Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of question scales used for measuring customer satisfaction

Many different scales have been used to measure customer satisfaction. These scales can be divided into three main groups, being those measuring performance, disconfirmation and satisfaction. Reports on the design and execution of a study of hotel guests in which they were asked to rate the key service attributes of their stay using all three of these measurement scales. Repurchase intention and word‐of‐mouth effects were also measured. Compares the scales on the basis of reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, predictive validity, skewness, face validity and managerial value for directing a quality improvement programme. Shows the disconfirmation scale to be superior to both the performance and satisfaction scales on all these criteria except for predictive validity. In addition, the performance scale was generally better than the satisfaction scale on a number of these criteria.
Therapeutic Review of Methylprednisolone Acetate Intra‐Articular Injection in the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Knee – Part 1: Clinical Effectiveness

Intra-articular (IA) corticosteroid injections are a common approach in the management of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The effectiveness of injections and particular injection products is often discussed and debated in clinical arenas. The following therapeutic review examines the evidence for intra-articular methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) injections in the management of OA knee. A review of research evidence, published guidelines and clinical literature was undertaken following an electronic database and relevant literature search. The review found that there is limited evidence which indicates that a single dose intra-articular MPA injection can provide short to medium term benefits for pain, with less evidence for beneficial effects on function or stiffness. There is heterogeneity across studies and until recently, most studies had only short to medium term follow-up periods, thus limiting the evidence available on longer term benefit. There was also evidence indicating equivalent overall efficacy of MPA to that of other corticosteroid products. Most guideline recommendations concerning IA injections for OA knee have drawn on evidence from pooled data for several corticosteroid products. The review also found there was limited reporting of the incidence of adverse events in most studies. Overall, MPA shows efficacy for symptom relief in OA knee. At an individual management level, evidence for a limited duration of effect needs consideration in injections decisions. Furthermore, consensus across clinical guidelines suggests that the management of OA knee should be individualized to a person's clinical history, degree of disability, risk factors, quality of life and personal preferences, whereby injecting involves a shared decision and forms part of a multimodal approach. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
2.5 GHz 4-phase clock generator with scalable and no feedback loop architecture

With multi-phase clocking, it is possible to attain a higher operating speed than the internal clock frequency determined by the device performance limitation. When multi-phase clocking is to be applied to larger die sizes or to multi-channel communications, however, it is extremely difficult to distribute the multi phase clock signals to distant local areas without generating inter-phase skew. To achieve a small area for clock distribution, the multi-phase clock generator reported here uses the delay compensation technique. Because this generator does not require a feedback loop, it is compact, adding only a small amount to chip area. Further, it produces accurate phase differences between multi-phase clock signals. Multi-clock generators of this type are applied to 2.5 GHz 4-phase clock distribution of an 8-channel receiver, fabricated with 0.13 /spl mu/m CMOS technology, and operating at 5 Gb/s.
Agilla: A Mobile Agent Middleware for Sensor Networks

Agilla is a mobile agent middleware for sensor networks. Mobile agents are special processes that can migrate across sensors. They increase network flexibility by enabling active in-network reprogramming. Neighbor lists and tuple spaces are used for agent coordination. Agilla was originally implemented on Mica2 motes, but has been ported to other platforms. Its Mica2 implementation consumes 41.6KB of code and 3.59KB of data memory. Agents can move five hops in less than 1.1s with over 92% success. Agilla was used to develop multiple applications related to fire detection and tracking, cargo container monitoring, and robot navigation. Type of Report: Other Department of Computer Science & Engineering Washington University in St. Louis Campus Box 1045 St. Louis, MO 63130 ph: (314) 935-6160 Agilla: A Mobile Agent Middleware for Sensor Networks CHIEN-LIANG FOK, GRUIA-CATALIN ROMAN, CHENYANG LU Washington University in St. Louis Agilla is a mobile agent middleware for sensor networks. Mobile agents are special processes that can migrate across sensors. They increase network flexibility by enabling active in-network reprogramming. Neighbor lists and tuple spaces are used for agent coordination. Agilla was originally implemented on Mica2 motes, but has been ported to other platforms. Its Mica2 implementation consumes 41.6KB of code and 3.59KB of data memory. Agents can move five hops in less than 1.1s with over 92% success. Agilla was used to develop multiple applications related to fire detection and tracking, cargo container monitoring, and robot navigation.
Design and Implementation of an Authentication and Authorization Framework for a Nomadic Service Delivery System

manager, for assisting me in sorting out the non-technical/administrative issues that came up during the course of the program. course of this work and for allowing me to make this research work into a thesis. I am indebted to him for providing me this privilege and time-off from my working hours to finish this work. inspiration and valuable advice during the course of this thesis. I would like to thank Mrs. Geetha Manjunath, my colleague and organization-side supervisor, for her valuable technical inputs – both during the course of the work as well as during the writing of the thesis. She took time off from her busy schedule to review this thesis. Finally, I would like to thank all my colleagues, friends and family members who have provided me constant encouragement and support.
High frequency impedance of Li-ion batteries

The development of electrically driven cars focuses primarily on the battery since this is the restraining factor for driving range and performance. In addition to this DC characteristic, the battery also has a high-frequency behaviour which has to be evaluated in order to ensure proper functionality, system stability, supply voltage quality and EMC. This paper explains three different methods to measure the frequency-dependent impedance of actual high-voltage batteries up to 10MHz. For comparison and evaluation of the techniques presented, a reference battery is measured and the results are compared. Additionally, a method to theoretically calculate the particular impedance parameters of the measured battery and the result for the entire battery is shown. The results derived are used in a system simulation in order to validate the measured values in contrast to the theoretical ones. Finally, the measurement techniques are compared; their advantages, disadvantages as well as the preferred scope of application are shown, and the results of an additional measurement with a larger battery is performed and compared-.
COSMIC base functional components in Functional Size based effort estimation models

Software effort estimation models has been an area of considerable research for many years and it is still a challenge for software engineering. Although Functional Size Measurement (FSM) methods have become widely used, effort estimation based on the functional size still needs further research. Unbiased and comprehensive comparison between prediction models is needed. Some studies suggest that the relationship between effort and the base functional components of a FSM method would improve estimation models. This paper evaluates the structure of COSMIC FFP base functional components and its applicability in functional size based effort estimation models. Our study reports a benchmarking experiment evaluating 600 learning schemes for 12 ISBSG R12 sub datasets in business application projects which were sized by the COSMIC FSM method. In total, 7,200 runs were conducted (Learning schemes X Datasets) and the best learning schemes were reported by dataset. Lessons learned after conducting the experiment are discussed.
Use of No-Till Practices as a Gateway to Carbon Credit Adoption

ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . iv VITA. v LIST OF TABLES. x LIST OF FIGURES . xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION. 1 Climate Change and Agriculture . 2 Carbon Credits . 4 Statement and Significance of Problem. 5 Organization of Study. 6 Summary. 7 CHAPTER 2: THE INNOVATIONS. 8 Conservation Tillage. 8 Conventional Tillage. 10 History of Conservation Tillage. 12 Benefits of No-Till . 13 Use of Conservation Tillage and Conventional Tillage. 15 Market-Based Conservation Programs and Carbon Credits . 16 Capitalism and the environment . 17 The market approach. 20 Opposition to environmental service markets. 21 Agriculture’s involvement in environmental service markets . 22
Anomalous spin diffusion in classical Heisenberg magnets.

Les fonctions d'autocorrelation de spins dependantes du temps a T=∞ pour des modeles d'Heisenberg a 1, 2 et 3 dimensions sont etudiees par simulation par ordinateur. Ces fonctions suivent une loi puissance differente de celle obtenue par la theorie phenomenologique de diffusion de spin. Cette anomalie de diffusion de spin est confirmee experimentalement par la relaxation spin-reseau du proton dans l'antiferromagnetique d'Heisenberg quasi unidimensionnel a spin 5/2 TMMC ((CH 3 ) 4 NMnCl 3 )
Fatty acids as biocompounds: their role in human metabolism, health and disease--a review. Part 1: classification, dietary sources and biological functions.

BACKGROUND Fatty acids are substantial components of lipids and cell membranes in the form of phospholipids. This review consists of two parts. The present part aims at describing fatty acid classification, dietary sources and biological functions. The second part will focus on fatty acid physiological roles and applications in human health and disease. RESULTS In humans, not all fatty acids can be produced endogenously due to the absence of certain desaturases. Thus, specific fatty acids termed essential (linoleic, alpha-linolenic) need to be taken from the diet. Other fatty acids whose synthesis depends on essential fatty acid intake include eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, found in oily fish. Dietary sources of saturated fatty acids are animal products (butter, lard) and tropical plant oils (coconut, palm), whereas sources of unsaturated fatty acids are vegetable oils (such as olive, sunflower, and soybean oils) and marine products (algae and fish oils). Saturated fatty acids have been related to adverse health effects, whereas unsaturated fatty acids, especially monounsaturated and n-3 polyunsaturated, are thought to be protective. In addition, trans fatty acids have been shown to have negative effects on health, whereas conjugated fatty acids might be beneficial. Lastly, fatty acids are the main components of lipid classes (triacylglycerols, phospholipids, cholesteryl esters, non-esterified fatty acids). CONCLUSION Fatty acids are important biocompounds which take part in complex metabolic pathways, thus having major biological roles. They are obtained from various dietary sources which determine the type of fat consumed and consequently health outcome.
A factor analysis of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale 3rd Edition (WAIS-III) in a low IQ sample.

OBJECTIVES Previous factor analytic studies of the WAIS, WAIS-R and WAIS-III used standardization samples, (representing the general population), clinical populations (e.g. psychiatric) and 'non-clinical' groups (e.g. older adults). These studies endorsed the reliability of the scales in such samples and supported theoretical models of intelligence. The WAIS-III (1997) includes four Indexes based on factor analysis, which provide clinically useful information to practitioners, but have not been validated in a low IQ population. However, the WAIS-III is often administered to individuals with suspected or proven low IQ, as it offers service providers, legislators and the Department of Health with a reliable measure of IQ. The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure of the WAIS-III in a low IQ sample. METHODS WAIS-III data was collected from assessments carried out in routine clinical practice from individuals with a full scale IQ of 74 or below (n=105). The data were subjected to factor analysis, using two types of factor analysis: principal axis factoring and principal components analysis. Orthogonal and oblique rotations were applied to the analyses. RESULTS Only one robust solution could be extracted. This contained two factors, analogous to traditional verbal and performance sub-scales. CONCLUSIONS This study does not support the four-factor solution which underlies WAIS-III index scores in a low IQ population.
Memories of former intensive care patients six months following discharge

Abstract This exploratory/descriptive study describes the memories of former ICU (Intensive Care Unit) patients after discharge. Six patients described their memories of ICU and discharge to the ward and home. Memories for the former ICU patients varied, and there were multiple layers of awareness, with periods of unreal experiences and nightmares. In the memories collected, there was little reference to nurses, or connection to the care they provided. Once discharged from ICU, patients' memories changed to new challenges they faced as they coped with the realization of how sick they had been and tried to regain control of their lives. This small-scaled study has identified some areas of practice that could be improved and further research requirements.
Evaluating the Relationship of Firm Strategic Orientations and New Product Development Program Performance

This research investigates relationships among organizational strategic orientations, namely, entrepreneurial, technological, and proactive market orientations and their effects on new product development (NPD) program performance. Employing a sample of 183 U.S. technology-based companies, the study evaluates three possible models and shows positive effects of technological and proactive market orientations on entrepreneurial orientation. Results also show a positive effect of entrepreneurial orientation on NPD program performance. This study explains the importance of various strategic orientations and underscores the importance of converting firm strategic orientations into NPD program performance.
Repeat abortion: is it a problem?

As the number of Canadian women who have had induced abortions increases with each succeeding year, the number at risk--and the actual incidence--of repeat abortion also increases. Some researchers have argued that women who have more than one induced abortion are less well adjusted, others that they are less willing to use contraceptives, perhaps because of anxiety about sexuality. Still others have suggested that repeat abortion is unrelated to the psychology or attitudes of individual women, but rather is an inevitable result of imperfect contraceptives, imperfect contraceptive practice and the availability of legal abortion for the termination of unwanted pregnancies. A group of 580 women seeking abortions were interviewed at the Montreal General Hospital and given a number of psychological tests. About one in five of these women were having repeat abortions. The women having repeat abortions were older, less likely to be married and more tolerant of legal abortion than were women having their first abortions. They also had intercourse more frequently than the first-abortion patients. Women obtaining a repeat abortion were slightly more likely to have been using contraceptives at the time they became pregnant, but they did not differ from first-abortion patients in the types of methods that they used. On no other social or demographic characteristics, measures of psychological adjustment or attitudes about sexuality were there any important differences between the groups. A more complex statistical analysis reveals that the two most important factors differentiating first-abortion and repeat-abortion patients are age and coital frequency--both of which are variables that reflect added exposure to the risk of unintended pregnancy. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Decreased exhaled nitric oxide in subjects with HIV infection.

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide (NO) may be an important component of the host defence against infections. Endogenously produced NO is present in exhaled air and may be representative of respiratory tract production of NO. Since subjects infected with HIV are prone to develop respiratory infections, it was postulated that exhaled NO might be reduced in such individuals. METHODS: The exhaled concentration of NO (nl/l) and minute ventilation (l/min) were measured and exhaled NO release (nl/min/m2) calculated in 36 subjects infected with HIV (20 non-smokers, 16 smokers) and 31 non-smoking subjects with no active medical conditions. RESULTS: Exhaled NO from HIV positive individuals was less than from control subjects of similar age, height, and weight. Cigarette smoking did not account for the decreased exhaled NO in HIV positive individuals as both smoking and non-smoking HIV positive subjects had decreased exhaled NO compared with control subjects. CONCLUSION: Exhaled NO is decreased in subjects infected with the HIV. Since NO functions in host defence against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, reduced exhaled NO may indicate a mechanism of impaired host defence in HIV infection.
ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PERSONS WITH MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY Birgitta

The study concerns 77 adults with muscular dystrophy (mean age 49 years) in two counties in Sweden. The purpose was to investigate activities of daily living, quality of life and the relationship between these. Data collection was performed with “the Activity of Daily Living Staircase”, “the Self-report Activity of Daily Living” and the Quality of Life Pro le. The results indicated that over half of the subjects were dependent on others, chie y in activities requiring mobility. Muscular dystrophy had mostly negative consequences, and nearly half stated that life would have offered more without it. Few signi cant diagnosis-related (no gender-related) differences emerged regarding activities of daily living and quality of life. Lower quality of life can only partly be explained by greater disability (r = 0.30– 0.54). Therefore quality of life as a measurement of rehabilitation outcomes might be based both on physical status, disability and psychosocial factors in terms of positive and negative consequences.
Investor Trading Behavior Around the Time of Geopolitical Risk Events: Evidence from South Korea

How do investors respond to geopolitical risk events? The South Korean stock market gives an interesting testing ground because the nuclear weapons testing and military aggressions by its belligerent neighboring country, North Korea, are exogenous. Moreover, as North Korea has transitioned from a state without nuclear weapons to one with substantial nuclear capabilities, investors have revised their beliefs about the level of geopolitical risk with each weapons test. Using Korean microstructure data from 1999 to 2012, we find a permanent negative abnormal return of -1.6% in the South Korean market (and -0.88% for the US market) for nuclear weapons testing, but do not find significant return for military attacks. Bid-ask spread analysis indicates significant increases in information asymmetry among investors before these events. Moreover, we find a significant spike in abnormal short selling volume before the events.
Combining user and service provider preferences in a mobile car-rental reservation system

This thesis project aims at developing a software application of the latest generation and to study the analysis of two completely different car rental systems. The starting point was to develop a system that took into consideration the needs of the customer and of the supplier. I implemented a mobile application with an android operating system also able to give importance to the necessities of the final user. The defined architectural system developed an application able to satisfy the needs of the supplier of the service and that of the final user in a way to offer a service based on the needs of the consumer. Once finished the development of the application it was submitted to colleagues and friends. The system was evaluated through a questionnaire. The user sample expressed judgment regards to the usability of the application and the preferences between the two implemented systems. The results were useful to analyze the two systems, to compare them, to find points of strength and weakness and to complete conclusions. The results have confirmed our expectations placed at the beginning of the project, because the merging system received a positive evaluation from the users.
GLUCOPHAGE ® ( metformin hydrochloride tablets ) GLUCOPHAGE ® XR ( metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets )

GLUCOPHAGE (metformin hydrochloride tablets) and GLUCOPHAGE XR (metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets) are oral antihyperglycemic drugs used in the management of type 2 diabetes. Metformin hydrochloride (N,N-dimethylimidodicarbonimidic diamide hydrochloride) is not chemically or pharmacologically related to any other classes of oral antihyperglycemic agents. The structural formula is as shown:
Indolicidin Targets Duplex DNA: Structural and Mechanistic Insight through a Combination of Spectroscopy and Microscopy

Indolicidin (IR13), a 13‐residue antimicrobial peptide from the cathelicidin family, is known to exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against various microorganisms. This peptide inhibits bacterial DNA synthesis resulting in cell filamentation. However, the precise mechanism remains unclear and requires further investigation. The central PWWP motif of IR13 provides a unique structural element that can wrap around, and thus stabilize, duplex B‐type DNA structures. Replacements of the central Trp‐Trp pair with Ala‐Ala, His‐His, or Phe‐Phe residues in the PxxP motif significantly affects the ability of the peptide to stabilize duplex DNA. Results of microscopy studies in conjunction with spectroscopic data confirm that the DNA duplex is stabilized by IR13, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and transcription. In this study we provide high‐resolution structural information on the interaction between indolicidin and DNA, which will be beneficial for the design of novel therapeutic antibiotics based on peptide scaffolds.
Downsizing in a Learning Organization: Are There Hidden Costs?

Business practice has been at odds with organizational theory: whereas one managerial “fashion”—downsizing—involves divestiture of human assets, another—learning—advocates investment in human assets. We use a social network frame to consider the impact of downsizing on organizational learning and propose that the effects can be viewed as a nonlinear function of learning network size. From this perspective the potential damage to a firm's learning capacity is greater than head-count ratios imply.