Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radar compressed sampling with longtime pre-coherent integration via RFT

Compressed sampling is generally used in ultra-wideband radar, in which the moving targets' radial velocity would easily cause the across range unit (ARU) effect due to the high refined range resolution. Meanwhile, the noise-folding effect caused by under-sampling reduces the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of compressed sampled signals apparently. Therefore, traditional pre-coherent integration via discrete Fourier transform (DFT) are very likely to be unable to provide enough SNR gain for reliable reconstruction. In this paper we propose a novel radar compressed sampling system with longtime pre-coherent integration via Radon Fourier transform (RFT). The compressed sampled signals are firstly decompressed, then integrated by RFT filter banks, and finally reconstructed on each velocity bin respectively. The integration time of the proposed system is no longer restricted by the velocity of targets and range resolution as in the traditional pre-coherent integration via DFT, but could be greatly extended to satisfy the actual SNR requirements of system. Numerical simulation results show that the rate of successful reconstruction of provided system with high targets velocity is significantly improved, compared with the previous method using DFT integration.
Benefits from CRM-Based Work Systems

This paper explores the benefits of CRM-based work systems, and how these benefits are achieved, based on the content analysis of five case study organisations using CRM packaged software. Four main categories of benefits from CRM-based work systems are identified and discussed: improved customer-facing processes; improved management decisions; improved customer service; and increased business growth. These categories are contrasted to benefits frameworks developed by other researchers for ERP-based work systems. The most frequently mentioned benefits identified in this study are (a) access and capture customer information; (b) increased productivity from headcount reductions and other process efficiencies;(c) integration of processes, data and technology;(d) increased sales activities; and (e) more personalised and responsive service to customers. Though benefits (b) and (c) are similar to those for ERP systems, benefit categories (a), (d) and (e) are unique to CRM-based systems.
Multiple human tracking on image sequence under hierarchical attention control

The authors aim to implement flexible human visionlike processing on a computer by automatically switching the focus of attention to perform stable and efficient image sequence processing. To do so, they first introduce a hierarchical attention control model that divides high-order processing into five layers in this paper according to the object or role of each layer. By using this model, the authors implement attention control that uses not only simple image information, but also high-order information such as the various objects or relations between objects. Next, they take the problem of stably and efficiently tracking multiple people in a sequence of images to show the effectiveness of hierarchical attention control. In other words, by using this model, they determine the conditions of each person in an image based on the distance between the people or the way in which the people overlap and switch to suitable tracking processing or control the focus of attention. They use actual images to perform tracking experiments and verify the stability of tracking multiple people according to the proposed technique and the attention control processing contents of each layer during state transitions to show the effectiveness of the proposed technique. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 37(13): 78–88, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience. wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.10672
Stock Return Variation and Expected Dividends

This study provides evidence on the extent to which variations in stock returns are explained by variations in expected dividends in the markets of six European countries. Our results indicate that more than half of the observed variability of quarterly returns in the U.K. market is explained by variations in expected dividends. In contrast, only 18% of such variations in the German market is explained in a similar manner. The percentages of return variability explained for the markets of France, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland are between these extremes. We hypothesize that differences in the ownership structure of firms may be the driving force behind such results. We argue that the concentrated ownership structure of the German firms, and the tailor-made dividend patterns which may result, will force the changes in dividends to be void of an informational content. Evidence from the U.S. and the Japanese markets tends to provide strong support for this argument.
Targeting of p0071 to desmosomes and adherens junctions is mediated by different protein domains

p0071, a member of the armadillo protein family, is most closely related to p120ctn and the plakophilins 1-3. Whereas plakophilins are desmosomal plaque proteins, p120ctn localizes to adherens junctions and interacts with classical cadherins. In contrast, p0071 has been described as a protein with dual localization in adherens junctions and desmosomes depending on the cell type examined. Here we have analyzed the localization of p0071 and its domains in detail. Although by sequence analysis, p0071 is more closely related to the adherens junction proteins p120ctn, ARVCF and δ-catenin, endogenous p0071 associated preferentially with desmosomes in MCF-7 epithelial cells. Overexpressed p0071 localized along cell borders and overlapped only partially with desmosomal markers but colocalized with non-desmosomal cadherins and recruited cadherins to the membrane. The head domain of p0071 was sufficient for desmosomal targeting, whereas the arm repeat domain associated with adherens junctions and enhanced membrane association of classical cadherins. The tail domain localized preferentially to the nucleus and associated with desmosomes. To examine the mechanism underlying this dual localization more closely we determined binding partners of p0071 by using yeast-two-hybrid and mom-targeting assays. These approaches show that the head domain interacted with desmosomal proteins desmocollin 3a and desmoplakin, whereas the armadillo repeat domain binds to non-desmosomal cadherins. Head and armadillo repeat domains both interacted with plakoglobin by binding to different sites. Our data suggest that, in addition to plakoglobin, p0071 is the second armadillo protein present in both types of adhesive junctions and may play a role in regulating crosstalk between adherens junctions and desmosomes.
Tumor burden index as a prognostic tool for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: a new concept.

OBJECTIVES To introduce a prognostic tool for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma that takes into account the tumor burden and to compare the prognostic value of this tumor burden index (TBI) with that of other prognostic factors. DESIGN Retrospective clinical and statistical study. PATIENTS One hundred sixteen patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. METHODS A TBI was designed that takes into account the types, numbers, and severity of skin lesions with the use of the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS Models of the TBI were developed to test the relative contributions of patches, plaques, and tumors to the total tumor burden and, hence, survival time. Weighting factors reflecting the severity of each skin lesion were tested and incorporated. The best prognostic correlation was a dichotomized index with the following formula: TBI = 1 + (patches x 2) + (plaques x 2) + (tumor x 1.3), where the patches factor equals 0 if 30% or less of the skin area is involved and 1 if greater than 30% of the skin area is involved and where the plaque or tumor factor equals 1 if plaques or tumors are present. Both the TBI and TNM provided predictive information. Discrimination of survival curves and significance of differences was better for TBI (P < .001) than for TNM (P = .009). Sex was also statistically related to survival (males had a better prognosis; P < .04), whereas neither age at first symptoms (P = .35) nor age at time of diagnosis (P = .36) was of prognostic value. CONCLUSIONS The TBI offers a simple prognostic index for the evaluation of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. It may become a valuable tool for designing therapeutic strategies for patients according to their specific survival expectancies. However, this model is preliminary and has to be validated on a larger number of patients.
Great expectations among outbound Swedish exchange students – a case from Umeå University

This paper explores expectations and outcomes for outbound students in Sweden, comparing their expectations with what they actually experienced. Based on an initial sample of 143 students 57 answered both surveys, before and after having the experience of studying abroad. The aim is to investigate to what extent the expectations of outbound exchange students are being met in a population of students who had temporarily studied abroad. In this study, Umea University, Sweden, is used as a case. This study highlights what incentives students have to become exchange students and most importantly, how they value this experience. The respondents had positive expectations before departing as exchange students and they returned with even more positive attitudes.
The Relation of Venture Capital Investments with Performance Outcome and Market Valuation in the Technology-Based Industry: Evidence from Taiwan

It is known that venture capital (VC) investments are highly correlated with the development of technology-based industries. We use a set of technology-based firms between 1996 and 2001 in Taiwan to examine the relation between VC investments and market valuation and track the performance outcome of this sample until the end of 2007. We first find that firms invested by VC funds are related with less possibility of financial crises than those without invested by VC funds, especially in firms with high ratio of intangible assets. Second, the VC investment is value relevant to investors in firms with higher uncertainty. These findings support the certification function of venture capitalists and the importance of specific nonfinancial information on market valuation for investors.
25 Hydrodynamic 3 D Culture for Bone Tissue Engineering

Bone tissue engineering provided a promising approach for treatment of large bone defects resulting from maladies such as birth defects, trauma, or tumor resection. In vitro culture of a porous scaffold seeded with osteoprogenitor cells may enhance its bone regeneration potential. In this chapter, we describe the design of a novel perfusion bioreactor system with oscillatory flow for cultivating multiple 3D cellular constructs with clinical applicable size. It can perfuse culture media in a small volume repeatedly through out the scaffolds. The mixing effect of the oscillatory flow may enhance the uniform growth of cells in the scaffold in prolonged culture in vitro. The system was characterized. Mouse osteoblast-like cells, MC 3T3-E1, were dynamically seeded and cultured in large porous ceramic β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds by the oscillatory perfusion system, and then the cell growth within the scaffolds was evaluated by fluorescent study. The oscillatory perfusion system could be a simple and effective bioreactor for bone tissue engineering.
A variant within intron 1 of the PTPN22 gene decreases the genetic susceptibility of ankylosing spondylitis in a central south Chinese Han population

Objectives: The protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) is generally accepted as a key factor in maintaining immune cellular homeostasis. So far, no association has been reported between the polymorphisms of PTPN22 and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Chinese populations. We attempted to explore the association between the PTPN22 gene and AS in a central south Chinese Han population. Method: Our study involved 180 HLA-B27+ unrelated patients and 360 HLA-B27– healthy individuals. Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs: rs2476601, rs1217414, rs1217418, rs1746853, rs1970559, rs3765598, and rs3811021) were detected. Genotyping was conducted using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method. Results: rs2476601 was not polymorphic enough in both patients and controls. The SNP rs1217414 was found to be associated with AS but the other five of the seven selected SNPs (rs1217418, rs1746853, rs1970559, rs3765598 and rs3811021) were not. Conclusions: The PTPN22 gene might be associated with AS in a central south Chinese Han population.
A Refined Single-Particle Reconstruction Procedure to Process Two-Dimensional Crystal Images from Transmission Electron Microscopy

Abstract Single-particle reconstruction (SPR) and electron crystallography (EC), two major applications in electron microscopy, can be used to determine the structure of membrane proteins. The three-dimensional (3D) map is obtained from separated particles in conventional SPR, but from periodic unit cells in EC. Here, we report a refined SPR procedure for processing 2D crystal images. The method is applied to 2D crystals of melibiose permease, a secondary transporter in Escherichia coli. The current procedure is improved from our previously published one in several aspects. The “gold standard Fourier shell correlation” resolution of our final reconstruction reaches 13 Å, which is significantly better than the previously obtained 17 Å resolution. The choices of different refinement parameters for reconstruction are discussed. Our refined SPR procedure could be applied to determine the structure of other membrane proteins in small or locally distorted 2D crystals, which are not ideal for EC.
A Uniform Formal Approach to Business and Access Control Models, Policies and their Combinations

Access control represents an important part of security in software systems, since access control policies determine which users of a software system have access to what objects and operations and under what constraints. One can view access control models as providing the basis for access control rules. Further, an access control policy can be seen as a combination of one or more rules, and one or more policies can be combined into a set of access control policies that control access to an entire system. The rules and resulting policies can be combined in many different ways, and the combination of rules and policies are included in policy languages. Approaches to access control (AC) policy languages, such as XACML, do not provide a formal representation for specifying ruleand policy-combining algorithms or for classifying and verifying properties of AC policies. In addition, there is no connection between the rules that form a policy and the general access control and business models on which those rules are based. Some authors propose formal representations for ruleand policy-combining algorithms. However, the proposed models are not expressive enough to represent formally classes of algorithms related to history of policy outcomes including ordered-permit-overrides, ordered-deny-overrides, and only-one-applicable. In fact, they are not able to express formally any algorithm that involves history including the class related to consensus such as weak-consensus, weak-majority, strong-consensus, strong-majority, and super-majoritypermit. In addition, some other authors propose a formal representation but do not present an approach and automated support for the formal verification of any classes of combining algorithms. The work presented in this thesis provides a uniform formal approach to business and access control models, policies and their combinations. The research involves a new formal representation for access control rules, policies, and their combination and supports formal verification. In addition, the approach explicitly connects the rules to the underlying access control model. Specifically, the approach • provides a common representation for systematically describing and integrating business processes, access control models, their rules and policies, • expresses access control rules using an underlying access control model based on an existing augmented business modeling notation, • can express and verify formally all known policyand rule-combining algorithms, a result not seen in the literature,
Governance and Management of Intelligent Infrastructure

Intelligent (or “smart”) infrastructure is the existing infrastructure that has adopted new technological innovations to bring major, positive changes to the infrastructure services that we depend upon. These changes reduce the running costs of the infrastructure and improve its productivity. Deploying such smart infrastructures should be a high priority item for every business. This migration from “dumb” to “smart” infrastructure can be achieved by applying the principles of COBIT 5, a business framework for the governance and management of enterprise IT that can effectively guide the business in value creation for the stakeholders by benefits-realization, while optimising the resources as well as risks to the business. Keywords— Governance, management, enterprise IT, benefits realisation, risk optimisation, resource optimisation
Geriatric outcomes for trauma patients in the state of Florida after the advent of a large trauma network

BACKGROUND Florida State has one of the largest geriatric populations in the United States. However, recent data show that up to the year 2010, geriatric trauma patients were least served by designated trauma centers (TCs). One existing TC and five provisional Level 2 TCs were combined to create a large-scale trauma network (TN). The new TCs were placed in those areas with the lowest ratios of TC to residents based on census data. The aim of this study was to measure the TN impact on the population of geriatric trauma patients. METHODS Data from the Florida State Agency for Health Care Administration were used to determine mortality, length of stay, and complication rates for geriatric trauma patients (≥ 65 years). The potential effect of the TN was measured by comparing outcomes before and after the initiation of the TN. A total of 165,640 geriatric patients were evaluated. Multivariate regression methods were used to match and adjust for age, injury status (penetrating vs. nonpenetrating), sex, race, comorbidity, and injury severity (DRG International Classification of Diseases—9th Rev. Injury Severity Score). RESULTS Since the advent of the TN, an additional 1,711 geriatric patients were treated compared with the previous period. The TN was responsible 86% of these new patients. There was a temporal association with a decrease in both mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.85–0.96) and length of stay (p < 0.0001) for geriatric patients since the advent of the TN. The improved access was associated with a significant decrease in mortality in the regions serviced by the TN. CONCLUSION Geriatric patients make up a significant proportion of trauma patients within the TN. The temporal improvement in outcomes may be associated with the increased proportion of patients being treated in state-designated TCs as a result of the addition of the TN. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Epidemiologic study, level III.
An analysis of institutional trading activities around Quantitative Easing policy release

This paper explores the trading behavior of institutional traders vis-a-vis the rest of the market in the US, around the Quantitative Easing announcements (also known as QE1, QE2). The objective is to identify if institutional traders display any advantage over the rest of the market, through their trading behavior around highly publicized news events. While better information in the form of access to non-public information is unlikely in this case, institutional traders could generate private benefits through superior ability to process public news releases. This could potentially allow them to better time the market around the actual event.
Dream teams and their role as a facilitator of a corporate brand. (Available on Internet)

This study examines topic of dream teams, and their role as a facilitator of a corporate brand. Dream teams can alternatively be called high performance teams, however essentially they are teams capable of high levels of performance that satisfies client’s needs. Theoretical framework includes concepts of corporate brand identity, corporate brand image, as well as critical incidents and critical success factors. There is a relationship between corporate brand identity and corporate brand image, and since the two can differ a lot from each other, a gap exists in between. In this study, dream teams are regarded as facilitator of such gap. A new model picturing this relationship was generated. This study is a qualitative case study. It is based on a single case, a large project development company. Only their operations on the Finnish market are in focus. Data was collected through 7 in-depth, open-ended and unstructured interviews. Five interviews were conducted with case company employees, and two with their clients. Respondents were chosen with help of snowball method. Written materials, such as employee newsletter and web site, were also examined. Data was recorded, transcribed, and categorized for analysis. Results show that there is good alignment between the communicated corporate brand identity and the perceived corporate brand image. Thus, dream teams seem to be an effective facilitator of a corporate brand. Several critical success factors were exposed, and their role was more present that that of critical incidents when considering dream teams. Results of this study cannot be generalised, nevertheless valuable theoretical as well as managerial implications were made. A new model was generated. The study also makes suggestions for future research.
Thermal Phase Noise Measurements in Optical Fiber Interferometers

We present measurement data of fundamental thermal noise in a 40-m fiber optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) using 80-μm-diameter optical fiber. To extend the measurements to low frequencies (below 500 Hz), the experimental setup is carefully designed to minimize ambient noise, thermal drift, and the phase and amplitude noise of the lasers. These experimental results are compared with theoretical predictions for the magnitude of the fundamental thermal noise in fiber, due to both thermodynamic temperature fluctuations and spontaneous length fluctuations. The experimental data, using two different solid-state lasers with two different emission wavelengths (1319 and 1550 nm), is in reasonable agreement with both theories over frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 100 kHz. In terms of strain resolution, this paper demonstrates a fundamental thermal noise limit of approximately one femtostrain/rt(Hz) for a 40-m fiber optic MZI.
The Relationship between Advertising and Product Quality over the Product Life Cycle: A Contingency Theory

The relationship between advertising and product quality has been a controversial topic in the literature because of conflicting empirical evidence and divergent theories about advertising's effects. The authors present an integrative theory based on consumer response to advertising and the costs of producing quality products. The theory posits that the relationship between advertising and quality is stronger when (1) quality is produced at lower cost and (2) consumers are less responsive to advertising. Such a scenario is more likely during the latter stages of the product life cycle. An empirical test supports this argument.