Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human resource management and performance: a comparative study of Ireland and the Netherlands

In this article, we compare the effects of ? high performance human resource management? (HPHR) on employee and company performance between Ireland and the Netherlands. Key hypotheses are, first, that companies using the HPHR system exhibit higher levels of employee and company performance than companies that do not. Second, we expect that these relationships are stronger for Ireland than for the Netherlands as the societal context (skill formation, industrial relations and value systems) consistently support the working of HPHR in Ireland but in the Netherlands these institutions restrict the potential contribution of HPHR to performance improvements. These hypotheses are tested on company-level data from Ireland and the Netherlands. The main finding is that HPHR is associated with higher performance levels in Ireland but not in the Netherlands. Comparing the effects of single HR domains between the two countries further supports the institutional context hypothesis.
Implementation of perceptual aspects in a face recognition algorithm

Automatic face recognition is a biometric technique particularly appreciated in security applications. In fact face recognition presents the opportunity to operate at a low invasive level without the collaboration of the subjects under tests, with face images gathered either from surveillance systems or from specific cameras located in strategic points. The automatic recognition algorithms perform a measurement, on the face images, of a set of specific characteristics of the subject and provide a recognition decision based on the measurement results. Unfortunately several quantities may influence the measurement of the face geometry such as its orientation, the lighting conditions, the expression and so on, affecting the recognition rate. On the other hand human recognition of face is a very robust process far less influenced by the surrounding conditions. For this reason it may be interesting to insert perceptual aspects in an automatic facial-based recognition algorithm to improve its robustness. This paper presents a first study in this direction investigating the correlation between the results of a perception experiment and the facial geometry, estimated by means of the position of a set of repere points.
Twitter sentiment classification using Naive Bayes based on trainer perception

This paper presents strategy to classify tweets sentiment using Naive Bayes techniques based on trainers' perception into three categories; positive, negative or neutral. 50 tweets of `Malaysia' and `Maybank' keywords were selected from Twitter for perception training. In this study, there were 27 trainers participated. Each trainer was asked to classify the sentiment of 25 tweets of each keyword. Results from the classification training was then be used as the input for Naive Bayes training for the remaining 25 tweets. The trainers were then asked to validate the results of sentiment classification by the Naive Bayes technique. The accuracy of this study is 90% ± 14% measured by total number of correct per total classified tweets.
Effects of loyalty programs on value perception, program loyalty, and brand loyalty

The authors investigate how reward schemes of a loyalty program influence perceived value of the program and how value perception of the loyalty program affects customer loyalty. The results show that involvement moderates the effects of loyalty programs on customer loyalty. In high-involvement situations, direct rewards are preferable to indirect rewards. In low-involvement situations, immediate rewards are more effective in building a program's value than delayed rewards. Under high-involvement conditions, value perception of the loyalty program influences brand loyalty both directly and indirectly through program loyalty. Under low-involvement conditions, there is no direct effect of value perception on brand loyalty.
Voice conversion based on empirical conditional distribution in resource-limited scenarios

In this paper, a computationally efficient voice conversion system has been designed in order to improve the performance in resource-limited scenarios. First, mixtures of Gaussians (MoGs) at fixed locations of Mel frequencies have been used to represent the spectrum of STRAIGHT compactly. Second, the key conditional distributions for prediction are approximated by building histograms of aligned features empirically. Experiments have confirmed that our proposed method can obtain fairly good results compared to the traditional method without huge computational costs.
Tracking Health Related Discussions on Reddit for Public Health Applications

We use Reddit to demonstrate social media's potential for public health applications. First, we employ a lexicon-based approach to track the prevalence of keywords indicating public interest in Ebola, electronic cigarette, influenza, and marijuana. Second, to better understand the public reactions, we use the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm, to identify either the general themes or motivations for extreme changes in the volume of discussion over time. We observe that discussions related to Ebola and influenza, infectious diseases of public health interests, surged when the first case of Ebola was diagnosed and a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus was confirmed in the United States. We also observed that discussions of a controversial health topic like marijuana increased with the announcement of a major change in United States federal policy. Discussions of electronic cigarette highlighted opportunities for better health education. Lastly, we discuss the implications of our findings for utilizing Reddit data for public health applications.
Experimental early‐life febrile seizures induce changes in GABAAR‐mediated neurotransmission in the dentate gyrus

Purpose: Febrile seizures (FS), the most frequent seizure type during childhood, have been linked to temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in adulthood. Yet, underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. Altered γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurotransmission in the dentate gyrus (DG) circuit has been hypothesized to be involved. This study aims at analyzing whether experimental FS change inhibitory synaptic input and postsynaptic GABAAR function in dentate granule cells.
Towards an alternative testing strategy for nanomaterials used in nanomedicine: Lessons from NanoTEST

Abstract In spite of recent advances in describing the health outcomes of exposure to nanoparticles (NPs), it still remains unclear how exactly NPs interact with their cellular targets. Size, surface, mass, geometry, and composition may all play a beneficial role as well as causing toxicity. Concerns of scientists, politicians and the public about potential health hazards associated with NPs need to be answered. With the variety of exposure routes available, there is potential for NPs to reach every organ in the body but we know little about the impact this might have. The main objective of the FP7 NanoTEST project (www.nanotest-fp7.eu) was a better understanding of mechanisms of interactions of NPs employed in nanomedicine with cells, tissues and organs and to address critical issues relating to toxicity testing especially with respect to alternatives to tests on animals. Here we describe an approach towards alternative testing strategies for hazard and risk assessment of nanomaterials, highlighting the adaptation of standard methods demanded by the special physicochemical features of nanomaterials and bioavailability studies. The work has assessed a broad range of toxicity tests, cell models and NP types and concentrations taking into account the inherent impact of NP properties and the effects of changes in experimental conditions using well-characterized NPs. The results of the studies have been used to generate recommendations for a suitable and robust testing strategy which can be applied to new medical NPs as they are developed.
Establishing a Relationship between Behavior Change Theory and Social Marketing: Implications for Health Education

Abstract Social marketing has been applied in a variety of health education settings and has produced encouraging results. As the awareness and application of social marketing increases among practicing health educators, the link between social marketing and traditional behavior change theory becomes more critical. Because behavior change theory and social marketing are complementary, the challenge facing health education is how to make behavior change theory a useful and essential component of social marketing. This article describes the relationship between behavior change theory and social marketing practice. It is proposed that social marketing is the framework to which theory can be applied, resulting in programs that are theory-driven, consumer-focused, and potentially more effective. This integration of behavior change theory and social marketing can be achieved in four areas: planning, understanding consumer behavior, guiding formative research, and evaluating success. The added value of theory to an already promising framework like social marketing that replaces paternalistic, top-down approaches with consumer-based interventions should be compelling to all health educators.
Financial Risk Management

This article presents an integrated theoreticalframework to guidefinancial risk management decisions. Theframework is based on two key principles: the use of a "Sharpe rule" to assess prospective changes in a firm's or portfolio's risk-expected return profile and the maintenance of a constant probability of default, which determines the firm's or portfolio's leverage. The rules are not restricted to normal return distributions; they can also accommodate a variety of nonnormal distributions. The approach can be applied with either portfolio standard deviation or value at risk as the measure of risk.
On the geometric modulation of skin lesion growth: a mathematical model for melanoma

Introduction Early detection of suspicious skin lesions is critical to prevent skin malignancies, particularly the melanoma, which is the most dangerous form of human skin cancer. In the last decade, image processing techniques have been an increasingly important tool for early detection and mathematical models play a relevant role in mapping the progression of lesions. Methods This work presents an algorithm to describe the evolution of the border of the skin lesion based on two main measurable markers: the symmetry and the geometric growth path of the lesion. The proposed methodology involves two dermoscopic images of the same melanocytic lesion obtained at different moments in time. By applying a mathematical model based on planar linear transformations, measurable parameters related to symmetry and growth are extracted. Results With this information one may compare the actual evolution in the lesion with the outcomes from the geometric model. First, this method was tested on predefined images whose growth was controlled and the symmetry known which were used for validation. Then the methodology was tested in real dermoscopic melanoma images in which the parameters of the mathematical model revealed symmetry and growth rates consistent with a typical melanoma behavior. Conclusions The method developed proved to show very accurate information about the target growth markers (variation on the growth along the border, the deformation and the symmetry of the lesion trough the time). All the results, validated by the expected phantom outputs, were similar to the ones on the real images.
Effects of Nitrapyrin [2-Chloro-6-(Trichloromethyl) Pyridine] on the Obligate Methanotroph Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b

Nitrapyrin inhibited growth, CH4 oxidation, and NH4+ oxidation, but not the oxidation of CH3OH, HCHO, or HCOONa, by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, suggesting that nitrapyrin acts against the methane monooxygenase enzyme system. The inhibition of CH4 oxidation could be reversed by repeated washing of nitrapyrin-inhibited cells, indicating that its effect is bacteriostatic. The addition of Cu2+ did not release the inhibition. Methane oxidation was also inhibited by 6-chloro-2-picoline. These data suggest that the mode of action of nitrapyrin on M. trichosporium is different from that on chemoautotrophic NH4+ oxidizers or methanogens.
Remanufacturing in Asia : location choice and outsourcing

Purpose – Remanufacturing is a process whereby value from old products is recovered by replacing and recovering used components to bring such products to a new or like-new state. Today, both original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and third parties are engaged in remanufacturing activities, investing in many locations throughout Asia. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons for initiating remanufacturing activities as well as the location determinants for the remanufacturing sector in Asia. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct a multiple case study. Triangulation is applied to gain objective views from interviewing three OEMs, one logistics firm, and three local small enterprises. Real options theory is the theoretical lens used to examine the location choice of the OEMs. Findings – Firms engaged in remanufacturing tend to co-locate facilities with existing manufacturing facilities, and those investing in new sites for remanufacturing view the regulatory environment as the most im.
Chlorhexidine Keratitis: Safety of Chlorhexidine as a Facial Antiseptic

BACKGROUND Effective antiseptic to reduce surgical site infections is a cornerstone of modern surgery. Chlorhexidine gluconate–based antiseptics are among the most effective of these products. Unfortunately, chlorhexidine solutions are toxic to the cornea and middle ear, and they pose a splash risk to both the patient and health care personnel. OBJECTIVE To examine the clinical evidence that led to the disavowal of chlorhexidine antiseptic solution for use on the face and head. METHODS AND MATERIALS Reference searches were performed using PubMed, Embase, and LexisNexis databases without restriction to the date of publication, language, or study setting. RESULTS The literature revealed 11 sentinel cases of severe chlorhexidine-related keratitis in the late 1980s. These cases are reviewed together with data on ototoxicity and alternative products to understand why chlorhexidine solution should not be used on the face and scalp. CONCLUSION Chlorhexidine antiseptic solutions are highly effective. However, they pose a risk to the middle ear and have the potential to irreversibly damage the cornea with a minimal splash exposure. Povidone–iodine is a safe and effective alternative.
Logic in systematics

Systematic biologists attempt to infer the taxonomic relationship of one species to another based on the available evidence. Phylogenetic systematists demand that these species relationships reflect evolutionary history (they expect their taxa to be monophyletic). Just exactly how this is to be achieved remains a subject of debate. There are many different kinds of evidence, and many different ways of inferring taxonomic relationships (plus evolutionary history) from them. In this paper, we argue that one such way of inferring species relationships, the hypotheticodeductive method, proves a bad fit with phylogenetic systematics because it requires an excessively strong assumption of the relationship that obtains between hypotheses of descent and the available evidence.
The Collapse of Enron Corporation: Fraud Perspective

The paper examines the red flags that might have signaled the collapse of Enron Corporation which an astute reader should have noted. Various financial models that can detect earnings manipulation and inflation of assets and revenues have been applied in this examination. The paper links the collapse of Enron to the massive manipulation of earnings, some of which was carried out by the use of activities of Special Purpose Entities (SPEs).
A quick diagnostic test for NMR receiver gain compression

Modern NMR spectrometers require receivers to work within their linear ranges to maintain high fidelity line shape and peak integration. For better sensitivity, the receiver gain has to be optimized to detect dilute analytes; however, gain compression needs to be avoided. Here, we explore if and how linear receiver performance can be achieved for a couple of representative gain settings on a spectrometer. In the case of slight receiver gain compression, not only will the peak integral be attenuated but a very small line‐shape change can also be observed. Hence, we can resort to resonance integration and line‐shape analysis for gain compression diagnosis. As such, NMR signals, regardless of their observed amplitude difference in frequency domain, can be accurately compared in quantitative analysis. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Defective Fas‐mediated T‐cell apoptosis predicts acute onset CIDP

Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) are immune‐mediated neuropathies. GBS is characterized by acute onset and subsequent remission of symptoms, whereas CIDP displays slow progression over at least 2 months. However, a small proportion of CIDP patients display acute onset CIDP (a‐CIDP) resembling that of GBS. The Fas receptor is involved in shutting off the immune response and its defective function predisposes to auto‐immune diseases. In CIDP patients, Fas function is lower than in GBS patients and healthy controls. This study is aimed at assessing whether evaluation of T‐cell Fas function helps in early discrimination between GBS and a‐CIDP. Fas function was evaluated in patients with acute onset polyneuropathy: 55 retrospective patients analyzed after development of GBS or a‐CIDP before year 2005; 50 prospective patients analyzed at onset after year 2005 and followed up for development of GBS or a‐CIDP. In both groups, a‐CIDP patients displayed defective Fas function, whereas GBS patients displayed normal function. These findings suggest that the evaluation of Fas function in acute onset polyneuropathy helps in early prediction of long‐term outcome.
On the F oundation of the P opular R atio Test for GNSS A mbiguity R esolution

Integer carrier phase ambiguity resolution is the key to fast and high-precision global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning and navigation. It is the process of resolving the unknown cycle ambiguities of the doubledifferenced carrier phase data as integers. For the problem of estimating the ambiguities as integers a rigorous theory is available. The user can choose from a whole class of integer estimators, from which integer least-squares is known to perform best in the sense that no other integer estimator exists which will have a higher success rate. Next to the integer estimation step, also the integer validation plays a crucial role in the process of ambiguity resolution. Various validation procedures have been proposed in the literature. One of the earliest and most popular ways of validating the integer ambiguity solution is to make use of the so-called Ratio Test. In this contribution we will study the properties and underlying concept of the popular Ratio Test. This will be done in two parts. First we will criticize some of the properties and underlying principles which have been assigned in the literature to the Ratio Test. Despite this criticism however, we will show that the Ratio Test itself is still an important, albeit not optimal, candidate for validating the integer solution. That is, we will also show that the procedure underlying the Ratio Test can indeed be given a firm theoretical footing. This is made possible by the recently introduced theory of Integer Aperture Inference. The necessary ingredients of this theory will be briefly described. It will also be shown that one can do better than the Ratio Test. The optimal test will be given and the difference between the optimal test and the Ratio Test will be discussed and illustrated.
200 mW at 488 nm From a ppMgO:LN Ridge Waveguide by Frequency Doubling of a Laser Diode Module

We report on second-harmonic generation in a single-pass bench top configuration using a MgO-doped periodically poled LiNbO3 ridge waveguide (RW) and a hybrid integrated master oscillator power amplifier laser module at 976 nm. A coupling efficiency into the crystal RW of 66% was realized and 200 mW of continuous-wave radiation at 488 nm at room temperature were reached. A conversion efficiency of 43% with regard to the coupled near-infrared radiation was obtained. The experimental results agreed well with simulations including material inhomogeneities, higher optical absorption, and thermal effects.
Managing Promotion Program Participation within Manufacturer–Retailer Relationships

The authors report the results of a study that examines retailer participation in manufacturer-sponsored promotion programs. Two particular aspects of participation are studied, namely, (1) retailer agreement to participate in point-of-purchase programs and (2) retailer compliance with established agreements. Previous research in marketing, economics, sociology, and organization theory suggests that participation is influenced by two types of variables. The first is the nature of the interpersonal relationship that exists between the boundary personnel in the retailer's and manufacturer's firms. The second are various organization-level variables, including incentive premiums (promotional allowances) and monitoring efforts. The authors extend previous research by examining both the independent and joint effects of these factors on retailer participation. On the basis of an empirical study involving a conjoint task, the authors show that the presence of a strong interpersonal relationship does not diminish the importance of other variables, such as incentives. Within the limits of the conjoint task, the results also suggest that interpersonal relationships are less important determinants of participation than economic incentives. The authors discuss the implications of the study for marketing theory and practice.
Application of Sensory Evaluation in Meats

People had higher requisition for meat quality with the increasing of living level and the conversion of consume conception. As one of the late evaluating methods for meat quality, sensory evaluation had both advantages and disadvantages. In this article the theory, the methods and application of sensory evaluation in meat quality were introduced, and the developing trend in future was advised.
Sodium Channels and Multiple Sclerosis: Roles in Symptom Production, Damage and Therapy

Our understanding of the potential role of sodium channels in multiple sclerosis (MS) has grown substantially in recent years. The channels have long had a recognized role in the symptomatology of the disease, but now also have suspected roles in causing permanent axonal destruction, and a potential role in modulating the intensity of immune activity. Sodium channels might also provide an avenue to achieve axonal and neuronal protection in MS, thereby impeding the otherwise relentless advance of permanent neurological deficit. The symptoms of MS are largely determined by the conduction properties of axons and these, in turn, are largely determined by sodium channels. The number, subtype and distribution of the sodium channels are all important, together with the way that channel function is modified by local factors, such as those resulting from inflammation (eg, nitric oxide). Suspicion is growing that sodium channels may also contribute to the axonal degeneration primarily responsible for permanent neurological deficits. The proposed mechanism involves intra‐axonal sodium accumulation which promotes reverse action of the sodium/calcium exchanger and thereby a lethal rise in intra‐axonal calcium. Partial blockade of sodium channels protects axons from degeneration in experimental models of MS, and therapy based on this approach is currently under investigation in clinical trials. Some recent findings suggest that such systemic inhibition of sodium channels may also promote axonal protection by suppressing inflammation within the brain.