Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategic Alliance Outcomes: A Transaction-Cost Economics Perspective

Empirical research on strategic alliances has been limited because previous studies examined alliance outcomes, and the factors associated with them, from a single partner in a manufacturing alliance. Furthermore, many of these studies have been done from a transaction cost perspective and researchers have inferred opportunistic behavior, rather than directly measuring it and observing its actual relationship with alliance performance. Building on previous transaction cost theory and research, this study seeks to address these gaps by analyzing factors associated with both opportunistic behavior and alliance performance within a major service sector, namely the US healthcare industry. After controlling for asset specificity and alliance age, we found that partner trustworthiness and contractual safeguards were negatively related to opportunistic behavior. Furthermore, opportunistic behavior was negatively related to alliance performance, as hypothesized. Interestingly, mutual equity investments were found to be unrelated to opportunistic behavior, counter to transaction-cost logic. These findings refine and extend the transaction-cost economics perspective regarding our understanding of strategic alliance behavior and outcomes, and offer executives in service-based industries some practical ideas for assuring favorable strategic alliance outcomes.
[Incidence of hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy].

BACKGROUND Postoperative hypocalcemia is one of the most common complications of thyroid surgery. It is related to the type of disease (malignant or benign), the number of identified parathyroid glands during the surgical procedure, and the surgeon's experience. Total thyroidectomy is the procedure of choice in our hospital for benign and malignant thyroid disease, but it can increase the incidence of complications. AIM To evaluate the incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia in patients subjected to a total thyroidectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Two studies were performed. A retrospective review of medical records of 448 patients subjected to total thyroidectomy, looking for serum calcium levels of less than 8 mg/dl and clinical signs of hypocalcemia. In a second study, 45 patients were followed with measurements of preoperative and postoperative serum calcium levels. RESULTS In the retrospective study, only 136 records had reliable information. Clinical signs of hypocalcemia were registered in 14% of patients and a low serum calcium level was detected in 50%. In the prospective study, 42% of patients had a postoperative low serum calcium level and seven patients (15%) had symptoms. Patients were handled with oral calcium and calcitriol in some cases. Ninety nine percent of patients had normal serum calcium levels two moths after surgery. CONCLUSIONS In this series, the rate of postoperative hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy is similar to international reports.
Non-neuronal regulation and repertoire of cholinergic receptors in organs

Abstract Many studies on the cholinergic pathway have indicated that cholinergic receptors, which are widely expressed in various cells, play an important role in all body organs. In this review, we present the concept that cholinergic responses are regulated through a neuronal or non-neuronal mechanism. The neuronal mechanism is a system in which acetylcholine binds to cholinergic receptors on target cells through the nerves. In the non-neuronal mechanism, acetylcholine, produced by neighboring cells in an autocrine/paracrine manner, binds to cholinergic receptors on target cells. Both mechanisms subsequently lead to physiological and pathophysiological responses. We also investigated the subunits/subtypes of cholinergic receptors on target cells, physiological and pathophysiological responses of the organs via cholinergic receptors, and extracellular factors that alter the subtypes/subunits of cholinergic receptors. Collectively, this concept will elucidate how cholinergic responses occur and will help us conduct further experiments to develop new therapeutic agents.
2-Ammonio-3-(4-nitrophenyl)propanoate monohydrate

The title compound, C9H10N2O4·H2O, exists as a zwitterion with a deprotonated carboxyl group and a protonated amine group. The crystal packing is stabilized by intermolecular N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, building sheets parallel to the (001) plane.
Molecular typing of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli from chickens and patients with gastritis or Guillain‐Barré syndrome based on multilocus sequence types and pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis patterns

Campylobacter jejuni has recently been noted as the most common cause of bacterial foodborne diseases in Japan. In the present study, we determined ST types of C. jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from chickens and patients with enteritis or GBS in Japan and Thailand. C. jejuni from chickens, enteritis, and GBS exhibited divergent ST types and included several novel types in addition to worldwide common types. C. coli from enteritis was also divergent. Novel ST types may represent unidentified native clones in each country. Pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis confirmed the above typing and demonstrated long‐term persistence and transmission.
SAR analysis using DICOM based voxel model

Three-dimensional Finite Difference in Time Domain (FDTD) method has been used to calculate Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) induced in the head and hand for a handheld mobile phone. Both the head and hand are modeled using Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) based anthropomorphic phantom voxel data considering the electrical parameters of different anatomical internal structures of the human head and hand. SAR values obtained using DICOM based voxel model are compared with that obtained using Zubal phantom based model to verify the suitability of the proposed method. The proposed method can be used for person specific real time simulation of SAR.
Diagnostic yield of CT pulmonary angiography in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism: A single center experience

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical application of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) based on a single-center experience. Medical records and radiological reports of 450 patients (272 men and 178 women; mean age 58.9 years; range 14-95 years) with suspected PE who underwent CTPA and triple rule-out CT scans over a period of 6 months were retrospectively reviewed. Prevalence of PE was analysed to determine the diagnostic yield of CT in these two scanning protocols. Of 450 patient records, the positive rate of PE was 30.7%. Triple rule-out CT protocol was performed in 75 out of 450 patients with the diagnostic yield of PE being only 8% (6 out of 75 patients had PE), which is significantly lower than the 35.2% as shown in the CTPA group (132 out of 375 had PE). Mean effective dose was 2.8±2.6 mSv and 13.5±7.8 mSv for CTPA and triple rule-out protocols, respectively. This study shows that CTPA has high diagnostic yield in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, hence justifying its appropriateness as a routine imaging modality. However, triple rule-out CT is not recommended due to the low diagnostic yield. Further reduction in radiation and contrast medium doses is necessary.
The Subtle Knife: Using Domestic Objects to Access the Middle Anglo-Saxon Worldview

The seventh to ninth centuries AD are understood as a period of changing worldviews with the introduction and embedding of Christianity across the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. In contrast to the attention afforded to the ‘ritual’ or sacred transformations of this period, relatively little has been made of the changing archaeological record of ‘ordinary’ or secular spaces and material cultures in order to understand this historical change in worldview. The use and significance of the domestic Anglo-Saxon knife spans both settlement and cemetery contexts. It is argued that the study of knife use and deposition reveals beliefs and worldviews expressed in everyday activities as well as in those deposits that appear ‘special’.
Evaluation of Cardiac Functions in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Background Cardiac dysfunction in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) represents one of the serious complications. To evaluate the cardiac function in children with T1D by conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Methods The study included 40 T1D patients (age between 6 and 16 years) with > 5 years duration of diabetes and 42 healthy control children. The patients were subjected to clinical evaluation and laboratory investigations [glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), serum lipids and lipoproteins]. Conventional echocardiography and TDI were performed to patients and controls. Results The patients had lower early diastolic filling velocity (E wave) of the tricuspid valve and mitral valves with a p value of (0.000 and 0.006, respectively). TDI revealed that patients had lower S′velocity of the T1D, shorter isovolumic contraction time, longer isovolumic relaxation time and lower E/E′ of the right ventricle than controls (p value 0.002, 0.001, 0.004, 0.003, and 0.016, respectively). The left ventricle (LV)-T1D of the patients was significantly higher (p value 0.02). Twenty eight patients had poor glycemic control without significant differences between them and those with good glycemic control regarding echocardiographic data. Patients with dyslipidemia (13 patients) had higher late diastolic filling velocity of the mitral valve (A) and the lower LV late tissue velocity (A′) (p wave 0.047 and 0.015). No correlation existed between the duration of illness or the level of HbA1c and the echocardiographic parameters. Conclusion Diabetic children have evidence of echocardiographic diastolic dysfunctions. Periodic cardiac evaluation with both conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography is recommended for early detection of this dysfunction.
Ecología del paisaje

La ecologia del paisaje es una disciplina independiente, surgida en los anos treinta del pasado siglo. Este volumen ilustra la historia de dicha disciplina, desde sus origenes hasta sus innovaciones mas recientes. Asimismo, el autor apuesta por integrar el estudio del paisaje y la dimension humana dentro de un amplio ecosistema teorico. El libro combina el recorrido historiografico, el analisis de las principales aportaciones de las ciencias ecologicas y la rigurosa interpretacion de la complejidad ambiental.
Genes affecting sensitivity to ultraviolet light in the malB region of the chromosome of Escherichia coli.

report is another in a series describing loci of genes affecting ultraviolet sensitivity (resistance) in Escherichia coli strain B. We have already shown that strain B itself is sensitive to UV light compared to most strains of E. coli, because of a mutation in a gene in the lac tsx* region (GREENBERG 1964a). Genes responsible for increased UV sensitivity of mutants of strain B have been located: BrIr (RORSCH, EDELMAN and COHEN 1963) linked to his (GREENBERG 1965); uvr2 (in strain Bs2) (HILL and SIMSON 1961) linked to malB (GREEN-BERG 1964b). Bsl is a double mutant, one gene uurlA linked to gaZ making the strain unable to reactivate irradiated phage (HCR), the other uurlB linked to malB (MATTERN, ZWE.NK and RORSCH 1966; GREENBERG 1967). In parallel studies of UV sensitive mutants of K-12, HOWARD-FLANDERS, BOYCE and THERIOT (1966) have shown that the gene, uurA, one of three which make the host HCR, is linked to metA. ScHnrARm (1966) found the order of markers in this region of the chromosome to be metA malB uvrA. We will show by transductional analysis with phage P1 that the gene, uur2, for radiation sensitivity in strain Bs2 is also linked to metA and malB and that the order of markers in tlhe region is m t A d B u w 2 uvrA.
Utilizing image social clues for automated image tagging

Social tags have been successfully utilized for image search and recommendation, yet the tags may be bias and noisy. Assisting users to annotate their images with tags that meet their preferences and efficiently describe the visual content is a fundamental objective in multimedia. In this work, we propose to leverage the image social information, such as tagging preferences of an image owner and social groups that an image has been shared with, by adopting the well-known neighbor voting approach for automated image tagging. In specific, we assign more contributions of neighborhood images which are socially closer to the target image in the voting procedure. Meanwhile, the social strength of reference images with respect to the target image is jointly considered. The experiments on a large scale image dataset for tag recommendation and image search show the advantages of considering image social clues.
CENSREC-3: Data Collection for In-Car Speech Recognition and Its Common Evaluation Framework

This paper introduces a common database, an evaluation framework, and its baseline recognition results for in-car speech recognition, CENSREC-3, as an outcome of IPSJ-SIG SLP Noisy Speech Recognition Evaluation Working Group. CENSREC-3 which is a sequel of AURORA-2J is designed as the evaluation framework of isolated word recognition in real driving car environments. Speech data was collected using 2 microphones, a close-talking microphone and a hands-free microphone, under carefully controlled 16 different driving conditions, i.e., combinations of 3 car speeds and 5 car conditions. CENSREC-3 provides 6 evaluation environments which are designed using speech data collected in these car conditions.
Participatory Research with Older Adults with AMD: Co-Designing a SMART Diet Diary App

The global population of people aged 60 years and older is growing rapidly. In the UK, there are currently around 10 million people aged 65 and over, and the number is projected to rise by 50% in the next 20 years (RNIB, 2013). While ongoing advances in information technology (IT) are undoubtedly increasing the scope for IT to enhance and support older adults' daily living, the digital divide between older and younger adults -- 43% of people below the age of 55 own and use a smartphone, compared to only 3% of people aged 65 and over (AgeUK, 2013) -- raises concerns about the suitability of technological solutions for older adults, especially for older adults with impairments. Evidence suggests that sympathetic design of mobile technology does render it useful and acceptable to older adults: the key issue is, however, how best to achieve such sympathetic design when working with impaired older adults. We report here on a case study in order to outline the practicalities and highlight the benefits of participatory research for the design of sympathetic technology for (and importantly with) older adults with impairments.
Bioengineering the Lung : Molecules , Materials , Matrix , Morphology , and Mechanics Multidimensional immunolabeling and 4 D time-lapse imaging of vital ex vivo lung tissue

Gerald Burgstaller, Sarah Vierkotten, Michael Lindner, Melanie Königshoff, and Oliver Eickelberg Comprehensive Pneumology Center, University Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München, Member of the German Center for Lung Research, Munich, Germany; and Center for Thoracic Surgery, Asklepios Biobank for Lung Diseases, Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Asklepios Clinic Munich-Gauting, Germany
Thai Finger-Spelling Recognition Using a Cascaded Classifier Based on Histogram of Orientation Gradient Features

Hand posture recognition is an essential module in applications such as human-computer interaction (HCI), games, and sign language systems, in which performance and robustness are the primary requirements. In this paper, we proposed automatic classification to recognize 21 hand postures that represent letters in Thai finger-spelling based on Histogram of Orientation Gradient (HOG) feature (which is applied with more focus on the information within certain region of the image rather than each single pixel) and Adaptive Boost (i.e., AdaBoost) learning technique to select the best weak classifier and to construct a strong classifier that consists of several weak classifiers to be cascaded in detection architecture. We collected 21 static hand posture images from 10 subjects for testing and training in Thai letters finger-spelling. The parameters for the training process have been adjusted in three experiments, false positive rates (FPR), true positive rates (TPR), and number of training stages (N), to achieve the most suitable training model for each hand posture. All cascaded classifiers are loaded into the system simultaneously to classify different hand postures. A correlation coefficient is computed to distinguish the hand postures that are similar. The system achieves approximately 78% accuracy on average on all classifier experiments.
Iterative MMSE-DFE and Error Transfer for OFDM in Doubly Selective Channels

An iterative design of minimum mean square error decision feedback equalizer (MMSE-DFE) to suppress the intercarrier interference (ICI) of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems in the time-variant channels is analyzed in this paper. The channel is assumed to vary in a linear fashion within a frame. The error power transfer is investigated in parallel with the equalizing process, showing the gain in iterations and aiding the MMSE decision. Iteratively, the ICI components are estimated and canceled from the receive symbol, providing an MMSE estimate of the source symbol with an increasing reliability. It is shown that based on the error power transfer analyzed in this paper, ICI components can be significantly removed via the iterative MMSE-DFE, leaving the error composed of noise and negligible residue of ICI. Simulations have verified the accuracy of the error power estimation.
FURTHER NOTES ON THE NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS AND THE HISTOLOGY OF THE CRANBERRY, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE SOURCES OF NITROGEN.

A project concerned with the nutrient requirements and the histology of the cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) has been in progress at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station for two years. Preliminary experiments (1) showed that the cranberry plant is capable of utilizing ammonium nitrogen. After these experiments were initiated, Tied jens and Robbins (12) showed that for tomato and certain other crop plants either ammonium or nitrate was a favorable source of nitrogen, but that the ability of the plants to utilize these different sources of nitrogen varied with the hydrogen-ion concentration of the nutrient medium, nitrate being superior to ammonium in a decidedly acid nutrient solution (pH 4 or 5) whereas ammonium was superior to nitrate in a neutral or slightly alkaline solution (pH 7 and above). The present investigation was therefore undertaken with the special object of determining the ability of the cranberry plant to utilize different sources of nitrogen at various hydrogenion concentrations. The problem is of practical importance since cranberries are grown commercially in bog soils of high acidity.
Uncoupling PIP2-calmodulin regulation of Kv7.2 channels by an assembly destabilizing epileptogenic mutation

ABSTRACT We show that the combination of an intracellular bi-partite calmodulin (CaM)-binding site and a distant assembly region affect how an ion channel is regulated by a membrane lipid. Our data reveal that regulation by phosphatidylinositol(4,5)bisphosphate (PIP2) and stabilization of assembled Kv7.2 subunits by intracellular coiled-coil regions far from the membrane are coupled molecular processes. Live-cell fluorescence energy transfer measurements and direct binding studies indicate that remote coiled-coil formation creates conditions for different CaM interaction modes, each conferring different PIP2 dependency to Kv7.2 channels. Disruption of coiled-coil formation by epilepsy-causing mutation decreases apparent CaM-binding affinity and interrupts CaM influence on PIP2 sensitivity. Summary: Conformational changes in the helix D coiled-coil of the Kv7.2 channel affect interactions with calmodulin, which binds to helices AB, modulating channel gating and PIP2 sensitivity.
A Low pKa Cysteine at the Active Site of Mouse Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase A*

Background: The active site cysteine of methionine sulfoxide reductases has been reported to be 9.5. Results: The pKa of methionine sulfoxide reductase is 7.2. Conclusion: Methionine sulfoxide reductase has an active cysteine at its catalytic center. Significance: Methionine sulfoxide reductase is readily oxidized by low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, supporting both antioxidant and redox signaling functions of the enzyme. Methionine sulfoxide reductase A is an essential enzyme in the antioxidant system which scavenges reactive oxygen species through cyclic oxidation and reduction of methionine and methionine sulfoxide. Recently it has also been shown to catalyze the reverse reaction, oxidizing methionine residues to methionine sulfoxide. A cysteine at the active site of the enzyme is essential for both reductase and oxidase activities. This cysteine has been reported to have a pKa of 9.5 in the absence of substrate, decreasing to 5.7 upon binding of substrate. Using three independent methods, we show that the pKa of the active site cysteine of mouse methionine sulfoxide reductase is 7.2 even in the absence of substrate. The primary mechanism by which the pKa is lowered is hydrogen bonding of the active site Cys-72 to protonated Glu-115. The low pKa renders the active site cysteine susceptible to oxidation to sulfenic acid by micromolar concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. This characteristic supports a role for methionine sulfoxide reductase in redox signaling.
Detection of the clostridial hydrogenase gene activity as a bio-index in a molasses wastewater biohydrogen producing system by real time PCR and FISH / flow cytometry

Hydrogenase is a key enzyme that is used by obligate, anaerobic clostridial to produce hydrogen. In this study a fermentative system with molasses wastewater as nutrient was used to produce hydrogen. For establishing the relationship between the vicissitude of clostridial hydrogenase gene activity and the hydrogen production of this system during the culturing period, total cellular RNA isolated at different growing stages were subjected to real time PCR using primer pair, which were designed according to the conserved sequence of clostridial hydrogenase genes. Cell samples at corresponding growing stages were subjected to in situ reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (in situ RT-PCR) using the same primers and then to fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using clostridial hydrogenase gene-specific DNA probe. Those clostridial cells expressed hydrogenase gene activity could be detected by fluorescence microscopy. This is the first time hydrogen-producing activity in a mixed culture could be successfully studied by means of FISH of hydrogenase mRNA. Besides, 16S rDNA was amplified from total cellular DNA analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to reveal the bacterial diversity in the fermentative system; FISH and flow cytometry aiming at 16S rRNA were also carried out to calculate the population of clostridia and total eubacteria in the system.