Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polycystic kidney disease as a new risk factor for coronary events.

BACKGROUND The association between coronary and/or other arterial aneurysms and polycystic kidney disease is well known. While myocardial infarction is a possible complication of atheroscletotic coronary aneurysms, it is reasonable to assume that CA in patients with PKD may make them prone for a similar complication. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the possible occurrence of CA and MI in first-order relatives of a patient with PKD, CA and MI. PATIENTS We studied 12 family members: 2 parents, 8 sisters and 2 brothers of a young woman who was incidentally diagnosed as having a MI, while her mother was known to have PKD. We used electrocardiogram, thallium-image test, and transthoracic echocardiography to determine MI, ultrasonography of the kidney to determine PKD, and coronary angiography and ventriculography to determine CA and MI, respectively. RESULTS PKD was detected in seven family members, while CA and MI were found in five and three of them, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In a family with PKD we detected a high prevalence of CA, with MI as a complication of the latter.
Combined Acetabulum and Pelvic Ring Injuries

Combined fractures of the acetabulum and pelvic ring are more common than previously believed, with an incidence as high as 15.7%. Recent series that include combined injuries indicate that the incidence of lateral compression and anteroposterior compression pelvic ring injuries is similar and that transverse and both-column acetabular fractures are the most common acetabular fracture patterns. Combined injuries most often are the result of high-energy mechanisms, and, compared with patients who present with isolated pelvic or acetabular injury, patients with combined injury typically have higher injury severity scores, higher transfusion requirements, and lower systolic blood pressure, with reported mortality rates of 1.5% to 13%. Treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach. The first priority is resuscitation following the Advanced Trauma Life Support protocols. Once the patient is stable, acetabular fractures and pelvic ring injuries should be assessed individually, and the most appropriate treatment for each should be outlined. These treatments should then be integrated to develop the most appropriate overall treatment strategy. Although outcomes data are available for isolated acetabulum and pelvic ring disruptions, no such data currently exist for combined injuries.
Chinese Web Text Classification System Model Based on Naive Bayes

Web text classification is the process of determine the text types automatically under a given classification, according to the text content. Web text categorization system is the use of machine learning, knowledge engineering and other related fields of knowledge, access to the web on the text, after text preprocessing, Chinese word segmentation and training classifier, using classification algorithm to implement automatic classification. This paper designed a web of Chinese text categorization system model and system tested, experimental results show that the classification system of the web text categorization with two main characteristics which are efficiency and accuracy.
AIS Electronic Library (AISeL)

Facial expression elicits vicarious emotion in observers and is an important means by which relationships are build and maintained. Does facial expression matter even online? This study examines the effects of creator’s face disclosure and facial expression of emotion in his/her profile on crowdfunding success. We employ a machine learning approach to recognize faces and its facial expression from the profile images. Using project-level data from a leading rewards-based crowdfunding platform, we find that the disclosure of creator’s face appears to decrease the funding amount in general. However, this effect is different by facial expression of emotion. The disclosure of smiling faces is associated with the 5% increase in the funding amount, whereas crowdfunding projects seem to be penalized by the disclosure of neutral faces or negative emotional expressions. Our findings imply that smiling faces, but not neutral ones, can serve as a significant signal of project quality and trust.
The responsive supply chain performance: relationships with technology uncertainty and organisational learning

The purpose of this paper is to illuminate the interplay of technology uncertainty and organisational learning, and its impact on the performance of a responsive supply chain. Through this paper, the researchers will: (a) test empirically how firms react to technology changes in a responsive supply chain design; (b) analyse through empirical tests how a responsive supply chain design influences a firm' incremental and experiential learning; and (c) analyse the impact of incremental and experiential learning on strategic supply chain performance. This study provides an empirical basis to understand the inter-relationships amongst variables of technological uncertainty, supply chain performance and organisational learning. The results indicate that those organisations which are more responsive to uncertainties in technology also trigger a 'learning' process leading to superior supply chain performance.
Models of Database Assets Valuation and their Life-cycle Determination

Although the methodology and models to assess the economic value of technology assets such as patents are being presented in various ways, there does not exist a structured assessment model which enables to objectively assess a database property`s value, and thus there is a need to enhance the application feasibility of practical purposes such as licensing of DB assets, commercialization transfer, security, etc., through the establishment of the valuation model and the life-cycle decision logic. In this study, during the valuation process of DB assets, the size of customer demand group expected and the amount of demand, the size and importance of data sets, the approximate degree of database` contribution to the sales performance of a company, the life-cycle of database assets, etc. will be analyzed whether they are appropriate as input variables or not. As for most of DB assets, due to irregular updates there are hardly cases their life-cycle expires, and thus software package`s persisting period, ie. 5 years, is often considered the standard. We herein propose the life-cycle estimation logic and valuation models of DB assets based on the concept of half life for DB usage frequency under the condition that DB assets` value decays and there occurs no data update over time.
Dimorphic ejaculates and sperm release strategies associated with alternative mating behaviors in the squid

Sperm competition is a powerful postcopulatory selective force influencing male adaptations associated with increasing fertilization success, and it is usually related to the evolution of different strategies of ejaculate expenditure between individuals. Ejaculates may also be influenced by additional selective pressures associated with sperm competition, such as timing between insemination and fertilization, female reproductive tract morphology, and fertilization environment. Also, males that adopt alternative mating tactics may face distinct sperm competition pressures, which may lead to the evolution of intraspecific diversity in ejaculates. In loliginid squids, males with alternative reproductive tactics (sneakers and consorts) differ not only in mating behavior, but also transfer spermatophores into two distinct sites within the female. Here, we compared structure and functioning of spermatophores between sneakers and consorts in the squid Doryteuthis plei applying microscopy techniques and in vitro experiments. Sneakers and consorts exhibit differences in spermatophore structure that lead to distinct spermatophoric reactions and spermatangium morphologies. Moreover, in sneakers, sperm release lasts longer and their sperm show an aggregative behavior not detected in consorts. Slow sperm release may be a strategy to guarantee longer sperm provision, given the wide interval between sneaker mating and egg release. For consorts, in turn, intense and quick sperm discharge may be advantageous, as timing between mating and egg‐laying is relatively short. Within the complex squid mating system, factors such as (i) different fertilization sites and (ii) interval between mating and egg release may also influence sperm competition, and ultimately shape the evolution of divergent ejaculates between dimorphic males.
Outage Probability of OFDM-Based Relay Networks with Relay Selection

This paper presents an OFDM-based relay network with relay selection employing both decode-and-forward (DF) and amplify-and-forward (AF) approaches. For the network, we derive a lower-bound on the outage probability and the diversity order achievable in frequency selective fading channels. Simulation results show that both DF and AF relaying provides the diversity order same to that obtained from the lower-bound but DF relaying provides a SNR gain over AF relaying. It is also observed that the SNR gain of the DF gets larger as the channel diversity order increases, which makes DF relaying more favorable to the OFDM network with relay selection.
Why Do Business Partners Divorce? The Role of Cultural Distance in Inter-Firm Conflict Behavior

ABSTRACT This research discusses reasons for dissolution of business relationships. By means of a case study of a dispute that ended in a lengthy court battle, an exploration of one predisposing factor that existed before the unfortunate relationship was established is undertaken. Factors addressed are cultural distance in terms of different degree of relative uncertainty avoidance and power distance. Conclusions indicated that, under certain circumstances, cultural distance is so wide that the relationship should never have been established in the first place. The aim is to increase manager's awareness when selecting new business partners, and to improve strategies for recovering faltering relationships. The article ends by discussing managerial implications.
VALIDITY OF THE STANDING SPIKE TEST AS A MONITORING PROTOCOL FOR FEMALE VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS

The purpose of this paper was: a) to provide reference values for the standing spike test for female volleyball players and b) to study whether the standing spike test is valid for assessing the theoretical differences between female volleyball players. The sample included 83 players from the first nine teams of the Spanish women's first volleyball division (52 Spanish players and 31 from other nationalities). The variables studied were the ball speed of the standing spike test, the age of the players, the player's role (outside hitter, opposite, middle-blocker, libero, or setter), height, and nationality of the players (Spanish or foreign). The results demonstrate the ranges for the standing spike among female performance volleyball players (70-82 km · h−1). The differences regarding nationality, player role, height, and age seem to indicate that the test is a valid instrument for monitoring the performance of female volleyball players.
Therapeutic management in patients with renal failure who experience an acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Prior reports have suggested that patients with impaired renal function receive less aggressive care after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study was to determine whether this held true in a contemporary cohort, after thorough adjustment for cotreatments/comorbidities. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Patients who were admitted for an ACS in eight participating hospitals were stratified into three groups according to estimated creatinine clearance (CrC): less than 45 ml/min, 45 to 60 ml/min, and reference >60 ml/min. RESULTS During hospitalization, uses of reperfusion therapy in tertiary care centers [difference between CrC < or =45 ml/min and reference group (Delta): 4%, 95% confidence interval (CI): (-13%, 21%)] and systemic anticoagulation [Delta: 0%, CI (-5%, 5%)] were similar in the three groups. Coronary angiography was performed less often in patients with lower CrC [Delta: -16%, CI: (-31%, -1%)]. At discharge, nearly all patients received either an antiplatelet agent or warfarin regardless of CrC [Delta: -1%, CI: (-3%, 1%)]. Discharge use of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers was comparable [Delta: 7%, CI: (-1%, 15%)]. beta-blockers [Delta: -9%, CI: (-17%, -1%)] and lipid-lowering drugs (LLDs) [Delta: -7%, CI: (-13%, -1%)] were used less frequently in patients with lower CrC. In multivariate analyses, decreased CrC predicted lower coronary angiography and LLD use, but not lower beta-blocker use at discharge. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that in patients with ACS, the extent of undertreatment due to chronic kidney disease is less than reported previously, which is partially explained by more complete adjustment for cotreatments/comorbidities.
Design, control and modelling of a novel Multi-Input-Multi-Output Boost Converter hub

This paper reports on the design, control and modelling of a novel Multi-Input-Multi-Output Boost Converter topology. The converter hub can integrate renewable energy sources such as wind turbines, photovoltaic arrays, fuel cells, etc. for provision of different output voltage levels. The advantage of energy sources integration is that the required output voltage levels could be made up from a range of sources. The designed converter has the advantages of a simple configuration, fewer components, high conversion ratio and high efficiency. The regulated output voltage levels are achieved via classical PID controllers which utilise the concept of closed-loop voltage mode control. Design of the converter control system requires comprehensive knowledge of the converter structure, its operation principle and the small-signal model for continues conduction operation mode. The validity of the converter's control performance is demonstrated through software simulation.
Service innovation and internationalization in SMEs: Implications for growth and performance

We investigate the relationship between the management of innovations and internationalization among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The literature has yielded mixed results on how innovation impacts internationalization and performance of SMEs, while simultaneously neglecting the role of service innovations (SI), in particular. Thus, using a sample of 104 Finnish SMEs, we examine how engaging in SI impacts their growth, international performance and international expansion. We find that engaging in SI has a positive relationship with international performance, but not with the growth or degree of internationalization (DOI) among the companies. We then discuss the implications on innovation management and corporate strategy.
A new version of the CABLE land surface model, incorporating land-use change, woody vegetation demography and a novel optimisation-based approach to plant coordination of photosynthesis

CABLE is a land surface model (LSM) that can be applied stand-alone, as well as providing for land surface-atmosphere exchange within the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS). We describe critical new developments that extend the applicability of CABLE for regional and global carbon-climate simulations, accounting for vegetation response to biophysical and anthropogenic forcings. A land-use and land-cover change module, driven by gross land-use transitions and wood harvest area was implemented, tailored to the needs of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project-6 (CMIP6). Novel aspects include the treatment of secondary woody vegetation, which benefits from a tight coupling between the land-use module and the Population Orders Physiology (POP) module for woody demography and disturbance-mediated landscape heterogeneity. Land-use transitions and harvest associated with secondary forest tiles modify the annually-resolved patch age distribution within secondary-vegetated tiles, in turn affecting biomass accumulation and turnover rates and hence the magnitude of the secondary forest sink. Additionally, we implemented a novel approach to constrain modelled GPP consistent with the Co-ordination Hypothesis, predicted by evolutionary theory, which suggests that electron transport and Rubisco-limited rates adjust seasonally and across biomes to be co-limiting. We show that the default prior assumption - common to CABLE and other LSMs - of a fixed ratio of electron transport to carboxylation capacity is at odds with this hypothesis, and implement an alternative algorithm for dynamic optimisation of this ratio, such that co-ordination is achieved as an outcome of fitness maximisation. Results have significant implications the magnitude of the simulated CO2 fertilisation effect on photosynthesis in comparison to alternative estimates and observational proxies.
Neural correlates of attention biases of people with major depressive disorder: a voxel-based morphometric study

Background Patients with major depressive disorder are found to show selective attention biases towards mood-congruent information. Although previous studies have identified various structural changes in the brains of these patients, it remains unclear whether the structural abnormalities are associated with these attention biases. In this study, we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to explore the structural correlates of attention biases towards depression-related stimuli. Method Seventeen female patients with major depressive disorder and 17 female healthy controls, matched on age and intelligence, underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They also performed positive-priming (PP) and negative-priming (NP) tasks involving neutral and negative words that assessed selective attention biases. The reaction time (RT) to a target word that had been attended to or ignored in a preceding trial was measured on the PP and NP tasks respectively. The structural differences between the two groups were correlated with the indexes of attention biases towards the negative words. Results The enhanced facilitation of attention to stimuli in the PP task by the negative valence was only found in the depressed patients, not in the healthy controls. Such attention biases towards negative stimuli were found to be associated with reduced gray-matter concentration (GMC) in the right superior frontal gyrus, the right anterior cingulate gyrus and the right fusiform gyrus. No differential effect in inhibition of attention towards negative stimuli in the NP task was found between the depressed patients and the healthy controls. Conclusions Specific structural abnormalities in depression are associated with their attention biases towards mood-congruent information.
Even neurotypical children are heterogeneous: using multivariate decoding to improve individual subject analysis of lexico-semantic EEG data

In conditions such as minimally-verbal autism, standard assessments of language comprehension are often unreliable. Given the known heterogeneity within the autistic population, it is crucial to design tests of semantic comprehension that are sensitive in individuals. Recent efforts to develop neural signals of language comprehension have focused on the N400, a robust marker of lexical-semantic violation at the group level. However, homogeneity of response in individual neurotypical children has not been established. Here, we presented 20 children with congruent and incongruent visual animations and spoken sentences while measuring their neural response using EEG. Despite robust group-level responses, we found high inter-individual variability in response to lexico-semantic anomalies. To overcome this, we analysed our data using temporally and spatially unconstrained MVPA, supplemented by descriptive analyses to examine the timecourse, topography, and strength of the effect. Even neurotypical children exhibit heterogenous responses to lexical-semantic violation, implying that any application to heterogenous disorders such as ASD will require individual-subject analyses that are robust to variation in topology and timecourse of neural responses.
Risk management in international supply chains: the case of natural hedging

The management of global supply chains is a source of competitive advantage. The related benefits are, however, tightly coupled with rising uncertainty and risks such as the volatility of foreign exchange and commodity markets. These supply chain risks significantly endanger small and medium-sized (SME) suppliers that operate in different currency areas in purchasing and sales. Although significant advancements in the area of supply chain risk management have been achieved in the past, a brief look at the current literature shows that contributions often remain at a general and theoretical level. The present paper contributes a specific risk management approach for international supply chains, namely natural hedging. Within that interdisciplinary concept, a globally active focal firm - an original equipment manufacturer, for instance - hedges currency and commodity price risks (financial options) as well as operational supply risks (physical options) by centralizing commodity supply with its SME suppliers. Natural hedging can contribute to the reduction of SME suppliers' supply chain vulnerability in the interests of the entire supply chain. The findings are explained within a formal analytical model and a scenario analysis.
A National Epidemiological Study of Offending and Its Relationship With ADHD Symptoms and Associated Risk Factors

Objective: The objective was to disentangle the relationship between offending, ADHD, and comorbid risk factors. Method: A total of 11,388 students in further education completed a questionnaire, which measured nonviolent and violent delinquency, current ADHD symptoms, conduct disorder, substance use, association with delinquent peers, emotional lability, anger problems, violent attitudes, and low self-esteem. Results: The nonviolent and violent delinquency measures correlated significantly with all the predictor measures, with small to large effect sizes. Multiple regressions showed that after controlling for age and gender, ADHD contributed 8.2% and 8.8% to the variance in nonviolent and violent delinquency, respectively, but these effects were largely mediated by the comorbid measures, particularly substance use, association with delinquent peers, and conduct disorder. Conclusion: The relationship between ADHD symptoms and offending among young people is largely explained indirectly by comorbid factors. A key prevention is to address substance use problems and association with delinquent peers.
Snapshot: implications for melatonin in endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an important intracellular membranous organelle. Previous studies have demonstrated that the ER is responsible for protein folding and trafficking, lipid synthesis and the maintenance of calcium homeostasis. Interestingly, the morphology and structure of the ER were recently found to be important. Melatonin is a hormone that anticipates the daily onset of darkness in mammals, and it is well known that melatonin acts as an antioxidant by scavenging free radicals and increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the body. Notably, the existing evidence demonstrates that melatonin is involved in ER homeostasis, particularly in the morphology of the ER, indicating a potential protective role of melatonin. This review discusses the existing knowledge regarding the implications for the involvement of melatonin in ER homeostasis.