Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Terminal Assessment of Stages Theory: Introducing a Dynamic States Approach to Entrepreneurship

Stages of growth models were the most frequent theoretical approach to understanding entrepreneurial business growth from 1962 to 2006; they built on the growth imperative and developmental models of that time. An analysis of the universe of such models (n = 104) published in the management literature showed no consensus on basic constructs of the approach, and no empirical confirmation of stages theory. However, by changing two propositions of stages theory, a new dynamic states approach was derived. The dynamic states approach has far greater explanatory power than its precursor, and is compatible with leading edge research in entrepreneurship.
Use of the embedded peritoneal dialysis catheter

INTRODUCTION The use of embedded peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters is purported to offer numerous benefits over standard placement. However, the optimum period of embedment and the effect of prolonged embedment on subsequent catheter function remain unclear. METHODS This retrospective observational study looked at adult patients undergoing embedded PD catheter insertion in a large tertiary referral centre in the UK. Possible predictors for catheter non‐function at externalisation were investigated. These included patient factors (age, sex, diabetic status, body mass index, ethnicity, smoking status, previous surgery, estimated glomerular filtration rate), procedural factors (modality of surgery, concurrent surgical procedure), duration of catheter embedment and catheter damage at externalisation. Outcomes examined were proportion of catheters functioning after externalisation, futile placement rate, surgical reintervention rate, infectious complication rate and proportion of externalised catheters lost owing to malfunction. RESULTS Sixty‐six catheters were embedded and two‐thirds (n=47, 63.6%) were externalised after a median embedment period of 39.4 weeks. Of these, 25 (53.2%) functioned on externalisation. Fourteen (63.6%) of the 22 non‐functioning catheters were salvaged. The overall utilisation of PD was 34/47 (72.3%) and the futile placement rate was 12.1%. Over half of the externalised catheters (n=27, 57.4%) were lost directly as a result of catheter related complications, with a median survival time of 39.4 weeks. In adjusted analysis, increasing embedment duration was significantly predictive of catheter non‐function at externalisation (adjusted odds ratio: 0.957, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.929‐0.985, p=0.003) while subsequent catheter loss was highly dependent on catheter function at externalisation (hazard ratio: 0.258, 95% CI: 0.112‐0.594, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS Prolonged embedment of PD catheters is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of catheter dysfunction following externalisation, which is in turn associated with subsequent catheter loss. We have discontinued the use of this technique in our unit.
Toward filling the gap between interactive and fully-automatic spelling correction using the linguistic context

We report on the comparison of different strategies for correcting spelling errors resulting in non-existent words. Unlike interactive spelling checkers, where usually only the left context is available, the system we developed takes advantage of the entire context surrounding misspelling. Moreover, unlike traditional systems, based exclusively on a string-to-string edit distance and a word language model, we explore the use of the part-of-speech for selecting candidates. In conclusion, we show that spelling correction improves by extending the context. The best results are obtained when combining a part-of-speech filter with a word language model, and using both the left and right adjacent contexts.
Calcium Phosphate Film Coating on Titanium Substrate by Electrochemical Deposition

Calcium phosphate film on titanium substrate was achieved by electrochemical method in four different kinds of electrolyte. The pure titanium metal (99.99%) with 0.8 cm in width and 2 cm in length was used as a substrate and it was subsequently etched by 2M HF for 1 minute before electrochemical deposition. Calcium phosphate film could form at a different current density for each kind of electrolyte as follows: 10 mA/cm2for MCPM based aqueous solution, 20 mA/cm 2 for MCPM based aqueous solution with ions addition, 10 mA/cm 2 and 20 mA/cm 2 for MCPM based 20%V/V ethanol and 50%V/V ethanol solution, respectively. The variation in film thickness depended on the kind of electrolyte and deposition time. The major phase that appeared in the film from MCPM based aqueous solution was brushite in coexistence with monetite. Apatite was induced in the film using MCPM based aqueous electrolyte with ions addition of NaNO 3 and NaF. On the other hand, monetite was formed as a major phase under the electrolyte condition of MCPM based ethanol solution. The highest adhesion value of film to substrate that formed in MCPM electrolyte based aqueous solution investigated by balance beam scrape adhesion and Mar tester was 150 g. After incubation in R-SBF for interval times, the amorphous bone like apatite formed.
HA2lloc: Hardware-Assisted Secure Allocator

With ever-increasing complexity of software systems, the number of reported security issues increases as well. Among them, memory corruption attacks are a prevalent vector used against today's software stacks. These attacks are repeatedly leveraged to compromise common application software, such as web browsers or document viewers. However, previous work to mitigate memory corruption attacks either suffer from high overhead or can be bypassed by a knowledgeable attacker. In this work, we introduce HA2lloc, a hardware-assisted allocator that is capable of leveraging an extended memory management unit to detect memory errors in the heap. We also perform some preliminary testing using HA2lloc in a simulation environment and find that the approach is capable of detecting and preventing common memory vulnerabilities.
Fast Food Outlets and Obesity: What is the Evidence?

Several local authorities in Britain have introduced ‘zoning laws’ to restrict fast food outlets within a certain distance of schools. Public Health England, the British Medical Association and the Mayor of London have all endorsed this policy as a way of tackling childhood obesity. Standard economic theory suggests that restricting supply by law leads to higher prices, poorer quality and reduced choice for consumers. Fast food zoning bans effectively protect incumbent businesses from competition at the expense of the public. These anti-competitive measures are said to be justified on ‘public health’ grounds to tackle childhood obesity. This report looks at the empirical literature to see whether this is true. We identified 74 studies published over a period of fifteen years which look at the relationship between the density and proximity of fast food outlets and the prevalence of obesity. Of the studies, only fifteen (20%) found a positive association between the proximity and/or density of fast food outlets and obesity/body mass index. Forty-four (60%) found no positive association, of which eleven (15%) found evidence that living near a fast food outlet reduced the risk of putting on weight. Fifteen (20%) produced a mix of positive, negative and (mostly) null results, which, taken together, point to no particular conclusion. The evidence that fast food availability causes obesity among children is even weaker. Of the 39 studies that looked specifically at children, only six (15%) found a positive association while twenty-six (67%) found no effect. Seven (18%) produced mixed results. Of the studies that found no association, five (13%) found an inverse relationship between fast food outlets and childhood obesity. Two-thirds of the studies found no evidence for the hypothesis that living near fast food outlets increases the risk of childhood obesity and there are nearly as many studies suggesting that it reduces childhood obesity as there are suggesting the opposite. Studies which suggest that living near a fast food outlet increases the risk of obesity are outnumbered 3 to 1 by those which find no such association. For childhood obesity, this ratio rises to 4 to 1. The belief that restricting the availability of fast food will reduce obesity in children or adults is based on assumptions that are not supported by an extensive body of evidence.
How Does Transition from Private to Public Ownership Influence a Firm ’ s Exploratory versus Exploitative Innovation Strategy ? *

We examine the effect of transition from private to public ownership on corporate innovation strategy. We argue that, due to managerial short-termism associated with public equity market, newly public firms are more (less) likely to adopt exploitative (exploratory) innovation strategy. We also examine how this relation is moderated by the presence of transient institutional investors, insider sales, and the threat of a hostile takeover, all of which exacerbate managerial short-termism. We find strong support for our theory based on a sample of 291 IPO firms and their matched private firms over the period 1997-2008 and employing a difference-in-differences analysis.
An Expert GIS-Based ANP-OWA Decision Making Framework for Tourism Development Site Selection

Abstract —The selection of a tourism development site involves a complex array of decision criteria that may have interdependence relationships within and between them. In the process of finding the optimum location that meet desired conditions, the analyst is challenged by the tedious manipulation of spatial data and the management of multiple decision-making criteria. This paper presents a novel decision making framework in which expert systems (ES), and geographic information systems–based multicriteria evaluation techniques (Analytical Network Process and fuzzy quantifiers-guided ordered weighted averaging operators (GIS-based ANP-OWA)) are integrated systematically to facilitate the selection of suitable sites for building new tourism facilities. First, ES is used for recommending the proper site selection criteria and their interdependence relationships. Then, the GIS-based ANP-OWA is used to perform the spatial data analysis necessary to generate a wide range of possible candidate sites’ scenarios taking into accounts both the interdependence relationships between sitting criteria and the level of risk the decision-makers wish to assume in their multicriteria evaluation. A typical case study is presented to demonstrate the application of the proposed decision making framework.
In Vitro Studies of the Metabolism of Tissue Slices

The use of tetrazolium salts for metabolic studies has been dismissed on the basis of their poor penetration into fresh tissue slices. In view of the fact that the penetration of these compounds can be visualized, it was felt that knowledge of the factors involved would be important. Factors, known to influence the penetration of oxygen, were examined with respect to the tetrazolium salts. The penetration of tetrazolium salt into tissue slices was a regular and predictable phenomenon. It was found that decreasing the metabolism of the cells in the slice substantially increased the penetration of these compounds, while increases in metabolism, by addition of substrate (such as succinate) to the incubating medium, considerably decreased their penetration. Increasing concentrations of the salt in the medium resulted in greater but limited penetration. It is our belief that the metabolism of tissue slices can be effectively studied with the aid of the tetrazolium salts, the portion of the population of cells participating in any reaction being accurately established by measuring the depth of the zone of reduced dye.
One-dimensional random walks with self-blocking immigration

We consider a system of independent one-dimensional random walkers where new particles are added at the origin at fixed rate whenever there is no older particle present at the origin. A Poisson ansatz leads to a semi-linear lattice heat equation and predicts that starting from the empty configuration the total number of particles grows as $c \sqrt{t} \log t$. We confirm this prediction and also describe the asymptotic macroscopic profile of the particle configuration.
Glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP) positively regulates transforming growth factor (TGF) β3 and is essential for mouse palatogenesis

Glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP) (encoded by the Lrrc32 gene) plays important roles in cell-surface docking and activation of TGFβ. However, GARP's role in organ development in mammalian systems is unclear. To determine the function of GARP in vivo, we generated a GARP KO mouse model. Unexpectedly, the GARP KO mice died within 24 h after birth and exhibited defective palatogenesis without apparent abnormalities in other major organs. Furthermore, we observed decreased apoptosis and SMAD2 phosphorylation in the medial edge epithelial cells of the palatal shelf of GARP KO embryos at embryonic day 14.5 (E14.5), indicating a defect in the TGFβ signaling pathway in the GARP-null developing palates. Of note, the failure to develop the secondary palate and concurrent reduction of SMAD phosphorylation without other defects in GARP KO mice phenocopied TGFβ3 KO mice, although GARP has not been suggested previously to interact with TGFβ3. We found that GARP and TGFβ3 co-localize in medial edge epithelial cells at E14.5. In vitro studies confirmed that GARP and TGFβ3 directly interact and that GARP is indispensable for the surface expression of membrane-associated latent TGFβ3. Our findings indicate that GARP is essential for normal morphogenesis of the palate and demonstrate that GARP plays a crucial role in regulating TGFβ3 signaling during embryogenesis. In conclusion, we have uncovered a novel function of GARP in positively regulating TGFβ3 activation and function.
Frequency of Rare Allelic Variation in Candidate Genes among Individuals with Low and High Urinary Calcium Excretion

Our study investigated the association of rare allelic variants with extremes of 24-hour urinary calcium excretion because higher urinary calcium excretion is a dominant risk factor for calcium-based kidney stone formation. We resequenced 40 candidate genes potentially related to urinary calcium excretion in individuals from the Nurses' Health Studies I & II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. A total of 960 participants were selected based on availability of 24-hour urine collection data and level of urinary calcium excretion (low vs. high). We utilized DNA sample pooling, droplet-based target gene enrichment, multiplexing, and high-throughput sequencing. Approximately 64% of samples (n = 615) showed both successful target enrichment and sequencing data with >20-fold deep coverage. A total of 259 novel allelic variants were identified. None of the rare gene variants (allele frequencies <2%) were found with increased frequency in the low vs. high urinary calcium groups; most of these variants were only observed in single individuals. Unadjusted analysis of variants with allele frequencies ≥2% suggested an association of the Claudin14 SNP rs113831133 with lower urinary calcium excretion (6/520 versus 29/710 haplotypes, P value = 0.003). Our data, together with previous human and animal studies, suggest a possible role for Claudin14 in urinary calcium excretion. Genetic validation studies in larger sample sets will be necessary to confirm our findings for rs113831133. In the tested set of candidate genes, rare allelic variants do not appear to contribute significantly to differences in urinary calcium excretion between individuals.
Exploiting enriched contextual information for mobile app classification

A key step for the mobile app usage analysis is to classify apps into some predefined categories. However, it is a nontrivial task to effectively classify mobile apps due to the limited contextual information available for the analysis. To this end, in this paper, we propose an approach to first enrich the contextual information of mobile apps by exploiting the additional Web knowledge from the Web search engine. Then, inspired by the observation that different types of mobile apps may be relevant to different real-world contexts, we also extract some contextual features for mobile apps from the context-rich device logs of mobile users. Finally, we combine all the enriched contextual information into a Maximum Entropy model for training a mobile app classifier. The experimental results based on 443 mobile users' device logs clearly show that our approach outperforms two state-of-the-art benchmark methods with a significant margin.
Positive regulation of TAZ expression by EBV-LMP1 contributes to cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is an integral membrane protein. LMP1 has been reported to activate the NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. However, these effects alone are unable to account for the profound oncogenic properties of LMP1. TAZ is one of the nuclear effectors of Hippo-related pathways and highly expressed in many human tumors. Here, we reported that TAZ was frequently expressed in LMP1-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In NPC cell lines, we showed that LMP1 promoted TAZ expression. Gelsolin is an important inhibitor of TAZ activity. Our studies showed that LMP1 interacted with gelsolin, resulting in inhibition of Lats1/2 phosphorylation and improvement of TAZ stability. Furthermore, we revealed that TAZ is important for LMP1-mediated cell proliferation, cancer stem cell-like properties and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. These findings provide new insights into the carcinogenic roles of LMP1 and contribute to further understanding of its oncogenic mechanism.
CoMP Meets Smart Grid: A New Communication and Energy Cooperation Paradigm

In this paper, we pursue a unified study on smart grid and coordinated multipoint (CoMP)-enabled wireless communication by investigating a new joint communication and energy cooperation approach. We consider a practical CoMP system with clustered multiple-antenna base stations (BSs) cooperatively communicating with multiple single-antenna mobile terminals (MTs), where each BS is equipped with local renewable energy generators to supply power, as well as a smart meter to enable two-way energy flow with the grid. We propose a new energy cooperation paradigm, where a group of BSs dynamically shares their renewable energy for more efficient operation via locally injecting/drawing power to/from an aggregator with a zero effective sum energy exchanged. Under this new energy cooperation model, we consider the downlink transmission in one CoMP cluster with cooperative zero-forcing (ZF)-based precoding at the BSs. We maximize the weighted sum rate for all MTs by jointly optimizing the transmit power allocations at cooperative BSs and their exchanged energy amounts subject to a new type of power constraints featuring energy cooperation among BSs with practical loss ratios. Our new setup with BSs' energy cooperation generalizes the conventional CoMP transmit optimization under BSs' sum-power or individual-power constraints. It is shown that, with energy cooperation, the optimal throughput is achieved when all BSs transmit with all of their available power, which is different from the conventional CoMP schemes without energy cooperation where BSs' individual power constraints may not all be tight at the same time. This result implies that some harvested energy may be wasted with no use in the conventional setup due to the lack of energy sharing among BSs, whereas the total energy harvested at all BSs is efficiently utilized for throughput maximization with the proposed energy cooperation, thus leading to a new energy cooperation gain. Finally, we validate our results by simulations under various practical setups and show that the proposed joint communication and energy cooperation scheme substantially improves the downlink throughput of CoMP systems powered by smart grid and renewable energy, as compared with other suboptimal designs without communication and/or energy cooperation.
Lateral light transfer ensures efficient resource distribution in symbiont-bearing corals

Coral tissue optics has received very little attention in the past, although the interaction between tissue and light is central to our basic understanding of coral physiology. Here we used fibre-optic and electrochemical microsensors along with variable chlorophyll fluorescence imaging to directly measure lateral light propagation within living coral tissues. Our results show that corals can transfer light laterally within their tissues to a distance of ~2 cm. Such light transport stimulates O2 evolution and photosystem II operating efficiency in areas >0.5–1 cm away from direct illumination. Light is scattered strongly in both coral tissue and skeleton, leading to photon trapping and lateral redistribution within the tissue. Lateral light transfer in coral tissue is a new mechanism by which light is redistributed over the coral colony and we argue that tissue optical properties are one of the key factors in explaining the high photosynthetic efficiency of corals.
Feature Patch Illumination Spaces and Karcher Compression for Face Recognition via Grassmannians

Recent work has established that digital images of a human face, when collected with a fixed pose but under a variety of illumination conditions, possess discriminatory information that can be used in classification. In this paper we perform classification on Grassmannians to demonstrate that sufficient discriminatory information persists in feature patch (e.g., nose or eye patch) illumination spaces. We further employ the use of Karcher mean on the Grassmannians to demonstrate that this compressed representation can accelerate computations with relatively minor sacrifice on performance. The combination of these two ideas introduces a novel perspective in performing face recognition.
Study of self-rating idea of undergraduates in the mountain area of southern Zhejiang

Objective To survey the incidence of suicide idea of undergraduates in the mountain area of southern Zhejiang so as to provide evidence for the intervention.Methods A total of 2 346 undergraduates of a college in Lishui city were tested with the Self-rating Idea of Suicide Scale(SIOSS) by stratified cluster sampling,and meanwhile,the reliability and validity of SIOSS was analyzed.Results There were 10% undergraduates with suicide idea within the past year.It was comparatively ideal to the structure model of SIOSS which was Abstracted to five factors included despair factor,optimistic factor,suicide factor,sleep factor and conceal factor and it was well to the degree of polymerization between each factor and item except conceal factor and the SCL-90 total score and the SDS score.The Cronbach' s alpha of the scale was 0.85,Spearman-Brown half reliability was 0.83,and test retest reliability was 0.86,and the sensitivity,specificity and Kappa coefficient of scale was 100%,97.09% and 95%,respectively.Conclusion There will be the reliable parameter for undergraduates in mountain area of southern Zhejiang to establish the system of psychological crisis intervention by investigating the incidence of suicide idea of them.
Code-Aided Turbo Channel Estimation for OFDM Systems with NB-LDPC Codes

— In this paper channel estimation techniques are considered as the support methods for OFDM transmission systems based on Non Binary LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) codes. Standard frequency domain pilot aided LS (Least Squares) and LMMSE (Linear Minimum Mean Square Error) estimators are investigated. Furthermore, an iterative algorithm is proposed as a solution exploiting the NB-LDPC channel decoder to improve the performance of the LMMSE estimator. Simulation results of signals transmitted through fading mobile channels are presented to compare the performance of the proposed channel estimators.