Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lung air volume measurement from x-ray images using DSA technique

In this paper a new technique for measuring regional lung air volumes from two-dimensional propagation-based phase contrast x-ray (PBI) images at very high spatial and temporal resolution. Phase contrast dramatically increases lung visibility and the outlined volumetric reconstruction technique quantifies dynamic changes in respiratory function. These methods can be used for assessing pulmonary disease and injury and for optimizing mechanical ventilation techniques for preterm infants using animal models. For background-subtracted contrast-enhanced lung images, the bright and the spare signal allows unique identification of contrast thoracic cavity in the lungs. This represents an automatic filtering algorithm using such lung characterization for selecting lung phase images and mask images to generate a subtracted image. Thus, the exact image cannot be obtained using only the phase images and hence the comparison of mask image with the phase image produces the subtracted lung images. A control action is determined to eliminate a discrepancy, if any, between the predicted position and the measured air volume of the lungs. Thus the relative position of the imaging device and the biological structure is adaptively adjusted according to the control action to chase the motion of the lungs. This is implemented using LabVIEW programming.
Structurally distinct toxicity inhibitors bind at common loci on β‐amyloid fibril

The accumulation of aggregated β‐Amyloid (Aβ) in the brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and is thought to play a role in the neurotoxicity associated with the disease. The mechanism by which Aβ aggregates induce toxicity is uncertain. Nonetheless, several small molecules have been found to interact with Aβ fibrils and to prevent their toxicity. In this paper we studied the binding of these known toxicity inhibitors to Aβ fibrils, as a means to explore surfaces or loci on Aβ aggregates that may be significant in the mechanism of action of these inhibitors. We believe knowledge of these binding loci will provide insight into surfaces on the Aβ fibrils important in Aβ biological activity. The program DOCK was used to computationally dock the inhibitors to an Aβ fibril. The inhibitors docked at two shared binding loci, near Lys28 and at the C‐termini near Asn27 and Val39. The docking predictions were experimentally verified using lysine specific chemical modifications and Aβ fibrils mutated at Asn27. We found that both Congo red and Myricetin, despite being structurally different, bound at the same two sites. Additionally, our data suggests that three additional Aβ toxicity inhibitors may also bind in one of the sites. Identification of these common binding loci provides targets on the Aβ fibril surface that can be tested in the future for their role in Aβ biological activity.
Unsupervised learning of Arabic non-concatenative morphology

Unsupervised approaches to learning the morphology of a language play an important role in computer processing of language from a practical and theoretical perspective, due their minimal reliance on manually produced linguistic resources and human annotation. Such approaches have been widely researched for the problem of concatenative affixation, but less attention has been paid to the intercalated (non-concatenative) morphology exhibited by Arabic and other Semitic languages. The aim of this research is to learn the root and pattern morphology of Arabic, with accuracy comparable to manually built morphological analysis systems. The approach is kept free from human supervision or manual parameter settings, assuming only that roots and patterns intertwine to form a word. Promising results were obtained by applying a technique adapted from previous work in concatenative morphology learning, which uses machine learning to determine relatedness between words. The output, with probabilistic relatedness values between words, was then used to rank all possible roots and patterns to form a lexicon. Analysis using trilateral roots resulted in correct root identification accuracy of approximately 86% for inflected words. Although the machine learning-based approach is effective, it is conceptually complex. So an alternative, simpler and computationally efficient approach was then devised to obtain morpheme scores based on comparative counts of roots and patterns. In this approach, root and pattern scores are defined in terms of each other in a mutually recursive relationship, converging to an optimized morpheme ranking. This technique gives slightly better accuracy while being conceptually simpler and more efficient. The approach, after further enhancements, was evaluated on a version of the Quranic Arabic Corpus, attaining a final accuracy of approximately 93%. A comparative evaluation shows this to be superior to two existing, well used manually built Arabic stemmers, thus demonstrating the practical feasibility of unsupervised learning of non-concatenative morphology.
Farmer demand for financial record‐keeping system attributes

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to determine which financial record-keeping system farmers use, as well as what system attributes farmers value and to what degree. Design/methodology/approach - This research uses a choice experiment to examine farmer's demand for attributes of financial record-keeping systems. A sample from the general Michigan farm population is compared to samples from university and agribusiness record system clients. Findings - Results reveal that university and agribusiness clients are willing to pay considerably more for a farm-specific record system to backstop their farm management decisions. Practical implications - The results provide an understanding of farmer demands for farm financial record systems and can be used to position record-keeping systems to meet those demands. Originality/value - This paper describes and analyzes farm financial accounting system use and preferences by type.
Optimal Spot-Checking for Improving Evaluation Accuracy of Peer Grading Systems

Peer grading, allowing students/peers to evaluate others' assignments, offers a promising solution for scaling evaluation and learning to large-scale educational systems. A key challenge in peer grading is motivating peers to grade diligently. While existing spot-checking (SC) mechanisms can prevent peer collusion where peers coordinate to report the uninformative grade, they unrealistically assume that peers have the same grading reliability and cost. This paper studies the general Optimal Spot-Checking (OptSC) problem of determining the probability each assignment needs to be checked to maximize assignments' evaluation accuracy aggregated from peers, and takes into consideration 1) peers' heterogeneous characteristics, and 2) peers' strategic grading behaviors to maximize their own utility. We prove that the bilevel OptSC is NP-hard to solve. By exploiting peers' grading behaviors, we first formulate a single level relaxation to approximate OptSC. By further exploiting structural properties of the relaxed problem, we propose an efficient algorithm to that relaxation, which also gives a good approximation of the original OptSC. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real datasets show significant advantages of the proposed algorithm over existing approaches.
Strategic orientation and performance measurement model in Taiwan's travel agencies

This longitudinal study attempts to examine those effects and relationships of various performance measuring dimensions using the balanced scorecard conceptual framework on travel agencies under different strategic orientations in Taiwan. A three-stage research design is adopted to explore a valid and reliable e-commerce strategy performance measuring model for travel agencies. The research also uses the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to further empirically build up e-commerce cost leadership and differentiation strategy performance measurement models. The theoretical model identifies an underlying variable construct, dimensions, and their associated attributes which combine the traditional subjective or objective measures with operating measures of e-commerce strategy performances. According to this research, Taiwanese travel agencies consider five financial, three customer, four internal process, and three innovation and learning perspective indicators of performance measurement that also have cause-and-effect relationships among themselves under two different strategies. Finally, this paper proposes two optimal models that match the essential needs of e-commerce cost leadership and differentiation strategic development and overcomes the traditional performance measuring shortcomings.
Getting inside the black box

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore, and eventually unlocking, the “black box” problem by addressing the potential mediating role of human capital and organizational commitment in the relationship between high performance work systems (HPWS) and perceived firm performance in the Tunisian financial industry. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the strategic human resource management (SHRM) theory, the authors developed a model that links HPWS to perceived organizational performance through human capital and employee organizational commitment. Data collected from 351 respondents was considered. Multiple regression analysis was then used to assess the research hypotheses. Findings – Data collected from 351 respondents suggest that HPWS positively affect perceived firm performance through first, enhancing the firms’ human capital; and second, developing positive organizational commitment attitude among employees. In addition, a direct relationship between HPWS and firm performance was found.
The measurement of tourist destination image: applying a sketch map technique

This study was conducted in order to identify the images of two Australian cities, Sydney and Melbourne, held by international students on English language programmes. It used a sketch-map methodology supplemented by a range of question types and styles. The results were analysed based on 115 completed questionnaires distributed to international students at Holmes College, an English language teaching institution with campuses in both Melbourne and Sydney. The results of the sketch maps of the two cities indicated that Sydney is perceived as a spatially dominated city, whereas Melbourne is seen as a path orientated city. The study confirmed that a sketch map technique could be used as an alternative or supplementary method to measure tourists' spatial orientation in a tourist destination.
Estimating food demand in Paraguay from household survey data

We estimate a food demand system in Paraguay based on the 1997 national household survey, considering 12 food categories. To obtain demand elasticity estimates from household survey data accounting for quality effects, measurement errors, and censored observations, price indexes are obtained from ordinary least squares predictions of changes in unitary values caused by spatial and temporal variations, and the two-step estimation procedure (Shonkwiler and Yen, 1999) is applied. Our approach yields reasonable estimates of combined quantity and quality responses with respect to price. Results suggest distinct consumption behavior in urban and rural areas, particularly for chicken, eggs, dairy, and fats and oils, which are likely because of differences in the food distribution system and availability of nonmarket food sources.
Sustainability through energy efficiency: An Italian perspective

Purpose of the paper : Firms’ efficient use of energy contributes to social, environmental and economic sustainability, as well as to their competitiveness. The discrepancy between optimal and actual implementation of energy efficiency measures has been described in literature as the ‘energy efficiency gap’. Recently, some scholars have related this gap to both technology and energy management, thus introducing, an ‘extended energy efficiency gap’. Given these premises, this study investigates the extended energy efficiency gap from the perspective of the Italian small and medium industrial enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, it intends to identify possible solutions to overcome the major barriers to energy efficiency, in terms of technology investments and energy management. Methodology : This is a conceptual study which adopts a solution-building approach based on literature review and secondary data analysis. Research findings: This study proposes a framework that can be used to explore and reduce the extended energy efficiency gap for Italian industrial SMEs. The possible solutions to improve energy efficiency include distributed generation, cluster energy management, result-based economic incentives and smart grids. Research limits : Qualitative and quantitative studies should be conducted to further investigation of the major barriers of efficiency, as perceived by SMEs. Households’ and policy makers’ perspectives could also be addressed in future studies. Practical implications : This study suggests that, through collaboration, firms could improve their energy efficiency, thus increasing their economic sustainability and competitiveness. Moreover, policy makers should encourage energy efficiency through result-based incentives and the development of smart grids. Originality of the paper : This is one of very few studies that address the extended energy efficiency gap for Italian SMEs. Additionally, it proposes a framework of analysis that takes into account the relationship between barriers and efficiency gap levels.
The challenge of cardiovascular prevention in primary care: implications of a European observational study in 8928 patients at different risk levels

Background Cardiovascular prevention can be provided to patients at different risk levels. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of cardiovascular prevention provided in European primary care between patients with diagnosed coronary heart disease (CHD) and individuals at high risk due to known risk factors but not labelled with a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Additionally, we aimed to identify individual and practice factors to predict risk factor control. Methods An international cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 European countries. Clinical record data were abstracted for quality indicators for 8928 patients in 10 countries and patient questionnaires were completed by 7846 patients in nine countries. Information about 320 general practices was assessed using practice questionnaires and interviews. Hierarchical multilevel modelling was used for analyses. Results Recording of risk factors and advice was higher in the CHD than in the high-risk group. Risk factor control was better in the CHD group: uncontrolled levels of blood pressure (34.2 vs. 49.3%; p < 0.001), cholesterol (32.4 vs. 64.5%; p < 0.001). Predictors of risk factor control were medication adherence (RR 0.97; p = 0.007) and health-related quality of life (RR 0.86; p = 0.005). Being at high risk (RR 1.42; p < 0.001), being single (RR 1.12; p < 0.001), and having lower educational level (RR 1.09; p < 0.001) were associated with poorer risk factor control. Practice factors were not associated with outcomes. Conclusions Strategies to improve guidelines adherence in cardiovascular prevention may be stronger focused on individuals at risk before CVD is diagnosed and require organizational and political support to reinforce general practices.
Hybrid Spoof Surface Plasmon Polariton and Substrate Integrated Waveguide Transmission Line and Its Application in Filter

In this paper, spoof surface plasmon polariton (SPP) is integrated in the closed substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) structure and a novel hybrid SIW-SPP guided-wave transmission line (TL) is proposed. In this design, the surface wave mode of SPP can be excited and transmitted inside the closed structure of SIW. The dispersion property of the proposed SIW-SPP hybrid structure indicates that it has both slow wave feature of SPP and fast-wave feature of SIW. With the low-pass feature of SSP and the high-pass feature of SIW, the proposed hybrid SIW-SPP TL becomes a bandpass filter (BPF) naturally. The concept of integrating SPP and SIW opens a new way to develop novel wideband BPFs. A broadband filter is fabricated to verify the theory and the measured passband is from 16.1 to 25.4 GHz with a relative bandwidth of 43.8%. The filter bandwidth can be easily controlled by tuning parameters, thus the proposed structure is attractive and useful for the design of various BPFs.
Returns to Scale of Production Function: Pooled, Within and Between Quantile Regression Approach

In the last century, the United States, regional and state’s agriculture have undergone an impressive transformation with much debate about changes in their farm economic structure. This paper examines the changes in input resource use in the production of crops and livestock and the relationship between the uses of inputs to produce outputs using a primal production framework. Apart from this functional relationship, there is a growing interest in how these relations (linear or non-linear) have evolved across cross-section units, over time and across quantiles due to changes in technology. Changes in the input and output variables has been examined for the U.S. agriculture sector using the primal production function [Marschak, and Andrews (1944); Mundlak (1963); Hoch (1958, 1962); Zellner, Kmenta, and Dreze (1966); Schmidt (1988)], and the dual cost function [Nerlove (1963); Fuss, and McFadden (1978); Diewert (1974); McElroy (1987)] or the profit function [Weaver (1983); Lopez (1985); Dixon, Garcia, and Anderson (1987); Antle (1984)]. There is a widespread use of ordinary least square (OLS) in examining the changes in farm economic structure accounting for autocorrelation and heteroscedasticity, alternative functional forms, and estimation techniques. Most research involved estimation of the relationship between endogenous and exogenous variables at the mean. With the introduction of quantile regression (QR) methods by Koenker and Bassett (1978), the relationship between endogenous and exogenous variables can be estimated and examined at each quantile. In general, QR proves to be extremely useful whenever one is interested in focusing on particular
Hand Gesture and Character Recognition Based on Kinect Sensor

The purpose of this research was to see if Kinect sensor can recognize numeric and alphabetic characters written with the hand in the air. Kinect sensor can capture motion without the sensor device being attached to the user's body. The input screen has both modes of numerals and alphabet. The recognition rate was measured and the user wrote the numbers from zero to nine and the letters from A to Z twice. Alphabet recognition relied on Palm's Graffiti. The input numerals and alphabet were recognized by dynamic programming matching based on interstroke information. In addition, this system can perform the numeral operation, such as +, −, ×, and /. Most people are not used to writing in the air and are unfamiliar with Kinect sensor, and it takes some time to master them both. First, the user needs to become accustomed to using the sensor. Average recognition rates of 95.0% and 98.9%, respectively, were obtained for numerical and alphabetical characters.
From Technological Inventions to New Products: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda of the Main Enabling Factors

Firms' ability to steady exploit their proprietary inventions via new products is an important driver to innovate, and then to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. However, the current state of the art on the main determinants affecting technology‐based products' commercialization is characterized by the lack of an integrative framework, and fails to analyze these factors across different levels of analysis. Thereby, the present paper aims at providing such an integrative and multilevel framework, bringing together findings on the various determinants enabling the introduction of new products based on firms' own technological inventions through a systematic review of more than 100 articles published in leading international journals. More specifically, we integrate and discuss the literature findings by distinguishing related factors across the individual, firm, network, and industry level of analysis. In addition, a summary of the main gaps and future research directions are presented, in the attempt to further stimulate the academic debate on the topic.
Aux origines des sociétés anonymes: les moulins de Toulouse au moyen âge. By Germain Sicard. (Affaires et gens d'affaires, V. Centre de Recherches Historiques, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, VIe Section.) Paris: A. Colin, 1953. Pp. 408. Frs. 1,350

single large project . designed to confer a general benefit upon the entire state. " Private and local lines would then make profitable connections with this railroad. The product of this philosophy was the Western and Atlantic, the "State Road" which provided Georgia's connections with the West. Aid was later extended to another trunk line which also represented "the more developmental . aspects of railroad construction," but Georgia never—until after the Civil War—went over to the rival policy of "public-largess-for-all. " Through the author's period, the public role "remained a strategic rather than a diffused one. " The magnitude of these developmental activities may be traced in Mr. Heath's admirable reconstruction of the state's accounts. For the thirty years beginning in 1811, "investment, other than railroads"—mainly, that is, in and through the banks—made up more than 30 per cent of the public expenditures. In the 'thirties about a quarter and in the 'forties a third of the total went into railroads. In the 'fifties new railroad investment still amounted to 18 per cent of all public expenditures, but this was now a little more than offset by the receipt of revenue from the Western and Atlantic. Georgia history, like that of the other states examined, does not corroborate "the historical notion of an early 'Age of Laissez Faire. '" In the more industrialized states of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania the authors found either a gradual turning toward a more laissez-faire liberalism or an abrupt reaction against developmental activity before the coming of the Civil War. In Georgia, as in Missouri, this seems not to have occurred. Instead, Mr. Heath found "a wavelike succession of broad peaks and troughs of public activity" and throughout the period "the promotional activities of government . greatly overshadowed the regulatory ones. " CARTER GOODRICH, Columbia University