Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A model for repeated clustered data with informative cluster sizes

Many chronic diseases or health conditions manifest with recurring episodes, each of which can be characterized by a measure of intensity or severity. Both the number of episodes and the severity of each episode can depend on the latent severity of an individual's underlying condition. Data such as this are commonly gathered repeatedly at fixed follow‐up intervals. An example is a study of the association between stressful life events and the onset of depression. Stress exposure is assessed through the frequency and intensity of stressful life events occurring each month. Both the number of events and the intensity of each event at each measurement occasion are informative about the underlying severity of stress over time. One might hypothesize that people that approach the onset of a depressive episode have worse stress profiles than the controls, reflected by both more frequent and more intense stressors. We propose models to analyze data collected repeatedly on both the frequency of an event and its severity when both of these are informative about the underlying latent severity. Maximum likelihood estimators are developed, and simulations with small to moderate sample sizes show that the estimators also have good finite sample properties, and they are robust against misspecification of the model. This method is applied to a psychiatric data set. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In Honor of Paul Krugman: Winner of the John Bates Clark Medal

Paul Krugman is the winner of the 1991 John Bates Clark Medal, given every two years to "that American economist under forty who is adjudged to have made a significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge. " I shall attempt to convey a flavor of Krugman's research contributions, grouped into some major themes: product diversity and monopolistically competitive trade; oligopoly and strategic trade policy; the dynamics of trade and exchange rates; and much more. Finally I discuss his brilliant popular book, The Age of Diminished Expectations (1991).
Business excellence: What is to be done ?

In the new millennium the tension between quality, quantity, costs and time will be stronger and management of organizations will be even more demanding. The speed of changes will remain high. Quality management can deliver great contributions to business excellence. It can be improved in a remarkable way by applying the 2000 version of ISO 9001, which allows the integration of other partical management systems like those for environmental management, risk management or occupational health and safety management in a much easier way than before. The new model of ISO 9004 offers an excellent way for an ongoing journey to total quality management. The Excellence Model of the EFQM is no longer bound only to quality issues, but offers an important tool for comprehensive management systems, which include all areas of management.
Quantitative culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from clinical sputum specimens and dilution endpoint of its detection by the Amplicor PCR assay

The minimum number of Mycobacterium tuberculosis CFU detectable in clinical sputum specimens by the Amplicor PCR test was estimated by performing the test on duplicate samples of quantitatively cultured serial dilutions of sputum. Positive PCR test results were obtained for all samples that contained 42 CFU of M. tuberculosis. The detection limits of the PCR assay for decontaminated (N-acetyl-L-cysteine [NALC]-NaOH) and nondecontaminated (NALC only) specimens were equivalent, even though the number of CFU cultured from decontaminated samples was only 11 to 20% of the number cultured from nondecontaminated samples. Thus, the 42 CFU that could be detected in nondecontaminated specimens by the Amplicor PCR test correspond to the approximately 8 CFU (0.20 x 42) that could be recovered in culture after decontamination with NALC-NaOH.
Strategic model for the assessment ofbusiness opportunities: A case study in an electrical equipment manufacturer

This study suggests a model for the assessment and development of new businessideas. The scope of the thesis is on the early stages of the model, specifically on the firsttwo steps which refer to screening and identification of global trends in the electricitymarket and the assessment and selection of business opportunities. The framework isan adaptation of portfolio management methodologies and multi-criteria group decisionmodels. The study was developed and applied through a case study in Ormazabal, anelectrical equipment manufacturer and supplier of power network solutions.There are three main theoretical contributions in this work. First, it outlines a five-stepmodel for the development of business opportunities. Second, it suggests a guide forscreening the macro-environment and for the identification of global trends in theelectricity market and finally, it provides a new approach to the directional policy matrixfor the assessment and selection of business ideas. The proposed model has beentested in a real case and the results reveal a practical approach to strategic decisionsbased on team collaboration and group discussion.
PSA-Stratified Performance of 18F- and 68Ga-PSMA PET in Patients with Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer

Several studies outlined the sensitivity of 68Ga-labeled PET tracers against the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for localization of relapsed prostate cancer in patients with renewed increase in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA), commonly referred to as biochemical recurrence. Labeling of PSMA tracers with 18F offers numerous advantages, including improved image resolution, longer half-life, and increased production yields. The aim of this study was to assess the PSA-stratified performance of the 18F-labeled PSMA tracer 18F-DCFPyL and the 68Ga-labeled reference 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC. Methods: We examined 191 consecutive patients with biochemical recurrence according to standard acquisition protocols using 18F-DCFPyL (n = 62, 269.8 MBq, PET scan at 120 min after injection) or 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC (n = 129, 158.9 MBq, 60 min after injection). We determined PSA-stratified sensitivity rates for both tracers and corrected our calculations for Gleason scores using iterative matched-pair analyses. As an orthogonal validation, we directly compared tracer distribution patterns in a separate cohort of 25 patients, sequentially examined with both tracers. Results: After prostatectomy (n = 106), the sensitivity of both tracers was significantly associated with absolute PSA levels (P = 4.3 × 10−3). Sensitivity increased abruptly, when PSA values exceeded 0.5 μg/L (P = 2.4 × 10−5). For a PSA less than 3.5 μg/L, most relapses were diagnosed at a still limited stage (P = 3.4 × 10−6). For a PSA of 0.5–3.5 μg/L, PSA-stratified sensitivity was 88% (15/17) for 18F-DCFPyL and 66% (23/35) for 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC. This significant difference was preserved in the Gleason-matched-pair analysis. Outside of this range, sensitivity was comparably low (PSA < 0.5 μg/L) or high (PSA > 3.5 μg/L). After radiotherapy (n = 85), tracer sensitivity was largely PSA-independent. In the 25 patients examined with both tracers, distribution patterns of 18F-DCFPyL and 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC were strongly comparable (P = 2.71 × 10−8). However, in 36% of the PSMA-positive patients we detected additional lesions on the 18F-DCFPyL scan (P = 3.7 × 10−2). Conclusion: Our data suggest that 18F-DCFPyL is noninferior to 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC, while offering the advantages of 18F labeling. Our results indicate that imaging with 18F-DCFPyL may even exhibit improved sensitivity in localizing relapsed tumors after prostatectomy for moderately increased PSA levels. Although the standard acquisition protocols, used for 18F-DCFPyL and 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC in this study, stipulate different activity doses and tracer uptake times after injection, our findings provide a promising rationale for validation of 18F-DCFPyL in future prospective trials.
Family, Market and Voluntary Action in the Regulation of the "Care System": A Comparison between Italy and Sweden

In this article we focus on elderly care reforms in Italy and Sweden. According to Polanyi's theory, we analyze the process of change of welfare regulation in terms of the relation between public redistribution, familial and societal reciprocity and services provided by the market. The main purpose of the analysis is to outline the processes of convergence and divergence between these two welfare systems that have pursued different paths in their historical evolution. In the first part we compare Italy and Sweden in terms of social expenditure for the elderly and the relationships between female labour market participation and supply provision. In the second part we concentrate on the institutional process of change, focusing on the main reforms that have affected the relationships between local public administration, family, third sector and private market organisations.
Performance measurement practices and organisational strategy: a study of Indian leisure enterprises

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance measure used by the leisure enterprises in India with different organisational strategies. It provides an empirical measurement of the relationship between strategy adopted by Indian leisure enterprises and the performance measures used for performance evaluation. A structured instrument was developed to examine the performance measure practices. Mail surveys were used to collect the data. This study found that identified prospectors leisure enterprises were predominately focused on innovation and research. On the other hand, defenders leisure enterprises were found to be less innovation and research oriented than prospectors leisure enterprises. The results indicate that there is a relationship between the operating activities and the performance measures used by Indian leisure enterprises. However, no relationship was found between organisational strategy and the performance measures in the evaluation process. This clearly highlights a significant gap, which may be narrowed by increasing management awareness regarding the role of performance measures to help organisations achieve their business strategies.
Prevalence and Determinants of Male Sexual Dysfunctions During First Intercourse

We explored the balance of genetic and environmental factors on sexual dysfunctions during first intercourse experience in young men. Gender role conflict theory predicts that young males should show high levels of such dysfunctions coupled with mixed affective reactions. Three thousand one hundred eighty six male twins and their siblings (M = 26.17 years, SD = 4.77) completed items on erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation (PE), contextual factors, and affective reactions during first intercourse, as well as parental attitudes towards nudity and sexuality. Twin modeling revealed a significant genetic effects for PE, but not for ED. Experiences of sexual dysfunction and both negative and positive affects during first intercourse were common among the participants. More positive parental attitudes were associated with less dysfunction and more positive affect during first intercourse. Having the first sexual intercourse with an unknown partner and while strongly intoxicated were, together with group pressure and reluctance to engage in intercourse, related to more negative and less positive affects. Erectile dysfunction during the first intercourse was related to more negative and less positive affects.
Mutations in v-Src SH3 and catalytic domains that jointly confer temperature-sensitive transformation with minimal temperature-dependent changes in cellular tyrosine phosphorylation

We have analyzed two functionally significant amino acid alterations encoded by the temperature-sensitive (ts) v-src mutant of Rous sarcoma virus, LA32. The G-to-V change at residue 300 in the catalytic domain nonconditionally impairs morphological transformation, in vitro kinase activity, in vivo tyrosine phosphorylation, and the cytoskeletal association of v-Src while rendering anchorage- and serum-independent growth ts. The R-to-P mutation in the SH3 domain subtly enhances morphological transformation but has no phenotype if the catalytic domain is inactivated. In the presence of the G-300-to-V mutation, this SH3 domain lesion does not affect v-Src in vitro kinase activity and cytoskeletal association, but it nonconditionally enhances cellular tyrosine phosphorylation and restores morphological transformation at the permissive temperature only. This ability to induce a ts transformed morphology, in concert with nonconditional elevations of cellular phosphotyrosine, suggest that a subset of v-Src targets that are crucial to transformation may be affected in ts fashion by the SH3 mutation. Consistent with this, we find that the R-107-to-P mutation confers ts activity and tyrosine phosphorylation on the SH3-binding enzyme phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase. Thus, both the SH3 and catalytic domain mutations in LA32 have some ts attributes and they cooperate in determining the mutant's behavior. The ts SH3 mutation is unique and offers the potential for deeper understanding of the function of this domain.
A Self-Confi gurable Architecture on an Irregular Reconfi gurable Fabric

Reconfigurable computing architectures combine the flexibility of software with the performance of custom hardware. Such architectures are of particular interest at the nanoscale level. We argue that a bottom-up self-assembled fabric of nodes will be easier and cheaper to manufacture, however, one has to make compromises with regards to the device regularity, homogeneity, and reliability. The goal of this thesis is to evaluate the performance and cost of a self-configurable computing architecture composed of simple reconfigurable nodes for unstructured and unknown fabrics. We built a software and hardware framework for this purpose. The framework enables creating an irregular network of compute nodes where each node can be configured as a simple 2-input, 4-bit logic gate. The compute nodes are organized hierarchically by sending a packet through a top anchor node that recruits compute nodes with a chemically-inspired algorithm. The nodes are then selfconfigured by means of a gate-level netlist describing any digital logic circuit. A topology-agnostic optimization algorithm inspired by simulated annealing is then initiated to self-optimize the circuit for latency. Latency comparisons between nonoptimized, brute-force optimized and our optimization algorithm are made. We further implement the architecture in VHDL and evaluate hardware cost, area, and energy consumption. The simple on-chip topology-agnostic optimization algorithm we propose results in a significant (up to 50%) performance improvement compared to the non-optimized circuits. Our findings are of particular interest for emerging nano and molecular-scale circuits.
Persistent TrkA Activity Is Necessary to Maintain Transcription in Neuronally Differentiated PC12 Cells*

Neurotrophins are required for the differentiation and survival of several different neuronal subpopulations in the developing nervous system. The PC12 cell line responds to nerve growth factor (NGF) by withdrawing from the cell cycle and acquiring a sympathetic neuron-like phenotype. Previous studies have shown that the activation kinetics of the NGF receptor, TrkA, and downstream protein kinases appear rapid and seemingly transient after NGF treatment of naive PC12 cells. However, maintenance of the neuronal phenotype and survival of differentiated PC12 cells under serum-free conditions require constant NGF exposure. In this study we have addressed the mechanisms that NGF uses to maintain neuronal PC12 cells. We show that TrkA remains phosphorylated at a basal level throughout differentiation of the PC12 cells. The phospho-TrkA levels in the differentiated PC12 cells were diminished by both complete NGF withdrawal and pharmacological inhibition of Trk kinase activity. Intracellular sequestration of the majority of TrkA molecules (both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated TrkA) and persistent dephosphorylation of the small pool of cell surface TrkA renders the persistent phospho-TrkA signal in the differentiated PC12 cells resistant to partial NGF withdrawal as well as exposure to additional NGF. NGF regulated both extracellular-regulated kinases 1/2 and Akt activity in the differentiated PC12 cells via sustained TrkA activity. Moreover, analysis of transcription using activating protein 1-, serum response element-, and cyclic AMP response element-Luc reporter constructs showed that NGF regulated these promoters through TrkA activity in differentiated PC12 cells. Interestingly, the initial response of the cyclic AMP response element promoter to NGF was delayed, becoming Trk-dependent well beyond the peaks in TrkA and downstream protein kinase signal transduction.
A Rab1 GTPase Is Required for Transport between the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Golgi Apparatus and for Normal Golgi Movement in Plants

We describe a green fluorescent protein (GFP)–based assay for investigating membrane traffic on the secretory pathway in plants. Expression of AtRab1b(N121I), predicted to be a dominant inhibitory mutant of the Arabidopsis Rab GTPase AtRab1b, resulted in accumulation of a secreted GFP marker in an intracellular reticulate compartment reminiscent of the endoplasmic reticulum. This accumulation was alleviated by coexpressing wild-type AtRab1b but not AtRab8c. When a Golgi-targeted and N-glycosylated variant of GFP was coexpressed with AtRab1b(N121I), the variant also accumulated in a reticulate network and an endoglycosidase H–sensitive population appeared. Unexpectedly, expression of AtRab1b(N121I), but not of the wild-type AtRab1b, resulted in a reduction or cessation of vectorial Golgi movement, an effect that was reversed by coexpression of the wild type. We conclude that AtRab1b function is required for transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus and suggest that this process may be coupled to the control of Golgi movement.
Experience and Confidence in an Internet Based Asset Market Experiment

The experience effect in asset markets is one that was thought to be settled. As subjects gained experience with the interface and each other, they typically exhibit fewer instances of mispricing and at lower magnitudes. But questions regarding trading experience are not easy to address in the lab with the typical subject pool since the kind of experience one can typically generate in the lab is experience with the experimental environment itself—not with external environments. However, in virtual worlds asset markets are highly evolved, providing a subject pool with skilled and experienced traders that can be accessed via the Internet. This study compares experimental asset markets with participants recruited from virtual world trading groups to experimental markets with participants recruited from the virtual world at large. I further examine trader performance and trading behavior within markets. The findings indicate that asset markets with virtual world participants recruited from trading groups are more prone to exhibit bubbles than are markets with virtual world participants recruited at large. Within condition, experienced traders are less likely to follow fundamentals and more likely to engage in strategies that result in loss of earnings. Excess confidence is rejected as an explanation for this pattern, as confidence is found to be related to higher earnings and fundamental value trading strategies.
Solving Inverse Scattering Problems Based on Truncated Cosine Fourier and Cubic B-Spline Expansions

In this paper, a comparison between truncated cosine Fourier expansion (TCFE) and cubic B-spline expansion (CBSE) for representation of the unknown scatterer properties in solving inverse scattering problems is presented. In this comparison, the efficiency of both aforementioned expansion techniques is examined for permittivity and conductivity profile reconstruction problems. The study is carried out by converting the reconstruction problem to an optimization one and using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method as forward electromagnetic (EM) solver and the differential evolution (DE) technique as global optimizer. The main benefit of the expansion representations of the unknown properties is the reduction of the ill-posedness, which is achieved by decreasing the number of unknowns of the inverse problem. The comparison is done under the same conditions of the number of population and optimization iterations. Numerical results related to the reconstruction of one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) scatterers indicate that both expansion methods are reliable tools for inverse scattering applications. It is shown that the use of the CBSE results in faster convergence of the reconstruction process compared to the TCFE. However, the TCFE gives more accurate reconstruction especially in the edges of scatterers. Both expansion techniques are robust against the presence of noise in the measurements.
Barriers to doing business in Kosova: an institutional approach

This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on barriers to growth and institutional influence in entrepreneurship. The empirical evidence comes from Kosova – a unique postwar environment characterised by a transitional economy. We employ the institutional approach developed by North (1990) in explaining the barriers to doing business in Kosova. Our results show that in the absence of the appropriate institutional setting, the informal factors emerge as a barrier to the growth of the firms in Kosova. More important, these obstacles harm especially fast-growing firms. Our study proves that institutions, both formal and informal, are important factors in shaping the entrepreneurial activities in Kosova.
Differential distribution of L‐aspartate‐ and L‐glutamate‐immunoreactive structures in the arcopallium and medial striatum of the domestic chick (Gallus domesticus)

The role of amino acid neurotransmitters in learning and memory is well established. We investigated the putative role of L‐aspartate as a neurotransmitter in the arcopallial‐medial striatal pathway, which is known to be involved in passive avoidance learning in domestic chicks. Double immunocytochemistry against L‐aspartate and L‐glutamate was performed at both light and electron microscopic levels. L‐aspartate‐ and L‐glutamate‐immunoreactive neurons in the arcopallium and posterior amygdaloid pallium were identified and counted by using fluorescence microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Most labeled neurons of arcopallium were enriched in glutamate as well as aspartate. However, the arcopallium and posterior amygdaloid pallium differed from a neighboring telencephalic region (nidopallium; formerly neostriatum) by containing a substantial proportion of cells singly labeled for L‐aspartate (15%, vs. 5.3% in the nidopallium). Aspartate‐labeled neurons constitute ∼20%, 25%, 42%, and 28% of total in the posterior amygdaloid pallium and the medial, dorsal, and anterior arcopallia, respectively. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that L‐aspartate was enriched in terminals of the medial striatum. The labeled terminals had clear and round vesicles and asymmetric junctions; similar to those immunoreactive to L‐glutamate. Axon terminals singly labeled for L‐aspartate made up 17% of the total. In addition, 7% of neuronal perikarya and 26% of all dendritic profiles appeared to be labeled specifically with L‐aspartate but not L‐glutamate. The results indicate that L‐aspartate may play a specific role (as distinct from that of L‐glutamate) in the intrinsic and extrinsic circuits instrumental in avian learning and memory. J. Comp. Neurol. 498:266–276, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.