Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Processes of AM-PM Distortion in Large-Signal Single-FET Amplifiers

Using an appropriate formulation of field-effect transistor (FET) current as a nonlinear function of terminal voltages, and a simplified model of gain compression in common source amplifiers, we are able to identify four principal sources of amplitude-to-phase (AM-PM) distortion. A new analysis shows the varactor effect of gate-source capacitance on AM-PM distortion, and the changing Miller-multiplied gate-drain capacitance as the field-effect transistor (FET) is driven into compression. The phase shift in the load impedance at the frequency of operation and incomplete suppression of 2nd harmonic by a resonant load of limited Q are explained and analyzed. We are able to identify the dominant mechanism of AM-PM distortion in various practical circuits, which then suggests methods of remediation. The analysis was put to test by predicting the measured AM-PM distortion of power amplifiers reported in the literature. Good agreement is found in all cases, with insights gained into the dominant cause of distortion in each case.
Color image compression using combined VQ algorithms

In this paper, two VQ algorithms are introduced: (1) VQ with a fast clustering algorithm (VQ-FCA) that can be implemented for codebook production, and (2) VQ with a partially reordered codebook (VQ-PRCB), that extracts the correlation between adjacent VQ indices. Based on these algorithms, two schemes are proposed: (1) 2D VQ, and (2) combined 3D VQ schemes. Experimental results are compared with other algorithms to show its advantages.
Information flow control for Java: a comprehensive approach based on path conditions in dependence graphs

Information flow control (IFC) is a technique to assert the security of a given program with respect to a given security policy. The classical policy noninterference requires that public output of a program may not be influenced from secret input. This work leverages a technique called program slicing, which is closely connected to IFC and offers many dimensions for improving analysis precision, the most powerful are Path Conditions. Our evaluation shows scalability with a low annotation burden.
Supplier Selection Using Multi‐objective Programming: A Decision Support System Approach

Explores the use of a multi‐objective programming approach as a method for supplier selection in a just‐in‐time (JIT) setting. Based on a case study, develops a model of JIT supplier selection which allows for simultaneous trade‐offs of price, delivery and quality criteria. The analysis occurs in a decision support system environment. A multi‐objective programming decision support system is seen as advantageous because such an environment allows for judgement in decision making while simultaneously trading off key supplier selection criteria. An additional flexibility of this model is that it allows a varying number of suppliers into the solution, and provides suggested volume allocation by supplier.
DEVELOPING AN ECONOMETRIC MODEL FOR MEASURING THE EVOLUTION OF INFORMATION DISCLOSURE - IAS 23 BORROWING COSTS -

According to the disclosure requests of IAS 23 Borrowing Costs, companies areto include the following elements within their annual reports: accounting policies adopted bythe firms, value of capitalization for borrowing costs and capitalization rate. This paperinvolves an empirical research, presenting the correlation that might exist at the level ofcompliance with IAS 23 and specific variables that characterize the activity of a company.The purpose of our investigation is to estimate and determine a statistic function that shouldconnect disclosure index measured for IAS 23 requests and a series of elements, namely:country of origin, total assets, turnover, ROA, ROE, debt rate and solvency. The researchmethodology assumes disclosure index determination and SPSS analysis. The findings suggestevidence of correlation with respect to the level of compliance in information disclosure andthe mentioned variables.
Is e-marketing coming of age? An examination of the penetration of e-marketing and firm performance

While the recent international surveys conducted by Barwise and Farley (2005) have led them to claim that e-Marketing (eM) is “starting to come of age,”rdquo; there has been little empirical research about eM's actual impact on marketing practice and performance. We investigate this underresearched area using survey data from U.S. firms collected in 2002 (n = 212) and 2005 (n = 139). Our results confirm Barwise and Farley's finding that there has been an increase in the penetration of eM. We also show that the adoption of eM is positively associated with performance, which supports Day and Bens (2005) contention that firms adopting eM are likely to have competitive advantage. The success of eM largely comes from the support and enhancement of existing marketing practices, so the “coming of age” of eM is, to a large extent, a consequence of its integration with other marketing practices.
Evolutionary dynamics of HBV‐D7 subgenotype in Tunisia

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the main cause of diseases liver related infecting more than 200 milion persons worldwide. HBV infection shows high level of prevalence in South‐East Europe and in Mediterranean basin. In Tunisia, a country with an intermediate level endemicity, HbsAg prevalence ranges from 2 to 5%. Most of the HBV isolates from Tunisia were classified as subgenotype D7 whose circulation is restricted to a specific area of North Africa including Maghreb region. In this paper, the phylogeny of HBV‐D7 isolated from 38 Tunisian patients was investigated by analyzing the S gene region of HBV. A Bayesian coalescent‐based framework was used to estimate the origin of the HBV‐D7 in the country. The Tunisian D7 isolates were found to share a common ancestor whose origin was traced back to 1958. Population dynamics indicated that HBV‐D7 epidemic in Tunisia grew exponentially from 1960s to 1990s. After that, the curve reached a plateau around the years 2000 likely due to the implementation of the infant vaccination program in 1996. Epidemiological data suggested that the exponential growth phase was likely sustained by intra‐familial transmission events occurring during infancy. Further characterization of HBV‐D7 isolates should be performed to evaluate, in the post‐vaccination era, the emergence of new transmission routes, and to monitor the efficacy of the vaccination program. J. Med. Virol. 89:469–475, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi inIxodes ricinus Ticks in Urban Recreational Areas of Helsinki

ABSTRACT Lyme borreliosis, an infection caused by the tick-borne spirocheteBorrelia burgdorferi, is a major health problem for populations in areas of endemicity in the Northern Hemisphere. In the present study we assessed the density of ticks and the prevalence ofB. burgdorferi sensu lato among ticks in popular urban recreational areas of Helsinki, Finland. Altogether 1,688 Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from five areas located within 5 km of the downtown section of Helsinki, and 726 of them (303 nymphs, 189 females, and 234 males) were randomly chosen for laboratory analysis. The midguts of the ticks were divided into three pieces, one for dark-field microscopy, one for cultivation in BSK-II medium, and one for PCR analysis. Ticks were found in all the study areas; their densities varied from 1 to 36 per 100 m along which a cloth was dragged. The rate of tick infection with B. burgdorferi sensu lato varied from 19 to 55%, with the average being 32%. Borellia afzelii was the most predominant genospecies in all the areas, and no B. burgdorferi sensu stricto isolates were detected. Only two ticks were concurrently infected with both B. afzelii and Borrelia garinii. Dark-field microscopy gave more positive results for B. burgdorferi than did cultivation or PCR analysis. However, the agreement between all three methods was fairly good. We conclude that Lyme borreliosis can be contracted even in urban environments not populated with large mammals like deer or elk. The disease should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of certain symptoms of patients from these areas, and the use of measures to improve the awareness of the general population and health care officials of the risk of contracting the disease is warranted.
Update of the epidemiology of Kawasaki disease in Japan--from the results of 1993-94 nationwide survey.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this article is to describe the epidemiologic pictures of Kawasaki disease(KD) in Japan during the 2-year period of 1993 and 1994 based on the data obtained by the thirteenth nationwide epidemiologic survey of KD which was conducted by the Japan Kawasaki Disease Research Committee. METHODS A survey form and diagnostic criteria of KD were sent to all hospital pediatric departments (2,640) throughout Japan with 100 or more beds. The patients to be reported in this surveys were all the incident KD cases who satisfied the diagnostic criteria. RESULTS (1) A total of 1,730 (65.5%) hospitals responded, reporting 11,458(5,389 in 1993 and 6,069 in 1994; 6,729 males and 4,729 females; male/female ratio = 1.42) with an incidence rate of 95.1 per 100,000 children of age < 5 years. (2) The monthly number of patients was higher in winter and summer, although the monthly difference was not marked. (3) Age specific incidence rates showed a uni-modal peak at one year of age. (4) The proportion of patients with family history of KD in sibling was 1%. (5) The proportion of recurrent patients was 3%. (6) The proportion of patients with cardiac sequelae in one month after disease onset was 13%. (7) Number of fatal patients reported was 9, which conforms to 0.08% of total patients.
Visualizing protein interactions involved in the formation of the 42S RNP storage particle of Xenopus oocytes

Background information. During early phases of Xenopus oogenesis, 5S rRNA and tRNAs are stored in the cytoplasm of young oocytes in the form of a common RNA—protein complex termed the 42S particle. These storage particles comprise two kinds of proteins with different RNA binding specificities. The tRNA‐binding protein 42Sp50 belongs to the EF1A (eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A) family of translation elongation factors, while 42Sp43 is a diverged form of the transcription factor TFIIIA (transcription factor IIIA) and binds 5S rRNA. Little is known about the mode of protein—protein interactions that stabilize the 42S particle.
Detailed carbon chemistry in charcoals from pre‐European Māori gardens of New Zealand as a tool for understanding biochar stability in soils

The stability of biochar, a form of charcoal intentionally made to be added to soil to sequester carbon (C) and improve its function, remains unclear. As it is not feasible to perform long‐term (decades, centuries) laboratory experiments to assess biochar evolution after soil amendment, the study of ancient archaeological charcoals can help to identify characteristics (and possibly molecular markers) associated with the decomposition and preservation dynamics of biochar in specific pedoclimatic environments. In this study, the chemical composition of the organic carbon fractions of three charcoals from pre‐European Māori gardens of New Zealand (buried > 25 cm depth) was thoroughly assessed. Complementary short‐term incubations of charcoals in sand were used to (i) evaluate the stability of C in the short‐medium term, (ii) model its mineralization processes and (iii) estimate the C turnover. Elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TG), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), solid‐state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (Py‐GC‐MS) gave consistent results in describing the charring intensity and the degree of polycondensation of these charcoals. The oldest buried deposit (770 ± 50 years BP) still retained un‐charred or weakly charred lignocellulosic material, indicating that such material survived decomposition processes for several centuries. The amount of organic C mineralized in 109 days was < 0.5% of the initial charcoal‐C. No differences in MRT among samples were detected in spite of inferred differences in thermal impact. Longer‐term incubations are needed to obtain better estimates of C turnover rates in charred material.
Interpreting the Impact of Perceived Privacy and Security Concerns in Patients' Use of Online Health Information Systems

Abstract In this paper the authors examine the various models in the medical domain and the communities that proliferate around these web models. Given that several of these business models have failed, while others continue to exist, it is argued that the key is to understand the individual consumer motivators and inhibitors for such knowledge. In this paper the authors systematically develop a theoretical model to understand such motivators and inhibitors of individuals' obtaining health related information online. The focus of this study is the manner in which individual consumers' use online sources to obtain health and other related medical information.
Ceramide as a TLR4 agonist; a putative signalling intermediate between sphingolipid receptors for microbial ligands and TLR4

Mucosal Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) respond to pathogens, but remain inert to the indigenous flora, suggesting that the TLRs can receive pathogen‐specific signals. For example, TLR4 signalling is activated in CD14‐negative epithelial cells by P‐fimbriated, uropathogenic Escherichia coli, but not by lipopolysaccharide. The fimbriae use glycosphingolipids as recognition receptors and there is release of ceramide, which is the membrane‐anchoring domain of the receptors. In this study, ceramide was identified as a TLR4 agonist and as a putative signalling intermediate between the glycosphingolipid recognition receptors and TLR4. Exogenous ceramide activated a TLR4‐dependent epithelial cell response, as shown by exposing stably transfected TLR4‐positive or ‐negative human embryonal kidney cells to C2 and C6 ceramide. A similar, TLR4‐dependent response occurred after deliberate release of endogenous long‐chained ceramide with sphingomyelinase. Microbial ligands with glycosphingolipid specificity (P fimbriae or the B subunit of Shiga toxin) were shown to increase the levels of ceramide and to trigger a TLR4‐dependent response in epithelial cells. The results show that ceramide activates TLR4 signalling and suggest that this mechanism might allow pathogens to elicit mucosal TLR4 responses by perturbing sphingolipid receptors for virulence ligands like P fimbriae.
The determination of the total flavonoids by UV and a flavone glycoside by HPLC in Torreya grandis Fort Leaves

A UV method was established to determination the total flavonoids in extractive solution from Torreya grandis Fort, leaves, and a RP-HPLC method was developed and validated to quantify 4', 5, 7-Trihydroxyflavone- 5- O- [alpha- L- Rhamno-pyranosyl- (1rarr4)- 6- O- acetyl- beta- D- glucopyranoside] (FRG). The dried leaf samples were extracted using methanol. The extracts were directly analyzed, without any purification, on a reversed-phase ODS column (250 mm times 4.6 mm, 5mum) with acetonitrile-phosphate aqueous (pH 3.8) isocratic elution and the detection was carried out by UV at 330 nm. The UV method showed excellent linearity, precision and accuracy. The standard curve for total flavonoids was linear over the range of 4-18 mug-m-1 (R2 = 0.9995). The HPLC method was validated for linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection and quantification. The standard curve for FRG was linear over the range of 0.39 mug - 3.53 mug (R2 = 0.9998). This method showed excellent repeatability (relative standard deviation, R.S.D. < 2.0%), precision(R.S.D. = 1.4%) and accuracy(102.27; R.S.D. = 1.02%). The limits of detection (LOD) of FRG, based on a detector signal-to-noise ratio of 3, were 0.065 mg ml-1 and the lowest levels tested in Torreya grandis Fort, leaves by this procedure (limit of quantification, LOQ) were 0.196 mg m-1.This assay can be readily utilized as quality controlled method for Torreya grandis Fort preparations.
How IFRS Affects Value Relevance and Key Financial Indicators? Evidence from the UK

This paper has two contributions to the International Financial Reporting Stands (IFRS) adoption literature. First is the scrutinizing impact of IFRS adoption on value relevance in the UK with TEST-A analysis under the H01 hypothesis. The second contribution is capturing the impact of IFRS adoption on key financial indicators of firms with the TEST-B analysis that hypothesizes H02. The statistical differences of items of two different reporting standards are examined with non-parametric tests as all input variables failed the Shapiro-Wilk and Lilliefors normality tests in TEST-A. The finding rejects the H01 hypothesis for BvMv, and agrees that IFRS has impact on value relevance. Besides, Ohlson’s (1995) model documents that the coefficient of dummy variable (MODE) is positive. Therefore, the analysis concludes that IFRS has positive impact on value relevance. The aftermath of TEST-B rejects the H02 hypothesis for all profitability ratios (ROE, ROCE, ROA, PM) and gearing ratios (GR). It concludes that profitability and gearing ratios are affected by IFRS adoption, whereas efficiency-liquidity ratios are not. Also, in Forward Stepwise regression analysis only ROCE, ROA, and PM ratios show significant results. The analysis documents positive and significant impact of IFRS on these three ratios.
The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Self-Reported Physical Functioning in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Chronic Heart Failure

In this study, the authors investigated whether self-reported physical functioning of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic systolic heart failure (CHF) was primarily explained by illness-specific differences related to diagnosis or whether more generic factors also contributed to their physical functioning. Consecutive patients with COPD (n = 56; mean age = 67.8, SD = 8.5) and CHF (n = 65; mean age = 60.0, SD = 10.2) from the outpatient clinics of a university hospital and a general hospital completed a self-report questionnaire, including the Rand-36 Health Survey, Cantril's ladder the Mastery scale, the Perceived Health Competence Scale, and the Self-efficacy scale. COPD patients scored significantly worse in self-reported physical and psychological functioning and perceived health competence than did patients with CHF. Regression analysis revealed that both the diagnosis and the illness severity contributed to self-reported physical functioning, although self-efficacy explained the main part of physical functioning. Therefore, important aims in the treatment of patients with COPD and CHF should be not only improving physical functioning but also enhancing self-efficacy.
Predicting Mobile Advertising Response Using Consumer Colocation Networks

Building on results from economics and consumer behavior, the authors theorize that consumers’ movement patterns are informative of their product preferences, and this study proposes that marketers monetize this information using dynamic networks that capture colocation events (when consumers appear at the same place at approximately the same time). To support this theory, the authors study mobile advertising response in a panel of 217 subscribers. The data set spans three months during which participants were sent mobile coupons from retailers in various product categories through a smartphone application. The data contain coupon conversions, demographic and psychographic information, and information on the hourly GPS location of participants and on their social ties in the form of referrals. The authors find a significant positive relationship between colocated consumers’ response to coupons in the same product category. In addition, they show that incorporating consumers’ location information can increase the accuracy of predicting the most likely conversions by 19%. These findings have important practical implications for marketers engaging in the fast-growing location-based mobile advertising industry.
etermination of the optical properties of turbid media y measurements of the spatially resolved eflectance considering the point-spread function f the camera system

arco Pilz ibylle Honold lwin Kienle nstitut für Lasertechnologien in der Medizin und Meßtechnik an der Universität Ulm elmholtzstraße 12 9081 Ulm, Germany Abstract. The radial dependence of the diffuse reflectance from a turbid medium that is due to a point source is basically influenced by the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients. A system consisting of a HeNe laser source and a CCD camera is described for making remote measurements of the spatially resolved diffuse reflectance. Liquid tissue phantoms were made of Intralipid and trypan blue to validate the experimental setup. We show that for the correct determination of the optical properties of the tissue phantoms, the point-spread function PSF of the camera system has to be considered. Convolving the PSF with a solution of the diffusion equation, the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of the tissue phantoms could be determined with an average error of 8% in the absorption coefficient and 4% in the reduced scattering coefficient, whereas without convolution, the errors were considerably larger, especially for large optical parameters. © 2008 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. DOI: 10.1117/1.2983675
Synergies in mergers and acquisitions: A critical review and synthesis of the leading valuation practices

Research demonstrates that mergers and acquisitions (M&As) of business entities may create synergies – Igor Ansoff’s “2 + 2 = 5 effect” – but, crucially, that this is by no means guaranteed. Studies further show that in successful cases, synergies frequently accrue to the target company’s shareholders only, principally as a result of the payment of outsized M&A premiums by the acquirer. Remarkably, payment of these premiums is often justified by a mere notion of synergy. These factors, together with a void in the literature, and the significant amounts invested in M&As, create a critical need for a comprehensive description of superior ways of valuing M&A synergies before committing to a transaction. This study aims to make a contribution in this regard by classifying certain practices as leading valuation practices by means of a critical literature review, and by synthesising these into the following logical groupings: (1) practices part of the overall M&A process, affecting synergy valuation; (2) practices with a universal application in valuing M&A synergy; and (3) valuation practices linked to specific origins of synergy. The origins of synergy explored in this study include: scale economies; economies of scope; managerial efficiencies; economies of the capital market; economies in innovative activity; and other more contentious origins, including tax savings, and market power. Certain valuation practices are also recommended, where appropriate. Research in this area is relevant because any enhancement in the accuracy of M&A synergy valuation ex ante should improve the selection of worthwhile M&A targets. Better choices in this area may then represent a positive step towards sustainable business practice.