Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
China's Next Strategic Advantage: From Imitation to Innovation

The history-making development of the Chinese economy has entered a new phase. China is moving aggressively from a strategy of imitation to one of innovation. Driven both by domestic needs and by global ambition, China is establishing itself at the forefront of technological innovation. Western businesses need to prepare for a tidal wave of innovation from China that is about to hit Western markets, and Chinese businesses need to understand the critical importance of innovation in their future. Experts George Yip and Bruce McKern explain this epic transformation and propose strategies for both Western and Chinese companies. This book is for everyone who does business with China or in China, or is interested in the development of the world's fastest-growing economy. Western CEOs can learn from Chinese companies and can create an effective innovation process in China, for China and the world. Chinese CEOs can benefit from understanding the strategies of their peers as they strive to enter foreign markets. And all Western businesses should prepare for disruption from their new competitors. Yip and McKern provide case studies of successful firms, outline ten ways in which the managerial and innovative capabilities of these firms differ from those of Western firms, and describe how multinationals doing business in China can become part of the Chinese ecosystem of new knowledge and technology. Yip and McKern argue that these innovation capabilities will be the basis for creating world-class products and services to meet the challenges of a new era of global competition.
Hemin uptake system of Yersinia enterocolitica: similarities with other TonB‐dependent systems in gram‐negative bacteria.

The hemin receptor HemR of Yersinia enterocolitica was identified as a 78 kDa iron regulated outer membrane protein. Cells devoid of the HemR receptor as well as cells mutated in the tonB gene were unable to take up hemin as an iron source. The hemin uptake operon from Y. enterocolitica was cloned in Escherichia coli K12 and was shown to encode four proteins: HemP (6.5 kDa), HemR (78 kDa), HemS (42 kDa) and HemT (27 kDa). When expressed in E.coli hemA aroB, a plasmid carrying genes for HemP and HemR allowed growth on hemin as a porphyrin source. Presence of genes for HemP, HemR and HemS was necessary to allow E.coli hemA aroB cells to use hemin as an iron source. The nucleotide sequence of the hemR gene and its promoter region was determined and the amino acid sequence of the HemR receptor deduced. HemR has a signal peptide of 28 amino acids and a typical TonB box at its amino‐terminus. Upstream of the first gene in the operon (hemP), a well conserved Fur box was found which is in accordance with the iron‐regulated expression of HemR.
Extruded Pentagon Cylinder Half Cylinder Hollow Cylinder Mallet Box

Autonomous grasping and manipulation of unknown objects is a central skill for humanoid robots. This is particularly challenging, as shape information needs to be obtained from sensory data which is often noisy and incomplete. However, object shape information is usually a key prerequisite for grasp and manipulation planning and thus needs to be estimated even if the available sensor data is limited. We propose a method for implicit surface modeling based on sparse contact information, as it arises e.g. from haptic exploration. Surfaces are locally defined using the contact points and their normals, and the object shape is extrapolated by integrating this partial information. For each contact contributing to the estimation, the local convexity or concavity is determined depending on its neighbors and their respective normals. Taking into account contact positions, normals and local convexities or concavities, the Implicit Shape Potential of the overall surface is generated. In contrast to popular methods based on Gaussian Processes, this representation allows for local details like edges and corners, without losing the ability to interpolate in the case of noise. In addition, it provides information to guide iterative exploration algorithms. The proposed method is evaluated on a set of various 3D shapes that possess flat and curved surface regions as well as convex and concave edges.
Plasma levels of 7-hydroxylated dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) metabolites and selected amino-thiols as discriminatory tools of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia

Abstract Objective: The early differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains still problematic. We developed a laboratory test enabling us to distinguish patients with AD from those with vascular dementia (VD) and healthy subjects. Methods: The AD group consisted of 22 women and 18 men. The VD group consisted of 16 women and 8 men. Age-matched controls consisted of 12 women and 9 men. Plasma pregnenolone sulfate (PregS), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEAS) were determined by radioimmunoassay. 17-Hydroxypregnenolone (17 Preg) and 7-hydroxylated metabolites of DHEA (7αDHEA, 7βDHEA) were determined by radioimmunoassay after separation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Homocysteine (Hcy), cysteine (Cys), cysteinylglycine (Cysgly) and glutathione (GSH) were measured by HPLC. Results: The ANOVA results of significant between-group differences were as follows: The PregS and the 17-Preg and DHEAS levels were independent from the diagnosis. The 7αDHEA levels significantly depended on the sex (p<0.05) and diagnosis (p<0.01). Aminothiols were influenced by the diagnosis (p<0.01, p=0.0541, p<0.01 and p=0.0536 for Cys, Hcy, Cysgly and GSH, respectively). Using a stepwise backward regression analysis, the following parameters were obtained: X=11.5+4.03×sex+1.09× Hcy+0.190 × PregS−4.76×DHEAS+3.00×DHEA− 34.3×7αDHEA−0.885× Cysgly from which P-value as a discriminator was calculated according to the formula: P=1/(1+e−x). Then, for P>0.5, a subject was considered as AD-positive (with 89% correct prediction). Discussion: The opportunity of early differential diagnosis of AD should help physicians to use suitable treatment for retardation of pathological processes.
Increased Apoptosis and Proliferative Capacity are Early Events in Cyst Formation in Autosomal-Dominant, Polycystic Kidney Disease

Previous studies have highlighted epithelial proliferation and apoptosis in the cyst lining as common features in animal models of cystic disease. In this study, we sought to evaluate the timing and extent of these changes in renal tissue obtained from patients with autosomal-dominant, polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) subjected for nephrectomy for a variety of clinical indications. Cell proliferation was assessed using an antibody to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and apoptosis was evaluated by the use of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) digoxigenin-deoxyuridine (dUTP) nick end-labeling technique (ApopTag). The origin of cystic structures was evaluated using antibodies to epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). The lineage of interstitial mononuclear cells was assessed by anti CD 45 and CD 68 monoclonal antibodies. We found an increased rate of proliferation within the epithelium, not only of cystic, but also of noncystic, tubules that was significantly higher than the corresponding values from normal kidney (p ≤ 0.0001). Apoptotic index values were significantly increased within the epithelium lining noncystic and cystic structures (p < 0.001). In the interstitium, increased proliferation and apoptosis rates were also noted. Interstitial infiltrates were dense and consisted mainly of CD 68–positive macrophages and CD 45–positive lymphocytes. The present study demonstrated that changes in cell turnover are early events in cyst formation. The observation of mild proportionate elevation of both proliferation and apoptosis values of the epithelium lining cysts explains the lack of increase risk of renal cell carcinoma in ADPKD. The development of heavy interstitial inflammation could contribute to progressive tubulointerstitial scarring, leading to progressive renal failure.
Is Activity-Resource-based View (ARBV) the New Theory of the Firm for Creating Sources of Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Services Firms?

This paper advocates the extension of the resource based view (RBV) by proposing a new theory to understand the actual creation process of sustainable competitive advantage using a services firm in the motor industry in Kenya as a case, by integrating the activity-based view (ABV) with the RBV, through activity drivers, to generate a new theory: Activity-resourcebased view (ARBV). A qualitative case study of a consistently high performing firm in the motor services industry in Kenya was used to determine if the ARBV assists in creating a sustainable competitive advantage. The results from the in depth semi-structured qualitative case study shows that a firm in a motor service industry that adopts the new theory, ARBV, will generate and sustain a competitive advantage for itself.
Smart spaces recommending service provisioning in WoO platform

In ubiquitous IoT environment, recommending services are getting popular in daily livings that depend on user identification, location, activity, situation and preferences. To provide scalable and dynamic solutions for smart spaces service features, Web of Objects facilitates real world object virtualization using semantic ontology. Cognitive functionalities in Web of Objects combines intelligence and analytics to create knowledge-based services and hence results in better service provisioning. This paper discusses the functional architecture of three levels on Web of Objects platform. Finally, a use case scenario for smart spaces has been studied.
Sources and Acceptance of Infant-Feeding Advice Among Low-Income Women

The purpose of this study is to identify sources and acceptability of infant-feeding advice among participants in the US-based Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Focus groups are used to identify sources of infant-feeding advice and factors that contribute to acceptance of or resistance to that advice among 65 WICeligible mothers (34 English speaking and 31 Spanish speaking). The mothers primarily rely on experienced family and friends for advice and frequently use their own intuition to find solutions that work to solve real or perceived infant-feeding problems. Professional advice is perceived as credible when caregivers exhibit characteristics similar to those of experienced family and friends: confidence, empathy, respect, and calm. Using this information, it may be possible for WIC staff to make programmatic modifications to increase their ability to promote optimal infant-feeding behaviors in this population, thereby contributing to the reduction in the prevalence of childhood overweight. J Hum Lact. 25(2):163-172.
Multigrid‐in‐time for sensitivity analysis of chaotic dynamical systems

The following paper discusses the application of a multigrid‐in‐time scheme to Least Squares Shadowing (LSS), a novel sensitivity analysis method for chaotic dynamical systems. While traditional sensitivity analysis methods break down for chaotic dynamical systems, LSS is able to compute accurate gradients. Multigrid is used because LSS requires solving a very large Karush–Kuhn–Tucker system constructed from the solution of the dynamical system over the entire time interval of interest. Several different multigrid‐in‐time schemes are examined, and a number of factors were found to heavily influence the convergence rate of multigrid‐in‐time for LSS. These include the iterative method used for the smoother, how the coarse grid system is formed and how the least squares objective function at the center of LSS is weighted.
Carotid Artery Wall Thickness Measured Using CT: Inter- and Intraobserver Agreement Analysis

SUMMARY: The purpose of this work was to compare inter- and intraobserver agreement in the analysis of CAWT by using MDCTA. The CAWT in 35 patients was quantified by 4 observers. Bland-Altman statistics were used to measure the agreement between observers. The results of our study demonstrated that the CAWT measured by using MDCTA shows a good reproducibility between observers by considering inter- and intraobserver agreement.
Neurogenic Hypertension in the Rat

Several techniques of radical denervation of the sino-aortic depressor areas were tried in order to produce a permanent neurogenic hypertension in the rat. The aortic depressor fibers were interrupted at the neck level by resecting the nerves which usually exhibit baroreceptor activity, namely, isolated aortic nerve, sympathetic, and laryngeal nerves. The carotid sinus was denervated by stripping the carotid bifurcation and painting with phenol. When the carotid bifurcation was resected bilaterally, in a one-stage operation, all rats showed symptoms of cerebral ischemia, dying shortly thereafter. Isolated denervation of the aortic baroreceptors was followed by a transitory hypertension. No changes in preasure were observed when only the carotid sinuses were denervated. A few rats in which the usual baroreceptor pathways were interrupted, except the superior laryngeal nerve, developed chronic hypertension. Yet, to obtain consistently permanent hypertension it was necessary to include in the denervation every baroreceptor route. A simple one-stage operation for complete sino-aortic baroreceptor denervation is described. This procedure was used in 140 rats that were then studied for periods up to one year. All the operated animals presented some degree of hypertension. Blood pressure measurements made during the first week showed even then that the rats were hypertensive. This observation suggests that in the rat no latent period for the appearance of neurogenic hypertension is present. Hypertension was permanent in 75% of the rats observed up to one year; blood pressure returned to normal values in the remaining 25%, usually after the third month. Extirpation of the adrenal medulla had no effect on the evolution of the hypertension in the denervated rats. Blood pressure was measured repeatedly in unanesthetized rats by tail plethysmography. Pressure values determined by this method, though 10 to 20 mm Hg lower, approximated the mean arterial pressure recorded directly from the femoral artery in normotensive and hypertensive rats. The hypertension in denervated rats included an increase of systolic as well as diastolic pressure. The heart rates of quiet hypertensive rats were within the normal range and, in general, no close correlation was observed between increases in blood pressure and elevations in heart rate. Normal rats have marked fluctuations in both pressure and heart rate when walking or when stimulated; these fluctuations were much greater in the neurogenic hypertensive animals. Moreover, the hypertensive rats showed large oscillations of blood pressure synchronous with respiratory movements particularly when the latter were slower and deeper than normal. The rats seemed to tolerate both the denervation and the hypertension very well. Histological examination of tissues from hypertensive rats showed myocardial hypertrophy and a thickening of the basement membrane of the glomerular capsule. The severity of the latter abnormality was closely associated with the duration of the hypertension.
Bootstrap-Based Inference for Cube Root Consistent Estimators

This note proposes a consistent bootstrap-based distributional approximation for cube root consistent estimators such as the maximum score estimator of Manski (1975) and the isotonic density estimator of Grenander (1956). In both cases, the standard nonparametric bootstrap is known to be inconsistent. Our method restores consistency of the nonparametric bootstrap by altering the shape of the criterion function defining the estimator whose distribution we seek to approximate. This modification leads to a generic and easy-to-implement resampling method for inference that is conceptually distinct from other available distributional approximations based on some form of modified bootstrap. We offer simulation evidence showcasing the performance of our inference method in finite samples. An extension of our methodology to general M-estimation problems is also discussed.
Online mechanism and virtual currency design for distributed systems

As distributed systems increase in popularity and experience resource contention, new resource allocation methods are needed for scalability and manageability. In this thesis, I investigate the use of auctions, a type of market-based methods, as a decentralized resource allocation approach. Agents in auctions individually submit bids that provide critical information, including agents' private value for resources, for prioritizing resource allocation. Three issues must be addressed for wider acceptance of using auctions. First, I present empirical data of a deployed market-based resource allocator, called Mirage, for allocating sensor network resources. The data provides observations of agent bidding patterns, which varied across values, sizes, and allocation timing. Furthermore, agents exhibited strategic behaviors that validate the need to mitigate such behaviors, which create complexity for both agents and system administrators. Second, I design Roller, an online mechanism that is strategyproof with respect to agents' submitted values and resource sizes. Roller is also configurable and able to provide different tradeoffs in regard to mis-reports of allocation timing. As agents of distributed systems often require responsive decisions, Roller uses a rolling window abstraction that enables the allocation of future resources. When compared to other allocators, Roller provides a high value and high responsiveness environment that is suitable for agents with dynamic requests. Third, I study monetary policies in regard to the control of virtual currency for distributed systems. By establishing a space for policy design, I analyze the effectiveness of different monetary policies against specific workloads and agent strategies. A framework for identifying symmetric mixed strategy Nash equilibrium is also presented, which allows me to identify a policy that promotes active bidding as being effective in capturing high allocative efficiency. In addition, I observe that agent strategies that rely on agent values tend to dominate other strategies. By focusing on the above three issues, I provide empirical data, a responsive and strategyproof allocation method, and a framework to design and analyze virtual currency that can be useful for systems designers considering scalable resource allocation for distributed systems.
Cognitive mapping of transfer: A new approach to understand transfer behaviour

Transfer is a fundamental component of transit journey that expands the spatial coverage of transit service to satisfy increasingly diversifying travel needs. Despite the benefits that transfers can offer, transferring a transit service or mode is generally perceived as a burden to the whole transit journey experience. The conventional approach of reflecting the inconvenience of transfer has been through integrating the additional time and cost incurred during transfer, or transfer penalty that encapsulates subjective and physiological factors in the mode choice model in the form of generalised transfer costs. This study builds upon the hypothesis that transit users will have a preference for the direction of travel towards their transfer point. A total of 11,409 single-transfer bus journeys were derived from Brisbane’s go card dataset. Each journey’s origin, transfer, and destination points were projected to a standardised two-dimensional Euclidean space by applying translation, rotation and compression/dilation transformation. As next, the grid-based hierarchical clustering was used to divide the Euclidean space into 150 cells to quantify the “preference” for transfer direction and position based on the number of transfer points in each cell. Majority of bus journeys conducted have made a transfer either near the origin or destination. Less number of transit journeys are realised if one is required to make a transfer that is deviated far from the straight line connecting the origin and destination. The straight line between origin and destination could be considered as the private vehicle path perceived by travellers. The deviation from the straight line may imply the impedance of transfer, which is likely to reduce the attractiveness of transit option. Findings from this study present a new approach to explain the transfer and associated travel behaviours.
Segmentation Guided Attention Networks for Visual Question Answering

In this paper we propose to solve the problem of Visual Question Answering by us-ing a novel segmentation guided attention based network which we call SegAttend-Net . We use image segmentation maps, generated by a Fully Convolutional Deep Neural Network to reﬁne our attention maps and use these reﬁned attention maps to make the model focus on the relevant parts of the image to answer a question. The reﬁned attention maps are used by the LSTM network to learn to produce the answer. We presently train our model on the visual7W dataset and do a category wise evaluation of the 7 question categories. We achieve state of the art results on this dataset and beat the previous benchmark on this dataset by a 1.5% margin improving the question answering accuracy from 54.1% to 55.6% and demonstrate improvements in each of the question categories. We also visualize our generated attention maps and note their improvement over the attention maps generated by the previous best approach.
Isopropyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C10H12O4, O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds incorporating R 2 2(10) and R 2 2(14) motifs link molecules into chains along [10]. An intramolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond is also observed.
Application of statistical design and response surface methods to computer-aided VLSI device design

A statistically oriented methodology for optimization and sensitivity analysis of VLSI process, device, and circuit design through computer simulation has been developed. Emphasis has been placed on maintaining a clear distinction between design synthesis and design analysis. Design analysis is viewed as a multiple input-output system resulting in a multiple-constraints-optimization problem. It is shown how simple graphic techniques or rigorous mathematical optimization can be performed within a constrained desirability space to determine optimal operating conditions. This leads directly to the concept of global input factors. Which affect a large number of the response variables, and specific input factors, which can be used to adjust the operating level of a small number of response variables. By using the derived empirical equations to desensitize the responses to variations in input factors, the proposed methodology can play a key role in designing for manufacturability. As proof of concept, the methodology has been applied to the optimization of a VLSI BIMOS technology, with satisfactory results. >