Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vendor rating in purchasing scenario: a confidence interval approach

Vendor rating is a process having strategic implications for managing a supply chain. Vendor rating can be done using analytic hierarchy process either by a single decision maker or by a group of decision makers. This approach may suffer from some drawbacks including bias in estimation process. A methodology is proposed in this paper which makes use of estimation of the rating by a group on an individual basis following the principle of anonymity. A statistical analysis is carried out to determine the confidence intervals for the estimates of the composite rating of the vendors. The procedure presented here helps in identifying those members whose opinions may significantly deviate from that of the group. Emphasis is placed on establishment of confidence limits in group decision‐making. Participants in group decision making, whose opinions fall outside the group’s confidence limit, are further studied to understand the source of variation. Implementation guidelines have also been provided to account for the dynamic nature of the vendor evaluation process and to take appropriate actions in managing the vendor rating process in the overall supply chain.
Budget Deficits in the States: Illinois

During FY 2009 and FY 2010, the State of Illinois was faced with significant fiscal challenges. The national recession was adversely impacting the state's economy, while the state had been struggling since the last recession with operating budget deficits and large unfunded pension liabilities. In the spring of 2009, the Governor's Office of Budget and Management estimated that in the absence of any intervention, there would be a $4.3 billion budget deficit in FY 2009 and a $7.3 billion budget shortfall in FY 2010. This paper discusses the magnitude and nature of Illinois' fiscal problems and the factors that have contributed to this situation. It also discusses Governor Quinn's proposed budget for FY 2010, as well as the legislative response. Although the state passed a capital budget and an operating budget, the outlook for the future remains uncertain. The operating budget significantly relies on one-time revenue and funding sources (including $3.4 billion in debt) and the state has approximately $100 billion in unfunded accrued liabilities for pensions and other postemployment benefits.
The Alaskan Labor Market during the Pipeline Era

Built between 1974 and 1977, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline was the largest privately financed construction project in world history. The Alaskan labor market during the pipeline era provides an ideal opportunity to view labor market responses to a large, anticipated, and temporary shock to labor demand. The paper presents several theoretical models of market responses to temporary demand shocks and then assesses the ability of each model to explain the Alaskan data. Among the findings are that Alaskan wages were very flexible, labor supply was quite elastic on both the intensive (hours per worker) and extensive (number of workers) margins, and even a major short-run demand shock need not have a long-run impact.
More than something to hold the plants up: soil as a non-human ally in the struggle for food justice

Healthy, fertile soil is the material of life itself. It is chemically, biologically and physically structured to support the growth of healthy, environmentally sustainable foods. Recent years have seen a resurgent focus on soil science in Australia. Yet, the influence of soil in the politics of food systems has received comparatively little attention, despite long awareness in farming communities of how the natural world shapes farmers’ choices and possible actions. Drawing on work with SoilCare, a Landcare group with a focus on soil processes in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, this paper explores the usefulness of approaching soil as an actor in food systems. Taking a participatory approach, and drawing on recent work on new materialisms, we argue that soil can be understood as an important ally in the struggle to shape a just and sustainable food system. While this work is intended to test this idea through a modest local case study, it may point to important new avenues for investigation in food politics.
3-Dimensional Large-Scale Channel Model for Urban Environments in mmWave Frequency

From the results of the ray-tracing simulation of 28 GHz frequency band over downtown of Ottawa and New York University campus, we propose 3D large-scale channel models for urban city which are applicable to a mmWave version of 3D spatial channel model. Due to the change of geographical topology dimension from 2D to 3D, the height information of the transmitter should be reflected to the parameters of the channel model such as line-of-sight probability, Ricean K factor, path loss and shadow fading accordingly. In the simulation results, the line-of-sight probability depends on the height of the transmitter compared to the 2D model. The dual-slope path loss model is still appropriate in 3D channel model. We also propose the linear standard deviation function of the shadow fading, which shows a large standard deviation and an increasing trend with the distance.
Site-specific, enzymatic biotinylation of recombinant proteins in Spodoptera frugiperda cells using biotin acceptor peptides.

Site-specific, enzymatic biotinylation of recombinant proteins can be exploited to circumvent many problems associated with the use of biotinylating reagents in vitro and to overcome some of their inherent limitations. Additionally, biotinyl proteins can be purified to near-homogeneity in a single step under native conditions. Here we report that a biotin acceptor peptide (BAP) substrate for Escherichia coli biotin holoenzyme synthetase (BirA) can be used to label recombinant proteins with biotin in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells, and we describe a collection of baculovirus transfer vectors specifically designed for this purpose. These BioBac vectors will greatly expand the range of proteins to which this technology can be applied.
Protegrin-1 enhances bacterial killing in thermally injured skin

ObjectiveSeptic complications and the emergence of drug-resistant microbes represent serious risks to patients. Recently, naturally occurring peptides have been discovered that possess potent and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Protegrin-1 is particularly attractive for clinical use in human wounds because, unlike defensins, protegrin-1 retains broad antimicrobial and antifungal activity at physiologic salt concentration and in the presence of serum. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of protegrin-1 in killing multiple drug-resistant microbes isolated from human burn patients. DesignFor the in vitro experiment, bilayer radial diffusion was performed comparing standard antibiotics with protegrin-1 on multiple-drug-resistant microbial organisms isolated from infected burn wounds. In vivo, rats received a 20% total body surface area partial-thickness burn by immersion in 60°C water for 20 secs followed by wound seeding with 106 colony forming units of Silvadene-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. SettingUniversity of Michigan research laboratory. SubjectsAdult, male Sprague-Dawley rats. InterventionsRats were randomized into three groups: those receiving synthetic protegrin-1, acetic acid (carrier), or gentamicin (positive control). Protegrin-1 was administered by topical application or intradermal injection. Wound tissues were harvested aseptically at different time points for quantitative bacterial counts. Measurements and Main Results In vivo and in vitro experiments revealed rapid and significant decreases in bacterial counts for protegrin-1-treated groups compared with controls. ConclusionsThis study shows that protegrin-1 potentially may be used as an alternative or adjunct therapy to standard agents used to treat wound infections.
Procuring Complex Performance: The Transition Process in Public Infrastructure

Purpose – The paper analyses how public buyers transition from procuring single products and services to procuring complex performance (PCP). The aim is to examine the change in the interactions between buyer and supplier, the emergence of value co-creation and the capability development during the transition process. Design/methodology/approach – A multiple, longitudinal case study method is used to examine the transition towards PCP. The study deploys rich qualitative data sets by combining semi-structured interviews, focus group meetings and organisational reports and documents. Findings – The transition towards PCP can be best described as a learning process which cumulates the knowledge and experience in the client-supplier interaction accompanied by changing contractual and relational capabilities. In public infrastructure this process is not initially motivated by the benefits of value co-creation, but is politically driven. Practical implications – The study proposes three generic transition stages towards increased performance and infrastructural complexity moderated by contract duration. These stages may help managers of public agencies to identify the current procurement level and the contractual and relational challenges they need to master when facing higher levels of performance and infrastructural complexity. Originality/value – The study adds to the limited empirical and conceptual understanding on the nature of long-term public-private interactions in PCP. It contributes through a rare focus adopting a longitudinal perspective on these interactions in the transition towards PCP
Editorial: Learning design, teacher inquiry into student learning and learning analytics: A call for action

This special issue deals with three areas. Learning design is the practice of devising effective learning experiences aimed at achieving defined educational objectives in a given context. Teacher inquiry is an approach to professional development and capacity building in education in which teachers study their own and their peers' practice. Learning analytics use data about learners and their contexts to understand and optimise learning and the environments in which it takes place. Typically, these three-design, inquiry and analytics-are seen as separate areas of practice and research. In this issue, we show that the three can work together to form a virtuous circle. Within this circle, learning analytics offers a powerful set of tools for teacher inquiry, feeding back into improved learning design. Learning design provides a semantic structure for analytics, whereas teacher inquiry defines meaningful questions to analyse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
A Key Role for Cyclic AMP-Responsive Element Binding Protein in Hypoxia-Mediated Activation of the Angiogenesis Factor CCN1 (CYR61) in Tumor Cells

Hypoxia is a prominent feature of solid tumors known to contribute to malignant progression and therapeutic resistance. Cancer cells adapt to hypoxia using various pathways, allowing tumors to thrive in a low oxygen state. Induction of new blood vessel formation via the secretion of proangiogenic factors is one of the main adaptive responses engaged by tumor cells under hypoxic conditions. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a transcription factor that plays a pivotal role in mediating such responses. In addition, several other transcription factors have also been implicated in hypoxic gene regulation, either independently or in cooperation with HIF-1. In this work, we show that the expression of the angiogenesis-related, immediate early gene CCN1 (formerly known as CYR61), considered to be involved in tumor growth and invasiveness, is enhanced upon hypoxia stress primarily in a protein kinase A and cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) and CRE–dependent manner in various cell lines. The hypoxia-mediated activation of the CCN1 promoter is independent of HIF-1 and HIF-2, as shown by small interfering RNA knockdown. We identify the cis element in the mouse CCN1 promoter responsible for CREB binding to be one of two partial CRE sites present in the promoter. Moreover, we report for the first time that CREB-mediated CCN1 transcription is enhanced in hypoxic regions of tumors in vivo. Identifying and characterizing the molecular mechanisms that govern the response of tumors to hypoxia may be instrumental to identify the tumors that will respond favorably to inhibition of angiogenesis and thus lead to the development of treatments that could complement hypoxia-inducing treatment modalities. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(9):1397–409)
Anticipation Measures of Sequence Learning: Manual versus Oculomotor Versions of the Serial Reaction Time Task

The serial reaction time (SRT) task has generated a very large amount of research. Nevertheless the debate continues as to the exact cognitive processes underlying implicit sequence learning. Thus, the first goal of this study is to elucidate the underlying cognitive processes enabling sequence acquisition. We therefore compared reaction time (RT) in sequence learning in a standard manual activated (MA) to that in an ocular activated (OA) version of the task, within a single experimental setting. The second goal is to use eye movement measures to compare anticipation, as an additional indication of sequence learning, between the two versions of the SRT. Performance of the group given the MA version of the task (n = 29) was compared with that of the group given the OA version (n = 30). The results showed that although overall, RT was faster for the OA group, the rate of sequence learning was similar to that of the MA group performing the standard version of the SRT. Because the stimulus-response association is automatic and exists prior to training in the OA task, the decreased reaction time in this version of the task reflects a purer measure of the sequence learning that occurs in the SRT task. The results of this study show that eye tracking anticipation can be measured directly and can serve as a direct measure of sequence learning. Finally, using the OA version of the SRT to study sequence learning presents a significant methodological contribution by making sequence learning studies possible among populations that struggle to perform manual responses.
Asymptotic Behavior of Internal Rossby Waves with a Sharp Density Interface

An asymptotic analysis of a quasi-geostrophic model is presented to investigate the vertically propagating internal Rossby wave structure in the presence of a sharp density interface. For the case of a nonconstant density gradient, the pattern of the vertical structure is nontrivial and depends on the parameter of varying stratification, denoted by $\delta$. As this parameter approaches a critical value from above (i.e., $\delta \approx\delta_{cri}$ ), the internal wave amplitudes increase continually until wave breaking occurs. When $\delta < \delta_{cri}$, two cases are considered. For the case without a turning-point, the requirement of appropriate interfacial conditions provides a general matching solution, available only for a certain range of $\delta$. In the presence of a turning-point, which describes the solution transition from monotonic to oscillatory behavior or vice versa, three asymptotic forms of the solutions are derived, even for small values of $\delta$.
Long-term asymmetry in the USD-DEM spot exchange rate volatility process

This study proposes a new approach to the specification of the volatility process for the USD-DEM spot exchange rate. This new specification incorporates long-term asymmetric effects. Although asymmetry in the volatility process is well-documented, existing models have typically modelled the impact of the previous trading day's return upon contemporaneous volatility. In this study, it is demonstrated empirically that the historical return over the previous 8 months of trading has a significant impact upon contemporaneous volatility. The methodology employed in this study draws on recent research into realized volatility. By utilizing the concept of realized volatility, simple regression techniques can be implemented to develop an econometric model of long-term asymmetry in the volatility process for the USD-DEM spot exchange rate.
Left-ventricular dynamic model based on constant ejection flow periods

A simulation model that is based on findings of constant ejection flow experiments is presented. This model is tested on measured pressure and volume data. The results show that when the model is fitted on one single beat, left ventricular pressure can satisfactorily be described by a three-element model without deactivation. When isovolumic pressure has to be described by the model as well, introduction of deactivation is necessary. The quality of the model was further tested by fitting it to two beats with different ejection parameters. Deactivation again was necessary for a good fit. Only with a deactivation effect in the model, the component values found are close to the normal range found with constant-flow-period experiments in the rabbit left ventricles. From the simulation results it is concluded that (at least for constant ejection flow periods) elastance, resistance, series-elastance, and deactivation effects all are necessary in describing (and predicting) left ventricular pressure. <<ETX>>
Tracking World Trade and GDP in Real Time

This paper proposes a simple procedure for obtaining monthly assessments of short-run perspectives for quarterly world GDP and trade. It combines high-frequency information from emerging and advanced countries so as to explain quarterly national accounts variables through bridge models. The union of all bridge equations leads to our world bridge model (WBM). The WBM approach of this paper is new for two reasons: its equations combine traditional short-run bridging with theoretical level-relationships, and it is the first time that forecasts of world GDP and trade have been computed for both advanced and emerging countries on the basis of a real-time database of approximately 7000 time series. Although the performances of the equations that are searched automatically should be taken as a lower bound, our results show that the forecasting ability of the WBM is superior to the benchmark. Finally, our results confirm that the use of revised data leads to models’ forecasting performances being overstated significantly.
Evaluating the Optimal Travel Service Planner by Using the Network Model for the Tourism Industry

Travel service planners (TSPs) are mostly concerned about reducing the travel quality perception gap and enhancing customer value and loyalty. Based on the customer perspective and the 4P marketing theory, this study summarized criteria based on literature review and the Delphi method, and constructed a network selection model using the analytic network process and expert questionnaire survey. Three TSPs were used to validate the proposed model and select the optimum service provider. The results revealed that the main criteria in selection of the optimum TSP are the degree of coordination in product price, meeting customer needs, product quality and service and the implementation of promotional activities. In this study, the optimum planner was TSP2. The network analysis for decision-making could help consumers or clients evaluating the TSPs. Moreover, the proposed model could provide consumers or clients with an effective tool for selecting the optimum TSP.
Predicting Greek mergers and acquisitions: a new approach

In this paper, we investigate the possibility of predicting takeover targets in Greece, which is an incipient market for acquisitions. Our work is based on recursive partitioning techniques, that is decision-tree models, given that takeover likelihood models (such as logit) are not robust over time (Powell, 1997). However, we adopt a new technique with respect to Espahbodi and Espahbodi (2003), the machine learning algorithm J4.8 that is a new application in the sector of mergers and acquisitions. The results show that J4.8 outperforms the classical regression tree, although the predictive accuracy is not promising.
Ensuring Employment Equity: Are Federal Diversity Programs Making a Difference?

Abstract In the last two decades, many public sector agencies have instituted a wide array of “managing diversity” programs designed to remove barriers to the full participation of women and people of color. Meanwhile, agencies are also increasingly responding to pressure to develop measures to monitor performance of all of their programs. Yet there have been few efforts in place to measure the effectiveness of diversity management programs. This article argues that such an evaluation is essential, and offers a preliminary governmentwide estimation of the success federal agencies have had in breaking down these barriers. We found, for the most part, that there is little evidence that broad‐based diversity programs, nor any of their programmatic components, have created a more equitable work environment for women or people of color. We then examine the programs at two federal agencies with significant diversity efforts, in depth, and find again that the results have been mixed. While not meant to be the final word, we suggest that these findings can serve as the basis for generating greater discussion and analysis of these important, but under‐evaluated, programs.
Stochastic simulation of clinical pathways from raw health databases

This paper presents a method to automatically create stochastic simulation models of clinical pathways from raw databases. We introduce an automatic procedure to convert a process model, discovered with process mining, into an actionable simulation model. The concept of state charts is used and enriched to incorporate the distinctive features of healthcare processes into the model. The clinical pathway model is used to simulate new patients' sequence of events. The resulting model is validated by comparing key performances indicators with historical data. Finally, we use the model to perform an automatically setup sensitivity analysis. The whole process is automated and can be used with any input data.
Effect of glycinebetaine on proline, water use, and photosynthetic efficiencies, and growth of rice seedlings under salt stress

The aim of this investigation was to improve salt tolerance abilities prior to rice crop harvesting, including proline accumulation, pigment stabilization, water use efficiency (WUE), photosynthetic efficiency, and growth, by using exogenous foliar-sprayed glycinebetaine (Glybet). Pathumthani 1 (PT1) is reported to be a salt-sensitive cultivar and it was selected as a model plant. The proline content of PT1 rice was enriched by 50 mM of foliar-sprayed Glybet, thereby maintaining WUE and pigment stabilization, leading to high photosynthetic performance in chlorophyll a fluorescence and CO2 assimilation, and increasing plant height when the plant was exposed to 150 mM of NaCl salt stress. The photosynthetic abilities in plants undergoing Glybet application were positively related to seed fertility percentage, leading to improved seed grain under salt stress conditions. In addition, the overall performance, i.e. that of pigments, chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic abilities, and growth characters of PT1 rice treated with 200 mM of Glybet, was inhibited with this extreme dosage. Exogenous foliar-applied Glybet in optimum doses should be used as a short-term technique for the improvement of salt tolerance in rice.
Evaluation of Usda Interval Forecasts of Corn and Soybean Prices

USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) price forecasts are published as an interval, but are typically analyzed as point estimates. Thus, all information about uncertainty imbedded in the forecast is ignored. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the accuracy of WASDE corn and soybean price forecasts using methodology suitable for testing judgmental interval forecasts. Accuracy tests suggest that WASDE forecasts are not calibrated at the 95% confidence level for both commodities and generally not calibrated for corn, but calibrated for soybeans, at the implied confidence level elicited from the survey of forecast providers.