximizing decisions are not Pareto optimal. Furthermore it is argued that value maximizing decisions are not preferred by the owners of the firm. Instead there exist decisions different from value maximization that are unanimously preferred by all owners of the firm. In addition there are natural incentives for management to make the decisions unanimously preferred. This paper is addressed the question of whether value maximizing decisions are optimal decisions or whether there exist decisions different from value maximization that are unanimously preferred. Though many different explanations are provided for the purported non-optimality of value maximizing decisions' it is our
I'm Not a High-Quality Firm -- But I Play One on TV

This article investigates the role of noise in a multidimensional signalling game. A monopolist that offers a high- or low-quality product can signal its quality to consumers through its selection of price and advertising. It is shown that when the advertising channel is noisy there is no separating equilibrium where the monopolist will simultaneously employ both signalling mechanisms. Advertising will take place only when price is uncorrelated to quality. Furthermore, the noise complicates the process of consumer inference. This enables a low-quality firm to take advantage of consumer ignorance by partially mimicking the strategy of the high-quality firm.
A Comparison of Stroke Risk Factors Between Men and Women with Disabilities

&NA; There are many adults with disabilities currently in the United States, yet little is known about how gender differences affect stroke risk factors in this population. This article presents a descriptive study that was designed to determine whether males and females living with disabilities differ in self‐reported rates of stroke risk factors. Data were collected at conferences and meetings targeted for people living with disabilities. There were 146 participants; 54% were female; and the mean age was 58 years. The primary instrument was the Stroke Risk Screening tool. Stroke risk factors that differed significantly by gender include the incidence of hypertension (48% of men versus 32% of women), current smoking (30% men versus 4% women), history of heart disease (13% men versus 1% women), daily consumption of alcohol (10% men versus 1% women), and use of illicit drugs (10% men versus 0% women). Rehabilitation nurses should focus on earlier assessment of stroke risk factors and appropriate interventions, especially with men living with disabilities.
The zone of tolerance

Briefly reviews some of the literature on service quality and in particular the zone of tolerance – the zone of acceptable or expected outcomes in a service experience. Uses the zone of tolerance to explore the relationships between customers′ satisfaction with individual transactions, or service encounters, and their satisfaction with the overall service. Provides nine propositions which identify how customers′ perceptions of the quality of a service can be influenced and how the thresholds of the zone of tolerance can be adjusted during the process of service delivery. Also considers some of the design implications of the propositions.
Insights into H2 formation in space from ab initio molecular dynamics

Hydrogen formation is a key process for the physics and the chemistry of interstellar clouds. Molecular hydrogen is believed to form on the carbonaceous surface of dust grains, and several mechanisms have been invoked to explain its abundance in different regions of space, from cold interstellar clouds to warm photon-dominated regions. Here, we investigate direct (Eley–Rideal) recombination including lattice dynamics, surface corrugation, and competing H-dimers formation by means of ab initio molecular dynamics. We find that Eley–Rideal reaction dominates at energies relevant for the interstellar medium and alone may explain observations if the possibility of facile sticking at special sites (edges, point defects, etc.) on the surface of the dust grains is taken into account.
The yield curve as a predictor of future economic activity

The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether the yield curve has the ability to predict real future economic activity in sixteen separate countries. The secondary purpose is to determine whether adding non-monetary variables to the model increases the predictive power of the forecast model. As a first step, basic OLS regressions are conducted. Both the yield spreads and the yield spread combined with non-monetary variables ability to predict future real GDP growth is measured. As a second approach, probit models are estimated measuring the ability of the yield spread to forecast the probability of a future above trend real GDP. Forecast horizons ranging from one to twenty quarters ahead are used. The study finds that the yield curve holds strong significant predictive power of forecasting future GDP growth in the cases of Australia, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and USA. For all these countries, the yield spread is found to be a significant predictor of future real GDP growth during at least six of the eleven investigated forecast horizons. In all cases, an increase of the yield spread is found to predict an increase in real GDP growth. It is also found that the models may be enhanced by adding the unemployment rate and stock index variables as independent variables. Although these variables, in many cases show significant predictive power, including them in the model should be done with caution since they often only provide a negligible increase of the explanatory power (as measured by adjusted R2) of the models.
Decision Support with Big Data: A Case Study in the Hospitality Industry

The term ‘big data’ is u sed to describe data that are beyond the capabilities of an organization to store, analyze and use for accurate and timely decision making. They have alternately been described in terms of characteristics of volume, velocity, variety, veracity. We propose another characteristic of volatility for big data that should be considered in their use for decision making. We utilize a case study approach with a mid-sized company in the hospitality industry to elucidate challenges that an organization faces in developing a big data strategy and highlight research needed in this domain. Challenges identified were technical (inconsistent and unstandardized data, implementation and use of new analytics platforms, obtaining a global view of data, visualization of data, integrating mobile data), organizational (finding people with the right skills, users’ desire for customization), and strategic management (finding return on investment in big data, alignment of business and analytics strategies, leadership of analytics initiatives and thought). Decision questions to be addressed in using big data for a marketing decision are illustrated. We demonstrate the use of the decision framework and illustrate challenges identified in the case study with sentiment analysis of Twitter data.